The generational divide is often most evident in the trends and behaviors that each age group adopts. While younger generations embrace new and evolving practices, older adults often find these trends baffling or outright disagreeable. Here’s a look at 24 popular trends that younger generations love but older adults want nothing to do with.
1. TikTok Over Google
Younger people increasingly turn to TikTok for information instead of traditional search engines like Google, preferring short videos over reading.1
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2. Skincare Routines for Kids
Elementary school-aged children are now adopting full skincare routines as a popular trend, which many older adults find unnecessary and excessive.
3. Judging by Phone Brands
Decisions about dating or friendships based on the brand of phone someone uses is a popular trend that older adults find superficial.
4. GoFundMe for Cosmetic Procedures
The popular trend of creating crowdfunding campaigns for cosmetic surgeries is a trend that many older adults view as indulgent and inappropriate.
5. Avoiding Driving
Many young adults are reluctant to learn how to drive, preferring public transportation or ride-sharing services, which older generations see as a loss of an essential skill.
6. Watching Unboxing Videos
The fascination with watching YouTube videos of people opening and playing with new toys instead of using their own puzzles older adults.2
7. Extreme Eyelashes and Nails
The popular trend of wearing long, fluffy eyelashes and extremely long nails baffles older adults, who wonder how practical these beauty choices are.
8. Thin ’90s Brows
The return of thin eyebrows from the ’90s is a popular trend that older adults hoped would stay in the past.
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9. Snapchat Over Phone Numbers
In modern dating, it’s common for young people to exchange Snapchat handles instead of phone numbers, a popular trend that feels alien to older generations.
10. Phones as Primary Computers
For many young people, smartphones have replaced laptops as their primary computing device, a shift that older adults struggle to comprehend.
11. Poor Punctuation
Younger people often neglect proper punctuation in their writing, making communication difficult for older adults.
12. Fearfulness
Less a popular trend and more a concern, there is a perception that younger people are more fearful and anxious, fixating on worst-case scenarios more than older generations.
13. Binge-Watching Short Videos
Young people often binge-watch short, plotless videos on platforms like TikTok, which older adults find devoid of substance.
14. Self-Labeling
Younger generations frequently label themselves with various identities and descriptors, a habit that older adults often see as overly complicated.
15. Sharing Location
Many young people share their real-time location with friends on Snapchat, a popular trend that older adults find invasive and unnecessary.
16. Specific Water Tumblers
The obsession with having the “right” brand of water tumbler is seen as an extension of materialistic peer pressure by older generations.
17. Nicotine Addiction
Despite knowing the risks, the resurgence of nicotine use, especially through vaping, is seen as a step backward by older generations.
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18. Making Fun of Sock Choices
The popular trend of mocking others for wearing “no show” or “ankle” socks is another modern behavior that leaves older adults perplexed.
19. Literacy Rates
Despite being the most connected generation, literacy rates are falling, a phenomenon that older adults find deeply concerning.
20. Speakerphone Calls
Younger people frequently make phone calls on speakerphone, even in public, which older adults find rude and unnecessary.
21. Preventative Botox
The popular trend of young adults seeking preventative Botox treatments in their early twenties is seen as unnecessary by older generations.
22. Vaping
Despite the known health risks, the popularity of vaping among young people is a popular trend that older adults strongly oppose.
23. Social Media Crimes
Committing crimes for social media clout, such as the ice cream-licking challenge, is a disturbing but popular trend that older adults cannot understand.
24. Caps Lock Capitalization
Some younger individuals use the caps lock key instead of the shift key to capitalize letters, a habit that older adults find inefficient.
Conclusion
The divide between generations is highlighted by the differing popular trends and behaviors each embraces. While younger generations continue to innovate and push boundaries, older adults often look on with confusion or disapproval. Understanding these differences is key to bridging the generational gap and fostering mutual respect.
H/t Buzzfeed, Huffpost
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