https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/psychology-behind-generation-gap-180973731/
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/10/eaav5916.full
Article suggests that elders are more likely to think that youth are declining in attributes that are strongest in themselves.
For example, elders who like to read are more likely to believe that youth do not like to read.
Elders don’t know enough young people if all they do is criticize. The world is full of amazing young people.
Wait, are you telling me that older people dislike younger people based on baseless caricatures instead of actually getting to know us/them?
I am shocked. Shocked I say!
PS: The one that always gets to me is when older generations make comments about our lack of reading. Millenials read more than any generation in history! We also frequent libraries more than any other generation.
The study actually suggests that an individual elder may be using him/her self (instead of a typical elder) as the basis of comparison to a typical youth. So an individual elder who is an outlier in some aspect may be using an incorrect basis of comparison of that aspect to a typical youth.
Or, to put it in more familiar terms, one’s own personal experience or anecdote is not necessarily representative of the whole (e.g. your generation).
Really not that different than our parents telling us “this new music isn’t even music, it’s just noise” when referring to Elvis and The Beatles.
I find myself saying the same to my kids about all their rap. However, in this case, I’m right 
Generations cling to what they know and how things were. I think that’s human nature. One criticism I do hear from seasoned execs in IT and other STEM areas is that millenials are quite good at doing the work (coding as an example) but not as thorough or careful or interested in the underlying reasons for X. I don’t have experience in this but it was explained to me as a lack of true understanding of the underlying science or principals of X. If that’s a trend, I equate it to both having access to and starting their learning by using the powerful tools available today instead of the base level of problem solving that created the tools in the first place. A simple example would be a financial calculator. For those that grew up using that and simply plugging in numbers to get answers, you wonder if they truly understand the underlying concepts (present value, future value, etc.)
is this really true? I’ve literally been told by people younger than me “do you have a video with that info? My generation doesn’t read articles.”
My heart crumpled a little so I hope you are correct. My daughters friends do not read. Well I suppose they read Instagram posts, but that doesn’t count to me.
I see my kids (21, 24, and 27) reading internet articles, but none of them read books outside of school or own a Kindle.
BUT I think kids these days are amazing. My son’s decision to live in Lebanon and help refugees is not that unusual. My daughter and niece have taken multiple trips to Peru to work in an orphanage (after graduating from high school, so not trying to pad their resumes!). My niece has decided to move to Santiago, Chile to work and help people. I hear similar stories from lots of young people. This type of altruism was not even on my radar at their age.
Yes it’s true @one1ofeach:
https://qz.com/1039294/millennials-are-the-ones-keeping-libraries-alive/
“According to a new analysis of Pew Research Center data on US library attendance, millennials more than other generations appear to have a use for physical libraries.”
My D reads like a fiend. She probably read 6-8 books over her winter break. She also loves small bookstores and keeps a running list on her phone of what she wants to read next. She loves that the library does digital loans that she can access from anywhere as well.
If anything, new generation gives me hope.
My (adult) D (31) is a voracious reader, and is a library fiend - so much so that she’s had librarians hold books at the counter knowing she’d be in (she has regular “library days”) and say “oh I saw you checked out such and such, I really thought you’d like this as well”). I often receive texts with book recommendations from her.
I hope you’re right about reading, @romanigypsyeyes. My daughter used to be a voracious reader from age three to about fourteen/fifteen. I could not hold in my arms and backpack the library books she would go through in a week…and I do mean chapter books, some quite dense. I mean, Louisa May Alcott in third grade, Jane Austin in fifth, along with the Harry Potter and dystopian fantasies popular with smart older kids.
I held off getting her a phone…until late middle school. But, it’s taken over, and she rarely cracks a non-school book. Sometimes I just think it’s the load of AP homework/ECs. But then, hour after hour of her free time (or more often, interwoven within her study time) I see her watching “The Office” or some inane youtube video on her phone. I hope the reading comes back. She did nail her SAT ERW on first try, and I’m grateful for that.
Both my kids are big readers though my oldest reads a lot of fan fic and comics on the internet. Both my kids have kindles. Older son has completely given up on paper books and I don’t think he’s been in a library for years. Younger son borrows lots of books electronically and has access to several libraries (ours, where he lives now and military library), but he doesn’t hang out at a physical library. For a while his hours were such that it seemed like most of his “reading” was podcasts played at extra fast speed while he was commuting or exercising. He likes to own nice hardcovers of his favorite authors. He owns a lot of books (all the Star Wars books!) and so does his girl friend. They recently invested in a real bookcase instead of going for another Ikea one.
As for work ethic older one works hard on the job, but doesn’t take it home.
My husband does complain that the students in his lab tend to be using Instagram or facebooks while they are waiting for things in the lab to grow, or mix or whatever while in his day, he’d have been reading journal articles.
Are millenials in libraries to read books or to have quiet to work on their computers?
My millenials love to read, but they read so much in their careers that they are too tired to read on their off time.
I hope that changes as they grow older. They were once prolific pleasure readers.
The old “kids these days” complaints are repeated by every generation. Millenials will one day be doing the same thing.
Same song, millionth verse.
My kids love to read and S is a news junkie and keeps up on what’s going on all over the world. Stereotypes don’t seem especially helpful, imho.
Required school reading has ruined my kids. The words “reading” and “pleasure” will never be used in the same sentence with them, or me for that matter. These old school books that I read in high school and so did my Mom are such boring material.
If schools want to keep kids reading for life, they should be having them read books off of the current best sellers list, books that invoke conversation around current topics and things that are relevant in their life. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, anything by Shakespeare. All bore my kids to tears.
I read daily, but haven’t read a book since my last required reading in college.
I go to many corporate events, what are people discussing? Pop culture, sports, current events, politics. I read up on all of this stuff every day. No one is discussing The Odyssey.
Thanks to required boring school reading both of my kids now hate to read and only do what they have to which is required in school. It’s unfortunate. Schools really need to get with the times.
Our school system did a great job of this, starting from kindergarten on. Kids were able to select their own reading material from the level appropriate bins. Even in middle school they were reading things like the Book Thief. Sure there was some required reading in upper grades but it was usually very interesting, at least to my D.
I had to read much more of the “boring” Classics back in my day.
A current events reading list would greatly increase the political wars in school boards about what is or is not politically biased. That would make the fights over historical events like (for example) “the primary cause of the Civil War / War Between the States was slavery / states’ rights” seem tame by comparison.
@momofsenior1
Wish my kids would have been in your district, that sounds wonderful! Maybe mine wouldn’t be so jaded. As I said, it’s unfortunate.
I’m chuckling because one of my kid’s favorite school required reading in high school was the Odyssey and for the other it was Heart of Darkness.
They also were assigned contemporary literature and expected to read up on current events as well.
Classics are classics for a reason.
I’m with @HImom in disliking generational stereotypes.
@ucbalumnus
IMO, a discussion where kids can thoughtfully and respectfully discuss their thoughts on current politics is FAR more important than reading these classic books.
Politics is certianly a fiercly passionate subject no matter which side of the aisle you are on. I would much rather a a techer (be it gov, english etc) be a true neutral party to have kids discuss their views on a current political book than to read these old worn out books.
It can be done. My daughter had a teacher like this in high school. Sometimes you come out seeing another’s point of view even on a political book if the discussion is positive and cordial.
Honestly, we could all use more of this in the world today.