Someone Asks Older People “What Is Something Today’s Youth Would Never Understand” And 35 People Deliver

There's a term called the generation gap and it refers to the differences in experiences, opinions, habits, and behavior that separate age groups.

To learn more about this phenomenon, Reddit user MatsGry decided to look at it from another perspective. One that is often neglected and ridiculed on the internet. Baby boomers. So they made a post on the platform, asking the elders: "What's something today's youth would never understand?"

People immediately started sending in their replies, listing all the things that millennials and zoomers — in their opinion — can't wrap their minds around. Of course, some of them are up for debate, but that made the comment section even more interesting.

This post may include affiliate links.

History Channel, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and a bunch of other cable networks that are now dedicated to absolutely bottom-tier garbage reality TV shows used to be amazing nonstop documentary TV.

Chubby-Tumbles , PJ Gal-Szabo Report

Final score:

279points

POST

James016 2 years ago

When I was a child we had BBC1, BBC 2, ITV and Channel 4. That was it

46points

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People could not always get a hold of you and it was a good thing.

TechFiend72 Report

Final score:

262points

POST

Rose the Cook 2 years ago

No work calls at ungodly hours because you were expected to sleep with your phone on the pillow.

46points

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Memorizing phone numbers.

usmcmech , James Sutton Report

Final score:

229points

POST

Tash 2 years ago

I used to know about 20 telephone numbers off by heart...now I know mine and thats about it!

62points

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Needing to do a report on a topic. No internet. No encyclopedia on CD. Going to the actual library to find someone in your class already grabbed the one book on the subject.

ImCaffeinated_Chris , 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič Report

Final score:

216points

POST

NsG 2 years ago

Again, Encarta95 was only a thing from about 1993 onwards. Gen X definitely had to do reports from an actual library. Older Millennial's may have had to do the same (born in 1980, doing reports at age 11 - yup, well before the Encarta CDs).

36points

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Waiting for your favorite song to come on the radio

rackfocus , Bianca Ackermann Report

Final score:

207points

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Sue Hazlewood 2 years ago

And trying to tape it

153points

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Opening up the newspaper to look at the TV guide to see what was on that night.

Actuaryba , fuzzusmaximus Report

Final score:

198points

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Sue Hazlewood 2 years ago

And then going to hire a video.

27points

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Going to the bathroom during a commercial break and hearing the dreaded “IT’S ON!!” when you’re not done.

JoePikesbro Report

Final score:

193points

POST

James016 2 years ago

No pausing of TV then.

38points

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The relationship between audio cassettes and Bic pens (or pencils).

TheWrongFusebox , Allan Hazle Report

Final score:

192points

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Sue Hazlewood 2 years ago

Pencils

35points

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omg smoking EVERYWHERE! In theaters, planes, offices, hospitals, trains, restaurants, schools... just everywhere (and the outrage when it was finally banned lol)

MagentaX , Tobias Tullius Report

Final score:

190points

POST

Robert T 2 years ago (edited)

This is one thing I really don't miss. I used to hate going out for a night out and coming back stinking like packet of cigarettes (FFS BP I want to say f**s.)

45points

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#10

The excitement of going to a video rental store on the weekends to get to pick out a movie.

Actually picking one out was just as exciting as watching the movie.

brokendowndryer , Sean Benesh Report

Final score:

187points

POST

NsG 2 years ago

So, the title of this article will ultimately change and make this comment a bit pointless, but at the time of writing the title is something along the lines of "Boomers list things that Gen X and Millennials won't understand" and I have to point out that Blockbuster only ceased to be a thing well into a Millennial's teenhood. Millennials have experience of picking out rental movies. Gen X certainly did.

34points

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#11

Calling the movie theatre to hear the recording with the movie times on it.

StanePantsen , Jakob Owens Report

Final score:

180points

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kate h 2 years ago

Oh wow, forgot about that!! haha

33points

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#12

When you left work you left work. There is an emergency? Oh well, I guess we can solve that problem tomorrow.

StanePantsen , Another Day Xx Report

Final score:

174points

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James016 2 years ago

Your problem is not my emergency

35points

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#13

The sheer joy of receiving a handwritten letter from someone you haven't seen in a long time. I really miss the days when I had a nice stationery set, and I would write long letters to friends and relatives.

IrianJaya , Aaron Burden Report

Final score:

169points

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Maiun 2 years ago

You still can, people really appreciate a handwritten letter, it means you care.

63points

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#14

Taking photos using those little rolls of film and having to take them into a shop for processing. You often wouldn't know if any of the photos were good until a couple of months later.

You also had to manually wind on the camera after every shot.

Orlando_the_Cat , Andrew Hitchcock Report

Final score:

161points

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Ray Heap 2 years ago

For my sixtieth I bought a canon eos 650 analogue and together we make great pictures.

27points

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#15

Picking up or saying goodbye to airline passengers right at the gate

IsSecretlyABird , hannah park Report

Final score:

161points

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Grant Barke 2 years ago

Thank you September 911.

27points

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#16

Watching a draft lottery to see if your number would be low enough that you will be drafted to fight in a war in Asia

randomcanyon , EssoEssex Report

Final score:

160points

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Adam Jeff 2 years ago

This one should be higher, it's the first one that actually fits the title, in that it happened to (US) boomers and it is almost unimaginable for most people in the west today. Most of the others would fit better in a list of 'things which people at the younger end of Millennial might not have known, but will have no problem understanding once told'.

69points

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#17

Hovering over your stereo with your fingers ready to hit play and record simultaneously while the radio DJ intros the song you've been dying to hear.

Recording movies straight off the TV onto VHS tapes and having the dedication to stop the recording to cut out the ads.

Blobfish_Blues Report

Final score:

155points

POST

Devil's Advocate 2 years ago

I was pro at doing the cuttings, I should have been a video editor!

24points

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#18

Be kind rewind.

Smoking or nonsmoking

I left a message but I think the tape cut out.

So when should I call?

Get off the line!

I got to swing by and drop off some film.

I tried calling but I think he's online right now.

Everything glass is brown and that's normal.

ClusterChuk , Pattie Hite Report

Final score:

152points

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Jackson Sharpe 2 years ago

I have to return some video tapes.

15points

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#19

Watching Saturday morning cartoons with cereal.

Guergy Report

Final score:

144points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 2 years ago

Did Cereal enjoy them too?

23points

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#20

TV Channels signing off for the night.

Chubby-Tumbles Report

Final score:

144points

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ZAPanda 2 years ago

This was ours. Screen-Sho...bb5203.png

17points

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#21

Making plans ahead of time (meet you in front of the theater at 8:25, okay?) and if said friend was late to show up, you had no idea what happened to them. No changing plans last minute, no finding out where they were, just you standing in the meeting place, wondering how long to wait, if you should just tell the ticket seller to let your friend know you’ll be inside etc... (we all had one of those friends).

FadeOutAgain4 , Max Wolfs Report

Final score:

141points

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Dave P 2 years ago

Uh yeah, most millenials remember this, this was how I grew up.

13points

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#22

Getting a free toy inside a box of Breakfast cereal.

The_Geordie_Gripster , Tom Ray Report

Final score:

138points

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Robert T 2 years ago

I miss this. Was always a bit of excitment when you got to open a new box. Now it's just a relief that you have finished the dust in the bottom of the old one!

28points

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#23

Buying a home at 3-6 times your annual salary and being able to get by on a single income

KingScottKing1985 , Oli Woodman Report

Final score:

138points

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Grant Barke 2 years ago

1980 Mercedes Benz 450sl, nice car to drive. Rust in the front lower guard, common problem. Also V8 engine is very thirsty.

15points

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#24

"Insert disk 2"

srentiln Report

Final score:

134points

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Nadine Debard 2 years ago

Floppy discs!!

25points

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#25

Asking for and writing down directions to somewhere, or even looking up and following directions on a map.

kellieander , Jean-Frederic Fortier Report

Final score:

131points

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Grant Barke 2 years ago

This I was really good at, I don't think I have ever been lost in my life.

28points

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#26

On the job training. Actually being promoted for working hard.

CrazyCoKids , Tim Gouw Report

Final score:

123points

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Robin DJW 2 years ago

If your world was really good, your old boss would enthusiastically support your being promoted, even though s/he had to go through the trouble of replacing you. Never getting held back.

22points

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#27

Your friends used to just show up unannounced, and you'd have to hang out with them. It was called a pop in, and it was totally normal.

StanePantsen Report

Final score:

119points

POST

Grant Barke 2 years ago

I remember that.

14points

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#28

If there were 2 shows on tv at the same time and day you had to make a choice. No dvr no vcr no on demand

hellyea63 Report

Final score:

118points

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Lucinda Speer 2 years ago

You had to wait for the re-runs to see the other one.

30points

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#29

Lining up the carbon paper so you could get two copies of the document you were writing in the typewriter. And then how annoying it was if you made a mistake and had to break out the Twink.

Orlando_the_Cat , Wilhelm Gunkel Report

Final score:

115points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 2 years ago

Someone likes writing "naked".

31points

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#30

Suitcases never used to have wheels

Original-Pie99 , engin akyurt Report

Final score:

114points

POST

Mitchell 2 years ago

I remember traveling overseas in 1995 and it was the first time I saw wheely bags. All the airline staff had them, but few passengers. I treated myself to one and felt very progressive.

22points

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#31

How kids at one point were just everywhere with no supervision. Hell, when I was little it wasn't uncommon for a group of us under the age of 12 to just disappear into the forest/woods/desert for the entire goddamn day. As long as you were back before the streetlights turned on and didn't come back injured your parents just did not give a f**k so long as you were out of the house and out of their way.

Also, and this is definitely a guy thing, but every friend group had that friend with an older brother who at a certain point would bequeath their entire porn collection onto the younger kids, usually by telling them where it was hidden. I've seen hollowed out trees with hidden trap doors that had entire libraries of ancient playboy, hustler, and misc porno mags in them. Now if a kid wants to look at porn and their parents don't lock everything down, they just go to any of the millions of available sites for it.

amalgamas , Markus Spiske Report

Final score:

110points

POST

Mazer 2 years ago

THIS. We played outside until someone got beaned by the ball because it was too dark to see

36points

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#32

I think youth do understand mundane things like landline phones and B/W TVs, but I don't think they understand how different the life felt back then. I'd say mobile phones and Internet caused the change somewhere in 2000-2005. We went from unconnected to always connected.

The world back then felt much slower. The days that were simply boring and nothing to do were super common. Today? I can't remember when I was previously really bored. Everything is so available and entertaining.

I also remember how small the world felt. Like, there's your family, guys at work, relatives and that's about it. Someone might have had a pen pal. You couldn't follow your idols, instead you just imagined how they were through their work and perhaps a poster.

Personally I'm super glad that I got the change to see both worlds.

Raunhofer , What Is Picture Perfect Report

Final score:

101points

POST

Random Panda 2 years ago (edited)

Boredom is good though, it stimulates the brain to be more creative. We need more boredom these days. The constant stream of stimulation shortens your attention span and has other negative effects. I was born in 1990 and would give anything to go back to the days we were not constantly connected to everyone and everything. I want the slow days back. That peace was something else.

40points

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#33

Getting in your vehicle and driving to your friends house to see if they were home. No cell phones, gas was cheap. Driving was freedom.

SoCalRc , William Krause Report

Final score:

99points

POST

Robert T 2 years ago

Vehicle? We got on a ****ing bicycle and rode.

57points

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#34

I miss not knowing where anyone was on a Friday night. You just had to drive around to all the regular spots looking for your friends. You didn't always find them but sometimes you met other cool people and had other adventures. There's less chance for serendipity when everyone knows where everyone is 24/7.

headzoo , kevin laminto Report

Final score:

88points

POST

James016 2 years ago

When I was a teen in the mid 90s growing up in NW London, whatever we were doing, everyone would end up at a particular bakery as it was the only one open at 2am to get beigels. Then we would see all the other people we know. It was a mass gathering every Saturday night. Was a lot of fun

24points

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#35

Having to call your best friend on a landline and the ensuing anxiety that:

A. Their mom might answer. B. They might not be home and who the hell knows where they are?! C. Nobody answers and how long do I wait to call back???

adrivebycastellanos Report

Final score:

88points

POST

Wilf 2 years ago

The worst is when you called a landline looking for a friend and mum answered. "Is Jim there?", you ask. "No, he told me he was out with you today. I wonder where he's gone and who he's with?". You instantly know you're friend is about to be grounded forever the second he returns home. Sorry, dude.

37points

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Note: this post originally had 51 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.

What do you think ?

Anne1000 2 years ago

Do any of these people even know how old millennials are? We grew up with most of these things.

43points

Monday 2 years ago

I think the "Boomers" they asked about this are the same people that see teenagers loitering around and shout about how "those bloody lazy Millennials are on my lawn again!", not realizing we've been adults for over a decade.

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stacyh 2 years ago

Yeah I was wondering if people are aware that millennial isn’t a blanket term for any young person. Many of us are 40 or nearing 40.

5points

Dan St John 2 years ago

How about a hand pump in the kitchen sink to get water? How about a wooden phone on the wall with a hand crank and ear piece while you talk to the operator and tell her which neighbor you wanted to talk and wait for her to tell you they didn't answer, or she would put you through? How about having to walk 30 yards outside to the outhouse no matter what time of year, day, rain, sleet or snow? Even then it smelled bad.

0points

Jacqueline Pie Francis Premium 2 years ago

Does BP not know that Gen X exists?

Don't Look 2 years ago

None of the social media sites does.

3points

SuperChicken 2 years ago

As I've mentioned before, I think we're too laid-back that we are often looked over.🤣

1point

Troux 2 years ago

Nope. Boomers, then millenials. Those are the only two generations that have existed since the Victorian era.

As an older millennial, I recognise the majority of these from my childhood. This is a "Gen X and Millenial" list. If it was boomers it would be more like "I remember steam trains and getting messages by telegram".

Sophie 2 years ago

I'm a younger millennial entering my 30's but I remember most of these... My brother is younger millenial and he does too...

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Someone Asks Older People “What Is Something Today’s Youth Would Never Understand” And 35 People Deliver

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