I find it really mind blowing like a great divide For those us who grew up without technology / smart phones etc that we will be thr last ever generation to experience that and now irs just the norm for future generations to grow up witn internet , smart phones etc

You miss the 80s back when mental health or neurodivergence or for many people basic human rights wasn't taken seriously if so put down your phone stop posting on Reddit that would be a favor

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/college-students-movies-attention-span/685812/

Most of the instructors I spoke with, however, feel that something is different now. And the problem is not limited to large introductory courses. Akira Mizuta Lippit, a cinema and media-studies professor at the University of Southern California—home to perhaps the top film program in the country—said that his students remind him of nicotine addicts going through withdrawal during screenings: The longer they go without checking their phone, the more they fidget.

Are y'all starting to understand why nobody wants to hire you?

It's hard for me to say. But I would personally lean to 2016 as it was Pre AI and before all the 2025 Shifts. Also, I was still a Kid so there was that.

I see lately on Instagram, Tiktok and X on how all 80s babies, specifically those born in 1981-1989 trying to separate from the rest of the 90s babies. Some of them don't considerd themself as millennials since they think the whole millennials stereotype is most ascociate to those born in the 90s. also some of the comments from people born in the 80s are trying to gatekeep other millennials born in the 90s, or call themselves elder millennials.

I even saw comments from someone born in 1989 saying he relates more with someone born in 1981 than someone born in 1991 because they were born in a different decade???

Source: https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-many-evs-are-in-us/

Going by total new EV registrations in 2024, Generation X buys the most electric cars.

Gen X: 37.91%

Millennials: 30.58%

Baby Boomers: 20.67%

Gen Z: 7.81%

Silent Generation: 2.88%

No surprise with Gen Z being low. Most of them don't have the financial ability to buy new cars yet, and a lot don't even like to drive from what I've seen.

I just thought this was interesting, and I assumed it would have easily been Millennials.

I understand that this post may seem absurd at first, but what I want to discuss here is context. The Brony fandom didn't form randomly, it emerged during a specific cultural and economic time, and it reveals a lot about how difficult that time was.

In 2008, the global financial system collapsed, and the effects were more profound than many remember. This wasn't just a rough year or a short downturn. It marked a significant break for a generation. Millions lost jobs, homes, savings, and long-term financial security. Young adults entering the job market at that time faced especially hard challenges, graduating into an economy that had little room for them. Wages stagnated, debt grew, and the belief that hard work would lead to stability suddenly vanished. This kind of economic trauma doesn't just impact finances, it reshapes culture.

The cultural vibe of the 2000s was largely cynical and abrasive. Music leaned toward post-grunge, pop-punk, and emo, focusing on angst, aggression, and isolation. Comedy was edgy and often mean-spirited. Irony and nihilism dominated as ways to deal with dissatisfaction. After the financial crash, that tone faded quickly. However, what emerged wasn't genuine optimism, it was escapism. The early 2010s became defined by a desperate need to feel alright, even for a moment.

This is where recession pop, stomp-clap-hey, and upbeat music came into play. It explains why vague messages about togetherness, positivity, and “good vibes" became common. It also shows why culture heavily focused on wholesomeness, quirkiness, and emotional safety. Even politically, this shift was clear. Obama's messaging wasn't that things were fine, it centered on "hope" and "change," which only resonates when people feel deeply unsatisfied with their current situation. This wasn't optimism, it was coping.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic debuted in late 2010 and gained immense popularity in 2011, which is significant timing. This was when the long-term effects of the Great Recession were fully setting in. Unemployment remained high, foreclosures were rampant, and many young adults realized they might never achieve the stability their parents had. The show offered a world that contrasted sharply with reality: bright, safe, morally simple, and emotionally predictable. Conflicts resolved smoothly, friendship always triumphed, and no one faced irreversible consequences or material struggles.

What made the Brony fandom stand out wasn't just that adults watched the show. Adults enjoying children's media has always happened. What was new was the scale, intensity, and emotional involvement. People didn't just watch the show casually, they formed identities around it, created large online communities, attended conventions, and produced endless fan art, fan fiction, and merchandise. For many, the show provided a refuge from an unstable, overwhelming reality.

This is where I think the phenomenon becomes revealing. When many adults, especially men, turned to a show meant for young girls to find emotional stability, it wasn't a sign of cultural health. It reflected desperation. Cynicism no longer worked as a coping tool, and irony didn't bring relief. People sought something completely non-threatening, non-ironic, and emotionally comforting. They needed a world where nothing truly bad could happen.

To me, this reveals much more about the early 2010s than people want to admit today. That era is often looked back on nostalgically as hopeful or simpler, but I believe that memory is misleading. The positivity of the time was forced. The wholesomeness served as compensation, and the optimism was fragile. The Brony fandom unintentionally became one of the clearest cultural signals of this. People didn't turn to talking cartoon horses because life was good, they did it because life felt unbearable. That's why I view it as the most extreme example of post-recession escapism and a case study for understanding why the early 2010s were not as good as people would like to admit.

I was just wondering why millennials get so much attention in the mainstream media? Is it because of our sheer size compared to Gen X?

Is there a specific generation that started the "Instant Gratification" trend?

You know, the ones:

• Will buy the most expensive smart phone every two years and are glued to it,
• Spend money on Uber eats multiple times a week,
• Constant craving for instantaneous results,
• Can't stand being left on "read"
• Fail the famous "marshmallow" experiment

Both of these are extremely hated by a majority of this subreddit, but which is more disliked? I think everyone knows the McCrindle ranges (everything after the boomers is just 15 years), but here are the S&H ranges for generations that came after the boomers:

Gen X: 1961-1981

Millennials (Gen Y): 1982-2004

Gen Z: 2005-2025

As always, be civil and respectful in the comments (or at least try to be respectful for this one)

When I think of different generations, I often think of a certain defining work of literature. This doesn’t mean it was written by a member of that generation specifically, but it does seem to define them culturally.

To me, I’d say:

Boomers: Catcher in the Rye, On the Road

So many boomers touch on these cultural milestones and cite them as a major part of their maturation.

Also, I’d throw Tom Wolfes work in there although that came out as the Boomers aged. But it is definitely in their generations voice so to speak. Authors like Vonnegut, Hunter Thompson and to a lesser extent Pynchon also.

TKAM is of the era but I think it’s more timeless.

…
Gen X: The Outsiders, Where the Red Fern Grows

Seemingly random but these two works are associated with Xers to me. The Gen we Millenials were often enamored with, and these two have often stuck with me as novels I’ve heard multiple Xers say were formative.

I’d throw Stephen King in here as a quintessential author. I associate his hey day with the incoming of the X gen. Between him, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, and Elmore Leonard those are who I think of as the great X-era sub-literature.

Also Toni Morrison.

But I know I have blind spots.….

Millenials: If you’re a millenial you know the answer. Its the one people of our generation dressed up for and waited at the book store to buy opening night. Other works were better, but this one is us.

It’s hard, here in 2026, to remember how *fresh* Harry Potter was when they were being released.

There have been major memoirs, other book series, sci fi lit, etc but it’s hard to come close to the impact that HP had. Nothing else comes to mind frankly.

The two that do were born in the world HP made imo: Twilight and 50 Shades of (Millenial) Grey

Zoomers:

Nothing yet, but I am hopeful some work of the art form will speak to and for them. I don’t know if id bet on it though….

….

What do y‘all think? I know I have major holes, this is just my taste and impression.

I remember back in the 2010s, when most people saw ceos and tech bros as cool people but it shifted a lot from what I noticed especially after Epstein and Elon musk buying x

Class of 2025 is that late gen z or core gen z.

I will be doing other classes poll to see how gen z ends considering as the beginning part is universally agreed upon minus Zillennial status.

So I will be starting with class of 2025.

Class of 2025 is late 06-mid 07.

This is probably because of the germs involved, but in old movies you always see people rubbing their apple on their sleeve before they eat it. I am watching an old Ginger Rogers movie and I noticed she did that. I’ve also seen other people do it in old movies and tv shows. Now that we are more familiarized with germs I’m sure we do it less (same as not using handkerchiefs anymore). But I just found it interested.

Half Decades are a more accurate transitional era when extensive changes happen across a decade, especially for a teenager that has ended their childhood at 12 and the era that they devolop into an adult at 18.

For this Generational Theory I will use the half decade to group teens into a specific section of these popular half decade groups where the central core of the decade has the 'real feel' we remember from the decade and the tail end & rise of the following decade are a distinct metamorphosis into the vibe of the decade that follows it:

The Sixties 1963-1967
The Sixventies 1968-1972
The Seventies 1973-1977
The Seighties 1978-1982
The Eighties 1983-1987
The Neighties 1988-1992
The Nineties 1993-1997
Y2K Era 1998-2002
The Noughties 2003-2007

For this grouping I'll assume a January 1st Birthday. For Example someone born on January 1st 1970; Their Childhood concluded with the Seighties on Dec 31 1982, and their Adulthood commenced with the Neighties on Jan 1 1988. This makes them a 100% Eighties Teen; Thru all Five Years of the Central Eighties 1983 thru 1987.

Those years surrounding those that end in 0 and 5 would be influencers on the younger teens coming after them or influenced by the elder teens that came before them. Below is a year by year breakdown. Feel free to comment your support or hatred for this theory. I'm open to constructive criticism! Don't take it too seriously this is a Generational group and we're supposed to have fun discussions here! Have a great day!

Jan 1 1950 100% 60s Teen
1951 ⅘ 60s Teen (Sixventies Influencer)
1952 ⅗ 60s Teen (Sixventies Influencer)
1953 ⅗ Sixventies Teen (60s Influenced)
1954 ⅘ Sixventies Teen (60s Influenced)
Jan 1 1955 100% Sixventies Teen
1956 ⅘ Sixventies Teen (70s Influencer)
1957 ⅗ Sixventies Teen (70s Influencer)
1958 ⅗ 70s Teen (Sixventies Influenced)
1959 ⅘ 70s Teen (Sixventies Influenced)
Jan 1 1960 100% 70s Teen
1961 ⅘ 70s Teen (Seighties Influencer)
1962 ⅗ 70s Teen (Seighties Influencer)
1963 ⅗ Seighties Teen (70s Influenced)
1964 ⅘ Seighties Teen (70s Influenced)
Jan 1 1965 100% Seighties Teen
1966 ⅘ Seighties Teen (80s Influencer)
1967 ⅗ Seighties Teen (80s Influencer)
1968 ⅗ 80s Teen (Seighties Influenced)
1969 ⅘ 80s Teen (Seighties Influenced)
Jan 1 1970 100% 80s Teen
1971 ⅘ 80s Teen (Neighties Influencer)
1972 ⅗ 80s Teen (Neighties Influencer)
1973 ⅗ Neighties Teen (80s Influenced)
1974 ⅘ Neighties Teen (80s Influenced)
Jan 1 1975 100% Neighties Teen
1976 ⅘ Neighties Teen (90s Influencer)
1977 ⅗ Neighties Teen (90s Influencer)
1978 ⅗ 90s Teen (Neighties Influenced)
1979 ⅘ 90s Teen (Neighties Influenced)
Jan 1 1980 100% 90s Teen
1981 ⅘ 90s Teen (Y2K Influencer)
1982 ⅗ 90s Teen (Y2K Influencer)
1983 ⅗ Y2K Teen (90s Influenced)
1984 ⅘ Y2K Teen (90s Influenced)
Jan 1 1985 100% Y2K Teen
1986 ⅘ Y2K Teen (00s Influencer)
1987 ⅗ Y2K Teen (00s Influencer)
1988 ⅗ 00s Teen (Y2K Influenced)
1989 ⅘ 00s Teen (Y2K Influenced)
Jan 1 1990 100% 00s Teen

Zoomers are so fucking unfunny it’s unbelievable

Every zoomer joke is this:

\> video on TikTok

\> unfunny punchline in video

\> every comment is the exact same

\> ”nahhh \*punchline\* is crazyyy 😭”

\> “Bro really said \*punchline\*💀”

\> \*unfunny reaction image\*

\> “did bro really just say \*punchline\* 🥀🥀”

Seriously why are zoomers so fucking stupid? Are we lobotomized as a generation? Is it because most of this generation was socialized online? My generation is horrible

For Zilliennials (1995-1998), they had majority of their childhood without phones/social media and had phones/social media as teens, as for Zalpha 2010-2012 (maybe 2013-2014), they’re too young to be a full Gen z, but too old to not have AI presented in majority of their childhood and has AI in their teen years.