Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

millennials

Parenting

Millennial dad of 3 unloads on boomer parents over their unreasonable holiday plans

"Yeah, not this time," he said. "I think for the holidays I'm just gonna stay in and relax."

via Canva/Photos

A Millennial dad has had it with his boomer dad's expectations.

The holidays are supposed to be a time for enjoying special moments with family, but often they become a source of stress. Traveling, navigating familial relationships and tensions, talking politics at the dinner table, and handling the all-encompassing issue of "presents" can wear down even the most patient and even-keeled person. It can be especially challenging for parents with young kids who are expected to travel long distances in the name of "family togetherness."

A TikTok video posted by @carrerasfam is going viral, with over 300,000 views, because so many millennial parents can relate to the frustration of grandparents having unrealistic expectations related to visiting with the kids.

In the satirical video, a husband stages a conversation with his "practically retired" baby boomer dad, in which he explains politely but firmly that he’s not taking his 3 young kids on a 400-mile drive to their house for the holidays.

Carerras Fam is a popular TikTok page about “all things postpartum and mamahood.” Together, the mom and dad share funny skits and slices of their life with three little ones.

The husband opens the conversation with his dad by explaining all the inconveniences of taking 3 young kids on a long road trip. “I know you want us to drive down for the holidays, but it's kinda ridiculous that you want me to pack my 3 kids with their portable beds with my clothes, their clothes, the formula, everything that goes on with raising 3 kids and having them feel comfortable. Drive down for over four hours just so that we could spend some time in your house?” the husband says while absurdist music plays in the background.

@carrerasfam
Sorry it’s just so much work. But you’re welcome to visit us #millennial #millennials #parents #parenting #parentsontiktok #boomers #millennials

It’s obviously inconvenient for the couple to pack up their kids and drive 4 hours, but it’s also unsafe because the house is not baby-proof. "I'm gonna have to run around, make sure that they don't break any of your stuff, and which you will 'take care of them,'” the husband continues using sarcastic air quotes. Most parents eventually realize that visiting with the kids does not equate to getting help with them — no, it means chasing them around frantically yourself until it's time to leave.

The dad brings up another great point: His parents are in good health, so why don’t they drive to their house? “You could visit. You don't have little kids,” the dad continues. “You don't have anything going on.

"Why is it that every time I have to make the effort for you, yet you can't do the most basic thing for me?”

millennials, baby boomers, parenting, dads, moms, babysitting, grandparents, parenting tips, family, love, kids All parents feel like this when it comes to spending time with the grands. Giphy

It’s clear from the phone call the dad understands that traveling with the kids and staying in a house that isn’t correctly set up for young kids will make the holiday a struggle. Instead of making memories, they’ll most likely be running around bent over trying to save their kids from breaking something or hanging out at Target buying electrical socket plugs and a bottle brush because they left theirs at home. What's especially frustrating is the pressure and expectations. Parents are often guilted for not wanting to pack up the the kids and travel, even though it's not hard to see why they hate it so much.

The video struck a chord with many millennial parents. Nearly 500,000 people watched the clip with hundreds and hundreds pouring in to vent their own similar frustrations.

@carrerasfam
Something needs to change #parenting #parents

“First holiday with a kid… parents are confused why I won’t drive 9 hours with a 3mnth old for Christmas,” too_many_catz writes.

“The ‘not baby proofed’ part hit my soullllllll. It’s so stressful having to chase your kids around and ask to close doors, move pictures, block stairs, etc. And nobody takes you seriously!" OhHeyItsIndy added.

It’s also expensive for young families to travel. “Add to it they want us to spend money on gas, airfare, etc. when we live paycheck to paycheck and rent while they own homes and live comfortably off a pension,” another user wrote.

"My mom asked me to drive 13 hours with our 2 month old…she doesn’t work and has flight points," one mom added.

This one hit hard: “They always act like you're asking the world of them, yet they will willingly go on any other vacation that they choose,” Mackenzie Byrne wrote.

"They can never make the trip for us but they can make them trips to Europe and cruises to the Caribbean," another user noted.

TX Travel Chick may have hit the nail on the head with her explanation for why boomer parents expect their children to road trip it to their house for the holidays. “Because we are used to following their orders!!! REVOLT,” she wrote.

millennials, baby boomers, parenting, dads, moms, babysitting, grandparents, parenting tips, family, love, kids See ya next year, grandpa Giphy

Ultimately, it would be interesting to learn why boomer parents want to inconvenience their kids when it would be much easier for them to take a trip to see them, especially if they can afford a hotel. One wonders if they are being entitled or if they’ve forgotten how hard it is to travel with young kids. In some cases, it's a little more complicated — many baby boomer grandparents are still working and have less time and resources than previous generations did to help with the kids.

"Yeah, not this time," the dad sums up in the video. "I think for the holidays I'm just gonna stay in and relax."

It's a hilarious and relatable video, but ultimately, it's a skit. The power of boomer-grandparent guilt remains undefeated in many households, so the smart money says the Carreras family sucked it up and traveled for the holidays despite their annoyance. Here's hoping that together, we can eventually break the generational curse when our kids become parents one day.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

millennials

Learning

Burnout expert’s 11 rapid-fire questions reveal why Millennials feel so 'lazy'

"Well, this is both specific and accurate."

via Canva/Photos

A woman dealing with burnout.

A recent poll found that Millennials are the generation most likely to suffer from workplace burnout. A poll by Seramount, a global talent services firm, found that 67% of American workers report at least one symptom of burnout, and it's hitting younger workers hardest. Over 70% of Millennials (77%) and Gen Zers (72%) experience at least one burnout symptom, compared to Gen X (62%) and Boomers (32%).

Why is it that burnout hits Millennials so much harder than even its younger cohorts? “Millennials already weathered several seasons of significant turmoil during their relatively short careers, from the Great Recession to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Diana Forster, Senior Director of Qualitative Research at Seramount. “Now, many are in mid-level management roles with increased responsibilities, intensifying stress and burnout.”

Why do Millennials suffer from burnout?

Dr. Sarah Nicholls, a former emergency room doctor and current life coach specializing in burnout, laid out the reasons why Millennials feel so "lazy" by asking herself 11 rapid-fire questions.

@drsarahnicholls
it's a mystery 🤷‍♀️ Find the full 'am I lazy or am I burnt out' video on my youtube channel

The rapid-fire questions asked by Dr. Nicholls included some textbook symptoms of burnout:

"Do you work an incredibly demanding job?"

"Have you been working through your lunch break and finishing late every day?"

"Do you say yes anytime someone asks you for a favor?"

"Have you been thinking about work all the time and feel like you never really get a chance to switch off?"

"Do you have loads of unread messages from friends and family, and now you feel like a bad friend on top of everything else because you don’t have the energy to read and reply?"

The vast majority of commenters on the video thought that Dr. Nicholls was spot on in her description of why Millennials feel so burnt out and lazy these days. “Well, this is both specific and accurate,” lifewithtedanddougal wrote. “Where’d you get that footage of me on the sofa?” Heather Annie added.

burnout, millennial, work, tired, lazy, office A woman dealing with burnout.via Canva/Photos

How to prevent burnout

Many Millennials are burned out because they don’t feel they can keep up with their professional and social obligations. Dr. Molly Moore says the first step someone dealing with burnout can take is to start setting boundaries. Dr. Moore, a licensed psychologist with over 10 years of experience in mental health and wellness currently has a virtual private practice specializing in working with high-achieving women who experience anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout.

“Setting boundaries can be hard for many of my high-achieving clients who thrive off feeling productive and getting recognition. But burnout can stem from a lack of boundaries in our personal and professional lives. Boundaries can help high-achieving folks be more present and thrive in both their personal and professional lives,” Dr. Moore told Upworthy. “Some examples of boundaries may look like: not answering emails or taking work calls after hours, communicating clearly about your capacity and response time, delegating tasks that you do not have time or space for, utilizing their PTO (most of my clients have LOTS of PTO time that they have trouble utilizing), and taking multiple short breaks during the day.”

burnout, millennial, work, tired, lazy, office A woman dealing with burnout.via Canva/Photos

How to recover from burnout

For those dealing with burnout and looking to regain their energy, Dr. Sarah Boss from The Balance Rehab Clinic says you have to be intentional about rebuilding your resilience.

“You can’t eliminate stress, but you can train your system to recover from it. That means prioritizing proper sleep, balanced nutrition, daily movement, and moments of genuine downtime. I often talk about mindful rest—consciously choosing to pause and recharge instead of collapsing from exhaustion. It’s about actively scheduling recovery, whether that’s a walk, sitting in the sun, or simply being present with yourself. If you learn to regulate your stress response daily, burnout becomes far less likely,” Boss told Upworthy. “Most people wait until they have 'time' to recover, and that’s the myth that causes burnout in the first place. We can’t wait for space to appear to regulate ourselves; we have to build it into our daily schedule.”

It can feel impossible to balance work and career when there are so many demands on your energy and attention. But our experts believe that with a little work, anything is possible. Setting boundaries and allowing for recovery time can help you navigate this stressful time by cultivating greater focus and energy.

From Your Site Articles

burnout

Democracy

Boomers say to stop wasting money on "luxuries." This millennial says they have it backwards.

It's not the "luxuries" that are holding young people back.

via Canva

Millennial man says "luxuries" aren't the reason young people can't afford to live.

Being a human being has really gotten expensive. Millennials constantly lament the high cost of living and the fact that so-called "American dream" is out of reach for many of them. Housing prices have skyrocketed, as has the cost of a college education. Eating out has gotten drastically more expensive, and making food at home with fresh groceries is hardly any cheaper. It's just so hard, they say, to get a foothold in the modern economy. Boomers, who grew up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, however, aren't wasting any sympathy tears.

One of the big talking points in the great American millennials versus baby boomers debate is that, yes, things are more expensive; but has the younger generation has knee-capped itself by its lavish spending habits that have prevented them from owning homes? If millennials stopped buying $14 avocado toast and $1,000 iPhones, would they be able to save enough for a down payment on a modest house?

Freddie Smith, 36, of Orlando, Florida, recently went viral on TikTok for a video in which he challenged the boomer argument with statistics from the Bureau of Labor, Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Smith believes that the older generations misunderstand millennial finances because their concept of luxury is based on 1980s economics. That's when most boomers were coming of age and buying their own family homes, and their ideas of saving up for a down payment and affording a monthly mortgage are heavily outdated.

Smith says that for baby boomers, essentials such as rent and child care were much more affordable, but items considered luxuries (TVs, CD players, computers) were much more expensive.

See on Instagram

How is the economy different for millennials than it was for baby boomers?

"The main shift is that core essentials—housing, education, healthcare, and even food—have become more expensive," Smith said. "Housing and rent, for instance, now outpace wage growth, making homeownership feel unattainable for many. The cost of childcare has also skyrocketed, and food prices have increased.”

The home price to income ratio is currently at an all-time high. The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University writes, "In 2022, the median sale price for a single-family home in the US was 5.6 times higher than the median household income, higher than at any point on record dating back to the early 1970s." That ratio was closer to 2.5 in 1980.

Even transportation has skyrocketed. Buying a new car now costs about as much as the median yearly salary, with entry-level vehicles disappearing rapidly and being replaced with high-tech, fuel-efficient offerings.

"As a result, I think older generations have a different perspective on luxury versus necessity,” Smith continued. “They grew up in a time when hard work typically led to financial stability, whereas today, even with hard work, many people struggle with the high costs of housing, rent and medical expenses. Basic survival used to be far more affordable, allowing people more financial room to build a stable life."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Smith’s numbers don’t lie. For a person in the '80s to own three TVs, a CD player, a cellphone, a microwave, and a computer, it would cost them 3.5 years of rent or a 20% downpayment on the average home. So, it was irresponsible for someone in that period to purchase all of what was known then as luxuries.

However, for millennials, these "fancy toys" are a lot more affordable compared to the big ticket items of housing, childcare, and college education. Skimping out on them won't make a meaningful difference in the attempt to save up the massive amount of cash required for a down payment on a modern home. To wit:

"But if you skip that daily $6 Starbucks drink, you’ll have enough for the downpayment in 29.22 years," Yokahana joked in the comments.

"I hate that housing and transportation have become luxuries," Molly added.

"Imagine spending 3x your rent on a microwave," Donutdisaster wrote.

Older people may see millennials with multiple TVs in their home, along with iPhones and tablets, and think that money could be better saved up in service of the "American dream." But the truth is that those savings won't really help, and worse, they'll make life pretty unenjoyable in the meantime!

Why are luxury goods more affordable now than they were in the '80s?

The price of manufactured goods has steadily fallen over the last few decades due to technological improvements and trade policies that have allowed the U.S. to import goods from places where labor costs are cheaper.

"International, global competition lowers prices directly from lower-cost imported goods, and indirectly by forcing U.S. manufacturers to behave more competitively, with lower prices, higher quality, better service, et cetera," Sociologist Joseph Cohen of Queens University said, according to Providence Journal.

Even as recently as the early 2000s, a high-quality TV was likely to cost over $1,000. Nowadays you can get an equivalent, or better, television set for just a few hundred bucks.

See on Instagram

Why are housing prices so high?

Housing prices in the US have soared due to the low inventory caused by the Great Recession, mortgage rates, and zoning laws that make building more challenging.

Rents have increased considerably since the pandemic due to low inventory, inflation, barriers to home ownership, and the fact that more people want to live alone than with a roommate or romantic partner.

Smith’s breakdown of the economic changes over the past two generations makes a strong case for the idea that millennial financial troubles have more to do with systemic problems than spending habits. The boomers got a bad deal regarding luxury items, and the millennials with necessities. Wouldn’t living in a world where both were affordable in the same era be great?

This article originally appeared in February. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

millennials

Internet

The good old days? Video of high school in 1989 is flooding Gen Xers with the best memories

"Life was better before the Internet. There, I said it."

@asliceofhistory/Twitter

1989 video brings back strong memories for Gen Xers who came of age in the '80s.

In the immortal words of SNL's Goat Boy: Hey, remember the eighties?! Specifically, 1989, a year that some say was among the best, or at least the most memorable, ever: It was the year we saw violence in Tiananmen Square but also the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. The year we got Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally" and Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's "Batman." The year "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons" debuted on TV, with no clue as to how successful they would become. The year that gave us New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul while Madonna and Janet Jackson were enjoying their heyday. It, coincidentally, is also the year the great Taylor Swift was born.

The jeans were pegged, the shoulders were padded and the hair was feathered and huge. It was 1989—the peak of Gen X youth coming of age. A viral video of a group of high school students sitting at their desks in 1989—undoubtedly filmed by some geeky kid in the AV club who probably went on to found an internet startup—has gone viral across social media, tapping straight into Gen X's memory banks. For those of us who were in high school at the time, it's like hopping into a time machine.

It's so wild to think that the kids in this video are in their fifties today.

The show "Stranger Things" has given young folks of today a pretty good glimpse of that era, but if you want to see exactly what the late '80s looked like for real, here it is:

— (@)

Oh so many mullets. And the Skid Row soundtrack is just the icing on this nostalgia cake. (Hair band power ballads were ubiquitous, kids.)

I swear I went to high school with every person in this video. Like, I couldn't have scripted a more perfect representation of my classmates (which is funny considering that this video came from Paramus High School in New Jersey and I went to high school on the opposite side of the country).

Comments have poured in on Reddit from both Gen Xers who lived through this era and those who have questions.

high school, 1980s, eighties, 1989, gen x, nostalgia The hair!Giphy

First, the confirmations:

"Can confirm. I was a freshman that year, and not only did everyone look exactly like this (Metallica shirt included), I also looked like this. 😱😅"

"I graduated in ‘89, and while I didn’t go to this school, I know every person in this room."

"It's like I can virtually smell the AquaNet and WhiteRain hairspray from here...."

"I remember every time you went to the bathroom you were hit with a wall of hairspray and when the wind blew you looked like you had wings."

These were not isolated trends. A video yearbook from Jericho High School in New York confirms it — the eighties were everywhere!

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Then the observations about how differently we responded to cameras back then.

"Also look how uncomfortable our generation was in front of the camera! I mean I still am! To see kids now immediately pose as soon as a phone is pointed at them is insanity to me 🤣"

"Born in 84 and growing up in the late 80’s and 90’s, it’s hard to explain to younger people that video cameras weren’t everywhere and you didn’t count on seeing yourself in what was being filmed. You just smiled and went on with your life."

Which, of course, led to some inevitable "ah the good old days" laments. When this video was captured, we were still a good decade or so away from mass popularity of cell phones, cable television, and every house having the Internet. Can you believe it? What did these kids do all day?!

"Life was better before the Internet. There, I said it."

"Not a single cell phone to be seen. Oh the freedom."

"It's so nice to be reminded what life was like before cell phones absorbed and isolated social gatherings."

It was a different time, alright. And not everything was 100% for the better:

"My freshman year of high school there was a huge uproar when, on the first day's assembly, admin informed everyone that the smoking lounge for students would indeed be closed permanently."

Probably for the best that we left things like smoking lounges for students or playing real fast and loose with seatbelts in the past.

nintendo, 1980s, eighties, 1983, 1989, kids, nostalgia The Nintendo Entertainment System came out in 1983 Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

But perhaps the most common response was how old those teens looked.

"Why do they all look like they're in their 30's?"

"Everyone in this video is simultaneously 17 and 49 years old."

"Now we know why they always use 30 y/o actors in high school movies."

As some people pointed out, there is an explanation for why they look old to us. It has more to do with how we interpret the fashion than how old they actually look. Outdated styles and aesthetics trick our psychology into dating photos and people, making them appear older than they are.

Ah, what a fun little trip down memory lane for those of us who lived it. Was it a better time, or a time we'd rather forget? It all depends on what your own experience was, but in any case, it's hard not to look back and smile at what was certainly a simpler era. (Let's just all agree to never bring back those hairstyles, though, k?)

This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

gen x

Pop Culture

Millennials sound off of the 10 'cringe but correct' hills they're willing to die on

You can pry the side part and earnestness from our cold, dead hands.

Photo credit: Canva

We have finally gotten to this age.

Kids today don’t use words like “lame” to let you know when something’s uncool. No, no, no. Instead, they’ll say, “That’s so cringe.” Or more likely, they’ll type it as a comment on TikTok, because let’s face it, that’s where most conversations happen nowadays.

But you know what? One of the most incredible things about getting older is that you care less and less about what younger folks consider cringey.

Just take it from millennials, who have notoriously been on the receiving end of condemnation from every generation—be it the Gen Xers and baby boomers calling them entitled weaklings, or Gen Zers making fun of their side parts. Now Gen Y is all grown up, baby, and that means we don’t really care what anyone thinks! It also means that in our old age, certain beliefs are bound to just stick, even if they do become the next wave of “get off my lawn!”

Recently, millennials on Reddit were encouraged to “unite globally on these petty issues” by listing the silliest "cringe but correct" practices of their generation that were worth maintaining, no matter how often they’re ridiculed:

LOLS. They’re here to stay 😂

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit LOLs are harmless! media1.giphy.com

“I will forever maintain that using ‘LOL’ for anything that is not actually funny is an essential form of emotional regulation. The LOL isn't a laugh; it's a silent scream. It means, ‘I acknowledge this, I'm slightly annoyed, but I am responding with a pleasant, non-threatening digital sigh.’ It is the most valuable punctuation mark we have, perfectly capturing nuanced, passive-aggressive resignation.”

Other millennials were inclined to agree…

“lol is the most dynamic word/acronym that we have added to humanity. Way underrated lol”

“Millennials use ‘lol’ the way they used to use ‘stop’ in telegrams lol”

So is the “Millennial Pause.”

“The Millennial Pause is functionally useful, since it allows the viewer to orient to the video before you start talking. Seriously, how many videos have you had pop up that start talking before your brain says ‘oh, this guy is saying something,’ and you miss the first sentence?”

Millennials are going to wholeheartedly like things, and you can’t stop them.

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Without enthusiasm, what are we even doing? media4.giphy.com

This might not be a millennial-specific thing, but rather a phenomenon that occurs as you get older and realize that the world is a vast and complex place, where you can almost always find a tribe of similarly impassioned people. Still, we’re claiming it.

“Unabashedly enjoying things and not being paralyzed by fear of being cringe.”

“My Z nieces try to bully me for enjoying things/being earnest, and it doesn’t work. I enjoy doing things I enjoy, and also say/emote what I am thinking/feeling without worrying about if I’m being cool or detached or ironic enough. I survived millennial middle school. You can pry my hard-won, unabashed sense of self from my cold, dead hands.”

“IT'S NICE TO LIKE THINGS! Seriously, surround yourself with people who won't judge you for authentically liking the things you like. Anyone else doesn't matter. They'll at some point. We all did.”

Not succumbing to fashion trends

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Side parts are synonymous with timelessness. media3.giphy.com

Keep your coquette looks and insert literally any word-core. We don’t need or want it.

“My side part stays.”

(Apparently, side parts are cool again anyway. Further reason to just stick to what feels right—it will become in vogue again eventually.)

“I’ve spent a lifetime cultivating a wardrobe of flannels, jeans, and boots, I ain’t changing now.”

“You can pry my ankle and no-show socks off my cold, dead feet; there's no way in hell I'm going to go rocking a crew-sock farmer's tan just because you dumbass kids insist on dressing like my grandpa going golfing.”

“Once Gen Z guys start discovering their leg hair awkwardly disappears at the exact height they pull their tube socks up to they'll have realized their mistake.”

“Flared leggings aren’t a thing. If they have a flare they aren’t leggings. Yoga pants they are yoga pants and will always be yoga pants.”

“I will never give up comfort camisoles. If I ever have only one layer on, I have been replaced by a pod person.”

Not everything has to be high tech…

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Unless we can get teleportation, we can maybe slow things down a bit. media3.giphy.com

“Stating your number when leaving a voicemail. Double points if you do it at the beginning and again at the end.”

“Big decisions and purchases are on big screens. Not my phone. How else am I going to open 50 different tabs for reviews and price comparisons?”

“Until one streaming service has every movie or show made and is readily available at all times, I will continue to collect and keep DVDs/Blu Rays of movies and shows I want to watch.”

“Not everything needs to be smart. I don’t need a smart windshield, smart glasses, a smart watch…I have a phone and a tv. That covers my needs.”

“The most useful tools ever created do not require an internet connection or a battery.”

“Paper menus are the correct way to order food when dining in. I am not scanning a QR code.”

…including cars

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Cars don't need to be computers. They can just be cars. media4.giphy.com

“Screens in cars are ugly give me knobs and buttons.”

“They also seem more dangerous! Like, I should be able to feel around. If I have to look then My eyes aren’t on the road!”

“Better yet, give me the same exact layout across all makes/models for things like headlights and wipers. Nothing gets me frazzled like not knowing how to turn on basic safety functions because I had to use our fleet vehicle at work, or borrow someone’s car.”

“Cars peaked in the mid 90s to mid 00s. Now they're all ginormous, look the same, everything is an SUV with too many screens and sensors and computers to cost a fortune when they break. Power windows were the most technology needed. We used to have fun colors, makers experimented with new and weird body styles. I miss seeing station wagons everywhere.”

On that note, IRL purchases > online

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Cher got it right. media1.giphy.com

“I refuse to buy everything online. Sometimes, you need the in-person store experience, so you can see how stuff actually looks and feels. I don't want a nice looking but scratchy af blanket or the painting that looked a different color online. I definitely don't want to wait weeks while I return it and get a refund to order another elsewhere and potentially have the same thing happen again. I just want to go to the store, buy it, and be done with it already.”

“Video rental stores are cool and good. Sure Netflix, Hulu, whatever HBO's service has been renamed to this week are more convenient but the simple joy of convincing my parents I needed to rent Richie Rich again is peak childhood.”

We WILL be using what we learned in grammar school. Unironically. Thanks so much.

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Oxford commas are accurate, true, and correct. media2.giphy.com

“I will murder anyone who comes for my Oxford comma.”

“Idc what the cool kids are doing these days I am using capital letters.”

We still believe in dancing like nobody’s watching

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit If you don't wave your hands in the air, how will they know you don't care? media4.giphy.com

“I’m not doing that corny, lackadaisical, give them nothing dance that Gen Z does on TikTok to make themselves look like they are cool because they don’t care enough, I’m shaking my ass despite me never really learning how to. I don’t know why Gen Z is so scared of humiliation, but I’m glad that was never us.”

“I’m gonna put my hands in the air when I dance. Especially at a concert. Going to concerts where people’s hands are only in the air when they are holding their phones is crazy to me!!”

Finally, certain nostalgic bits of pop culture will have a forever home in our hearts

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit Sailor Moon was THE icon of our generation. Period. media4.giphy.com

“The OG Sailor Moon intro had no business being that catchy. It hits different.”

“‘Appointment’ television was more fun. Getting a good cliffhanger and having a week to talk about it with your friends before the next episode and you didn't have to deal with some jackass who has no life and binged the whole thing on 2x speed the second it was released. Waiting until September, when all the new shows and seasons would premiere. Fewer weird multi-year delays between seasons.”

There you have it. Go forth, millennials, and be your cringiest, most unabashed selves. Because no matter what generation you hail from, you only live once. Or YOLO, as we like to say.

From Your Site Articles

humor

Friendship

5 retro ways Gen Z can learn to be frugal while still having a great social life

Not every meal has to be a feast.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Friends enjoying a picnic with guitar and drinks.

It's a tough balance, enjoying one's youth like there's no tomorrow but also putting away some savings in case there is. As a Gen Xer, I recall getting my paycheck on Fridays and immediately heading to Sunset Boulevard for margaritas "on me." (Lucky for my friends, not so fortunate for my savings account.)

The issue is, as with every generation after the Boomers, it's simply harder to keep up. In a recent YouTube video, Tyreke Simmonds claims that Gen Z is dubbed "The poorest generation," and asks, "Did Baby Boomers kill the American Dream? Why is every generation financially worse off than the last one?"

How generations under the boomers have struggled. www.youtube.com, Tyreke Simmonds

Right away, he points out that while some of Gen Z struggles financially, this story is like a broken record. Economists said the same thing about Millennials and Gen X as well. To find out why exactly, he turns his attention to The Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers. Having come out of the Great Depression, the Silent Generation, in particular, were "raised with the mindset of scarcity and uncertainty when it comes to money," so they often saved as much as possible.

Simmonds continues to explain that In the 1950s, there was an economic boom with factories who once made weapons for war now making affordable consumer goods. He claims when the Boomers came along, they "hadn't experienced such hardship." While many of their fathers' salaries were "modest," housing, groceries, and gas were affordable.

In fact, according to David Beren's article, "6 Financial Benefits Baby Boomers Got That Future Generations Will Likely Never See Again," he notes that pensions were more common (and higher), house prices had not yet soared, and college was actually within financial grasp. "Can you imagine a world today where the average tuition cost for a single year of a four-year college program was only $2,469? Millennials and Gen Xers would be over the moon if this were the case. Unfortunately, this was the price of college in 1975, when many early Baby Boomers were first starting their higher education journey."

He points out that for Gen Z, it's even more of a hardship. "Over the last twenty years, education costs have increased astronomically. Private college and fee costs have risen 126%, out-of-state tuition rose by 112%, and in-state tuition increased by 133%." Not only that, with the FOMO caused by social media posts, the desire to "keep up with the Joneses (or should we say the Kardashians)" is even more prevalent than ever.

kardashian, jenner, kendall jenner, poolside, social life Kendall Jenner gives a thumbs up. Giphy E!

Richard Barrington, Financial Analyst for Credit Sesame, shared with Upworthy, "Even if we're not in a recession, it certainly feels like one for a growing number of workers—especially younger workers. Total job growth over the past six months has been the weakest for any six-month period since the pandemic lockdown months of 2020.”

But there are ways for Gen Z (and other generations) to live fun, exciting, social lives without breaking the bank. Dawn Allcot writes in a piece for Aol.com, "Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, struggle with finding a balance between socializing and saving money. A recent Ally Bank survey revealed that 59% of people in these generations have seen their financial goals blindsided by activities with friends."

But, she points out, that doesn't have to be the case. Quoting Lindsay Sacknoff, head of Ally's consumer banking: “I absolutely believe you can have both—meaningful friendships and healthy finances—it just takes a little planning."

GAME NIGHTS AT HOME

There's no reason you can't hang with your friends in the comfort of your own home. Snag some chips and salsa and bust out old-school games. (It's legit more fun than it might sound.) Or, if you (or your apartment complex) have some kind of fire pit, grab some marshmallows and make s'mores. It harkens back to a simpler time when we weren't on our phones and could make do without photo ops.

game night, frugal living, hungry hungry hippo, games People having fun playing an old game. Giphy GIF by Reconnecting Roots

STREET FAIRS, BLOCK PARTIES, AND FREE CONCERTS

Allcot suggests looking to "free local events in your community too, from concerts to street fairs." One can find this, simply by Googling 'events nearby.'" Whether you're in a big or small town, there's usually something going on and often, at very little cost. Local coffee houses sometimes offer open mics in terms of music and comedy and one never knows what kind of gem they might find.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading…these are all free things one can do to be with friends, and be healthy to boot. If you're like me and would rather not work up a sweat, a good old-fashioned picnic can do the trick. Have people bring their favorite cheese/wine/grapes and just hang on a blanket. It might be the breath of fresh air people need right now.

skateboarding, activities, gen z, frugal living Rodney Mullen skates a ramp. Giphy

MAKE CONTENT

Speaking of FOMO, for some it's hard not to attend the big events because they want to curate the illusion of an exciting life. But the truth is, you don't have to go to a stadium concert, or to Paris, or on a boat trip to have fun. You could spend a day with friends making fun videos on your phone. In an article for theshelf.com, they share (and it's no surprise) that Gen Z spends a lot of time consuming content. "While they’re not huge proponents of doom-scrolling, or even of using social as their go-to for work, Gen Zers rely on social media for leisure–using it for entertainment and connection."

So how 'bout instead of scrolling through content — make it with your friends!"

GO THRIFTING WITH BUDDIES

On the subreddit r/GenZ, someone asks, "How does Gen Z save money?" A few of the many excellent suggestions included thrift store shopping (from clothes to records to art). This Redditor got more specific: "STOP BUYING NEW, you can get an entire wardrobe for 150 at Goodwill, filled with brands from the mall."

From Your Site Articles

frugal

Internet

Older millennials share their biggest mistakes so you can learn from them

"I wish I spent more time with my dad while I had the chance."

Via Pexels

Millennials are now old enough to seriously reflect on life.

It seems like only yesterday a millennial was a college kid that baby boomers chided for being entitled and Gen Xers thought were way too sincere and needed to learn how to take a joke. Today, the oldest millennials, those born around 1980, have hit their 40s and have lived long enough to have some serious regrets.

They also have enough experience to take some pride in decisions that, in hindsight, were the right moves. The good news is that at 40 there is still plenty of time to learn from our successes and failures to set ourselves up for a great second half of life. These lessons are also valuable to the Gen Zers coming up who can avoid the pitfalls of the older generation.

A Reddit user who has since deleted their profile asked millennials nearing 40 what their biggest mistakes were at this point in life and they received more than 2,200 responses. The biggest regrets these millennials have are being flippant about their health and not saving enough money when they were younger.

They also realized that the carefree days of youth are fleeting and impossible to get back. So they should have spent less time working and more time enjoying themselves. Many also lamented that they should have taken their education more seriously in their 20s so they have more opportunities now.

The responses to this thread are bittersweet. It's tough hearing people come to grips with their regrets but the realizations are also opportunities to grow. Hopefully, some younger people will read this thread and take the advice to heart.

Here are 21 of the most powerful responses to the question: “Millennials of Reddit now nearing your 40s, what were your biggest mistakes at this point in life?”

1. "Not taking care of my hearing, not even 35 and going deaf." — Kusanagi8811

2. "Not getting healthy earlier." — zombiearchivist

3. "Staying too long at a job in my 20s, just because it was safe and easy. When I finally got the motivation to leave, ended up with an almost 50% pay boost." — Hrekires

4. "Thinking that I could and should put myself on the back burner for anything and anyone else." — lenalilly227

5. "Smoking and not dealing with my sh** the right way." — Allenrw3

6. "Pining after the wrong person." — runikepisteme

7. "I turned 40 this year and just started liking who I am. Why the fuck did it take 40 years for self acceptance?" — guscallee

8. "Take care of your f***ing back. Lift with your knees. Sure it's rad when you grab a fridge by yourself and lift it in the back of a moving truck unaided, but one day that shit is going to have consequences that won't just magically go away by resting and 'taking it easy' for a week." — GuyTallman

9. "I wish I spent more time with my dad while I had the chance." — CharlieChooper

10. "I'm 37. I absolutely could have taken better care of my body, but I'm in relatively good health. I'm starting to realize how important it is to maintain my health. I do also think I drank far too much in my 20 and early 30's. I'm trying to rectify that now, but it's hard. So that I guess." — dartastic

11. "I'm not sure if people have experienced the same but when I entered my 30s I became convinced I was rapidly running out of time. Rather than using that as motivation I let it paralyze me with indecision because I 'couldn't afford to make the wrong choice.' Consequently, I'm now 39 and, though I've had great things happen in my 30s, I regret spending so much time worrying and so little time committing to a course of action." — tomwaste

12. "Work to live, don’t live to work. You have half your working life after you turn 40 but only 20-25 years to really live it up before the responsibilities become heavy and your joints start to ache. Live life. Really LIVE it. Experience as much you can. Every sensation, sight, sound, touch. Be open. Be brave. Live your first few decades in the fast lane. You have the rest of your life to take it easy, when you have no choice." — MrDundee666

13. "I should have paid more attention to my parents telling me to save money and less attention when they were teaching me about purity culture." — Arkie_MTB

14. "If I could tell my 18 year old self one thing, it would be to save 10% of every paycheck I ever got." — PutAForkInHim

15. "Thinking that I have time to do everything I want only to find myself loosing time, and the endless energy I used to have in order to purse them." — ezZiioFTW

16. "Not wearing sunscreen." — blueboxreddress

17. "Not recognizing the importance of work/life balance earlier in life. My late teens, all 20's, and early 30's were spent pulling 60-100+hr weeks because I thought it was what was required to succeed. How wrong I was. Others stabbed me in the back and reaped the reward." — [Deleted]

18. "When you get out of college, keep your friends. No matter how hard it is. Hold on to them." — mpssss22

19. "Should have bought a home. We qualified 20 years ago for enough to buy a small 2 bedroom but I didn't think we could afford it. That 2 bedroom would be worth nearly 3Xs and paid off by now. We pay nearly double in rent what our mortgage would have been. Gotta love the SF bay area cost of living." —Thelazywitch

20. "Always ask for more pay. Starting, yearly, before leaving, whatever. Get that money." — SensibleReply

21. "Spending too much time in front of a screen and not enough enjoying life." — BellaPadella

This article originally appeared three years ago.

From Your Site Articles

millennials

millennials

Millennial dad of 3 unloads on boomer parents over their unreasonable holiday plans

"Yeah, not this time," he said. "I think for the holidays I'm just gonna stay in and relax."

Burnout expert’s 11 rapid-fire questions reveal why Millennials feel so 'lazy'

"Well, this is both specific and accurate."

Why do Millennials suffer from burnout?

How to prevent burnout

How to recover from burnout

Boomers say to stop wasting money on "luxuries." This millennial says they have it backwards.

It's not the "luxuries" that are holding young people back.

The good old days? Video of high school in 1989 is flooding Gen Xers with the best memories

"Life was better before the Internet. There, I said it."

Millennials sound off of the 10 'cringe but correct' hills they're willing to die on

You can pry the side part and earnestness from our cold, dead hands.

5 retro ways Gen Z can learn to be frugal while still having a great social life

Not every meal has to be a feast.

GAME NIGHTS AT HOME

STREET FAIRS, BLOCK PARTIES, AND FREE CONCERTS

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

MAKE CONTENT

GO THRIFTING WITH BUDDIES

Older millennials share their biggest mistakes so you can learn from them

"I wish I spent more time with my dad while I had the chance."

12 photos of women before and after an orgasm shines a new light on women's sexual wellness

Woman's whimsical 'Wheel of Fortune' guess is so bad it made her an instant legend

Veterinarian shares 7 signs a cat loves you, even if it seems like they couldn't care less

Mom creates groundbreaking way to teach her kids about chores with a 'Notice and Do' list

Man uses the shoe aisle to perfectly explain why middle-class Americans are hurting