Amen sister! I had an intern recently- 22 years old, spent his senior year of high school and freshman year of college being pushed through the system without doing the work because of Covid. I have been working in my field longer than he's been alive and yet he was on his phone every time I was trying to teach him something. He subtly (and not so subtly), constantly told me that he knew more than me, and I had nothing to teach him. Oh well, his loss. I thought I knew everything too when I was 22. He'll learn, or he won't. My job was mentor, not friend. Thank you Bridget for writing exactly what I'm going through as a 40-something GenXer ❤️❤️
Most of the content I consume is made by people 40+ years old, because that’s generally how long it takes to make it…and have stuff that I’m interested in hearing about.
I also want to enjoy the niche of my generation’s nostalgia bait. I want sly references to a season 10 episode of South Park.
It’s not a kids-get-off-my-lawn thing to recognize that the culture that I grew up in was better than it is now. Beavis & Butthead > 6-7
I also recognize that Gen Z is in a weird place where smart people who’ve been successful can’t give them life advice because none of use know where life is going. The only real advice is “No one knows what’s going to happen so everyone is winging it and older people are just hoping to secure a retirement before everything falls apart behind them.”
And this chaos is primed for charlatans and narcissists to step up and explain to these confused kids what’s really going on, using the traditional scapegoats.
At the end of the day, there’s no way to stop teenagers from being stupid. The politics of 20-somethings is equally laughable.
But if parents want to sit their kids down to watch Dumpster Fire, maybe it will plant a few seeds.
Excellent piece. Sums up everything! I am a late Boomer (in the Jones's boomer group from 1955 to 1964). We missed the 50's. I got my weed from my brother (picked the lock to his cabinet and took out "lids"--those $10 ounce baggies). Rode our bikes all over San Francisco--in the summer our Mother's kicked us out the house and we were gone all day. I have met some younger millenials and zoomers who do have it together. It is thre majority of my liberal friends who are insane. Keep up the good work Bridget!!
Great article Bridget. I think about similar things with my 20 something children going to no kings protests. I kept my mouth shut. Eventually they will learn that for socialism and communism to work you need a king.
I was born in 1970 in the Midwest. Some see us as fly over states used to bother me no longer does.... Keep flying do not stop here
I had a different read on Nick Fuentes. To me, the guy screams “daddy issues.” This was most clear during his interview with Patrick Bet-David, when PBD was basically trying to gentle-parent him and Nick was gazing up at him like a little kid who finally got dad’s attention.
Couldn’t agree more. The perfect description of my favorite paradigm: you can know the definition of a word but not know its meaning.. The young ( I am sure it has always been so) don’t understand the continuum of knowledge: children learn data, the young acquire knowledge but it takes experience to find wisdom. Why would anyone try to pander to the arrogance of youth?
Amen sister! I had an intern recently- 22 years old, spent his senior year of high school and freshman year of college being pushed through the system without doing the work because of Covid. I have been working in my field longer than he's been alive and yet he was on his phone every time I was trying to teach him something. He subtly (and not so subtly), constantly told me that he knew more than me, and I had nothing to teach him. Oh well, his loss. I thought I knew everything too when I was 22. He'll learn, or he won't. My job was mentor, not friend. Thank you Bridget for writing exactly what I'm going through as a 40-something GenXer ❤️❤️
You are on quite the roll lately …
We should check if she's on roids. We've been hurt too many times. Is she a chuck Norris or a lance Armstrong, this is the question.
One generation plants the tree and next gets the shade . But damn if this new bunch can’t stop bitching about how the trees got planted
Can you blame them, some twisted trees out there
Bridget , you and Sasha are my favorite podcasters, and I rate your two themes as profoundly true:
1) don't take yourself so damn seriously (you)
2) to thine own self be true (Sasha via Hamlet)
But I miss Scott Adams 😢
Great piece clearly summing up the nonsense we are drenched with.
This is too real. I'm happy I get to throw you a few bucks every month.
You can even be spiteful, money is money ;)
Most of the content I consume is made by people 40+ years old, because that’s generally how long it takes to make it…and have stuff that I’m interested in hearing about.
I also want to enjoy the niche of my generation’s nostalgia bait. I want sly references to a season 10 episode of South Park.
It’s not a kids-get-off-my-lawn thing to recognize that the culture that I grew up in was better than it is now. Beavis & Butthead > 6-7
I also recognize that Gen Z is in a weird place where smart people who’ve been successful can’t give them life advice because none of use know where life is going. The only real advice is “No one knows what’s going to happen so everyone is winging it and older people are just hoping to secure a retirement before everything falls apart behind them.”
And this chaos is primed for charlatans and narcissists to step up and explain to these confused kids what’s really going on, using the traditional scapegoats.
At the end of the day, there’s no way to stop teenagers from being stupid. The politics of 20-somethings is equally laughable.
But if parents want to sit their kids down to watch Dumpster Fire, maybe it will plant a few seeds.
Drank out of hoses and came in when the streetlights came on. I belong here. Thanks.
Great post, and I'm probably twice your age.
Kudos...
Excellent piece. Sums up everything! I am a late Boomer (in the Jones's boomer group from 1955 to 1964). We missed the 50's. I got my weed from my brother (picked the lock to his cabinet and took out "lids"--those $10 ounce baggies). Rode our bikes all over San Francisco--in the summer our Mother's kicked us out the house and we were gone all day. I have met some younger millenials and zoomers who do have it together. It is thre majority of my liberal friends who are insane. Keep up the good work Bridget!!
Great article Bridget. I think about similar things with my 20 something children going to no kings protests. I kept my mouth shut. Eventually they will learn that for socialism and communism to work you need a king.
I was born in 1970 in the Midwest. Some see us as fly over states used to bother me no longer does.... Keep flying do not stop here
I had a different read on Nick Fuentes. To me, the guy screams “daddy issues.” This was most clear during his interview with Patrick Bet-David, when PBD was basically trying to gentle-parent him and Nick was gazing up at him like a little kid who finally got dad’s attention.
Late Boomer here who's always loved your stuff, I really enjoyed this piece.
I'm not the creative type, but I also don't feel the need to 'fit in' with the youngsters.
Spot On! As usual 💪
Couldn’t agree more. The perfect description of my favorite paradigm: you can know the definition of a word but not know its meaning.. The young ( I am sure it has always been so) don’t understand the continuum of knowledge: children learn data, the young acquire knowledge but it takes experience to find wisdom. Why would anyone try to pander to the arrogance of youth?
The Zoomers will be following you in 20 years.