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Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things)
One of the wise people of antiquity once said that everyday experience is a collection of mistakes accumulated by a person throughout their life. A person learns from some mistakes, some they simply try not to repeat, and some of these mistakes they alas repeat all throughout their life.
Recently, the so-called "Letters to Myself" genre has been very popular on the internet, where famous and not-so-famous people describe different mistakes they made at a young age and tell what they would do differently taking into account the knowledge that they have now. Unfortunately, in one's teen years, it is difficult to believe and accept some of the life facts that seem so obvious later.
A few days ago, a question was asked in the AskReddit community directly on this topic: "What are teens today not ready to hear?" As of today, the resulting thread has about 44.2K upvotes and over 26.7K various comments, where people in adulthood and older tell which life lessons the youth should definitely learn.
Yes, the thread looks a bit boomerish, but the ancients didn't say in vain: "Forewarned is forearmed." Bored Panda has put together a list of the most popular comments from the original thread for you, so please feel free to scroll to the very end, mark the submissions you like the most and of course share your own life lessons in the comments.
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#2
Playing music on your speakers in public areas makes you look like a complete douchebag. Nobody likes it but you.
Frando Bone 2 years ago
And talking on your phone on speaker in public falls in the same category.
#3
It’s okay to be a virgin at 18
Nathan Wolfe 2 years ago
*regardless of your sexuality*. Fixed it for you. Doesnt matter what your sexuality is, its fine to be a virgin at any age.
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Sent From The Slytherin House 2 years ago
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M 2 years ago
Right on! I got married at 22 and my first ob checkup the nurse couldn't belive i was a virgin, actually wanted to know if my mom needed to step out so we could talk. I was like no! I have not had sex and don't intend to until my wedding night. My love was my first and only and we have been together 26years, Married 24 of them. No regrets in waiting at all!
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Sapna Sarfare 2 years ago
or at any age... life is a bag of different things. And each bag is different for different people.
BadCat 2 years ago
I couldn't even date much in Junior High and High school. One guy I had a crush on, managed to ask him for his number. The first thing he wanted to do was phone sex. I hadn't even had sex at the time at all, and I wasn't comfortable with getting that intimate with someone. But apparently it's a requirement if you're 15+ with guys. It was okay that I stayed single after that, and the guy I once had a crush on seemed like an ugly a*****e after.
Vera Hilman 2 years ago
I agree. My religion said to stay virgin before marriage, man or woman. I was virgin until my marriage at 29. Maybe it will look weird for some generations, but for my religion, having sex before/outside marriage is a big sin.
Wysteria_Rose 2 years ago
It's okay to also admit sex isn't a huge need for yourself if it doesn't feel that way. Trust your body and how you feel and surround yourself with people who respect that.
Roxas 2 years ago
It's always good to wait I've lost a friend who didn't want to wait she was only 15 and her mother said that's she's too young and needs to wait till she's 18 so her body is more mature and can handle it but she got pregnant and sadly passed away cause it put too much stress on her body and her mother was absolutely devastated.
Mathias Viera 2 years ago
It's okay to live your sexuality the way you want. You will know for sure when the moment comes, just stay safe and wear protection.
WordiGirl 2 years ago
I'm 24 and still waiting for the right person. I have a weird mentality and philosophy on things. I want to be platonic friends first, but I haven't really met anyone who feels the same. If they aren't out there, I'll just remain satisfied single with Jesus. God bless you all. 🙏💛
BookDragon 2 years ago
Idk if this helps, but you might be demisexual, meaning you have to have a platonic attraction with someone before you get sexual attraction! It's a perfectly normal sexuality and is part of the ace spectrum. Then again, you could not be ace at all, but just prefer knowing someone better first. -a aroace
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Britches are for everyone 2 years ago
And you can be whatever you are to be a virgin. You don't have to be disinterested in sex. You can also be interested in it and just not want to.
Malina TinyKittenTitan 2 years ago
Its more than okay it Trust me your mom is proud of you for this reason and more.
writers-block 2 years ago
Totally ok! You can be one when your 70, for god's sake. Its not like you have to make any decisions when your a teenager over peer pressure.
* Magicman * 2 years ago (edited)
Its ok to NOT being a virgin as well... Its everyones personal choice...people still putting sex on a pedestal like it will bring them closer to there creator if the wait till marriage cracks me up. Its sex, every animal on earth does it. Its not precious, or special, its chemical reactions. My only advice...bring a towel its messy 🤣
Gladys Hayes Southerland 2 years ago
It's OK to be a virgin at any age if that's your own choice
MimSorensson 2 years ago
And it’s ok not to be a virgin at 18. Virginity has no intrinsic value, it’s mostly a cultural definition - don’t take it too seriously either way.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Your body has many virginities. Give them away selectively. Your heart has many virginities. Give them away wisely. Your soul has many virginities. Keep as many as you can.
Rachel Smith 2 years ago
Honestly it's okay to be a virgin at any age, for example if you are ace. Or if you're just not ready for that yet. I didn't lose my virginity till I was 21 and I'm glad I waited cuz it gave me a healthy mentality about sex
Angersly 2 years ago
There's nothing special or pure about being a virgin either. It's a social construct that means nothing. You're the same person before sex after aex, with sex, without sex.
Lorraine 2 years ago
Virginity has no value per se, what is important is that you do it when you're sure/prepared/in love/mature/happy or whatever it's important for you, not because of the pressure of a certain age.
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censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Actually I don't understand this. It's a common trope to "wait" but frankly I didn't have to wait. I just was incapable of getting into any kind of relationship over a "see you at work" friendship. So anything more than that was not even a question of "waiting", it was a question of "am I invisible?"
Scarlett 2 years ago
I answered that question to myself long ago. The answer was yes and the extra sucky part is I’m bi. So I have more chances and still can’t pull
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#5
There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.
#6
In the adult world, getting into fights doesn’t make you look cool, it just makes you look stupid.
TheAquarius1978 2 years ago
And always remember lol, no matter how much of a badass you think you are, there is always someone that is either more of a badass than you, or some One that might not be a badass but uses its head and it Will knock you the f**k out.
#7
To the ones who ride the public bus in my city, specifically: nobody else wants to hear whatever TikTok you’re watching. Buy some headphones.
#9
You won't 'feel' different when you're older, or have kids. You'll just be you, it's weird.
Jo Gabriel 2 years ago
Yes!! I'm 51, but still feel like tgat awkward teenager, it's just that now, SOMEHOW, I've managed to hold down a respectable job since i graduated, and have a house and mortgage and husband and kids. I don't know how that happened! I'm still that nerdy kid! It's just, my knees hurt now.
#10
as much as you want to be unique, outspoken and be able to be you 100%, its just not that realistic.
as a queer poc millennial it took me a long time to learn that you gotta learn to pick your battles, read the room, and know that not every space is a space thats made for you.
#11
Putting every aspect of yourself online is unsafe. Nobody needs to know your list of triggers or your address or your blood type
TheAquarius1978 2 years ago
Nothing in my social media is relevant, my adress is wrong, my phone Number os wrong, i don't have any pictures of me or my family, my académic level is wrong and só is my job, you want to " know " who i am, meet me or PM me, my life is mine Alone and i only Share what i think its relevant in a certain context.
#12
The older you get the faster it goes.
Bubbles and sparks 2 years ago
That sure is true, my dearest son got 30 last week and t feels like only a short time ;)
#13
One day you too will be old and uncool.
And it'll happen faster than you think.
#14
Social media will give you too much of a superiority complex and hanging around people who enable you will f**k you up later in life.
#16
Not everybody can be an internet sensation, somebody has to drive the dump truck
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
And driving a dump truck is steady work and steady pay. Trying to be an “influencer” is a huge risk that could turn out to be a total waste of time and money—-YOUR time and money.
#17
It is perfectly fine to not know something. It’s OKAY to not know! Stop shaming and bullying people because you learned about something before they did. Social media is not the real world and acting like it is will only make people not want to be around you.
EDIT: I am not talking about ignorance. I’m talking about laughing when people ask a question in class, the “How do you not know that?” crowd, the mocking of people into never asking another question out of fear of ridicule and humiliation.
#18
You guys know how the attractive and wealthy kids at school seem to just get life handed to them on a silver platter?
Get used to it.
Frando Bone 2 years ago
Yep! Focus on you rather than putting energy into being angry because someone has it better than you do...because someone ALWAYS will have it better than you.
#19
Jobs aren’t meant to always be fun/your dream, sometimes you have to work a job you hate to stay afloat.
TheAquarius1978 2 years ago (edited)
And try them out i was a " puddle jumper " when it come to jobs, i tried a lot of stuff untill i finally found something i loved to do, and get ready to be shocked i love to work " retail "
#20
Social media is not reality and your entire life should not revolve around it.
#22
School has a system in place to keep you from falling behind, life doesn’t
ArodTheHorrible 2 years ago
Also, you can't ace life without effort even if you could do so with school
#23
You need to learn the difference between normal teenage neuroses and mental illness.
#24
You're not "mature for your age." Anyone who says that to justify wanting to be with you is a creep.
#25
As you get older you just keep realizing how dumb you were last year.
#26
10 years from now, no one will care about how many viewers you had on tiktok
#27
Today's eyebrows are yesterday's clown makeup and tomorrow's regret fodder
sturmwesen 2 years ago (edited)
Ok, hands up every woman that never dyed, plucked, permed or whatevered her brows? *up*
#29
You didn’t invent that style
Justin Haskell 2 years ago
I hate this thing people say these days "oh that's not in style right now". Who tf gets to decide that. I was recently told rollerblading wasn't in style. Wtf, it's not a f*****g style it's fun/exercise. What you can't wear/do something till someone "famous" does it. Then suddenly it hip. F**k that.
#30
We adults are mostly just winging it, hopefully learning from the TONS of mistakes we make, but still winging it.
Sans Serif 2 years ago
When the nurses handed me my first child (as we left the hospital), I said "Are you serious?""
#31
Someone somewhere cares about you deeply and loves to see you to be happy
#32
Condoms are for stds too even tho there are other ways to avoid pregnancy.
Cecily Holland 2 years ago
Australia is having a Syphillis outbreak in under 25 s at the moment who don’t seem to know what they are for
#33
In 15 years you’re going to think the kids have gone too far and they’re going to think you’re old-fashioned.
Sans Serif 2 years ago
Might have been fair warning 15 years ago, I'd be better prepared now...
#34
Everything you do as a teenager will be cringe to your children
#35
You're closer to being the "older" person in any given setting than you think. And by "old" I mean like 30. Got nieces and nephews just starting kindergarten? Haha. Blink and they're starting college.
#36
That heartache you're going through? It consumes everything now but it will be nothing but a footnote in the future. You'll rarely think about it later - & when you do, it won't hurt you.
It's hard to hear that your pain isn't the worst in the world when you're feeling it. But it does help to know that it won't mean as much as it does in this moment.
Rod McCabe 2 years ago
At 54, I've had more than "my share of GF" but, unlike some, I've only had 2 heartbrakes. I remember them as if they were yesterday. Heartaches of other kinds, maybe you can mediate them to a soft roar but they're there.
#38
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Cut back on the sugary s**t now. Take care of your teeth now. Start working out now. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, just be active.
Now is the time to get out and do a bunch of crazy s**t but at the same time remember that whatever you do now you pay for 20 years later somehow someway. And this can be taken in a good way or a bad way. Don’t want to take care of your teeth now? Have fun dropping $30,000 on your teeth like I had to.
Not exercising or eating right? Have fun with that quadruple bypass that my father just had. My girlfriend’s parents are older than my parents but because they do those things they haven’t had nearly as much hospital visits as my parents have. By comparison my parents are falling apart and they’re only in the 50s. My girlfriend’s parents are in their 70s and objectively are healthier. The big difference? Early in the morning, every morning those two are downstairs working out hitting the weights and machines for a solid hour or two.
Do you want to speed and act a damn fool on the road? Have fun when you have to pay for your own insurance and nobody wants to ensure you to drive a f*****g Honda Civic for no less than $350, like me.
Even my f*****g car, it was my dream car and it still is the car I would be driving today had just taken care of the goddamn thing. But no it started leaking oil and I didn’t keep up with it or take it in and now I have to drive a goddamn Civic when I used to drive a Lexus.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Sans Serif 2 years ago
Most often, being naturally proactive is a healthy approach to life. I have, however, encountered a number of people who have so "prevention'd" themselves out of their life experience that makes me sad. Be aware, cautious but... always curious...
#39
Not everyone needs to go to college. High school is probably the easiest thing you'll do.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago (edited)
Follow your particular talents instead of letting someone else dictate what you should do for a living. Were you always the kid who could take broken things apart, fix them, and put them back together? There are countless types of jobs where people do just that. Were you the kid who was always building stuff? There are jobs for that too. Same goes for every talent and ability a person could have. Just take a moment to think about it, and figure out what you’re really good at, then research the variety of jobs requiring it. If you’re a total whiz at math and want to have a career where all you do is math, but your parents want you to be a doctor, sit them down and outline just how important and respectable, as well as lucrative, your chosen career is. Could change their minds, and stop the pressure they’ve been putting on you to go to med school.
#40
Your metabolism won't last forever. Practice and develop healthy exercise and diet habits now before it gets harder and with more consequences later.
I'm just about to turn 30 in a couple weeks. I am 100 lbs heavier than I was in high school (to be fair I was super tall and skinny to the point of slightly underweight), and that's after losing 25 lbs since the start of July. I have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. I am a father of a 2 year old that doesn't want to die in the 40-60 range. I also want to live as a good example to her.
Another 35 lbs and I'll reevaluate what my body type is like and reset my goals from there. That would be 240 lbs, which I was about 4 years ago...but it would also be a more muscular/trimmed 240. I'll determine where in the 210-240 range I want to end up and what my body and lifestyle will be like.
Running is still hard, but using the elliptical is easier on the knees than it was 25 lbs ago. I want to eventually be able to do the Broad Street Run (10 miles through Philadelphia) even though I hate running. If my knees don't like it, I'll do something else as an equivalent.
As an added bonus, my sex drive I think is improving but nowhere near what it was when I was in the 220-250 range. I don't think it's 100% related, but maybe it's more than 50%.
What do you think ?
Upper Enchilada 2 years ago (edited)
How about “Your parents shop at Walmart, not because they don’t care about employee treatment, but because it’s practical. Chances are, you’ll give up more and more ideals as you get older for practicality, so hold back your judgements”.
AmmoniteCat 2 years ago
This post...felt sorta hateful. Like the whole world is against teenagers. All of us can't be grouped into a single category. We're still different people. And we don't have it as easy as you'd think.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
not really, it's just giving advice we ourselves ignored as teens and now see the point of.
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$cagsy 2 years ago
Some good tips there for everyone, I think. Also, I'm of the opinion that teenagers generally, are underestimated. Obviously they don't know everything but they might surprise you if you give them the chance. In my limited experience, a constant stream of advice is worth much less than a lesson learned firsthand.
angry_waffle 2 years ago
A lot of these give off the idea of "You kids and your mental struggles /derogatory". So sorry that a lot of us are self-diagnosing, it's just that therapy is hundreds of dollars. Sorry that everyone reacts to heartbreak severely in the moment, a lot of us are hanging on by threads and every little thing can be the thing to make us give up. Sorry that everything is so much harder for you as adults, but if you keep complaining to us, some of us might end up thinking that it's not worth living to adulthood.
Shoshana Sherrington 2 years ago
The fact that this post makes you angry is your problem, most of this is ppls reflections on their own lives. And don't you dare try to tell people in any kind of veiled or open way that if you do something drastic it's their fault BC they offered some constructive criticism. Find an adult in your life you can talk to and I wish you the best. Just remember that this phase of life is incredibly short, the ball keeps rolling
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Moth Rivers 2 years ago
Most of this article wasn't even helpful, just telling kids to get their heads out of their a*s. It felt spiteful and hateful. I thought it was going to be more stuff like the heartbreak one that can ACTUALLY HELP or the condom one that can ACTUALLY HELP
Angel Silhouette 2 years ago
At some point after hitting 30, you'll realize that your 20s was just your late childhood. It's a shame we realize that so late.
Shoshana Sherrington 2 years ago
Any person who breaks up with you isn't the only one you could ever love and now your life is over. To the opposite extreme, dropping a good relationship to chase a new flame is stupid and selfish. Consider that you don't necessarily know what it is to be in love and it's not infatuation. That does. Love lasts. Two opposite tips here. Don't despair from heartbreak but don't steal someone else's spouse or ditch your own BC so and so is so attractive to you and you're sure you love them. You don't.
Charlie Simpson 2 years ago
Come back in 15 years and tell me you still feel the same way. While not everyone can be lumped into any one category, the best advice given is straight and to the point. Often times teens think they have a firm grasp on life and while some have a better grasp than others and don't need this advice nearly as much, some will hear this advice with good intention to follow and still have to find these things out the hard way. The life experience just isn't there and unsolicited advice will always come across as this person thinks they know me, thinks they know better than me. They don't know you, by they do mostly know better because they've lived it. Either way, like someone above said, you either get it already or you have to live it and find out for yourself. If any of it doesn't seem to apply to you, it probably doesn't.
d 2 years ago
you have been fed a lot of stereotypes, much like advertising. teens are supposed be like XYZ. NOT TRUE. that kid you were when you were 5. 7, 9, 11... you WERE a great kid. you still are, YOU ARE A KID. those thoughts and wonderings you now have are just as valuable as "why is the sky blue?" people want to take the short route explaining why everything is the way it is. you deserve to know the why. 90% of my day consists of explaining to kids why I make the rules I do. 100% of the time there is a reason, usually safety. you will be adults soon enough. I hope you get as many chances as there are days before you become an adult to feel childhood, learn as you go, and become the person you want to become. be kind, be considerate, be ok with being the one that's still learning. learn, grow, be a kid when you are a kid. if you need help, ask, if you can help, do. you are not a stereotype.
Bubbles and sparks 2 years ago
You're boss was a wise man 😁 Working in a hostile-free environment is worth gold 👍
Toast Ghost 2 years ago
I can sense all the millenials and gen x's on here from the comments :)
Upper Enchilada 2 years ago (edited)
How about “Your parents shop at Walmart, not because they don’t care about employee treatment, but because it’s practical. Chances are, you’ll give up more and more ideals as you get older for practicality, so hold back your judgements”.
AmmoniteCat 2 years ago
This post...felt sorta hateful. Like the whole world is against teenagers. All of us can't be grouped into a single category. We're still different people. And we don't have it as easy as you'd think.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
not really, it's just giving advice we ourselves ignored as teens and now see the point of.
Load More Replies... $cagsy 2 years ago
Some good tips there for everyone, I think. Also, I'm of the opinion that teenagers generally, are underestimated. Obviously they don't know everything but they might surprise you if you give them the chance. In my limited experience, a constant stream of advice is worth much less than a lesson learned firsthand.
angry_waffle 2 years ago
A lot of these give off the idea of "You kids and your mental struggles /derogatory". So sorry that a lot of us are self-diagnosing, it's just that therapy is hundreds of dollars. Sorry that everyone reacts to heartbreak severely in the moment, a lot of us are hanging on by threads and every little thing can be the thing to make us give up. Sorry that everything is so much harder for you as adults, but if you keep complaining to us, some of us might end up thinking that it's not worth living to adulthood.
Shoshana Sherrington 2 years ago
The fact that this post makes you angry is your problem, most of this is ppls reflections on their own lives. And don't you dare try to tell people in any kind of veiled or open way that if you do something drastic it's their fault BC they offered some constructive criticism. Find an adult in your life you can talk to and I wish you the best. Just remember that this phase of life is incredibly short, the ball keeps rolling
Load More Replies... Moth Rivers 2 years ago
Most of this article wasn't even helpful, just telling kids to get their heads out of their a*s. It felt spiteful and hateful. I thought it was going to be more stuff like the heartbreak one that can ACTUALLY HELP or the condom one that can ACTUALLY HELP
Angel Silhouette 2 years ago
At some point after hitting 30, you'll realize that your 20s was just your late childhood. It's a shame we realize that so late.
Shoshana Sherrington 2 years ago
Any person who breaks up with you isn't the only one you could ever love and now your life is over. To the opposite extreme, dropping a good relationship to chase a new flame is stupid and selfish. Consider that you don't necessarily know what it is to be in love and it's not infatuation. That does. Love lasts. Two opposite tips here. Don't despair from heartbreak but don't steal someone else's spouse or ditch your own BC so and so is so attractive to you and you're sure you love them. You don't.
Charlie Simpson 2 years ago
Come back in 15 years and tell me you still feel the same way. While not everyone can be lumped into any one category, the best advice given is straight and to the point. Often times teens think they have a firm grasp on life and while some have a better grasp than others and don't need this advice nearly as much, some will hear this advice with good intention to follow and still have to find these things out the hard way. The life experience just isn't there and unsolicited advice will always come across as this person thinks they know me, thinks they know better than me. They don't know you, by they do mostly know better because they've lived it. Either way, like someone above said, you either get it already or you have to live it and find out for yourself. If any of it doesn't seem to apply to you, it probably doesn't.
d 2 years ago
you have been fed a lot of stereotypes, much like advertising. teens are supposed be like XYZ. NOT TRUE. that kid you were when you were 5. 7, 9, 11... you WERE a great kid. you still are, YOU ARE A KID. those thoughts and wonderings you now have are just as valuable as "why is the sky blue?" people want to take the short route explaining why everything is the way it is. you deserve to know the why. 90% of my day consists of explaining to kids why I make the rules I do. 100% of the time there is a reason, usually safety. you will be adults soon enough. I hope you get as many chances as there are days before you become an adult to feel childhood, learn as you go, and become the person you want to become. be kind, be considerate, be ok with being the one that's still learning. learn, grow, be a kid when you are a kid. if you need help, ask, if you can help, do. you are not a stereotype.
Bubbles and sparks 2 years ago
You're boss was a wise man 😁 Working in a hostile-free environment is worth gold 👍
Toast Ghost 2 years ago
I can sense all the millenials and gen x's on here from the comments :)
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