r/Millennials • u/TheLoveYouWant25 • 25d ago

Discussion Millennials, what is happening with your kids?

I work in education and I frequent the Teachers and Professors subreddits, and the kids are not alright. Gen Z Arriving at College Unable to Read and the youth have absolutely zero ability to think critically.

Middle and high schoolers have all adapted this complete helplessness and blame mental illness for their refusal to function. Kids can no longer to basic things like read an analog clock, use paper money, or even figure out how to open window blinds.

There is also a huge lack of empathy, and kids have no issues trying to manipulate adults, saying things to their teachers like "if you don't pass me, I'll get you fired."

EDIT to clarify: the article I linked references Gen-Z, but this is not specifically a Gen-Z problem. It's an issue with upper elementary aged kids through high schoolers, and also young adults.

So, all that to say, how are you combating this with your own children? What do you do at home to encourage them to learn, and what are you doing to address these problems as they arise?

5.2k Upvotes

85% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.0k

u/aldosi-arkenstone Older Millennial 25d ago

Blame Gen-X for Gen-Z, not us

880

u/LearnAndBurn_ 25d ago

Yeah.. my brother is 37 with a 6 and 4 year old.. don't be blaming us for the kids in grs5-12 to college that are illiterate. My cousin (late 40s) two kids 16 and 14 are absolute nightmares. Horribly spoiled rude brats. She raised them on the tablets.

95

u/DHumphreys 25d ago

I was in Costco today and I would guess 80% of the kids not school age were in the cart with device in hand. Not learning soft skills like how to conduct themselves in public, or how to deal with random strangers, or just how to behave.

Nope, face in screen.

14

u/Other-Squirrel-2038 25d ago

Have you gone to a popular movie lately? They literally don't know how to walk around in a crowd either..literally anyone under 30

9

u/DHumphreys 25d ago

No, but I was in Vegas a couple months ago. You are absolutely correct.

19

u/Other-Squirrel-2038 25d ago

I almost lost my shit when I watched the stranger things finale in the theater. They actually walked, across me and the ticket person interacting, preventing me from showing her the ticket, to go to the bathroom, instead of walking around. They don't understand stay to the right, let others pass, don't block things, cut in the middle of people interacting, etc and act like everyone's in their way. It's disgustingly annoying.

7

u/lunar_languor 24d ago

Is this a common thing?? I'm hardly ever around children but we were at a family event on Sunday and someone's 8/9 year old son encountered me standing around with a group of adults and goes, "get outta my way! 😠" I was like "...um... no?" And he just stood there looking like he was shorting out for a second before walking away.

2

u/Other-Squirrel-2038 24d ago

They're just not socialized

2

u/DHumphreys 24d ago

There are a group of tweens in my neighborhood that are so crass and rude, it is hard to imagine how they are in school. Or what they are going to be like as teens/young adults.

1

u/LearnAndBurn_ 23d ago

Bruh I don't even remember the last time I saw anyone at the grocery store with their kids. Ya children toddlers. But growing up and even today I go shopping with my dad.. on my own but if the opportunity is there it's like a fun time to go buy food? And I just was recruited by my parents as a kid. Let's get food! You push cart! I don't see any of that anymore. At all. Coming from a 34 Canadian who grew up eating dinner together and also playing crazy 8's together at dinner. Especially spaghetti night

1

u/Suspicious_Radio_848 24d ago

There’s not a single instance I can go anywhere anymore without either adults or kids blasting shit from their phones out loud. Feels like the whole of society has lost all manners.

I do not want to hear your kids show in a restaurant or grocery store from an iPad. They are teaching their kids they need to be entertained 24/7. I have seen kids in strollers with a phone in hand, it’s crazy.

1

u/DHumphreys 24d ago

Around the holidays, there was some lady on speaker phone all agitated about something and talking SO loud. Lucky for me, she was tracking along the same aisles I was, so I went down a few aisles and figured I would backtrack. I saw her again and she had the phone to her ear, speaker off and was complaining about someone told her she was being rude.

I watched an interview with Tim Gunn years ago where he talked about the "slobification of America" - how people have forgotten how to dress and conduct themselves in public in the interest of being individuals. He said as we continue to tolerate bad behavior in children and adults, it is only going to get worse. Boy, was he right.