30 Modern-Day Socially Normal Things That Older Folk Find Disagreeable

Across various cultures, the value of respecting elders is ingrained in proverbs. The idea behind it is that elders have accumulated more life experience and therefore possess valuable wisdom. While some may argue that wisdom isn't solely determined by age, it's undeniable that older individuals often offer unique perspectives on contemporary trends and events. Recently, a Reddit user sparked an interesting conversation by asking older adults about current social norms they find perplexing or disagreeable. Their question, posed on the subreddit r/AskOldPeople, led to insightful responses that shed light on generational differences without resorting to clichéd stereotypes.

#1 Our society being ok with total ignorance of science and some are even praised for it.

Image source: Sufficient-Grand3746, Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo)

#2 Wearing pajamas and slippers to go shopping. People, if you can't be bothered to put on fresh clothes, don't go out in public. Also, do they then wear those pajamas to bed? Ew!

Image source: catdoctor, PNW Production / pexels (not the actual photo)

#3 Not being willing or able to just be superficially nice in social settings. Sometimes it's *okay* to just be pleasant instead of making your unique and specific viewpoint heard.

Image source: stealth_bohemian, Yan Krukau/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#4 A couple of things but the biggest one by far is the ear bud culture which just bleeds into a level of rudeness and isolation that’s unsettling. You might find small talk tedious but I promise you, the connection to the outside world that small talk creates is a gift to you. Humans aren’t meant to be so isolated.

Image source: WildIris2021, Priscilla Du Preez ?? / unsplash(not the actual photo) As a parent I give a lot of rides. I can’t tell you how many teens have gotten into my car without even a simple hi or hello and sat there silently with their head in their phone and their ear pods in. Say hi. Talk about the weather for a minute. It might be dumb but we are human and civility and connection matter. Otherwise all you’ve got is that phone and your ear buds. It’s kind of a bleak existence.

#5 The assumption that if you say one thing you automatically believe something else. For example if you say that we should look at tightening up our gun control laws, that automatically means you're anti-gun and want to take away everybody's guns.

Image source: Th3TruthIs0utTh3r3, Jessica Da Rosa / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#6 Kids (and some adults, but I mostly see kids) with tablets or phones at full volume out in public. I have no interest in hearing other people's games, videos, music or phone conversations.

Image source: Amesaskew, Julia M Cameron / pexels (not the actual photo)

#7 The widespread inability to spell words correctly or use them properly ( e.g. Their , There , They're ) and don't get me started on grammar.

Image source: Highway-Organic, Ivan Samkov/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#8 Its now socially normal to not use caps or punctuation so that your thoughts are all one single stream of consciousness and really hard to read like reading ulysses but the kids dont even know or care what that is because they just want to get their thoughts all out at once without any regard for the reader and the annoyance it is to try to figure out what they are saying Signed: A pained English major.

Image source: ktappe, Charlotte May/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#9 Playing with your phone while in the presence of live conversation.

Image source: aprehensivebad42, Eliott Reyna / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#10 Peak Cpitalism; the wealthy amassing even more wealth and not caring about a decent life for everybody.

Image source: theora55, Daniel Thiele / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#11 That every white woman who complains is a Karen. Sometime it’s a legitimate complaint. Calling someone a Karen on Social Media has become such a lazy comeback for when you don’t agree with someone who appears to be female online.

Image source: Gloomy_Researcher769

#12 My grandfather used to tell me that who you vote for is private. He and his wife never even shared with one another which candidate won their vote. I wish that was the case in modern times.

Image source: Learn_as_ya_go_

#13 Everything. I'm old. Get off my lawn.

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#14 I'm really not comfortable will all the ads for betting and sports book platforms.

Image source: Flaxscript42, Jose Francisco Fernandez Saura/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#15 Declarations of "body count" to dating partners. I don't like the violent implication of the term, and I don't like intimate history being tallied like a score.

Image source: meddit_rod, René Ranisch / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#16 Recording everything.

Image source: anon, Sebastian Enrique / unsplash (not the actual photo) Recording fights. Recording car crashes. Recording traffic stops (your own or others) when cops have body cams and dash cams already. Recording people in the gym (yourself or others), recording in public and getting mad at pedestrians for ‘ruining the shot’. Heck, people were even standing there like insane people recording the Super Bowl parade shooting. Like dude…LEAVE THE AREA OR HIDE. Don’t stand there drooling with a phone in your hand for internet clout or to sell it to the news.

#17 I don't get why it's wrong to use punctuation when texting.

Image source: whineybubbles

#18 The way that men are starting to call women "females" but when referring to men they say "men". We are not lab specimens dude.

Image source: My_fair_ladies1872

#19 Being mad at me because I don't automatically know your pronouns... Just tell me if I'm wrong in a nice way and I'll adapt.

Image source: BloopityBlue, Alexander Grey / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#20 Since this is the Ask Old People category, I disagree with people being dismissive because I am old. I have at least one more sucker punch left in me for the next ‘ok boomer’ comment I get in person.

Image source: MissHibernia, Nashua Volquez-Young/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#21 Never saying NO not your child.

Image source: HereWeGoAgain-1979, Monstera Production / pexels (not the actual photo) It sounds very «boomer» - I know. But I have two kids born early 2000s and one child born 2015, and just wow how many more kids are brats now. Don’t get me wrong, kids have always been kids and act out, but now they are more rude. We have always had the whole class in kids birthday and it has always been insane and loud, but with my youngest class I just can’t do it.

#22 Politics being your entire identity. They did this to us on purpose to divide us.

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#23 I went for a walk at a park recently. There was a guy entering the trail while holding his phone out and talking into it. Everyone got to hear his c**p instead of the relaxing nature sounds. Isn’t he special?

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#24 The thought of if you can't accept me at my worst you don't deserve me at my best.

Image source: Th3TruthIs0utTh3r3

#25

Image source: Myrindyl, Christina Morillo / pexels (not the actual photo) Me: Hey, how have you been? Them: Haven't you seen my posts on [social media platform]? Me: I'm trying to have a conversation with you, not subscribe to your newsletter.

#26 Being around others while obviously sick.

Image source: Reneeisme, Andrea Piacquadio / pexels (not the actual photo) It’s been normalized because we have a garbage safety net that doesn’t allow people financially to take care of themselves and not make others sick. Or allow them to be off work to care for sick children. 40 years ago when unions were strong there were lots of sick days in lots of jobs and people mostly were able to stay home when really sick, in professional or union jobs anyway. There’s always been a segment of the working population that got screwed. But now more than ever we need generous sick leave policies in place for EVERYONE.

#27 Tipping on everything. Especially with those iPads that spin around and awkwardly ask you for 10% because someone got you a muffin from behind the counter. Make it end.

Image source: larryhood35, Dan Smedley / unsplash (not the actual photo)

#28 Children having access to social media.

Image source: nettie_r, Tim Gouw / unsplash (not the actual photo) I think nothing good comes of it. I got other parent friends who have no issue with their kids scrolling tiktok, or being on whatsapp groups (I was an older mum, my kid is still primary school age). (She says, acknowledging the irony of posting this on reddit).

#29 People posting their entire lives online. I'm probably excessively private but it's really crazy how people are so willing and even eager to broadcast their personal lives to the world.

Image source: PicoRascar, Plann/ pexels (not the actual photo) I don't think people fully appreciate how possible it is to string together little details from multiple sources and form a detailed picture of someone's life. That should scare people.

#30  Emotional support dogs/pets pretending to be service dogs Dragging your dog every f-ing where.

Image source: WoodsColt, Frames For Your Heart / unsplash (not the actual photo) I love dogs,I foster dogs,I train dogs,I have 4 huge dogs....that don't go shopping/to festivals/everywhere with me. Also letting your dog with c**p recall off leash and thinking that screaming he's friendly makes it better. And not picking up your dogs s**t on hiking trails,that's just rude and ignorant. And petting strangers dogs,um no keep your hands to yourself please Those disgusting long nails some women sport like little wearable petri dishes. Talking about politics,money or religion in every social setting. It was so much nicer when people realized that not every gathering needed to be bombarded with contentious subjects.