Ah, Millennials and Gen Zers! We hear so much about them – their pop culture references, obsession with gadgets, and social media. But like the young people before them, they shouldn’t ignore the wisdom and experience of older generations. However, if you feel that today’s younger generation isn’t willing or able to take on board the life lessons you might have, you are not alone.
A recent Reddit thread covered the same topic when Redditor Slight_Weight_7053 asked, “What are teens today not ready to hear?” The question saw over 25,000 fellow Redditors respond, these were the top-voted responses.
#1. Wisdom Comes With Age – 52K Votes
Comparison_Past’s contribution was the number one voted response, “As you get older, you continue realizing how dumb you were last year.”
TheRealSwaa replied in agreement, “Every day, I realize how stupid I was the day before.”
Tommytraddles helpfully quoted Ernest Hemmingway, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”
#2. Time Goes Quicker the Older You Get – 41K Votes
_Curiousplum’s response saw the second-highest number of positive votes. They said, “The older you get the faster it goes.”
Redditor, Chompachompa replied to say, “Yesterday, I was you. Tomorrow, you’ll be me. One day you’ll wake up and wonder where that ‘plenty of time to do X” went. It will scare the crap out of you.
RoccoTaco_Dog quoted Pink Floyd to say, “Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain? You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today. And then one day you find ten years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”
#3. Fighting Doesn’t Make You Cool – 33K Votes
Redditor honest_owl101 said, In the adult world, getting into fights doesn’t make you look cool; it just makes you look stupid.” Cellocalypsedown added, “And one wrong fight can leave you brain damaged or on trial for manslaughter.”
Bob_Sledding responded, “This comment should have way more upvotes. No one gives a cr*p about who the ‘alpha’ is or what they did to you.
Just cut them off and stop talking to them. You both take the L (loss) in a fistfight; it’s trashy.”
#4. Controversial Doesn’t Mean Interesting – 34K Votes
HezFez238 said that, “Being controversial isn’t the same as being interesting.” RsonW added, “Contrarianism isn’t wisdom.” User snowshoeBBQ admitted, “It took me too long to realize this. Also, talking about what I hated didn’t make me interesting.”
Redditor zhouga stated, “I like this one. It’s sad because controversy trends on social media, so I guess it appears as if it makes you more interesting.”
#5. Just Because It’s New to You, Doesn’t Mean It’s New – 30K Votes
Sidewalk_Cacti shared, “I majored in literature in college, and I remember 18-20 year old me being fascinated by how human nature stayed the same from hundreds of years ago.”
They continued, “I couldn’t fathom that those older people made s** jokes or had certain technologies at that age.
Reading across the ages made me wiser and hip to the fact that humans are all the same. But, we grow up in different environments.”
Redditor amznthrownaway1 added, “I took Latin in High School, and the teacher made it a point to show all the crude jokes they found in Pompeii.
He said all the coarse s** and fart jokes people make today were made by people 2000 years ago.”
#6. Putting Your Whole Self Online Is Dangerous – 29K Votes
Redditor flamespond replied, “Putting every aspect of yourself online is unsafe. Nobody needs to know your list of triggers, address, or blood type.”
User gerryw173 stated, “Some Twitter bios are long enough to be in a Star Wars intro.” TheChanMan2003 informed, “That’s how I’m reading them from now on. With John William’s score in the background.”
Finally, fieew elaborated, “So many teens have their location data available on Snapchat for all their ‘friends’ to see without reason. I would never show my real-time location data.”
#7. You Will Be Old and Uncool One Day – 24K Votes
Redditor balaci2 quoted Abe Simpson, “I used to be with it, then they changed what it was, and what it is now is weird and scary. It will happen to you.”
EmiliusReturns shared, “When I was like 25 and stepbrother chuckled at me and said, “nobody says ‘stoked’ anymore, I had that moment for the first time. The moments have only increased since.”
#8. You Don’t Feel Different as an Adult – 24K Votes
Poshspicer stated, “You won’t ‘feel’ different when you’re older or have kids. You’ll just be you.”
“It’s weird.” ArcherBTW added, “Life as a continued experience is weird. When I was much younger, I would always think about how I’d be different when I was older, but today I’m still just me.”
#9. Everything You Do as a Teen Will Be Cringe to Your Kids – 23K Votes
Myydrin argued, “I used to agree with you, but today’s teenagers are in the habit of constantly posting their cringe to social media for posterity.”
#10. Use Protection – 22K Votes
Mr_ribzeater “Condoms are for stds too even tho there are other ways to avoid pregnancy.”
#11. Unlike School, There’s No Safety Net – 22K Votes
Corey854d3w43 said that, “School has a system in place to keep you from falling behind, life doesn’t.”
Yodazer replied to this to say, “Yup. Life will run you over if you [mess] around. And even if you have your [stuff] together, you could be 1 financial crisis away from losing it all.”
#12. BFFs Are Very Unlikely (But Not Impossible) – 21K Votes
Evidentlychickentown’s contribution was about having a best friend for life. They said, “Those are probably not friends for life – ok, slim chances for some.”
ErGo91 replied, “This hits hard. Too hard. I lost contact with most of my school friends by now. I am only 30.”
#13. Buy Some Headphones – 20K Votes
EmiliusReturns contributed, “To the ones who ride the public bus in my city, specifically: nobody else wants to hear whatever TikTok you’re watching. Buy some headphones.”
#14. Fame Isn’t Everything – 20K Votes
Raggydasavage reminded everyone to say, “Not everybody can be an internet sensation, somebody has to drive the dump truck.”
Dryrunhd added, “Yeah don’t believe the guidance counselor saying you have to go to college and then saying something like, ‘You don’t want to be a garbage man/plumber do you?’ The garbage man and the plumber make bank with no student loan debt.”
#15. Personal Hygiene Is a Good Idea – 19K Votes
Unhappyandokay simply asked, “Please shower.”
Partypartea agreed, they said, “Back in my day you got roasted for being the stinky one.”
They continued, “Somewhat wiser and taller, but still the same me I’ve always been. It’s strange, but I think I’ve enjoyed getting older and growing to know myself better.” Finally, hygsi admitted, “I’m nearing 30, and I still look for “adults” when something goes wrong.”
#16. Real Life Is Happening All Around You – 16K Votes
RickGrimesSnotBubble gave the last contribution to this list. They said, “Social media is not reality and your entire life should not revolve around it.” EnoughPlastic4925 agreed, “I know some adults that need to hear this too.”
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