Each generation tends to think they have it all figured out and looks to the younger ones as if things are going to hell in a handbasket. Bias toward the ways of your own generation is totally natural and normal. To be fair, some of the older generation's complaints aren’t entirely wrong. Things change from time to time, but the way they do isn’t always for the better.
The Decibel of Things Has Been Turned Up
Back in the day, things were much more subdued. There were swing bands and jazz tunes, but many genres that are played today are much louder and more disharmonious than in previous generations. There are also environmental noises that weren’t a problem in the past. Most youngsters can no longer function without a whole bunch of noise and distractions to distract them from silence.
Technology is Too Fast
Where once people could hold attention for something, over the past 20 years, according to research, the average time that the average person focuses on just one thing has decreased from nearly two and a half minutes to about 45 seconds. Thanks to the new speed of technology, you either learn to keep pace or fall behind, and quickly.
Lack of Respect
In previous generations, kids wouldn’t dare call an adult, any adult, by their first name. Surnames like miss or niceties like ma’am were a must. Nowadays, children call their friends' parents by their first names on playdates. When there are no clear boundaries in communication between the generations, that does show a lack of respect between them and negates the older generation's life experiences and wisdom.
Lack of Respect for Elders
In other cultures and other times in the US, elderly people were respected to the point where they were not only listened to and cared for, but they were integral to the family unit. Over the past several generations, older people have been pretty much pushed aside and not really respected for their history and what they have done for the people around them. That has led to many elderly people becoming isolated and depressed.
Healthcare Costs
One thing that older people often do is remark about the cost of things. We’ve all heard our parents say things like, “When I was your age, gas only cost __.” When it comes to healthcare, older generations are correct. People used to be able to afford to see the doctor. When they were sick, they could afford the medications needed to get better. And if someone ended up in the hospital, it didn’t end in bankruptcy.
They Are Limited in What They Can Do
It is easy to see someone sit in a chair and say they can’t get up and think, “Why can’t you get up?” As you get older, your joints and muscles ache in a way that the younger generation simply can’t understand. Chronic pain affects many elderly people and is a way of life that limits their mobility. Although it is difficult for most of us to understand that you tell your body to do something and it can’t, it really can’t for some.
The Rising Cost of Living
Healthcare isn’t the only thing that has gotten out of control. There was a time when the middle class in America was not only the backbone, but it was also alive and healthy. Most people have a hard time making the basics of food and rent, and with prices continually going up, there are still rougher times ahead.
People Drive Too Fast
In previous generations, there was respect for rules and officials like the police. People looked at rules and regulations as a way that everyone chipped in to keep people safe. The average person simply doesn’t have the same respect for authority or rules that they used to. For many, speed limits are optional, along with other things you shouldn't do.
Time Goes by So Fast
Older people often complain about time going by so fast. The older you get, the faster it does seem to go. Over the years, you go through the same patterns, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, so those patterns seem to run more quickly together. Also, when you aren’t distracted, you tend to look around and recognize things more. That is why you will often hear older people say, “You're growing so fast.”
They Have a Hard Time Adapting to Change
No one likes change. As humans, we inherently want predictability and routine. When change happens when we are younger, we tend to navigate things better. Older people usually get more flustered by stress and change. They can’t adapt as quickly and think on their toes to handle a situation or take charge.
Thinking Things Are Too Complicated
Things are too complicated. With the introduction of the internet came the ability to compile millions of things in one spot. That is a lot of processing that the brain has to do. Where once there was only one news channel that gave thirty minutes of events, there are now hundreds of channels around the world feeding us. It is a lot, and a lot more complicated than when there were only two channels and people stayed local.
Kids Grow Up Too Fast
Just two decades ago, children believed in Santa Claus well into middle school. Now, children are lucky if they get to believe it until they finish the second grade. Due to the large amount of exposure to adult things and messaging, kids are growing up way too fast. They are also learning about mature information that their brains are too young to process. Will humanity adapt? Probably, but that doesn’t mean the older generation is wrong.
Girls and Boys Are Dating Too Young
Boys and girls were friends without any romantic feelings until they hit middle school or later in previous generations. Now, they are talking about dating and going out before they even know what those things are. When you introduce intimacy before children are prepared for it, it can lead to a lot of emotional damage and heartache.
There is Nothing New in Entertainment
Civilization has been around for so long that there is really nothing new under the sun. When television and movies first surfaced, the sitcoms were new, the ideas were new, and people were creative. With so much money in the entertainment industry, there is a push to create content for content’s sake. That means that not a whole lot of entertainment is very entertaining anymore. Gone is a lot of the motivation that used to drive art, which is artists.
Social Security and Medicaid Are Too Complicated
Have you looked over the rules and regulations of Social Security or Medicaid? By the time you figure out what Part B and Part D are, you have missed the signup times and can’t ever go back. Over the years, terms have necessarily changed, but just like most rules, a lot of the things are completely unnecessary and only create red tape.
The IRS is Out of Control
The IRS was originally created to do very few things, pay for our roadways, and help to fund the military. Now, the IRS is a machine that has more rules, regulations, and loopholes than any other system in the world. More money probably goes into figuring out what people are supposed to pay than is actually collected. After years of change upon change, things can really get out of control.
It is Hard to Know the Truth
A lot of elderly people believe in what younger generations consider “conspiracy theories.” Although old people indeed fall prey to fear-mongering and conspiracy more than younger generations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher entertainment from the real news or to know what the truth behind things is.
Everyone is Out to Get Them
Younger people think that older people are more susceptible to scams and being taken advantage of, and they might be. But, in their defense, they are also a highly targeted population because they don’t understand much of the new technology. They are inherently more gullible. It isn’t how people communicate and tend to take people at their word. That actually used to be a thing.
Older people can sometimes seem to be more grumpy than their younger counterparts and complain about things that not everyone understands. There was a time when we respected our elders, and if they talked, we listened. It has become way too easy for us to turn a deaf ear to their complaints. That is a grave mistake because we all have something to learn from those who have been there before us. Not all of their complaints are invalid. In fact, a lot of them have validity to them.
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