There have always been gaps between generations, though arguably those gaps have grown larger with the accelerated social and technological changes of the past century. Generational differences show up in all kinds of ways, sometimes creating friction or misunderstandings but also providing great material for comedians.
Jake Lambert has created a whole series of videos pointing out some of the differences between how boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z do various things, and they’re hilariously spot on.
One thing that separates one generation from another is the way our upbringings played out, and Lambert’s video “How the different generations talk about their childhoods” nails that fact. Naturally, individual childhood experiences will differ and there’s some exaggeration for comedic effect, but overall he’s not wrong.
Watch:
“First of all, you’ve got boomers who like to let you know how much the world was a better place when they were younger,” he begins. “That people just left their doors unlocked 24 hours a day and that basically crime wasn’t invented until the 1970s.”
Yep, that’s the story a lot of boomers tell.
“Then you’ve got Gen X,” he continues. “They like to let you know how hard their upbringing was, that they’re from the ‘school of hard knocks,’ how they were just left to their own devices. If they weren’t at school, they were just told to go outside and keep themselves busy until it got dark.”
Also accurate.
Lambert then describes millennial upbringings, which were basically the polar opposite of Gen X, and then the weird technological paradox Gen Z has grown up with.
People weighed in on Lambert’s assessment and shared some of their own childhood experiences.
“Gen X here … every video you hit the nail on the head! I totally relate.”
“As a millennial, I had to warn my boomer parent about the dangers of the internet — we’ve come full circle, y’all.”
“I like to think of my Gen X childhood as feral, and I’m glad I survived.”
“Funny as hell about GenZ parents!”
“It’s the internet is a dangerous place while documenting everything on all the socials for me….🤣🤣🤣”
“I’m an early millennial and got both gen x and millenial upbringing.”
“Gen X definitely learned about stranger danger, but we were still outside all the time.”
“I was a mix of Millenial and x, was kicked out of the house until the sun came down, but also told about all the strangers that would willingly kidnap me if I talked to them/opened the door/answered the phone.”
“Okay, what Gen Xer is complaining about being left to our own devices? Most of us LOVE that facet of our childhood. We had so much freedom and independence. It was the best! 😍”
“I brought up my ‘School of Hard Knocks’ just last week to an Xer, haha. But, seriously, we were left a little too much alone. We have great childhood stories, though. Kids these days would have the cops on them if they did all we got to do.”
“Boomers have very faulty memories! I should know, I am one.”
You can follow Jake Lambert on Instagram.