source: @n7gifmdn@lemmy.ca
this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2025
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Would love some older internet gen input here: is this a "gen [whatever] is so [negative trait here] because they are [generation group]" or "younger ppl be stupid"?
Context: Am a millennial. At my first "real job" (as in, in the industry I got my degree in) I worked with ONE (1) other person, who was an early Gen-Xer. After developing a report with each other and becoming friendly, he lamented to me about how it seems like "millennials (not you, of course)" seem so helpless - like they can't figure things out on their own. Always asking "where is-" or "how do i-" before even examining the problem at hand and/or the resources available.
This dude was a self-proclaimed "blue fish in a red sea," and we worked with a wide age-range of sales ppl. I mention this, bc in the two years I worked with this nerd (and he was a fucking nerd, taking into account modern day and late 80s-early 90s standards of the term), his complaints about millennials never sounded like media parrot-speech. He was literally befuddled about the operational differences between generations.
It 100% seemed like an ageist thing. This was the late 2010's, pre-covid.
I'm in my 30s now and am equally baffled when my teenaged niece (weird familial age gap - not relevant here) doesn't know how to make the tap water hot when there's only one knob instead of two. She asked outloud but I refused to acknowledge or answer her. Niece figured it out shortly on her own, as expected.
So-... maybe younger people are just, yknow, dumb? Or recognize that, when surrounded by more experienced others, it takes less effort to ask for guidance than to waste energy through trial and error-?
Not trying to prove a point here. Just legit curious if anyone older has had similar experiences and can offer insight into whether this is a "zoomers are-" or "younger people are-" observation.
I've definitely noticed the younger ones are used to asking any question and having it simply answered. They grew up with the internet, it's obvious I suppose, and chatgpt is just going to make that worse. The juniors and entry-level people coming in are smart, but I feel like I'm seeing lower problem solving and critical thinking.
Things like "it doesn't work", okay well what you you tried? What things did you attempt before giving up. Idk, definitely a different mindset.
Since I started learning enough about computers that I have a reason to be hanging out in forums and issue trackers I've really changed the way I think about tech problems.
From feedback given to me, and to others, and from general posting guidelines, I learned to be more systematic about looking for answer. Going through the process of writing out in full what happened can clarify things. I often start writing a question, never to post it because it gets solved half way through. Assemble the logs. Check the environment isn't wonky somehow. Upgrade everything. Check the docs. Check the latest release notes. Verify the details.
I've always been comfortable with the software side of computers but I have a lot more confidence lately because of all this. But I never would have been able to learn it on my own. Equally important as the thinking is that I know I can lean on community members to help me get through those cognitive bottlenecks. By reading the vast archives of prior discussions and problem solving, and occasionally asking my own, or even answering if possible, I'm getting smarter at my areas of interest every year.
But I wasn't born knowing that, nor was it kept from me. I got socialized into a certain way of doing and thinking things that is appropriate to these situations. There is no reason why any newcomer would arrive so socialized. So you need to bring them through the process.