Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread

Recently, Redditor u/AlmostBarbie reignited the never-dying discussion on the generation gap. On July 18, they made a post, asking, "Gen Z and millennials, what's something you wish the older generations understood?" and millennials especially had a to get off their chest.

Just as millennials grew up negotiating choices in their families and at school, today they want to be and feel significant in their professional and personal lives. Here are the things that matter to them the most.

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Just because someone is Family DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO LOVE THEM. Terrible toxic people should ABSOLUTELY be cut out of your life REGARDLESS of their relationship to you

Darth_Velos01 , Liza Summer Report

Final score:

440points

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Dave van Es 3 years ago

Blood doesn't make family

103points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Fox News and Talk Radio did to you what you thought video games would do to us.

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Final score:

370points

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Patrick Triplett 3 years ago

Genius

32points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Your s****y jokes that objectify women or make fun of minorities won’t fly anymore. Get over it.

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Final score:

313points

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Zedrapazia 3 years ago

Someone should take this statement and tape it right into my father's face. He seems to only know 10 jokes, and all of them are either sexist or racist.

69points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread When I’m depressed that doesn’t mean you need to give me lectures on what’s wrong with me so I can improve

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Final score:

288points

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BetterBitterButter 3 years ago

The worst lecture I received was how they had life far worse than me, felt more depressed and yet never behaved like me. How I am weak and allowed circumstances and recent media hype over mental illness to make me feel sick deliberately!

9points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Yeah, we know. You rode in the back window of a car that had no seatbelts, you got measles, rode bikes with no helmets, and still turned out just fine.

Just because you happened to be in the group of people who survived doesn’t mean any of these were a good idea.

etoiles-du-nord , Kelly Lacy Report

Final score:

279points

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Caro Caro 3 years ago

Those "In my days things were better" people. NO things were not better, just different AND we have better medicines, technology, transport etc. YES you did fine without them but we are doing better WITH them !

56points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Customers ARE NOT always right.

The original phrase reeks privilege, and self entitlement.

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Final score:

263points

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Dave In MD 3 years ago

The original phrase is "The customer is always right in matters of taste"

158points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That video games dont cause mass shootings. Things like neglect, bullying,a bad home life, and your s****y parenting are what causes mass shootings

Sentry_74 , ianvanderlinde Report

Final score:

250points

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Valisbourne Spiritforge 3 years ago

Blaming something else is a rather old issue. It was Dungeons & Dragons in the 80s. Rock music before that.

88points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread You can’t put yourself through college by working at the supermarket anymore.

Our generation is the biggest in US history, so competition for jobs is much harder than it was for Boomers, which causes wages to flatline.

Add to this that housing and food costs are at all time highs and it’s pretty bleak for us, even many of those who have good jobs at Fortune 500 companies cannot afford to purchase homes.

I would really just like Boomers for ONCE just to acknowledge how difficult it is today vs. when they were coming up. It’s a different world and they just can’t see it. It’s very frustrating because most of them still think that anybody willing to swing a hammer 40 hours a week can make a living in America and it’s just not true anymore.

Plantayne , Wolfmann Report

Final score:

238points

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David Beaulieu 3 years ago

Wait until the boomers all die and the housing market crashes because of the massive surplus.

20points

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That $15/hour in 2021 does not give you the same purchasing power that it did in 1985. When I hear an older person say "I used to get by just fine on $15/hour", I wanna slap them.

DeathSpiral321 , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

214points

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Eduard Korhonen 3 years ago

Few people were earning $15 an hour in 1985 🤣

119points

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#10

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Throughout our schooling, we had to write research papers using online sources, and our teachers really stressed the importance of being able to identify a credible source before citing it. Don't be offended when you send us an article from Americanpatrioteagle.ru and we dismiss it outright.

Btch_Tuna , Startup Stock Photos Report

Final score:

209points

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Viviane 3 years ago (edited)

Learning about credible sources is a great skill to have. A former friend of mine has been posting 10 times a day on Facebook since joining. Lots of dubious "facts" and "news". I kept pointing out inaccuracies and fact-checking sites. After several years, they wrote that they'd like to start consulting fact-checking sites. I was long disengaged by then. I can live with the occasional mistake (I've made them, too), but not a daily barrage that requires fact-checking by the audience.

65points

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#11

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread I feel damn resentful when older folks tell me I should stay home with my kids. Like, yeah I’d love to if we could afford it, which we can’t. They act like it’s a choice to go back to work, when for a lot of moms, it’s not a choice.

Momonthecoast , Gustavo Fring Report

Final score:

205points

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Viviane 3 years ago

Salaries have not kept up with inflation.

9points

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#12

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread "I was spanked as a kid and I turned out fine."

No, you didn't. You're a narcissist, get mad easily, joke about hitting your own children and even they're sick of your bull crap to the point that they cut you off. F**k you.

TurtleGirl_goBrrBrr , cottonbro Report

Final score:

197points

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John C 3 years ago

Dang - somebody's got an agenda / jumping to conclusions. I was spanked as a child, and I don't get mad easily, never joke about violence, and have never once hit my own kids. You'll have to ask others about my narcissism and if they're sick of my crap, but even if I'm guilty of those things you've got some work to do to convince me it's because of my childhood abuse.

111points

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#13

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Your job is not your life, you shouldn't sacrifice time with friends and family let alone your mental wellbeing just for a paycheck

VoltageGP , Valeria Boltneva Report

Final score:

195points

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Valisbourne Spiritforge 3 years ago

Catch 22 there. Hard to have time for your friends and family if you can't put food on the table or keep the utilities on. :(

98points

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#14

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That just because I don't want to be called something doesn't mean I'm a baby. People are allowed to have boundaries and things they don't feel comfortable with

TrashyPrecure , SHVETS production Report

Final score:

185points

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Carol Emory 3 years ago

It also swings the other way. If you hear me call my son "Monster Face," it doesn't mean he will grow up with a complex. It's a term of endearment. My sister flipped out at this. I was called "Monster Face" by my mom's entire side of the family. I called them names too like "Old lady." If it's an inside fun ribbing, don't call it out as cruel unless you're in on it or you see or hear the other person protest.

5points

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#15

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Just because we're more aware of our mental health and allow ourselves to feel what we want to feel, it doesn't make us weak or "snowflakes". If anything, it makes us better at coping with, well, everything!

cwt48 , Polina Zimmerman Report

Final score:

177points

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Hans 3 years ago

"Snowflake" is a word almost exclusively used by people who truly are very insecure; similarly as they use "liberal" as an insult to mask they own lack of tolerance towards others.

84points

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#16

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Dad: “Just go in and ask for a job and keep going every day until they give you one.” Or “This random kid I was talking to at Wegmans (20 years ago) started in the mailroom and worked his way up and he’s making $x hundred thousand per year.”

Me: “They just tell you to submit a resume online and never respond.”

herbertfilby , cottonbro Report

Final score:

171points

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Natalie Oleander 3 years ago

This worked when I was in college 2000-2004, but it doesn't work anymore. They get angry with you if you come in. "Apply online"

54points

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#17

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Texting is much more convenient, sometimes even better, than making a phone call.

smoothbraint , Ivan Samkov Report

Final score:

160points

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Kookamunga 3 years ago

So so so many times it's easier to actually talk to the other humans, scary as that can seem. With texting there's no tone, nuance and my sarcasm is much better while talking.

17points

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#18

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Unless you are extremely gifted and have a way to demonstrate it, social class is becoming more locked in than it has been in generations.

The social mobility that started to become available in the first half of the 20th century, but amplified much more so in the 40's, 50's and 60's started to decline in the 80s and by the 2010s was is straight up freefall.

If you do not have parents that are willing and able to support your social and financial progress from childhood through higher education (or through training in a steady trade) you are at very real risk of falling through the cracks of this society through no fault of your own.

reptiloidsamongus , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

155points

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WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago (edited)

The US has a system of equality where the more you own, the more equal you are and the more civil rights you have.

54points

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#19

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That electronics don't rot your brain,and that vaccines ARE effective.

zilla-quesadilla , Katerina Holmes Report

Final score:

148points

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Ted Expert 3 years ago

I think boomers - the smallpox generation - are well aware of the efficacy of vaccines. It's younger people (mainly in the usa) who seem to think otherwise.

119points

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#20

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Just because I know where/how to find the answer to something doesn't mean I "think I'm smarter than you."

I'm just trying to save both of us from wasting time.

WatchTheBoom , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

142points

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Metaniel 3 years ago

Or when someone knows more about some topic. It's natural, we all develop bigger knowledge about something. I know more about history, you know more about space. IT'S NORMAL

27points

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#21

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread There was hope in your time. You felt like you could change the world. Nowadays, our economy is f****d, our environment is f****d, our privacy is gone, our governments are pitting us against one and other, and the planet is going to kill us off within the next century regardless of what we do about it.

So don't look down on us as "weak" or call us "entitled" if we're a little pissed off and/or depressed about it, ok?

Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mike , Mental Health America (MHA) Report

Final score:

140points

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Natalie Oleander 3 years ago

Finally someone who gets it. It isn't left vs. right. It's society vs. government. Stop falling for the idea that we should be pissed at each other. Wrong!

38points

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#22

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That I’m not a lazy entitled CHILD. I’m in my mid 30s and most of my peers that are younger than me are smart and hardworking as well. It’s productivity and efficiency that matters, not the amount of time you spend at work.

Actuaryba , olia danilevich Report

Final score:

136points

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Jess-a-men 3 years ago

There's a story here in Germany called "the seven lazy ones". It's about seven men, who are known to be incredibly lazy. Eventually, they left the town to find work. Years later, they came back and start improving things immensely: they build a dam to protect the town from floods, they build a pathway and houses for themselves and dig a well. But no matter what they do, the neighbors always find a way to keep calling them lazy because they're making life easier and obviously only lazy people would want an easier life.

5points

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#23

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That the cost of education far outpaced inflation and wage growth in the US. If I had a dime for each boomer who lectured me about working my way through school like they did, I might almost be able to buy a house!

Eli-fant , Pixabay Report

Final score:

120points

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Hans 3 years ago

Rather show to them how tuition fees are handled elsewhere in the world and you might get an idea about what is wrong...

21points

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#24

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That technology exists to enable people to work from home, and just because they do doesn't mean they are sat watching Netflix

ty4nothing , Taryn Elliott Report

Final score:

118points

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David Beaulieu 3 years ago

It doesn't mean that, but admit it. You are on BoredPanda and Netflix more than you would be in the office.

35points

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#25

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That it is reasonable to not want kids and enjoy life with your spouse.

I can’t have kids, buy a house, and go on vacation even with my $100k+ salary. At least, not if I want to have money saved for emergencies.

Either older generations played it looser with less savings, or s**t was different.

LimitedSwitch , Anastasia Shuraeva Report

Final score:

115points

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Eduard Korhonen 3 years ago

$100k a year and you can't do those things? What the f**k ARE you spending your money on? Few people reading this will have much sympathy for someone earning a vast amount more than they are

107points

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#26

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Apparently sleeping till 11 AM makes you lazy regardless of whether or not you had to work until 12:30 AM at your s****y Wendy's location.

JokicCheeseburgerMan , Ivan Oboleninov Report

Final score:

107points

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WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago

Not exclusively a boomer thing, though. There's still very little regard for people working in nightshifts.

61points

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#27

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread Kids use computers/phones for more than just playing video games and scrolling through social media. I basically live on my computer. My best friends are online. My favorite activities are coding and making games. But no, my parents assume the devil computer is rotting my brain and making me stupid. As a wise man once said: phone bad, book good.

Afely , Windows Report

Final score:

100points

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Hans 3 years ago

Ask the same people if back in 1960 they were writing with charcoal on stones or went for the convenience of pencil and paper.

17points

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#28

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That “just get a better job” is not all that easy

GigiJuno , Clem Onojeghuo Report

Final score:

94points

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Eduard Korhonen 3 years ago

This isn't new. Older generations kept getting that useless come back

25points

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#29

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That not everything can be solved with immediate aggression. That being patient and thinking on the right thing to say rather then saying what comes to mind first goes a lot further

Bman28345 , Nataliya Vaitkevich Report

Final score:

92points

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Donkey boi 3 years ago

This was one of the first things they tried to teach me at the hospital. I kept calling it 'plotting' and they didn't like that. It's one of my most used pieces of advice, every time I get an email from head office, I click reply, delete the addressee and type my angry response. Then delete the email and start anew with a more measured and planned response.

21points

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#30

Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread That we're not that lazy and we have a good reason to be depressed, cynical, and pesimistic. People like my grandma always talk how "at your age i was married, had a house, and 2 kids blah blah" not realising they did all that on 1 paycheck, while simultaneously complaining how money isnt worth anything nowadays and they just went grocery shopping and spent 25 % of their income while chanting "dont worry, its gonna get better". How can you not put those two together

Sir_Daniel_Fortesque , Alexander Dummer Report

Final score:

90points

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Lesa McFadden 3 years ago

1) Your grandma got married and had kids at your age because she didn’t have a lot of other options...but because it was necessarily what she would have otherwise chosen.... those good old days weren’t always so good if you dig a little deeper. Anyone who wants to go back to the “good old days” is either living in a fantasy world or they like a world where white men were the only ones with any rights (it’s not been so many years ago that a woman couldn’t get credit in her name without a male counter-signer). 2) Your grandma didn’t send her kids to school every day worried that today might be the day some sick person will target their school for a mass killing. 3) While her generation should have been worried about climate change and its effect on the future of this planet, she was not faced with the urgency that your generation is.

2points

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What do you think ?

The article should be called "AMERICAN millenials share things they wish older generations knew"

46points

Martha Meyer 3 years ago

Came here to say the same thing. I'm also pretty sick of this artificial separation of people into millenials and boomers. Those groupings are useful tools for social studies, not everyday life.

37points

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Vivian Ashe 3 years ago

Yes, but it's not even exclusively American. A lot of these experiences also vary a lot based on economic background, race, religion, and what part of the U.S. you're in. No generation is a monolith.

1point

Not A Panda 3 years ago

Very much agreed.

0points

JP 3 years ago

I love the fact that this entire article is about the "older generation" making sweeping generalizations about the "younger generation", by making sweeping generalizations about the "older generation"...and can't even see the irony in that.

43points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

OK, I'll get hated, but can other GenXers from the US back me up? We had all this and nobody gave a rat's butt, and millennials then tell us we didn't have it that bad. How about we stop whinging about what sh*t we had, and just say, "Hey, thanks for this!" and make things *better*? Can we just try that? Without posting on social media about it? (I write with clear awareness of the irony, thanks.)

Aliquid A 3 years ago

All the debates I've seen are "millennials vs boomers". Gen X is pretty much ignored.

13points

Erick Blood 3 years ago

I would argue that us GenXers laid a lot of the groundwork that has made a lot of our current social progress possible.

Evil Little Thing 3 years ago

Yes, I resent Millennials and Boomers equally but they're so busy eyeballing each other they don't even notice.

3points

Jade Birdsong 3 years ago

THANK YOU!

Terri Williams 3 years ago

I'm a boomer and I totally agree with you! No generation had it easy. We all had our trials and sh*t in life to deal with.

Robin DJW 3 years ago

I think you make a valid point. And the most divisive and destructive things we can say to younger generations is "In my day..." or "When I was your age..." My day is long gone and what happened when I was your age is not at all relevant to you now. But please don't make me responsible for the current stare of society. Big pharma, oil and tobacco tycoons, bought politicians, etc. ruled our roost as well. I did the best I knew how, and tried not to hurt anyone along the way.

ChickyChicky 3 years ago

Boomers labeled GenX as slackers. So...

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Millennials Share 30 Things They Wish Older Generations Understood In This Heartbreaking Viral Thread

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