No one who has ever lived to see old age has also thwarted growing older. But with age comes the gift of wisdom, along with maybe a wrinkle or too.
However, passing along that hard-earned knowledge isn’t always easy. After all, when we’re younger, the world seems to be much more simple. We are not yet fully aware that things never stop changing—trends that were once the “it” things will eventually become a source of embarrassment. Or worse … come back as “retro” or “nostalgic.” Ouch.
That’s right, kids. Believe it or not, there will come a time when even Billie Eilish isn’t cool anymore!
Of course, we’re not just talking about fashion or taste in music. Hopefully, we all expand our world view after our teenage years, growing more mature, grounded and less self-absorbed. That’s not always the case, of course, but that is the goal.
Reddit user u/Slight_Weight asked folks to share things that teens today “are not ready to hear.” Honestly I expected to find cynical, snarky “kids today don’t know anything” type of comments. But on the contrary, a lot of it really was tough love. And truthfully, much of the advice isn’t age-specific. They’re just good “be a kind human” reminders all around. And then other answers were just plain funny.
Check out 17 of the best answers. For the youngsters, just trust us on this. And for the … um … more refined crowd, you’ll probably relate to them all.
1. “Everything you do as a teenager will be cringe to your children.” – @divinetrackies
2.“You won’t ‘feel’ different when you’re older, or have kids. You’ll just be you, it’s weird.” – @Poshspicer
3. “Today’s eyebrows are yesterday’s clown makeup.” – @Lardinho
4. “In 15 years you’re going to think the kids have gone too far and they’re going to think you’re old-fashioned.” – @neat_machine
5. “Getting good at stuff will take time. Sometimes lots of time. And sometimes, you’ll spend lots of time on something, and you still won’t get good at it. That’s the human experience. Some things you struggle with will come very easily to others, but some things they struggle with will come very easily to you. Don’t be mad that someone possesses skills you don’t, and don’t be a jerk for possessing skills that many other people don’t.” – @OskeeWootWoot
6. “Nobody else wants to hear whatever TikTok you’re watching. Buy some headphones.“ – @EmiliusReturns
7. “Being controversial isn’t the same as being interesting.” – @HezFez238
8. “School has a system in place to keep you from falling behind, life doesn’t.” – @Corey854
9. “Just because you fucked up does NOT mean you’re a fuckup.” – @Mr_Murder1
10. “Things will likely take significantly longer to achieve than you think.” – @Dull-College
11. “Life is NOT like a video game where you just keep leveling up. Sometimes, what you built will fall apart, and you will have to repeatedly do the same thing over and over…However, don’t beat yourself up about it – this is normal. And with experience, you will also become more adept at facing and resolving problems, so each time the same problem repeats, you will be better at solving them.” – @EmpRupus
12. “Not everybody can be an internet sensation, somebody has to drive the dump truck.” – @Raggydasavage
13. “Social media is not reality and your entire life should not revolve around it.” – @RickGrimesSnotBubble
14. “One day you too will be old and uncool. And it’ll happen faster than you think.” – @omguseries
