For the 30+ crowd - Updated list

[Charean]

Here is this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1982.

They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.

They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. Black Monday, 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.

There has been only one Pope.

They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.

They have never feared a nuclear war.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Tianamen Square means nothing to them.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.

The statement "You sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.

They have never owned a record player.

They have likely never played PAC Man and have never heard of Pong.

They may have never heard of an 8 track. The Compact Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old.

They have always had an answering machine.

Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV.

They have always had cable.

There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was.

They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is, or know about the "Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up" commercial.


Feeling old Yet? There's more:

They were born the year that the Walkman was introduced by Sony.

Roller skating has always meant "inline" for them.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.

They have never seen Larry Bird play.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Civil War. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel," or "De plane, de plane!".

They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. was.

The Titanic was found? They thought we always knew.

Michael Jackson has always been white.

Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not rock bands.

McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers.

There has always been MTV.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.


Do you feel old yet?

[Rokenn]

thanks alot! haha

[Paladin2000]

Pleeeeese stop! You are making me feel like an ancient mummy.

[Nanobyte]

I can argue a few of these.

Originally posted by Charean: They have likely never played PAC Man and have never heard of Pong. They have always had an answering machine. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV. They have always had cable. McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers. There has always been MTV.

I lived in Upstate NY and there are numerous things I never knew about, such as the fundamentals of technology. Some of these things might "have always been," but that doesn't mean they knew about them.

[ 10-11-2002, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: Nanobyte ]

[Melusine]

No offense intended at all, but what a horrible bunch of generalisations... It's hardly surprising that some young people don't even want to learn anymore if this is the prevalent attitude of the older generation anyway... But luckily I know most people think differently.

Personally I thought the other list, the one with lots of nostalgic recollections of past fads and events, was a lot more fun than this one.
It's just so untrue... the ones about the WW2 and other historical events - as if the youth of today doesn't care about that at all. My younger sister doesn't see the WW2 as ancient history at all, while a lot of 30 and 40 something politicians seem to have a LOT more trouble remembering it.

[ 10-11-2002, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

[Ronn_Bman]

God that's scary....

But it certainly goes a long way towards explaining some of the debates on international affairs in this forum.

[ 10-11-2002, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

I think that was a horrible post.

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Arledrian: I think that was a horrible post.

The original or my comment on it? [img]smile.gif[/img]

The original contains some undeniable facts, but also some insinuations. I don't look at it as a put down on the younger crowd though. It just helps me understand how very different things have been for them. Just as things were different for me from my parents and their contemporaries. Our opinions are influenced by our upbringing, surroundings, and memories.

Anyway, I didn't mean anything unfavorable about the youth of today. I wish I was one of them..lol

[Melusine]

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: The original or my comment on it? [img]smile.gif[/img] The original contains some undeniable facts, but also some insinuations. I don't look at it as a put down on the younger crowd though. It just helps me understand how very different things have been for them. Just as things were different for me from my parents and their contemporaries. Our opinions are influenced by our upbringing, surroundings, and memories. Anyway, I didn't mean anything unfavorable about the youth of today. I wish I was one of them..lol

But it DOES put them down, IMO.
"They don't know Reagan was shot. They know nothing about the Cold War. The WWs are ancient history to them. They have never heard of this. They know nothing about that."

How putdownish can you get?? Looks like the writer of that article based his assumptions about the general knowledge of today's youth on his own meagre intelligence.

I agree with you it's very good to keep in mind the different eras someone grew up in (applying to any age - like realising your grandparents lived through the world wars and may have known poverty like you never knew it, as well as realising your little daughter doesn't realise Russia or Germany was the big enemy once.) but I don't think that's what this article does - and it gives young people far too little credit. Just my 2c

Originally posted by Melusine: quote: Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: The original or my comment on it? [img]smile.gif[/img] The original contains some undeniable facts, but also some insinuations. I don't look at it as a put down on the younger crowd though. It just helps me understand how very different things have been for them. Just as things were different for me from my parents and their contemporaries. Our opinions are influenced by our upbringing, surroundings, and memories. Anyway, I didn't mean anything unfavorable about the youth of today. I wish I was one of them..lol

But it DOES put them down, IMO.
"They don't know Reagan was shot. They know nothing about the Cold War. The WWs are ancient history to them. They have never heard of this. They know nothing about that."

How putdownish can you get?? Looks like the writer of that article based his assumptions about the general knowledge of today's youth on his own meagre intelligence.

I agree with you it's very good to keep in mind the different eras someone grew up in (applying to any age - like realising your grandparents lived through the world wars and may have known poverty like you never knew it, as well as realising your little daughter doesn't realise Russia or Germany was the big enemy once.) but I don't think that's what this article does - and it gives young people far too little credit. Just my 2c [/QUOTE]As a broad joke, it fits pretty well if you look at it from the standpoint of American youth, who generally live very much in the moment, in a nation that lives in the moment. Sadly, humor of this type is based on some truths, in this case the lack of respect for history, even recent history, that is prevalent in American society. It doesn't play as well for other nations who focus more on history in their schooling and social commentary. Like all jokes of the type, it pokes fun at an unreal entity made up of preconceptions and generalizations.
I found it more of a poignant reminder of how fast things move as you age, and how easily overlooked the events that seemed so immense at one time.