Latest / Petty and Unbothered / #23 - Living the Millennial Paradox
Transcript
- Robin Axline: Hi, I know my Tita Lors: hi! How are you? How's life? I haven't seen you for a whole week and a day! Robin Axline: life is so much better that I'm seeing you today Yeah, it's been too long feels like longer than a week Tita Lors: It's a week and a day, that's why. Robin Axline: that that's why that's solved the answer mystery just to do something crazy since we both have the day off, so yeah. Tita Lors: Oh yay! It's Friday! It's Friday, Friday, niff niff niff niff. Robin Axline: no! Don't get that earworm in my head! Tita Lors: I like, I took it to a certain point where you'd like, wait. Robin Axline: Yeah, it took I was I thought you were just making up a song and then Tita Lors: You Robin Axline: yeah, yeah. And then also, like I might hit up the gym because the weather's not too bad. Like it's been pretty humid here and just kind of brutal and rainy. So. Tita Lors: I know. Yeah, like right now, it's been raining I think since yesterday. I don't know if it's going to go away and like burn off maybe. So I've been trying to go to Pilates. I haven't got a single day this week, but I've paid for it. It's so expensive. Like eight classes a month is so expensive. Robin Axline: Whoopty-doo. Huh. I doubt it. Yeah, big time. I was gonna say I doubt my insurance would cover anything like that, but now I'm curious to see if it would help with anything. It be tight. Doesn't matter. But I'm actually, really, really, really like my gym because it's very bare bones and like very community oriented. It's not, it's like the opposite of fancy. But I like, no, go ahead. It's through the Parks Department, so yeah, it's, I don't know, I just feel very comfortable there and the people that work there like recognize me and so it just feels good even though it's not top of the line equipment per se and Yeah, also, like I was saying, Wednesday was so hot. I went to play pickleball there and the AC was broken in the gym. And like people were dropping like flies. Like a lot of people like actually literally played a game and like left because they thought they were going to pass out. So. I was like, woohoo, I get to play as many games as I want. But then I was like, ooh, I need to, yeah, it's like, I can barely Tita Lors: I don't want to. Robin Axline: move. Tita Lors: Yeah, barely breathe. You try to do that in a sauna. Robin Axline: yeah, oof, yeah. Yeah, when you come to visit we need to do a sauna visit or something would be tight. Yeah. Tita Lors: I know, it's gone. I had a thought. I was gonna say something, it's gone now, it's fine. It wasn't that important, Yeah, well speaking of unlocked memories, that worked out really well actually. I had an unlocked memory while I was doing my research of like... I was trying to cite my sources and it reminded me of... I originally, started school in like, LAUSD. And then the summer between like seventh and eighth grade I moved and it was a more like affluent community or whatever and the school district was better and it is like objectively a better school district. I'm really lucky and really privileged to have gone there. I'm like I should not be complaining. Yeah. Robin Axline: Okay, all this, yes. I'm like, all right. Tita Lors: But it was such a drastic, it's never been more clear to me the difference between LA USD education and like other places that have more money to pour into their education. It's crazy wild how different it is. And like back in the day, God. not everybody had like a computer in their house. Not everyone had a household computer, much less like a personalized computer. And then not everybody had dial-up because it was dial-up people, not internet. So to do research, the for like an L.A. USD, not that we were doing research papers, you have to go to the library or have your parents hopefully maybe bought the encyclopedia and then you could like, right, read through Robin Axline: Yeah. Tita Lors: that and do research that way or both even, right? You like start with the encyclopedia, go do more research at the library. So. If it was biology, then it was high school. I'm not sure. Whatever. Early on. So we had to do like a research paper and all I had was, or all I knew to do was to look things up in the encyclopedia. And the teacher's like, where are you getting your information from? And I was like, the encyclopedia of Britannica? right? That's where we're supposed to be doing. I was doing more research papers and it wasn't just dial-up anymore, like it was more closer to the internet that we have today where I was like, everyone's using Ask Jeeves. Everyone. Right? Robin Axline: my god. Okay. Tita Lors: Not even Wikipedia. think that was like barely a thing if it was at all. Like everyone's, everyone's using the internet to find their information. They're looking things up there and sourcing it there. Whereas I'm still like pen, paper, old school, trying to look through books and find the information myself. And I was like, I see, I mean, I guess I understand why everyone's laughing, but also at the same time, like this is real research that people are doing yeah like it's in a book right not like crowdsource Robin Axline: Real research, Mmm, analog city. Tita Lors: exactly I don't know whatever but I was like that's so rude like it's that they knew how to do that. was like, I mean, I guess we had computers in elementary school where they taught us how to type on a QWERTY keyboard, but we had to go into like a specific classroom to access those computers. And there were specific like periods of time when we could do that. Whereas for them, it was just like, yeah, my computer in my bedroom. He worked within IT, like specifically, and he did work with computers. So I was privileged enough to have a computer, but I was only using it to like play games or like games like like math blasters. That's all I was allowed to have. I hate no. Robin Axline: talk about a memory unlock. What about a Raider Rabbit or... Tita Lors: Uh, no, they didn't buy that for me. I like all the different math blasters, like to algebra or whatever, so that's what I was doing. Like, other people got actual video games, I got math blasters. That's what I was allowed to play. So, it was just such a... I can't imagine a teacher doing that now and that being an okay thing. Robin Axline: No way, that would be totally messed up. Tita Lors: Right? Yeah, I would be pissed. I would be like, excuse me. Maybe. Yeah, right? Like, and even now, the schools don't expect parents to provide like tablets and stuff. Like the schools are providing it because how can you expect everyone to be able to afford a tablet? They're so expensive. Robin Axline: Yeah. Well, at my school, they required everyone to buy a TI-83. And I could not, I couldn't afford one. And they had like older versions at the school that you could like check out. But then it didn't do all the stuff that the TI-83 did. And so I used the one at school until my parents were able to buy one. And then all my brothers used it too, so at least it paid off. But... So stupid and then now nobody uses stuff like that, I don't think. Or I don't know. Tita Lors: Yeah, you have like a whole smart computer or smart. Hold on, let's see. Where's my calculator? Yeah, I'm trying to bring it up. Robin Axline: could probably do the same stuff like the graphing and well that makes me tired. Tita Lors: Yeah, like all the graphing stuff is right there. You just have to change the. Yeah. Robin Axline: Yeah, that's... wow. That's insane. Tita Lors: It is. It's crazy. Robin Axline: I don't know if we have time for a memory unlock. I just had about a shaming. Okay, so this Tita Lors: Yes, I will. Let's do it. Robin Axline: the story you had is similar to a story I had because computers were so like new. Like I did most of my research at the library at school. Books. People. No, but Tita Lors: physical books and then also side tangent there's really nothing like the smell of a book it's so do you smell your books I'm so weird Robin Axline: Do I smell them? 100%. Especially a new book. man. And that crack, you know. Say crack again. yeah. Tita Lors: yes, right? yes! And ladies and gentlemen, we are back to Cracker Talk. Robin Axline: Yeah, cracker talk. But yes, that crack of the newness of the book and you go, I Tita Lors: huh. Robin Axline: always yes, I love that. Me too. The ones at the library had that kind of like smell, but I still kind of liked it in a weird way. Tita Lors: same like that old kind of moldy smell yeah yeah Robin Axline: Yeah, yeah, it's like a musty. And the pages are kind of like a little gross, like you want to wash your hands afterwards. Tita Lors: You Robin Axline: Anywho, I... I don't remember how I researched this paper for science class, but everybody had to do a paper and I know I used the internet for a lot of it and maybe I think it was like kind of early days where maybe I didn't think you had to switch around so much stuff even though I cited things. Yeah, and so I turned it in and I was is gonna be a great paper, an A+. And the teacher had been like great at all the papers and one day in science class she holds up two reports. And it's me and then the super duper popular girl that seems to have like a pass to do like everybody all the teachers know her like everybody and she's like I'm not gonna say her name but this person and Robin have the same papers. And she's like, did they copy off each other or did they plagiarize or what happened? And it was in front of the whole class and I was so embarrassed. and again, so I had that memory unlock because I was like, that would not happen today. The teacher would privately be like, all right, you get an F or why did you guys have the same paper? So we must have gone to the same website and like cut and pasted. And I was like, I turned about 10 shades of red and I don't remember Tita Lors: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. no. Robin Axline: what happened. I think we just had to redo the paper or something, but. It kind of made me mad because I felt like it could have been in my head but I got more of the blame than she did. Because she was like so in with the poofular, yeah, 100%. So that's my little, I decided to throw that in there. No. Tita Lors: Yeah, you're exactly right. Like the level of anxiety I would feel. Like I Robin Axline: I Tita Lors: already didn't think I was allowed to make mistakes. I would feel again, like I definitely cannot make a single mistake anymore. Robin Axline: But I feel like then there's these checks and balances like our experiences and I feel like I had like a lot of those really like unjust strange happenings that now would not be tolerated. sure some of them will come up, but yeah, I think in that respect, I would appreciate now versus then. Tita Lors: I guess. I mean, there are a lot of instances where I remember looking around and being like, where are the frickin adults? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Mm hmm. Robin Axline: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, and then a lot of adults got away with really messed up stuff at my school, so. Tita Lors: Mine, too. I think I remember there's a few schools where after I left or even maybe like one of them while I was there, there's like a substitute teacher who got accused of like. everyone abbreviates it these days, but like, do I have to? Anyways, like he was accused of sexual assault of like a minor. That was middle school. Yeah. And then in high school, after like college and everything, saw somebody posted an article of like the dance teacher of the high school, yeah. They got, they went to jail for the same thing. assault students because they were technically adults like you technically were an adult by the time you went most kids were 18 by the time they were going on this trip so you know it's disgusting yeah but it didn't come out until like later years when these people were real adults Robin Axline: bad yeah one this is more of a lighter story i had this really terrible he was a baseball coach but he was like the health teacher this is an awful class Tita Lors: Why? I've never understood why the PE teacher is also the health teacher. Why is Robin Axline: get it. Tita Lors: that person teaching about sex? Robin Axline: Yeah, I don't get it. What is that? Tita Lors: It then makes no sense to me. What do they know about reproductive systems? Nothing! Robin Axline: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This guy was an idiot, but he was also kind of aggressive and he would just like say a bunch of stuff and it would be so boring and we had like a textbook with like whatever and he'd do like slide shows to freak people out and all that. And then if somebody he thought wasn't paying attention, he would just have, he had like a yardstick and he'd go and slap the desk like really loud. And then he just walked through and you would just be like, please don't slap my desk in your head. But you just kind of like do that. And I couldn't stand it. Like the noise, but also just the like aggression was super upsetting. And like, I don't think a teacher could do that now. Tita Lors: Sorry, one more story. Apparently there was also, because you said that? I know we could. Robin Axline: We can do a whole episode about school. Tita Lors: You said that and it unlocked something. So one of the choir teachers, yeah, she got fired. Dude. Robin Axline: I got choir teacher stories. Anyway, she got fired. Tita Lors: My choir teacher was amazing. She was fabulous, loved her. But there was like a choir slash orchestra teacher, and I this was middle school. So she allegedly threw chairs at students. Yeah. I was like, could not be me. I would rat you out so fast. Robin Axline: Yeah, chairs? Tita Lors: No. Robin Axline: Heck no. Tita Lors: Cheers. Yeah. Yeah. That's why they thought they could get away with it. She was like, elder. So I don't know, maybe back in her day, you could beat the ever living crap out of people. like, you could actually hit people with the rulers back then. Yeah. Robin Axline: Yeah, if we want to go there Back in the day we used to hit people with rulers and throw chairs It kind of reminds me of the Taylor Frankie Paul thing with the video of her throwing chairs and now and she got arrested or in trouble or whatever Now you can't throw chairs period You shouldn't Darn you can't throw chairs Tita Lors: my gosh. Now you can't. You really shouldn't. Yeah. Especially not at kids. Bummer. Robin Axline: Yeah, not at kids. Yeah. Tita Lors: Well, this conversation is very apropos because we're talking about different generations. What even are they? And also, why does everybody hate millennials? That is the quetti, the quetti, the petty question, the quetti of the day. I'm just going to coin that. Quetti. Petty question. That's a weird word. Let's not ever, ever say that again. Yeah. So. Let's start with, do you like being a millennial? Robin Axline: Poof, that's a ti- I mean, I guess? I just think... It feels like living between two worlds though. Because we were like the last people to do kind of analog stuff and then our lives now are very digital. So I think we had kind of like a weird... Excuse me, like transition where we have like this perspective and we're like the last people to have that. Like... But then, this is a long-winded answer, but I'm just processing in real time. I also think we were kind of, let's say, blessed with like a weirdly iconic pop culture time. Like... Tita Lors: Like the most iconic pop culture time, some would argue. Yeah. Nick at night. The Disney Channel. Robin Axline: Right? TRL, MySpace. Yes! Snaps, yes. And what we were talking about recently was like Harry Potter, like midnight movie time. Release. Yeah, like that is... Yeah. And then also... burning CDs, I don't know if anybody knows how to do that nowadays. Yes, Tita Lors: Lime wire. AOL. Robin Axline: well, and like getting viruses on your computer, like. Tita Lors: because we didn't know what the hell this was. Robin Axline: downloading a song that was an accidental loop that the record company put on there to mess with you. But, and Tita Lors: Yeah, yeah. Robin Axline: what else? I don't know, lower-ized jeans? But that's more traumatic. Tita Lors: Yeah. Or even like, even before, sorry, hold on, controversial Robin Axline: No, no, Tita Lors: take. I really liked low rise jeans because I don't have the hips to keep them up. Like when high-waisted jeans came in, I was like, it's still turning into low rise because it's still falling. It's not like tight enough. So controversially, I really liked them. But now in this body, we're sticking with the high-waisted. We're figuring it out. Yeah, it's hot. Robin Axline: hot take. I just I like the high waist because I have such a long torso and I think it fit better personally but I did rock a low rise you know I did Tita Lors: course you did. I bet you looked amazing in it. Totally did. With the bandana, like, Robin Axline: please. I thought I was like Christina Aguilera or something. Tita Lors: shirts. Robin Axline: Did I have those? Yes. I think I wore one to a Britney show and a Christina show. Some kind of top like that. A 98 degrees show. An NSYNC show I went to. Yes, go ahead. Tita Lors: So good. No, before I went to the controversial take, I was going to be like, even before burning CDs, there's like sitting by the radio so that you could hear your song and then having to like record from there and create a mixtape. Robin Axline: Boom! Yes! Tita Lors: Like that, that was prime. Robin Axline: I'm so glad I know you because sometimes I try to explain that to people and they're like, why didn't, why or what's, I used to do that all the time. Tita Lors: I know! What do you mean why? Because you wouldn't be able to hear your song until it came back on the radio unless you sat there and then tried to record it. Robin Axline: Exactly. So I would just like wait, I'd be like, is it going to be the song? Record. And then I'd have like a tape. And sometimes if I- this sounds really dorky, but sometimes I would just have a tape running in case. So I just have like this mix and then I could like fast forward through the ones I didn't like. And then- Tita Lors: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Robin Axline: I would, if I really liked a song, would go to the record store and either have to order it, they'd have a paper catalog with everything and I'd be like, can you order this cassingle for me? Tita Lors: Kiss single! Robin Axline: sounding so old but yeah so I used to buy k-singles and then later CD singles that would have some sick b-sides sometimes like unreleased tracks yeah but yeah I'm so man I'm so glad you said that because that was like a super memory unlock for me Tita Lors: Yeah, and it's so fun. And then you had to actually like, learn the lyrics. I don't know. How did you learn the lyrics? If you had like, if it was the tapes, then the lyrics were on the things. Yeah, you're like, I can read this. Robin Axline: It was so small, tiny. Okay, this sounds really crazy, but if there was no lyrics in the jacket, I would listen to the song like a bunch and write it down. Tita Lors: And write it down. Yes. Uh-huh. I had a whole Robin Axline: Dude. Tita Lors: notebook like this. Robin Axline: Say I- dude that is so funny. I did the same thing. I would just listen and listen and if I could slow it down Tita Lors: Yeah. Robin Axline: a little bit I'd try to do that. And then when CDs came out, would like listen to the song and read the lyrics in the jacket if they had them. Yes. And sometimes sing along. Tita Lors: Every time sing along. Robin Axline: Okay, fine. Fine. that's too good. man. Tita Lors: Man, it's so fun. I was really against it. Like, before people would be like, oh, you're a millennial, you're a millennial. And it wasn't like a big thing. I feel like before, generations weren't defined like that. Nobody really cared. And when it started being a thing, I was like, shut the fuck up. No, I'm not. Like, what even defines a millennial? is it? Why are you saying this? Don't tell me who I am. Robin Axline: Yeah, I think that there's some truth to that. Like there is some pretty cringe stuff. wine mom culture gets me sometimes. Like, mommy juice and it's wine o'clock and it's like, you're just talking about alcohol, drinking alcohol. It's like. Tita Lors: Yeah, being an alcoholic but different. Robin Axline: Do you hate your life like that much? Like that you have to have that when you take your child for a walk or something? Tita Lors: Yeah. Robin Axline: I don't know. Tita Lors: I if I really wanted to carry a baby. I don't have the money to have somebody else carry it for me so I guess I'm doing it myself. like... Nobody's actually taught anything like, this is how a baby, what it looks like in your body, biology, blah, blah. But nobody tells you what it's actually like to be the person carrying it. And then what it's actually like to be a mom, be a work from home, or that wasn't even a thing back in the day, but like Robin Axline: Yeah. Tita Lors: to be like the stay at home mom experience. No one talked about how lonely it was. No one knew, right? Like, so I think It's not that, it's not like they wanted to be alcoholics, it's not like they wanted to have this kind of culture, but like they were sold a dream and given a nightmare. Yeah, which I think is the whole millennial experience that like we were sold a dream by the boomers by Gen Xers of like, this is what you have to do. Work hard, go to school, do this, do that. A plus B equals C, but we're not getting C. Robin Axline: Yeah, I couldn't have said it better myself. Yeah. Tita Lors: like and then we're getting anyways we'll get into it but like Robin Axline: Yeah, I was just gonna say like, I appreciate Gen X for a few things, but I think some of their stuff is nonsense. And then on the other hand, I weirdly relate to Gen Z a lot in certain ways, especially like around like them, like that. being more open and talking about things. Like you were saying, like nobody talked about stuff, but I feel like it's a little more baked into the younger culture, even though it's like, like subconscious, their openness and like kind of willingness to not be like one thing and be comfortable in their own skin. So. Tita Lors: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but we walked so they could run. Right? Like, the reason Robin Axline: Yeah, snaps. Tita Lors: why they feel so comfortable being in their own skin is because we said, hey, something doesn't feel right. Like, this is not okay. Like, we were the ones who were like, hey, maybe don't do that. Robin Axline: No, that's totally valid. I totally agree. I I just feel like being a millennial has been a wild ride. Just so everybody can do what they're doing now. So, yeah. Yeah. Tita Lors: It has been. Whatever they want, I know. And like, yes, I also have, I guess, appreciation for like Gen X as well, because there are things they crawled so we could walk. Robin Axline: Yeah, yeah, they're kind of like the one that people don't even talk about too. So anyway, Tita Lors: we're gonna get into it, yes, okay. Robin Axline: that's my two cents. Tita Lors: Okay, a lot of we're just, so people don't think I'm plagiarizing, but like a lot of my sources are coming from Wikipedia, Mental Floss, and Britannica. Online, not the books. I didn't go analog this time. Yeah. Robin Axline: No more books. What are books? Tita Lors: What's a library anymore? That's so sad. Libraries are so amazing. Any hoosers. So let's talk about generations. What even is a generation? So etymologically, etymology, whatever, the etymology of generation comes from a Latin word that means to beget. So according to Wiki, it's an average period of time that it takes for people to be born, grow up, and then have their own children. So it's about 20 to 30 years. Yeah, so historically we tended to think of generations in terms of families, like descendants, and then it wasn't until more recent years like the 19th century that we started thinking more about society generations. Did you hear that? That was my daughter. Robin Axline: Yeah, sounded like a parakeet. Tita Lors: One time I was having a session and someone was like, do you have a cat? And I'm like, no, that's just my kid crying. Robin Axline: my gosh. Tita Lors: it's one o'clock. I know, right? I'm like, I'm allergic to cats. That's just my kid. It's one o'clock. Her tablet turned off. She's upset, probably. I know. OK. Back to what we talking about. So we tended to think of generations as family generations, like descendants and all that. So it wasn't until the 19th century where it became more society based, or society generations. So they thought about it and they wrote about it in ancient times, but it's not to the extent that we do it now in Western, like American culture, primarily, I think, is where a lot of this comes from. Excuse me. So family generations, I already said this, nevermind, I don't want to say it again. So the first person to study social generations was August Comte, I think. August. Yeah. So he argued that social change was determined by generational conflict between successive generations. The generation prior wants to keep things as they were while the following generations want innovation. And then Karl Mannheim. called, so he called this style of social generations a chronological table, because you're just looking at like specific ages, and nothing else, you're not taking into consideration like what society is experiencing. Yeah, exactly. It's just dates that people were born. And what he preferred, he's, it's called romantic historical groupings. So I was trying to find a different way, apparently that's it. So he alleged that generational groupings are driven by the rapidity of social change in youth. I feel like I've been sick forever. So contemporary social scientists follow the imprint hypothesis of generations and this goes back to, it can be traced back to Mannheim's generations. So in imprint hypothesis, it's where major historical events leave an imprint on the generation that's experiencing it at a young age. These events cause the younger generation to perceive the world differently than their elders. So things like 9-11, for instance, or the 2008 crash. Things like that. Through social generation, those social generations have been discussed in ancient literature. It wasn't used, I already said that. man, I'm like ahead of myself. I'm so smart. So in the 19th century, through modernism, industrialization, and westernization, society began to be divided and classified according to different age groupings. Okay, so groupings, blah, blah, blah. So primarily as a result of youth movements and tensions or differences between older generations and younger generations, like rebellions or emancipations. That one was confusing to me. I didn't feel like looking into it more. But the key factors were things like increased enlightenment. So like differences in generational beliefs and new ideas of how things should be moving forward. Kind of like what we were talking about earlier when we're like, maybe we should be more open, which made it then more okay for the generation after us to just be more open. And then change in economic structure. So back, back in the day, day, like back, back, way back, right? Men were beginning to be less dependent on their fathers for learning how to do skills and learning how or just learning anything in general. Their economic and social growth wasn't reliant on their fathers anymore. They could actually go into the world and go to a university or join the military. And then they were learning things. Gen Z and forward, their world is so much bigger because they have access to so much more world, if that makes sense. Yeah. So. Who names the generations? I was like, where did this freaking come from? Why are we doing this? So according to Mental Floss, there's no one answer for this. In theory, naming generations has been linked to written works like books or articles, while millennials and onward, it's basically ad agencies who needed to, or like social something, social sciences or whatever to be able to advertise. to certain populations. Yeah, so I'm gonna go through and tell you how everybody got their names. Yeah, so starting with the lost generation, if you were born between 1883 and 1900. You have been alive for a very long time and congratulations. You are a centenarian for beyond that. But they got their name because of Ernest Hemingway's in Ernest Hemingway's book, The Sun Also Rises. He quotes a conversation with Gertrude Stein saying you are all a lost generation. Here we go. So the greatest generation, if you're born from 1901 to 1927, congratulations, you have also been alive for a very long time. Yay, Robin Axline: Mmm! Tita Lors: you! What's your secret? So. is from 1928 to 1945. So, a Time article in 1951 called its youth the silent generation because today's younger generation does not make, in quotes, today's younger generation does not make manifestos, make speeches, or carry posters. I don't know what they did instead, but they didn't do any of that. I get a Mandarin. Okay. Now the baby boomers. Robin Axline: That's kind of a bummer one. Tita Lors: No, Gen X is actually the biggest bummer. OK, so baby boomers from 1946 to 1964. The Census Bureau referred to the years after World War II as being a post-war baby boom because births increased from three million to over four million a year. in humans. Okay, and then Gen X, also known as the middle child, also known as the baby bust. X stood for, it was a math term, right? X is like an unknown variable. So they had no identity. Or like identifying features. They're just kind of sandwiched between the boomers and the millennials. Yeah. Ad agencies really didn't have, since there were less people born during this time, ad agencies didn't really have a reason to specifically use the name for them. They were either marketing to baby boomers or millennials, I guess. Yeah, because there were more millennials than there were GenXers. So there wasn't really a reason to look at them. Yeah, so the most forgot and most overlooked generation, hence middle child. And there's like, I don't know if you've seen it, but there's this whole reel about how like... Robin Axline: Give it up. Loosen your grip, folks. Tita Lors: Yeah. Mm-hmm. So the change that should be affected is not being affected because there were so many damn boomers that are still alive. Yeah, that's a bummer. Anyways, the Gen X term. So Millennials, formerly known as Gen Y, Generation Y. Do you ever remember being Generation Y? I remember. Right, me too. was like Generation Y, Generation Y2K. Robin Axline: Yeah. Tita Lors: Yeah, but when I looked it up, freaking Mandela effect. Yeah. Robin Axline: No. Tita Lors: Yeah, because apparently generation Y2K is a thing that like Gen Z is using in this nostalgic way to like talk about the early knots or like late 90s, early 2000s and the clothes that they're trying to bring back and whatever. It's not, that was the identity that I had growing up. That's who I thought we were. And yeah, why I was so against the whole millennial thing. I was like, what are you talking about? Robin Axline: Me too! Yeah, whoa. Tita Lors: Mm hmm. OK, I'm so glad I'm not the only one that remembers this. Because. Exactly. Robin Axline: Yeah, that's so- I mean, like I said, I remember- Yeah, go ahead. No, it's- I was just gonna say my youngest brother's on the, younger end of millennials. And I just remember him and his friends being like, yeah, we're in the millennial generation or something, and I'm like, am I too old for that or what is that? Or I s- like, it's so weird. And then all of sudden, we were all just like lumped together. Tita Lors: Yeah, so elder millennials. Robin Axline: I despise that term. really do. I seriously, if I don't hear it again, I would be so happy. I don't like it. Tita Lors: Yeah, and that's how we got the millennial term. And actually, we got it because... Generation Y did not do well. in like, it didn't catch on. So it wasn't easy to like advertise towards that. So that's, that's that why it had to be changed to Millennials because it was so much easier to use. It was way more catchy and effective as far as like advertisements go. Mm-hmm, seriously, there's nothing interesting about these generations anymore. I think they're probably going to keep it... I can't imagine. What's after beta? Robin Axline: beta zeta just kidding no Tita Lors: Is it? I don't know. I didn't go to. I didn't. I wasn't in a frat. sure. Already. Yeah. Robin Axline: sorority, a friend. Tita Lors: Gamma. Robin Axline: yes. Tita Lors: I bet you that they're gonna change gamma to something. Delta, maybe they'll keep. Robin Axline: I know it was Omega Beta Zeta. That's a Scream 2 reference if anybody was wondering. Yeah. I just remembered the phone... phone would... Tita Lors: Is it? Wow. I was like, why does that sound so familiar? Robin Axline: Oh boy. Alright. Tita Lors: Okay. So we've kind of talked about it, but we're going to get into it a little bit more. The millennial paradox. So earlier there was like, I think that's one of the reasons that we all feel so like united kind of in our experiences. because everything was changing. Like as we grew up, literally everything was changing, is changing, and is continuing to just change so quickly. Whereas before, in previous generations, it took time. to happen. Right? I mean it took time for people to figure out they were free. Robin Axline: Yeah. Right. Tita Lors: So we grew up in an era where computers and cell phones did not exist, to them suddenly becoming an essential part of the human experience almost. Like my three year olds know how to use my phone, or my three year old knows how to use my phone. Which part of that I taught her because I want her to be able to call 911. Robin Axline: Really okay. Tita Lors: yeah, We have the best childhoods and we're currently experiencing incredibly difficult adulthoods where, yeah, right? So what was promised is not being delivered. we experience financial instability, delayed milestones and systemic burnout. Yeah, our money doesn't go as far. Our hard work doesn't go as far. nothing. It doesn't have the same weight in value as it would have for previous generations. And it's exhausting. And that's all kind of part of the millennial paradox of like, what a time to be alive when we were kids. And for all of those to experience the newness of all of that and to like experiment with all of it. Robin Axline: I mean, that's, you gotta be pretty damn adaptable to do that. Tita Lors: Mm-hmm, exactly. But then to also experience on the flip side, like I said earlier, we were promised a dream and given a nightmare. So we're like the most educated, but like I said, the cost of everything is so high. That doesn't even matter. Yeah, right. Lots of people's lives. And it's even to the point where like, so what? have a bachelor's. Who cares? Robin Axline: Mm. Yeah, well, you know, good for you, I think. For doing the Lord's work. I've been, Tita Lors: So, well good for all healthcare workers actually. Robin Axline: like, to these really shitty job interviews and they're like, I mean, you're definitely over-educated for this. Like, wow, cool, thanks, bye. Yep. Tita Lors: Mm-hmm. Why am I here? I came in to the workforce in 2008 during the crash. Yeah. And no one was hiring. And then when people started hiring, you had to have the education and two to three years, two to five years of experience. And I was like, how? Who has this? How do I have that? And what you're paying for all of that education and all of that alleged experience, you're paying minimum. like minimum wage, it's not even, why did I go to school? It's insane. Anyways, more core paradoxes. Robin Axline: I'm gonna cry. No, just kidding. Tita Lors: sorry everyone. Should there have been a warning at the beginning? Robin Axline: Yeah, sorry guys. Yeah. Bring some tissues. Tita Lors: I know. Okay, so then there's the hyper connected but very isolated. So because of like the age of technology and like, you know, social media and all of that stuff, we can connect to everyone. We could, we have access, but everyone still feels so super lonely because they're not actually, not actually connecting with people in a real, real way. Robin Axline: Seriously, I feel like I should stomp my feet or something. Tita Lors: You Robin Axline: Hit a broom on the floor or something. Knock it off. Yeah, yeah. Get off the computer. Tita Lors: the next one is desire for purpose and corporate reality. So this right again, this idea that you're supposed to like work hard, climb to the top, blah, blah, blah. But it's also really clashing with like, like, I think boomers and Gen Xers were like, well, what you what you actually want for your life doesn't matter. Robin Axline: yeah, yeah, 100%. That attitude. Tita Lors: existence and wanting to do things that are meaningful and impactful. But also, it's a capitalistic society, so you need to make money. So getting caught in like the corporate. Yeah. Blah, blah. So. Robin Axline: We would definitely serve that messaging though because I've heard like I had like get over it just do it it's not what you want to do but just yeah keep doing it hate your life so anywho Tita Lors: You gotta do it. I know. And then the last big paradox, like perfection versus identity fluidity. So like wanting to have the freedom to explore life and different careers and your whole personality. but also feeling like now there's like so many options. So like decision fatigue, who am I supposed to be? Who should I be? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And all that stuff. I don't know if that's like specifically a millennial thing. feel like a lot of people deal with that one. Okay, so, done with the sad times. whomp whomp I'm so sad. Okay, so now onto the question, why does everyone hate millennials? Robin Axline: boy, here's the topic. Tita Lors: Like, no, seriously. So this is gonna be a quote again. I didn't paraphrase it, so, womp womp, ran out time. So they're often criticized due to deep-seated generational stereotypes that portray them as lazy, entitled, narcissistic, and overly sensitive. Resentment stems from... Robin Axline: I think part of it is, I'm not gonna like totally blame social media, but I think because we were like early adapters to all that, I feel like it was really easy to get sucked into that and maybe develop like some narcissistic tendencies. So I do feel like there's some truth in that. Cause there wasn't, it wasn't. trying to think, like, there was, like, Friendster and then, Iceface and all that, where you're curating this, identity about yourself and kind of, like, having some control over the narrative and think a lot of us just ate it up with a spoon, maybe? but on the- Tita Lors: kind of speaks to like how much we needed that. Robin Axline: Yeah, that's fair. Tita Lors: Just as a society, how much we were so craving to have a sense of like individual identity outside of just belonging to a society. Yeah, that's important, but I wanna belong to myself. I wanna have a self to belong to a society, not just be like a cog in the wheel, to be a person who mattered. I think as a society was craving that, we needed that. Robin Axline: Like that, looking back, but that's like insane. Like when the boomers are like, they don't want to work, all this stuff. and they're just off, spending all their money on avocado toast. Like it's nothing like it's, so funny because for a while I was like yeah all these fancy people buying avocado toast and wasting their money on like five or six dollar coffees and now that seems like not anything unusual but it was like I feel like there's just a lot of like grasping at straws just to be like yeah those millennials Tita Lors: There, you had to figure out how you were even gonna have food on the table. And when you're in that kind of a place, there is no space to think about like self-actualization. You're just trying to get to be safe physically in your body and to have food and to make sure that your family members and everyone around you is safe. Like there's no, there's no room for self-actualization. Robin Axline: Right. And I know, another thing I was gonna say is like, I'd say millennials are the ones that kind of made up that hustle culture nonsense. So I feel like a lot of those claims are pretty false. Tita Lors: I really don't think millennials are lazy. I mean, given we are millennials, but... I don't know really anybody who's that lazy. I think it's just a difference in like work, the idea of what work ethic is because work is so different than what it was before. Right? Like before work was physical hard work, labor. And now there's a difference in the kind of work that we're putting in. It's very like in your head, not physical things that you can grasp and hold and see with your eyes and touch with your hands. It's things that are on like computers and hidden and less like Like there's a lot of work, it's not physical labor that you can see, but there's an emotional labor in that kind of attunement that takes a toll on your brain and on your body too. Like I'm thinking about five, yes, I have ADHD, but also like in the moment with the people Robin Axline: Yeah, no, I totally, I totally get that. Because I think about my parents at what age I was when they had me. like, how in the world did they do that? don't know. Yeah. Four. That's insane. Tita Lors: Yeah, it is. Yeah. Anyways, kind of a downer place to leave this. But what does everyone think? What do you think about your generation? Honestly, I don't. I don't have anything against really any other generations. There are some things that are happening right now. I'm like, well. Interesting. It's called, can you match the statistic to the correct generation? Start quiz. which generation spends more than any other? Millennials, Gen X, Silent Generation, or Baby Boomers? Robin Axline: No, they had to like pinch pennies. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have gotten out of that habit. Tita Lors: Okay, you're saying boomers? I'm millennials, but let's say boomers. I'm gonna put in your answers. we were both wrong. Yeah. Robin Axline: It's Gen X. Tita Lors: They spend an average of almost 70k in 2016. this is kind of dated. Hold on. When was this article written? Robin Axline: 2016... 10 years ago... But... Yeah, but I could see that. I could see that. Tita Lors: I don't know when this article is written. But anyways. Yeah. They spend the most on housing and education. They spend more on mortgage interest than any other generation their education costs come from. Having children in college as well as their own student loans. Oh, that makes sense. Makes a lot of sense. Yeah, okay. Only 40 % of this generation's members have ever been married. Who are they? Millennials. Oh, sorry, Millennials, Gen X, maybe the silent generation. I think Millennials. Yay! Robin Axline: well. That's crazy. That's a crazy stat. Tita Lors: I know. So it doesn't mean that millennials remain single forever. They're just choosing to marry later in life. Which generation is most likely to say that they have friends of a different sexual orientation? Millennials, Gen Z, Baby Boomers, or Gen X? Me too. We're correct! 59 % of Gen Z members say they have friends with a different sexual orientation than theirs versus 53 % of Millennials. So not that much. Not that much more. Yeah. Okay, which generation is 19 % more likely to share content online? Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Baby Boomers. Robin Axline: Ooh, that's a tough one. I think I'm gonna say Millennials. Tita Lors: What is that gen X? But okay. Let's see. Or not gen X, gen Z. Robin Axline: Oh, oh, I was like, okay. Tita Lors: baby boomers. Yes. Robin Axline: the Facebook of it all. I bet you, I bet you. Tita Lors: Yep. Baby boomer, baby boomer share content more than any other generation, especially on Facebook. Surprised us too. Yeah. This, by the way, is from howstuffworks.com. So if you guys, well, you're finding out the answer. So if you want to other quizzes, go to How Stuff Works. Robin Axline: What? Who knew you were so concerned? Tita Lors: More Gen Zers than anyone else feel the US is headed in the wrong direction. And fewer Gen Zers than anyone else feel the country is headed in the right direction. Robin Axline: I just thought Gen Z would be like a higher percentage, but anyway. Tita Lors: Oh, like higher than 68? Robin Axline: Yeah. Tita Lors: Oh, okay, yeah. Yay! 4 out of 10 millennials have a bachelor's degree or had a bachelor's Robin Axline: my... Tita Lors: degree in 2016. This, again, is super dated. Robin Axline: you Tita Lors: I have no idea when this was originally written or where they're getting their stats from. But I mean, How Stuff Works is, yeah, it's a fun game. Also, How Stuff Works is pretty. Okay, I was thinking millennials because of book talk. But, Gen X. It's the silent generation. Robin Axline: Y'all still out there? Y'all buying books and newspapers? Tita Lors: According to 2016 Consumer Expenditure Survey from Bureau of Labor Statistics, members of the silent generation spend more than other generations on written news and entertainment. That makes sense, I guess. 88 % of this generation's live in a metro area. Can you guess their name? Gen Z, Millennials, the Silent Generation, or Gen X? Yeah. So in 1965, when members of the science generation were young, two thirds lived in a metropolitan area, while one third lived in non-metropolitan areas. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. More recent generations are residing in metropolitan areas at higher rates. more than eight in 10 Gen Xers. 84 % lived in metropolitan areas when they were young and about nine in 10 millennials, 88 % today live in metro areas. So it's between millennials and Gen Xers. Which generation has abused alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and sedatives more than any other age group? Millennials, the silent generation, baby boomers, or Gen X? I'm between Gen X and Millennials. I think Gen X. Really? Okay, I'm gonna do it. You were right! Robin Axline: Yeah, I mean, I was thinking like Studio 54 and like there's a lot of like alcoholic Tita Lors: According? huh. Yeah, fair. Robin Axline: parents. Tita Lors: You While alcohol is the most commonly used drug across generations, followed closely by marijuana, almost 10 % of boomers have abused sedatives and more than 20 % of them have abused cocaine. Alright, 47 % of the men of this generation are veterans. What is this generation called? Baby boomers, Gen Z, Gen X, or the silent generation? It's either boomers or the silent generation. I'm go with style of generation. Okay. Yay! difference. 40 % of silent generation men are veterans as opposed to just 4 % of millennial men. However, the number of female veterans has increased over time. Because they're actually allowed to be in the military. Okay. Which generation uses an average of five screens? Five screens? Hold on. One, two, three. I guess there's three screens right here. Okay. Gen X, Baby Boomers, Millennials, or Gen Z? I'm going to go Gen Z too. Woo! Robin Axline: shoot! I wonder what those screens are, but anyway. Tita Lors: Millennials use three screens on average, which I have literally three screens in front of me. Gen Zers use five. Smartphone, TV, laptop, desktop, and iPad, iPod. Yeah, no, says iPod. It says iPod slash iPad. know. Anyways, not gonna, we don't have time to question this. 36 % of this group describes themselves as conservative Republicans. Which generation are they? Millennials, silent generation, Gen X, or baby boomers? should have said what my guess was going to be because now it just sounds like I'm trying to be right. It's a silent generation. 21 % of people in this group describe themselves as liberal Democrats. Can you guess which? Gen X, silent generation, baby boomers, or millennials? Robin Axline: Bo-bo-bo-boomers! Tita Lors: Wrong! It's Gen X. Robin Axline: Hi, Ayana. Just kidding. Tita Lors: Which generation eats out the most often? Boomers, Gen Z, Millennials, or Gen X? 65 % of this generation is worried about changes to social security. Who are they? I think we already know. It's boomers. I should have waited for that. It was boomers. Robin Axline: Gen X. Or Boomers. I guess Boomers. Yeah. No, no, Tita Lors: They're worried about running through their retirement funds, suggesting that they depend on social security and the absence of other income sources. % of people in this group believe that male privilege exists. Millennials, the silent generation, baby boomers, or Gen X. 52 %? No, it's Gen X. Millennials, silent generation, baby boomers, or Gen X. Those are your options. Robin Axline: millennials. Tita Lors: If you guys want to do the rest of this, go to HowStuffWorks. I cannot keep reading. I'm going to keep coughing. So let's go to the glimmer. What's your glimmer of the week? Robin Axline: see I know so a friend of mine started listening to our podcast and is so up to date with the podcast that the day that an episode dropped she texted me with an answer that she was inspired to share with us and it was like first thing in the morning and it just was like man chef's kiss we got a fan and I just smiled from ear to ear for the rest of the day I even told you about it Tita Lors: I know. I was like, oh yeah. Robin Axline: what about yourself Tita Lors: So I was watching, I've been watching Pop Culture Jeopardy and on Pop Culture Jeopardy they made a reference to the thing. Yeah, so one of the questions was like, it was about the whole conspiracy. And I was like, yeah, I just talked about that. I know. Yeah, that was really fun. OK, everyone, well, if you have a glimmer, please tell us about it. If you have a petty story that you want us to talk about on air, we also would love to hear about it because it'd be really fun to read that for you and to react and all of that fun stuff. Anything else for you, Miss Robin? yes. Exactly. All right. Well, I have had so much fun hanging out with you, Robin, and you, our listeners. If you had fun hanging out with us and learning about all these different generations and whatever, then like, follow, subscribe, all of that fun stuff wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't miss out on our next episode. And until next time, everyone, fuck it. Bye! I'm gonna go make her a sandwich and maybe she's gonna leave me alone. And then, I don't know if you wanna take a break, probably, because it's