Millennials and Gen Z Need To Chill and Let Us Renormalize These Forgotten Luxuries

Younger generations always scoff at the old, ushering in new normals that fit their lifestyles and make sense to them. However, they sometimes go so far in bashing their elders that they don’t realize they’re destroying a good thing. 

Here are the top things younger generations think are “weird” but would benefit everyone if they were normalized once again. 

Inaccessibility

person sitting alone on a dock over a lake enjoying the solitude.
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Before cell phones and the internet, you couldn’t reach someone if they weren’t home. People went about their lives with minimal distractions and didn’t feel the need to instantly return calls and voicemails. 

Younger generations’ insistence on constant contact destroyed our ability to check out for a while. We need to bring it back. 

Childhood Freedoms

Two little girls watering the plants outside their playhouse.
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Many Gen Xers and older millennials remember running around the neighborhood as kids. We’d ride our bikes to the local parks, take short walks to the corner store, and explore our areas. It was fine as long as we avoided the busy streets and returned by sundown. 

Nowadays, parents fret at the slightest hint of their children’s independence. They’ll claim fears of boogie men hiding in shadows, but the truth is they’re just control freaks creating adults who have no idea how to survive on their own. 

No Social Media

Woman using her phone with social media icons floating out of it. She also has a laptop open.
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Social media seemed like a good idea, but many of us now realize how horrible and toxic all these online platforms are. 

None of us would be sad if social media disappeared completely. 

Text Etiquette

Anxious young woman biting her nails while looking at her phone.
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Textiquette rapidly evolves, leaving many of us wondering how to respond. If you respond too soon, you’re too eager, but if it’s not soon enough, you’re not interested. Emojis work, but not in excess. 

Everything would be so much easier if we just accepted a text for what it was without obsessing over every detail. 

The Library

A small stack of books on the table at a public library.
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The library is one of the greatest public resources available, but far too many people in younger generations refuse to use it. 

Libraries offer free books, classes, computer access, movies, and a cool place to hang out on brutal summer days. 

Privacy

Mobile phone user accepting the terms of service and privacy policy displayed on the screen.
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Younger generations don’t value privacy the same way their elders do. They think they’re not doing anything wrong, so who cares?

Privacy is a vital right that needs to be protected at all costs. You may not care now, but you will when governments decide to criminalize normal behavior. 

Fixing Things

workers fixing a pipe with duct tape.
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Older generations knew their way around a house. They could conduct basic maintenance on cars, fix garbage disposals, install new doors, and complete various home improvement tasks. 

Younger folks lack these skills and simply pay someone to do it for them when the need arises. 

Interpersonal Skills

Delivering construcive criticism to a collegue
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Technology destroyed interpersonal skills. Younger folks struggle to carry in-person conversations, relying instead on texts and emails to get their points across. 

Affordable Housing

Man sadly sitting in the outline of a tiny house, trying to make himself small enough to fit.
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One of the biggest problems plaguing younger generations is the inability to afford life. Boomers could buy single-family homes on one income, but prices are so absurdly expensive now that most millennials can’t afford them. 

Millennials say they’ll give up some of their weird norms to have affordable housing. 

Pensions

person holding a tablet displaying information on a pension.
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Millennials only think pensions are weird because they never had one. It’s not their fault, though. Shifts in retirement benefits morphed all pensions into defined contribution plans, so millennials now enjoy 401Ks, which may not offer enough money to cover retirement. 

Talking on the Phone

Pretty young shocked woman holding her phone on a bright blue background.
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Phones are for texting and surfing the internet, not for talking. Millennials collectively quiver in terror at the thought of actually having to call someone and talk to them on the phone. 

Newsflash: That’s what phones are for!

Respecting Teachers

Smiling teacher inn her classroom. The kids are working on their assignments.
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Back in the day, teachers could rely on parents as their biggest allies. If a student disrespected the teacher at home, you could best believe the parents would hear about it and dole out the appropriate punishment. 

These days, parents would rather be friends with their kids. They ignore their awful attitudes and tantrums while blaming the teachers for their kids’ atrocious attitudes. 

10 Things Baby Boomers Get Right

Senior man with his arms crossed looking grumpy on a blue background
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The boomer generation gets blamed for a lot of things, but no one admit’s when they have a point. Here are ten things Baby Boomers are right about!

Millenials on the Rampage – Here’s What’s Next on the Generation’s Chopping Block

Smiling millenial man with red hair and a red beard in what appears to be a classroom blurred out behind him.
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Millenials are renowned for destroying entire industries. Here’s what they’ll kill next if they have their way

Weird Gen Z Trends We Just Don’t Understand

Trendy hipster teenage girl wearing sunglasses in pink light.
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Gen Z is into some weird stuff. Here are some Gen Z trends we hope they outgrow

Baby Boomer Pastimes that Freak Out Younger Generations

Senior man and woman giggling and gossiping.
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Zoomers aren’t the only ones with weird hobbies! Younger folks balk at that weird way boomers pass the time

Millenials and Gen Z Speak Out – The Real Struggle to Buy a Home

Sad man in a suit showing an empty wallet.
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Boomers claim younger generations don’t try hard enough. Here’s the truth about how much Millenials and Gen Z are struggling

Source: Reddit

Author: Melanie Allen

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Pursuing Your Passions, Travel, Wellness, Hobbies, Finance, Gaming, Happiness

Melanie Allen is an American journalist and happiness expert. She has bylines on MSN, the AP News Wire, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and numerous media outlets across the nation and is a certified happiness life coach. She covers a wide range of topics centered around self-actualization and the quest for a fulfilling life.