“What Are Some Things You Think Will ‘Die’ Once The Older Generations Go?” (25 Responses)
"This world is outdated. Young people know nothing and can't do anything, they don't respect their elders and don't want to learn, prices are rising, and there's nothing good to expect from the future..." Do you think this is another rant from Reddit? Well, almost... It's a quote from a clay tablet from Babylon, dating back about one and a half millennia B.C.
As we can see, over the past three and a half millennia, little has changed in people's pessimism regarding their assessments of the past and the future. At the same time, let's agree, sometimes it's worth just saying goodbye to "good old things" without regret and letting them rest peacefully in history books. So our selection today is dedicated to such "dying out" things from the past.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
Classic cars exactly. Can you imagine in thirty years having a car show with today’s cars ? Our cars are so boring.
'Jokes' about hating your spouse.
And good riddance.
Because they really weren't jokes. Now people don't express a failed relationship in the form of "jokes" and get divorced instead.
There's a Reddit community called "Millennials," where a few weeks ago the user u/Soup_stew_supremacy asked the question: "There is always discourse about Millennials 'killing' things (Applebees, newspapers, churches etc.). What are some things you think will 'die' once the older generations go?"
The topic-starter themselves suggested several options: churches, classic car shows, schools, the housing shortage, and cooking or homekeeping knowledge.
It's not that all the options suggested by the original poster found a warm response from netizens, but the thread has about 2K upvotes and over 1.9K different comments, so the discussion was really lively and exciting. And now please meet this selection of the most interesting opinions from this thread, made for you by Bored Panda!
"Company rooms" or formal living rooms - those rooms in your grandparents' houses that are kept pristine and saved for important guests or special events only - "don't go in there and mess things up!"
(I always thought this was SO WEIRD, an entire room you only use a few times a year?!).
I would have said Gen X let this die out. No-one I know has a room like that. Even my Baby-Boom parents didn't have a room like that. Last one I recall seeing anywhere was in the early 80s.
Oh, they were around. You'd see them every once in a while when you went to a new friend's house for the first time. You might think everybody had them the way it was emphasized and often shown on TV. It didn't take long for it to flip over into 'TV trope' territory when it wasn't that common for the majority.
Load More Replies...I *thought* my parents' best friends had such a room - nice carpet, piano, a white couch facing the front window that overlooked a bird bath - as we always sat in the secondary living area by the kitchen when we visited. It wasn't until decades later that my mom mentioned to me that her friend was very proud of the room & longed for people to sit in there instead of the secondary area, and all I could think was, "If you knew that, why didn't you? Why not make her happy by sitting in the pretty room instead of the boring looking-at-the-kitchen one?"
I'm 73 now (Yes a Boomer) and had a "living room" which was never allowed to go into unless there was company over, and a "family room" where we watched tv and relaxed. Never had that setup on in any of my houses.
Growing up our neighbours had one. It had white carpet. On a farm.
I always detested any variation of this, be it the "good china", that tablecloth you only pull out when "somebody" is coming, hiding your silly decorations when you have visitors, cleaning extra hard because guests are coming etc. I want my home to be MINE, and I want to be comfortable in it. I want to be surrounded with things that make me happy, and I want to use and enjoy them. If a visitor does not appreciate my untidy room, my daily used glasses and plates etc., they don't have to visit. That said, I still understand that this is also a respect thing, showing your guest that you prepared and let them have your good stuff. And I still prefer guests who don't expect me to prove my respect this way, they just know if I respect them or not anyway.
Got a room like that. My wife uses it for sewing and I store my photographic equipment and oxygen concentrators on the sofa.
Yeah, in one of our houses, we had an adult lounge. It was perfect for lying in the sun during the day when they were out and I would literally just roll over as the sun moved. It SHOULD have been a dining room.
Millennial here: we have one and so do 90% of my neighbours (new build estate with very similar floor plans). We love living in the kitchen/living room but the lounge is fantastic when there’s more people, ie when we have guests. I think the last time we sat in there was about 2 months ago.
I just can't imagine being able to afford a house with an extra room I don't really use! Gen X here.
Load More Replies...I'm nearing 60 and I've only seen two houses in my life where they did that (and I think both owners are now deceased). In the US, this isn't actually a widespread practice is it?
I'm 44 and have seen plenty. Houses in the suburbs of Wisconsin were built with them in the 90's. Probably still are. They would have a formal dining room as well. Everyone only spent time in the "family room" off the kitchen in the back of the house.
Load More Replies...I have posted this here before but here I am posting it again. I had a uncle growing up that he was very very well off. He had one room were no one ever go in. You could look in the room but you were not aloud to enter it. It was open but he had one of those ropes were you seen in fancy theaters maron color I believe, across the entrance of the room.
Born 1966, no clue what 'Gen' I am (tried to work it out once but I've never been good at maths). Anyway, NEVER seen a room like this. Not even at my grandparents'. Maybe we were more of a practical kind of family?
1966 is Gen X, not that you actually asked "-)
Load More Replies...My grandmother had a "parlor", where no one was permitted. Except for us grandchildren, who were allowed everything everywhere.
Specific animal breeding, such as Pigeon or dogs. These create a lot of suffering and I dont think millennials are so inclined to continue.
This entry could use some clarity. I suspect selective breeding will continue, but hopefully more care will be taken to choose for qualities beneficial to the animals health instead of detrimental to suit some aesthetic standard. Also, it's not just dogs and pigeons. Several tropical fish species are intentionally bred for qualities that negatively impact their health. The "balloon" varieties, where the internal organs are compressed into a space that is too small, are one example. Bettas and guppies with overly long fins and tails that impede swimming are another one.
I hope being forced to keep a grass lawn will go away. Too many cities have laws about keeping your lawn under 6” or 4” or whatever. It is a barrier for people who want to segue their property to a more natural, lower maintenance form.
we were just talking yesterday how gardens need to change because lawn uses too much water (besides being nearly useless for insects etc)
Usually, we perceive some things from the past, inevitably leaving with the change of generations, as nostalgic. Some old things, like analog devices, audio cassettes, vinyl records, and vintage slot machines - all these look very cool and authentic, but how applicable are they in real everyday life?
Especially since there are always modern things that do the same thing faster, better, and more efficiently. The same often applies to habits, customs, and traditions accepted in our society. It's far from certain that some of these traditions are really good and applicable today - it's enough to just look at them from a different angle.
The china industry. I don't know anyone under the age of 70 with fancy plates they keep locked up in a cupboard they bought just for those plates they never eat off--a hutch, it might be called?
Clubs... Not nightclubs but community groups like the Rotary or Mason's. I'd love to be involved in such a thing but the current members are so d**n hostile to any young person who shows up while also b******g about how young people don't get involved. .
For example, the specific humor of previous decades, often dedicated exclusively to mocking vulnerable categories of people, filled and literally oozing with cynicism and sarcasm. It's enough to watch many comedies or stand-up shows from the end of the last century to just do one big facepalm.
Humor on the verge of bullying, harsh and sometimes cruel - is this really something we'll be nostalgic for? More likely no than yes. Let's remember at least the series "How I Met Your Mother," the last episode of which was released in 2014 - many jokes there seem completely "on the edge of a foul," and sometimes beyond the pale. Well, and this was only a decade ago...
Excessive holiday decor/ gift giving. I really hope that dies soon.
I help people clean out their junk, & so much of it is brand new "gifts" that were never even opened. I really believe people would be happy without all the "stuff".
A few years ago, I read somewhere that in Iceland, people all give each other books for Xmas, and then they spend the evening reading and eating chocolate. So now at Xmas, I pretend I’m Icelandic—I give my family and best friend a book and some high-end chocolate.
Hopefully fax machines. Scan that s**t and send it on a PDF.
Medical offices use them too. They're secure in that the message can't be intercepted or corrupted, and in both medical and legal fields that is very important.
Streaming. Hear me out.
The model is steadily moving toward *pay per use* rather than big subscription services. Can you imagine "renting" an album to listen to it? It's coming.
And "buying the rights" to digital media isn't the solution either.
Owning the physical is the only way forward.
I'm part of the population that watch a tons of movie and series without ever paying for them. You just gotta find the right links and learn English in case you can't find content in your language.
The same can be said about parenting patterns. Yes, we can say that today's children can be ignorant and unruly compared to the '80s and '90s kids - and partly it's our parents' fault as we sometimes allow our offspring too much and make them kinda spoiled... but it is still definitely better than being cruel towards children, insulting them and never apologizing.
For example, according to data by The University of New Hampshire, from 1990 to 2007, substantiated cases of child physical a**se have declined 52%. Child neglect has declined only 6%, mostly fluctuating over the same period. Our society is still incredibly far from perfect, but we've definitely made some progress in the last decades here.
Family reunions/family get togethers. The older generations of our family are the only ones ever organizing them. Us younger folks have bigger s**t to worry about and couldn’t care less about seeing our maga uncles and random cousins once removed.
Thank you notes.
If I thank you in person upon opening said gift, why do I also need to write a note?
But also, are we really only giving gifts to loved ones because we want a thank you? Like, you wouldn't just give someone something because they'd like it, and you want to give them a moment of joy? Weird take. I couldn't care less about receiving a thank you in about 97% of the situations in which I give or do something for someone else.
Can we k**l suits and ties? i despise having to wear them. they are so uncomfortable, even if tailored. ties are the worst. "hey let's put a noose around our neck that hangs down." there are some stupid things, but d**n is a tie one of the most pointless fashion items out there.
The same goes for clothing - in particular, acceptable options for everyday wear. For example, a classic men's suit, although it looks incredibly stylish (if you know how to wear it, of course), is still significantly inferior in terms of wearing comfort to regular jeans and a hoodie. The same can be said when comparing classic shoes and sneakers. Comfort and functionality win - and that's good, right?
Emotionally immature parents.
The world will be a better place when families can handle disagreements or harm without rug sweeping or boundary pushing.
Personally, I’ll look forward to never seeing another boomer cry on a video about their kids not talking to them anymore.
I do not think I have sen a 70 to 80 year old make a crying video recently. Probably a little off on age but do not care.
First two things I thought of: Rural hospitals & fabric softener.
Yeah, my brain is weird.
Rural hospitals will be decimated due to the "Big Beautiful Bill. Even cities. Our hospital in Mt Pleasant Mich (pop 14000+/-) is in danger due to Medicaid cuts, can only imagine what a truly rural facility will face.
Can we k**l the obligation to verbally acknowledge when someone has sneezed?
Why? Why are you blessing me? I just had a reaction to some dust. It's not a big deal. Just ignore it and move on. I don't need your blessings.
No, of course, there are still many things that we'll inevitably be nostalgic for, and they will occasionally explode back into short-term trends, or form their own subcultures - as happened, for example, with vinyl records. But in this "good old world" there are also many things that we'll be actually happy to say goodbye to.
So now please feel free to read this list to the very end, and maybe add your own thoughts on the topic in the comments below the post. Well, even if you don't agree with the original idea or someone's views - let's just discuss everything.
Dunno about cooking, Im the best cook in my family. Who needs grandma? The internet man! I have access to unlimited recipes.
Funerals - how am I going to handle planning an event like this??? Also I don’t want one for myself and wouldn’t want my husband or kids to have to deal with any of that.
Senior homes. Don't get me wrong, I think they will be there forever. But I think the mentality changed and more and more will just opt out before going there. I'm talking about the senior home where you are mostly mentally and physically impaired, not the retirement home where you still have a good quality of life.
In other words you are referring to "Nursing homes" and "Assisted living" facilities. Unless you have a relative willing to lift you out of bed, take you to the toilet, bathe you, feed you, humans will always need these facilities when they get to the point they cannot care for themselves. I sure hope they are still around! I just wish we had a socialist system that would help us low income people afford them.
Broadcast TV. Everything will eventually roll over to streaming, no more OTA signal.
I hope not. Life is getting expensive as is without another bill I have to pay.
Cards. For birthdays, anniversaries, holidays etc. Other than Christmas cards, I don't know anyone under 50 who sends cards.
Though thank you cards should still be a thing for major events like weddings, and baby showers.
Golden Corral.
The last time we ate at one, the food was like high school institutional food prepared by reheating bad canned food.
Well church isn’t going anywhere. Gen z has turned into a pretty religious generation especially on the men side.
I hope OP is wrong. Here in the U.S., churches are causing a lot of problems.
Let's see if I've got this straight. Gen-Z wants to get rid of good manners, respect, humour, discipline, families, homes for the old and infirm, and, of course, anything even remotely resembling basic standards of grammar.
And yet, they won't get off my lawn! ( I hope I remembered to make a grammatical error, as I'm a gen X)
Load More Replies...Yup. I wrote my 13 year old granddaughter's birthday card in cursive out of habit. She is a very smart girl but to her it was like hieroglyphics.
Load More Replies...Landlines, cash, going to the bank in person, physical tickets for trains etc- all via app, even more time Spent on phones/ laptops as future will now be via apps. We’ll only recognise people by the tops of their heads instead of faces. Newspapers will cease because it will now read like a prison letter.. 99% of words censored using ****. No need to learn maths or grammar..AI tools will Do that.. so no more thinking.
One major solar flare knocking out the satellites and humanity will collapse.
Load More Replies...Manual car maintenance? We'd do it in a heartbeat if half the car didn't require an electronics specialist and the other half a contortionist...
F**k off with that boomer talk, lumping everybody together under a derogatory name and even pointing out someone's age when it has no bearing on the story. Do you also use the n word, the r word, call women bitches for no reason?
Load More Replies...Let's see if I've got this straight. Gen-Z wants to get rid of good manners, respect, humour, discipline, families, homes for the old and infirm, and, of course, anything even remotely resembling basic standards of grammar.
And yet, they won't get off my lawn! ( I hope I remembered to make a grammatical error, as I'm a gen X)
Load More Replies...Yup. I wrote my 13 year old granddaughter's birthday card in cursive out of habit. She is a very smart girl but to her it was like hieroglyphics.
Load More Replies...Landlines, cash, going to the bank in person, physical tickets for trains etc- all via app, even more time Spent on phones/ laptops as future will now be via apps. We’ll only recognise people by the tops of their heads instead of faces. Newspapers will cease because it will now read like a prison letter.. 99% of words censored using ****. No need to learn maths or grammar..AI tools will Do that.. so no more thinking.
One major solar flare knocking out the satellites and humanity will collapse.
Load More Replies...Manual car maintenance? We'd do it in a heartbeat if half the car didn't require an electronics specialist and the other half a contortionist...
F**k off with that boomer talk, lumping everybody together under a derogatory name and even pointing out someone's age when it has no bearing on the story. Do you also use the n word, the r word, call women bitches for no reason?
Load More Replies...
