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Santa Claus is real. Babies come from a stork dropping them off on your doorstep. You are definitely capable of becoming a professional tennis player when you grow up. Adults tell children little white lies all the time. They are mostly harmless, and eventually, we grow up to learn that they weren’t true  but were nice to hear at the time. However, some lies that we are sold from older generations, the government and the media don’t go away as we age. Even if we realize they aren't true, these ideas can be incredibly difficult to shake and continue to shape an entire generation's expectations of their lives.

Last week, Reddit user VictorPumpenstein posed the question, “What is the biggest lie sold to your generation?” and many readers had grievances to air. We’ve gathered some of the most thought-provoking responses to this question down below, so you can feel seen by others in your generation or understand the older and younger groups a little better. Be sure to upvote the replies that you found most eye-opening, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda piece featuring millennials calling out the lies they were told, you can find that right here.

#1

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold That climate change was nothing to worry about.

4rp4n3t , Guillaume Falco Report

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Caro Caro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Upvote Upvote Upvote! This really bothers me. All the lies told, big corporations with too much influence in governments and their so-called eco friendly adds trying to sell us the same stuff that still doesn't work, pollutes and is not even a basic necessity.

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Whether it comes from a place of ignorance, optimism or wanting to spare people from anxiety, plenty of lies have been sold to the various generations. Maybe you were told to believe in the power of the “American Dream”. Perhaps you expected to be able to afford a home of your own 3 years after graduating from university. No matter what harsh realities you had a wake-up call to as you got a bit older, you likely are not the only person in your age group to feel that way. Your entire generation might have been mislead in the same way you were, and they might be just as bitter about it.

So to understand what misinformation each generation is responsible for spreading, first we need to understand exactly what each generation is like. Let’s begin with baby boomers. You might be one, your parents might be some, or even your grandparents might fall into this group, as these are the individuals who were born between the years 1946-1964. There are about 71 million baby boomers out and about today, and they are famous for their post World War II optimism, being around for the Cold War, and the hippie movement. 

#2

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold The war on drugs. It has decimated the lives of so many people. Minorities are disproportionately incarcerated for their possession.

My generation was taught that all drugs are bad and that there is no use for them in the medical community. Science is proving that many drugs that were classified as illegal are beneficial for treating a multitude of health issues.

It's time that we end the war on drugs. People should be treated for addiction in a medical facility rather than being incarcerated.

BoatTailedGrackle , christopher lemercier Report

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Trond Øien
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hear, hear! It's infuriating af. Some recommended reading on the subject: "...in reality, the war on drugs has little to do with public safety. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2013 shows that tobacco, alcohol and prescription painkillers were responsible for more direct deaths than any other drug." https://www.mic.com/articles/109718/these-3-drugs-are-much-deadlier-than-marijuana-but-they-re-all-totally-legal

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Sue User
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, prescription drugs kill people. Yes, the drug companies were complicit. But the pendulum has swung so far the other way, that people who really need it dont get them. And now methotrexate is rapidly joining the list of " oh i really dont feel comfortable prescribing this" ( can be misused as abortion drug ), i really dont know what people expect us to do.

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Suzanne Tilson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The war on drugs.more like the war on the poor. The rich go to rehab

adinaisme avatar
AndThenICommented
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One aspect of the war on drugs that many don’t understand is that it’s not like they just ‘did their time’ for breaking the law. Often times, their assets (including homes…cars…cash) are taken by the government and in many states felons can no longer vote. Which means it’s not just some punishment - it’s a full destruction of someone’s life and the life of their dependent family, with no way to even have their say because their not represented as a viable constituent

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Mary Rogers
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't even know how that asset forfeiture law is even Constitutional. They don't even have to charge someone to take their property. And the law was meant to penalize wealthy criminals but it has been abused.

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LeighAnne Brown-Pedersen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let’s take weed! It is not all bad. It is not all good. But until it is federally accepted, no studies can be done by any credible organization about levels, good, bad and otherwise. Let’s hope now that it is legal across Canada, that they will start to study it and we can show the good, the bad, and the real. Same thing with medical schrooms, same story, some good, some bad.

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Seedy Vine
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and I wish they'd stop lying in the U.S. about some supposed link between marijuana and schizophrenia. It lessens many symptoms of schizophrenia. Speaking from experience.

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Naesil 🇫🇮
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

War on drugs has made lots of bad people really rich. But the american war on drugs is just a front that allows them to do all the dodgy s**t they have done in south america, where do you think all the cartels get their guns from? US, making the nations unstable they are easier to control. Its miracle that Canada is successful developed country being next to USA.

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ljbeanfield
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also the war on homeless people. It traps the people that could recover or weren't addicted to anything to begin with. It's sad. (USa specific)

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Tessb90
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can confirm this, it also helps anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and weirdly enough can help a lot if you're also autistic, with ADHD on top of everything else.

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Michael Macki
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“You want to know what this [war on drugs] was really all about? The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” ~ John Ehrlichman, Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon

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Cherreka Wirth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In all fairness there is a big difference between pot and heroin. No one should go to jail for anything marijuana related. It's just stupid. Heroin is more dangerous though. But the problem is a lot of heroin addicts become addicted because they had an accident and git prescribed narcotics by their doctor, and assumed since it was dr prescribed it was safe. Poor people, not even their fault!

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Garry Cowan
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Alcohol ravaged my family both my father and youngest brother both died of alcoholism but in Scotland alcohol is freely available but I'm the criminal for using cannabis which has never killed anyone ever ..the whole system is wrong

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Artchangel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

read "The New Jim Crow" the "war on Drugs," is a way of controlling African Americans and denying them access to things like voting. Many are innocent but can't afford lawyers.

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BusLady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are so many core reasons for why people abuse illegal drugs in the first place. Also legal drugs like alcohol. Mental health treatment, preferably in-house treatment, is the solution. I fought for years to get help for my son. Alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse is a mental health issue, but many people don't realize that.

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Mental Liberals
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All the Governments "Wars on..." have produced major issues!! I do believe it's been their plan all along...

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steve douglas
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I certainly agree with that! I've been saying the same thing for 54 years. Finally there is a generation huge enough to actually vote in the laws us old boomer hippies have been screaming for even before I came along. Now VOTE! We did.

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Heather
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's complete horsecrap. I care for a terminal cancer patient with no colon and bone marrow rejection syndrome who has to fight for his pain medication. We cut the prescriptions in half and the overdoses have doubled. I have so many horror stories. Children waking from major surgery and no pain management post. Bones set with nothing but screaming to help alleviate the pain. It isn't the prescriptions causing this. And the US knows it. https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/report-shows-decreases-opioid-prescribing-increase-overdoses

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liam newton-harding
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Drugs are evil. Drugs are bad. Drugs are being sold to your kids in schools, and given away as gummies. But here, to take your mind off of the horror, you poor, poor worried parents have some oxy...a couple of Vicadin...need a Zoloft, or two? Hell, have some Viagra on us. Would some Fentanyl do? Uppers? Downers? Stabilizers? A case of Bud? How about two cocktails with brunch, you deserve it.

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Kantami Blossom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The war on drugs has only ever been about money, how many trillions has groups like the CIA & DEA been able to slip into private accounts and slush funds in the name of stopping drugs.

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Ruth Meszaros
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It will be one fantastic day when a drug is deveoped to treat drug addicts ONCE AND FOR EVER with one shot. It will change the world.

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Susan Jennette
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had an older friend become addicted to opiates bc doctors kept prescribing them and then decided he wasn't truly in pain, just wanting more drugs. DUH your body becomes used to them and need more and more to work. Addiction is big business.

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Melissa Boufford
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

May I suggest watching How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. It’s on Netflix if you have it. If not, it’s also the title of his book. Enlightening.

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Hobby Hopper
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's a speculative mental exercise for those that enjoy that kind of thing; I know I do. What do you think would have happened if instead of prohibiting the consumption of alcohol completely, the US just said you can't profit off of it, but you can make it for your own consumption or to give away as much as you like? Go nuts. A couple of thoughts right off the top of my head: 1) it may have eased the change and taken away the black market, but 2) it may have also increased health risks from improperly produced product. Thoughts, pandas?

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kit kat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many incorrect statements in this post it's laughable

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John Cohlhepp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guess what coshundreds of billions of our dollars and has zero affecta

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Janice Sawrey
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was Nancy Regan and HER generation - not the boomers, who started the war on drugs. Boomers were hippies.

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mpozi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The comment is beyond stupid... Drug trafficking and the social, moral, economic, etc. corruption and destruction of poor regions of the world, which illegally produce it for export, has not been stopped or even hindered. Developed countries must be held liable.

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Jason Boyd
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agree with this. What convinced me was the study by Prof Nuttall that was published in the Lancet in 2010 but summarised in this BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11660210 You can see alcohol exceeds the harm of cocaine, heroin and crack. But you can also see that the harm of ecstasy and LSD is massively overstated. There is another more detailed figure here that shows all the components of that harm: https://cognitivelibertyuk.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/drug-harm-charts-psychedelics/

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CHRIS DOMRES
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What we need instead is good education in the schools about the realities and dangers of drug use. But to make that effective somehow we have to get our youth to have some trust in the ruling class. Gee, I wonder why that trust is long gone?

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Andi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

make it a health issue not a criminal issue like so many other enlightened countries and you have a chance of solving, or at least addressing, the problem because you can never win 'the war'.

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BadCat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then there was this Concerned Children's Advertisers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhgoXZDA7ig

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Sonnovab Kegeles
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of us have been saying this for years. I was suspended for a week in 7th grade back in 19070ish for arguing with the cop who came to my class telling us all drugs are equally bad for you.

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Isaac Harvey
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I rely on 2 prescription drugs to not seize(I have epilepsy).

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burncreek
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're all talking about the (supposedly positive) use of drugs but never even mention drug dealing, often orchestrated by powerful criminal organizations. It's like you're unable to get the slightest grip on the connection between drugs and crime. Please go f*** yourself at your earliest convenience.

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Pandaroo
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1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Or executed. This is exactly what the world needs, but doesn't realize that it does.

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Dave Lear
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you executed everyone who took drugs the global economy would collapse. Also, you're a psychopath.

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#3

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Money can't buy happiness. It's b******t, most of my problems could be solved by money and I'd be so happy.

Slight-Ad-1744 , Jp Valery Report

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Money can't buy happiness, but I'd rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus". Françoise Sagan.

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Baby boomers are also known for being the largest consumers of traditional media like television, radio, magazines and newspapers. They are often traditionalists who stick to these forms of media that they know and have a hard time adapting to new technology. However, 90% of them do have a Facebook account, so they are not totally opposed to innovation. They have welcomed technology like Facebook that allows them to keep in touch with old friends and always know what their family members are up to.

When it comes to how baby boomers like to manage their money, many of them still prefer to go into their banks in person and always carry a bit of cash, especially for small purchases. Surprisingly, baby boomers also have a staggering amount of student loan debt. This is not because university was so expensive when they attended, because for the most part, it wasn’t. But many of them actually took on debt to help their children receive higher education, leaving lots of boomers with little to no retirement funds. 

#4

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold I suspect "crime doesn't pay" is a lie told to more generations than just mine.

First of all, crime is *extremely* profitable. We don't hear about criminals that haven't been caught, because they haven't been caught.

Second of all, 90% of rich people are criminals and we all just kind of accept it. E.g. through breaking labour laws. They tend to break laws in ways that save them money, rather than earn them money, but it still ends up in crime absolutely paying.

Edit: people seem to think I'm on about drugs or theft or other 'obvious' crimes that come with prison sentences. I'm talking about crimes where the punishment is a fine, and the fine is of lower value than what the person made (or saved) committing the crime. E.g. getting a fine in the thousands after profiting in the hundreds of thousands. Low risk, high reward.

Take any rich person and Google their name with the word 'fines' e.g. 'Bill Gates fines'. Then consider how many times they've done that without getting caught, and how many times they made more from the crime than the value of the fine.

Its not "how many criminals are super rich?", its "how many super rich people are criminals?"

ttnl35 , Alexander Mils Report

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#5

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold “Do well in school and you’ll have a nice house, a good job, and a family before you’re twenty six”

NOPE.

Glittering_Sundae_53 , todd kent Report

#6

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Plastic recycling.

I remember when grocery stores went from paper bags to plastic because "they're recyclable!" Literally everything else started coming wrapped in a ton of plastic (instead of cardboard) because it was recyclable. Single use plastics were great, because we'd just recycle the plastic, and use it forever!

Turns out, it was just cheaper, and recycling had nothing to do with it. Most of that plastic can't be recycled anyway.

DifficultMinute , Brian Yurasits Report

One of the lies mentioned on this list is that baby boomers would eventually retire, but for a lot of them, they don’t have the option to yet. Many boomers believe that it was important to set up their children for success in the future, by supporting their education and helping them start their careers, but now it is unlikely that much will be left for retirement and inheritance. Perhaps the lie that they would retire was not so much of a lie as it was a dream of theirs. I am sure they don’t love the idea of working until they are 80 years old.

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Up next is Generation X, or those born between the years 1965 to 1979. This group, which is also referred to as the “Latchkey” generation or the MTV generation, currently has around 65 million people and maintains some traditional media habits like their predecessors. Lots of Gen X still reads a physical newspaper, listens to the radio and watches cable TV, but they are much more technologically savvy than their parents. In fact, they tend to spend more hours on Facebook than any other age group.

#7

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Meritocracy - that the system will select the best candidate based on ability.

Turns out they never tell you some people are born so far ahead they're starting 3 full laps ahead of you. And also their connections are thicker than the trans-oceanic cables.

devilf91 , Ruthson Zimmerman Report

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ben woskje
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Private schools excel at further entrenching these networks and ensuring that high paying positions are given to those that are mates of those in power, rather than those who actually have decent skillsets. While being friends with powerful people has always had benefits - over the past 20-30 years, this seems to have accelerated as far as the level of b******t utilised and the size of the paypackets received by these useless f*****g twats.

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#8

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Gen X-er here... we were told that the boomers would eventually retire. Still waiting for that to happen while rapidly approaching retirement age myself.

drsfmd Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who can afford to retire these days and even if you are fortunate enough to have the money, how many of those people are well/fit enough to live their retirement to the fullest?

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#9

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Reaganomics 'Trickle-Down' Theory. It was, and continues to be, a way for massive corporations and the wealthy to avoid paying taxes via loopholes, passing on the lions share of taxation to the middle class and small businesses in America. This has created the astronomical wealth gap in this country, creating more billionaires than ever and making it impossible for families to survive on a single income, let alone afford a home.

Straight-Audience-91 , Giorgio Trovato Report

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Gabby Ghoul
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll say this again: trickle-down economics is giving more food to the overfed and telling the hungry more crumbs will fall off the table.

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Some of the most important factors that defined the lives of Gen X were the end of the Cold War, the rapid advancements in personal computing, and feeling torn between two generational identities. When it comes to their banking habits, many of them still prefer to visit their branch in person, but some have transitioned to online financial management. A lot of this generation is under immense financial stress, however, with the pressures of trying to provide for their own families, pay off student debt and take care of their aging parents while looking ahead for their own retirement. On average, Gen Xers have about $142,000 of debt to pay off, but for most people, the bulk of that is from a mortgage.

#10

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold “It’s a one in a lifetime event! These things don’t happen all the time” - In reference to things like wars, devastating floods, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, mass shootings/gun violence, terrorist attacks, and now… pandemics, apparently.

How many more ‘once in a lifetime’ freak events am I going to be living through? When can we have some peace and quiet?

One-Two3214 , Manuel Report

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Hawkmoon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, it's a phrase that dates back to the time when life expectancy was around 30 years old.

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#11

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold I never imagined I’d say this, but the legitimacy of the American government. It’s a shame.

patricksaurus , Louis Velazquez Report

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#12

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold All you have to do is go to college and you'll be successful.

Though it was less of a lie and more just being wrong.

molten_dragon , Pixabay Report

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Bored Retsuko
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Friendly reminder: downvotes are NOT dislike buttons. Downvoting a comment just because you don't agree = not cool. If a comment gets downvoted, its author will get banned from the site. So please downvote only in case of obvious spam ("how to make cash") or if someone is literally harrassing a fellow panda

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The next generation that we all know and love is Generation Y, better known as millennials. This group was born between the years 1980-1996 and has about 72 million people. Millennials have been shaped by the Great Recession, the exponential growth of the internet and social media and 9/11. Many of them still watch TV, but this generation has embraced online streaming platforms like Netflix wholeheartedly. Most millennials are extremely savvy when it comes to technology and electronic devices, and they usually are active on multiple social media platforms. While they were once mocked for their stereotypical obsessions with avocado toast and lack of care for their finances, it can’t be denied that millennials have been placed in an extremely hard position for saving up for their futures.  

#13

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold “You have a future.”

Nah. We might have done, but you stripmined the planet for profit, you stripmined our consciousnesses and experiences for profit, you stripmined our health and our wants and needs for profit. You lied, and lied again. You put your happiness above the futures. You decided the developing world was just shapes on a map and marginalised them.

You went to the ballot box and voted in the wreckers, the lairs, the confidence tricksters, the three-cup-trick fakes, the find-the-lady conartists, and you did it with a smile. You did it while you told us that you did it with your bootstraps and walked uphill each way and you came from nothing and you did this while you plugged up your ears and you covered your eyes and you told us the internet was bad and never learned about it.

You told us change wasn’t possible and that the system was working. You told us that we weren’t working hard enough, that our avocados were too luxurious. You told us to take the bus in the society you took public services away from. You told us to pay our taxes to politicians you elected who pocketed them.

You said we had a future.

You f*****g lied. We will burn in megafires or die in the water wars or drown as the sea floods our communities with water we cannot drink or be annihilated in the nuclear stars we bring down from the sky because you thought you could bomb for peace or in the nuclear winter that you’ll say disproves climate change.

You lied. You knew it and you lied again and you are still lying.

helveticannot_ , Kouji Tsuru Report

#14

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Be loyal to a company, give 100% and they will take care of you, after 20 years you’ll retire with a pension.

Imawindowlickr , Ono Kosuki Report

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Serial pacifist
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve been working for the Umbrella Corporation for quite some time, and the benefits are actually great, they even give you free medicines and stuff.

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#15

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold "You can be anything you want"

Not everyone can become a millionaire astronaut and rockstar and professional gamer and parent. There is a reason why some us have the most boring jobs anyone can think of

raziel_LK , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you're telling me I will never become a real life mermaid? Well that's disappointing.

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When it comes to how millennials choose to conduct their banking, most of them have no preference of brand. Instead, they prioritize efficiency and excellent service, so apps and digital tools are widely used by millennials to manage their finances. And although this generation makes a huge dent in the workforce, lots of Gen Y is saddled with student debt. Due to a variety of factors including inflation, the recession, and education becoming more expensive, millennials have a hard time reaching financial stability. Contrary to the misconception that many of them have no desire to own a home or settle down, lots of millennials just have not had the opportunity to consider those paths yet, due to worrying about how to provide for themselves. 

#16

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Affordable homes.

ana_diy , Dillon Kydd Report

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Kathryn Baylis
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yet, instead of building more small affordable starter homes, or redeveloping existing city buildings for affordable apartments—-not Section 8 housing, though we need housing for the homeless, improved housing for the poor, and some way of lifting them all out of that level—-I mean affordable for the average middle class income, new developments are building more overpriced and badly built McMansion type s**t that stays empty forever. Developers: you could more quickly sell out whole developments full of affordable starter homes, and rent or sell affordable apartments/condos in refurbished urban buildings, than you could sell one single badly built overpriced McMansion, much less sell out the entire development. It ain’t rocket science.

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#17

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold The “American Dream”

FuryGalaxy_Dad , Joshua Hoehne Report

#18

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold "Cheaters never prosper" is only true on a small scale.

Yes, if you cheat on all of your homework then at some point your lack of knowledge in the subject will catch up to you and people will figure it out, but on a larger scale, some of the most successful people in the world are terrible people who broke the law and got away with it.

Inflatabledartboard4 , energepic.com Report

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Matthew Goss
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you donate enough to a politician, they'll change the law so what you're doing is no longer considered cheating.

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Next up is Generation Z, or those born between the years 1997-2012. This generation has about 68 million individuals and is famous for knowing how to use smartphones before they could talk and being obsessed with the app TikTok. Most of them actually received their first cell phones at age 10, but having access to their parents’ devices meant they never experienced a life without smartphones and the internet. The average Gen Zer spends about 3 hours on their cell phone every day. I mean, they can't leave their Instagram and TikTok fans hanging, right? American zoomers have also never known a country that was not at war, and many of them have seen the financial struggles of their parents impact their lives. Gen Zers are also known for being socially aware, open minded and politically active.   

#19

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Electric cars.

Everyone claims they are good for the enviroment, but that statement could not be farther from the truth.
First of all, to gather lithium used in batteries, you have to mine for it, which is horrible because of how dirty it is.
Second of all, and the most important one, lithium battery packs don't last forever. When they go bad, you have to replace them and there is no clean way of recycling lithium.
Third things third, if a battery pack is defective, it's a danger to the driver, passangers and potentially others around. If let's say the protective layer of the battery pack gets damaged and the lithium comes into contact with water it's goodnight for you if you don't react fast enough.
Lastly, the price of electric vehicles is ridiculous, what average person will ever be able to afford a car that costs more than a small house. And some of them (I won't point fingers at any manufacturer here) have terrible quality for their pricepoint. Tl;dr, EVs are overpriced.

So over all, you are better off driving and maintaining your old car for a long period of time rather than buying a tesla or something. Every politician just likes to point to cars, yet they don't seem to notice that planes pollute the enviroment so much more, yet nobody cares about that.

Nadefox , Mike B Report

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Aran Lindvail
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's mostly BS. Current electric car batteries live around 15 years, AND can easily be recycled. So resources like lithium aren't "gone", but can be mostly reused. (Lithium is also used in conventional cars, or smartphones btw). There's not really any evidence that electric cars burn more often or anything like that - and a burning diesel is not exactly safe either. EVs might be expensive, but that's only bc the damage to the environment is not factored into the price of conventional cars. And the biggest CO2 emissions come from neither planes nor cars, but from the infrastructure and power needed for the internet. So that i can uselessly yell at people on BP.

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#20

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Growing up everyone i ever met said to never get a credit card. The only way to buy a house is with credit and the only way to actually get credit is a credit card. In my life I paid off 3 vehicles early only to be told the second they were paid off my credit was dropped to a no rating because I wasnt actively in debt.

Squantoon , CardMapr.nl Report

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(Anti)Social Penguin
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t really understand how the credit score it’s calculated in the US, but it seems to be so f****d up. In my country, the credit score is calculated based on age, gender (i don’t understand why), education, job. The only thing that is affected by other loans is the amount of money you can get (since you can’t exceed a certain percent of your income). Why would i have a higher credit score if i am already in lots of debts?

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#21

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold If you work hard anything is possible. It helps but doesn’t guarantee you anything.

ReelCharlieTheTuna69 , Kevin Yudhistira Alloni Report

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Injun Joe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahaha...if you work hard, someone else will take the credit and get promoted. Then you're still working harder hoping for your boss to see how dedicated you are but they're too busy with someone under the desk. The one under that desk is no one other than the one taking your credit and hard work.

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Although Gen Zers are young, they have seen the financial struggles of millennials, so many of them have adopted a fiscally conservative approach to managing their finances. They are fearful of being plunged into debt and seek out resources to help them stay on top of their money. Many of them prefer debit cards over credit cards, and because they are so internet savvy, it is assumed that they all use mobile banking. Lots of zoomers actually are interested in personal finance as well, so they might be able to save more than the previous generation and actually look forward to retirement.

#22

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold “Doesn’t matter what subject your degree is in, just having one gets your foot in the door!”

VictorPumpenstein , RUT MIIT Report

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LeighAnne Brown-Pedersen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No! It totally matters what your degree is. And please never discount or look down on trades, electricians, plumbers, HVAC guys, they make great money. Humanitarian degrees don’t.

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#23

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold “You have it much easier”...

HotPlatypus4545 , Sharon McCutcheon Report

#24

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Medicare and social security will protect you. Based on how things are going, anyone with 30 years or more before retirement better have strong backup plans

iteraco , RODNAE Productions Report

Last but not least, Generation Alpha is the group of kids under 10 right now, as well as anyone born between now and 2025. They are too young for us to know their banking habits, but it is assumed that they will use a purely digital approach, as they will be the most technologically integrated generation yet. They will grow up being able to see their parents’ social media accounts and be shaped by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the social justice movement, the Trump presidency and Brexit. It is possible that they will never even carry cash, and things like CDs and VHS tapes will seem like ancient history to them.

#25

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Tattoos and piercings are going to keep you from having a stable income in a good company.

SpiderFromNeptune , Collins Lesulie Report

#26

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold Bachelors Degree guarantees a good paying job.

LurkysGoCart , Ekrulila Report

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J Bo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many degrees that don't have a good return on investment. Schools are selling false dreams.

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#27

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold That cow's milk is necessary for human development.

Khizar_KIZ , Kim Gorga Report

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Mayra
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My lactose intolerance begs to differ… but I still eat cheese because eff it 😂

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While the lies told to younger generations are usually intended to be harmless, or not even viewed as lies at all, they can still be powerful. It's important to understand where every generation is coming from and take their advice with a grain of salt. The world changes rapidly, so even if your parents were able to afford a house when they were 25, that does not mean you will. Keep upvoting the responses that you agree with the most, and then feel free to let us know in the comments what you feel like your generation was lied to about. And let's all try hard to be honest with the younger generations. Even if the truth hurts, they deserve to hear it.

#28

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold (Millennial) That you can do literally anything you set your mind to. Like sorry no, most people are not capable of becoming pro athletes or astronauts. And that’s ok!

Edited to add: I’m referring to the Disney-style bootstrap mentality that implicitly frames high-visibility, low-frequency careers as successful. Like other responses have noted, achieving goals takes more than just hard work, and success is way more than just job title.

gingerwoozle , The New York Public Library Report

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Rick Seiden
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wasn't it Hannah Montana who said, "You can't all be president"?

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#29

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold You will always have to write in cursive.

hakuna_matit**es , Aaron Burden Report

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censorshipsucks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

don't know what the fuss is about cursive. I only write in cursive. Sure, I type much more than I hand-write, but if I hand-write it is cursive.

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#30

“We Were Told That Boomers Would Eventually Retire”: 30 People Share The Lies That Their Generations Were Sold 1) If you are super-focused a motivated you'll get a great result.
No, you can't replace years of study and experience with good motivation.

2) Find your dream and persue that, don't do any other activities.
You can be happy without doing your dream job and you can change path during your life. You can be happy without evolving your passion to a career.
3) Choose your future right after high school or you won't be able to study anymore.
Better get a gap year. Travel, do little jobs, meet people, take time to discover what the world can offer.

RunaCats , Compare Fibre Report