Home for the holidays; it’s what most collegiettes have been waiting for all semester. Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and with it come a lot of family gatherings, and holiday stress. There are a lot of wonderful things about Thanksgiving, like home-cooked meals, seeing your pets, and reconnecting with family and friends. However, when you throw a bunch of people from different generations in the same room together for a meal, there are bound to be some awkward miscommunications and conversations. In the spirit of awkward Thanksgiving dinner conversations, here are some college students’ thoughts on what misconceptions their older relatives have of them.
“Older generations seem to criticize the information we put online, like phone numbers, email addresses, pictures on Facebook. They don’t think it’s safe, to share any information online, but they also don’t realize we can filter who can and can’t see the information in our profiles. We are a lot safer online than they probably realize” – Katie, 19
“Older generations don’t see a point to social media, they see it as a waste of time. But when used correctly it can be a great tool for staying in touch with friends, marketing and just general information sharing. ” – Sarah, 19
“A lot of parents and grandparents think that our generation is too politically correct, they don’t realize that a lot of the phrases and terms they use are no longer largely socially acceptable. However they grew up in a different time, so they have a different perspective.” – Anonymous, 20
“There’s a tendency to think today’s youth doesn’t appreciate the value of money, especially since we live in a such a debt and credit card happy society. I don’t think it’s that we don’t appreciate the value of money, it’s just with the current economy and crippling cost of college, it’s more challenging to get started in life. Sometimes we have to just not think about our finances, because otherwise we would go crazy!” – Caroline, 19
“They just don’t understand art! They see art in a very narrow way instead of it encompassing a lot of different things.” – Anonymous, 18
“That there aren’t real feminists anymore; a lot of women don’t see how pop stars can be feminists. But our generation sees Taylor Swift and Beyoncé as feminists, maybe a different type of feminist, but the message is still the same.” – Anonymous, 20
“That society today is hyper sexualized, which may be how it’s portrayed in the media, but that’s not an accurate description of the average person’s sex life.” – Anonymous, 18
“That everyone is gluten-free, vegan or has some weird allergy. While allergies and specific diets are more prevalent now, that’s not everyone. I for one could not live without bread, cheese or bacon!” – Julia, 20
“Why are all my older relatives so interested in my dating life? It’s like they just assume because I’m young and in college that I must do nothing but date. I just want to remind them that college isn’t like the movies, and I spend most of my time studying or at work.” – Anonymous, 19
“My pet peeve is older generations constantly talking about “how back in my day things were different”. It’s pretty much a backhanded compliment, because when they say that they are basically saying, “my generation is better than yours.” Also, there’s a lot of pressure to live up to traditional expectations, career and marriage wise.” – Deirdre, 19
While there are a lot of topics that seem to cause problems, I think most millennial can agree that the generations before us mean well, they just haven’t quite caught up with the modern times. Instead of letting any judgments or assumptions get to you, just embrace the different perspectives you have around you for the holidays. And remember, if your Thanksgiving dinner conversations get a little intense, food, television, and pets are always safe topics!