History Repeats – Generation Gap

I remember when I was young rolling my eyes when my parents would shake their heads and mutter things like “I don’t understand your generation.” To me, it felt like they were just out of touch, unwilling to adapt, stubborn and maybe even a little old-fashioned. I swore I would never be that person and be the cool dude - open and adaptable to the new waves of thinking.

Fast forward to now... I am staring at my phone, watching an Instagram reel of someone making grilled cheese on an iron while narrating it like a crime documentary, and I find myself saying out loud: “What is going on with this generation?”

Oh no. It’s happening. I have become my parents. I am no longer cool. I am officially “the confused adult in the room.”

I never thought this day would come, but the signs are everywhere. I now say things like:

• “Why is everything so loud?”
• “Is this song… just a remix of a remix of a remix?” “I miss our generation song”
• “Who is this person with 14 million followers, and why are they whispering into the camera like I’m being recruited into a cult?”

I’m genuinely fascinated, sometimes even in awe, on how creative and bold this current generation can be. They are unfiltered, unapologetic, and often brutally honest. They build entire careers from a bedroom, have no patience for sugarcoating, and seem to carry a clarity which I definitely did not have at that age.

But still... I’m lost. It’s not just technology but also the energy. This generation has the vibe of someone who drank three espressos, read one existential philosophy quote, and decided to live their life as a main character in a mildly ironic indie film all before breakfast.

Here’s the thing though: every generation reaches this point eventually — the threshold where you begin to see the world through a slightly outdated lens. And it’s humbling. The same way our parents were baffled by AOL chat rooms and low hip jeans, we’re now trying to decode.

And don’t get me started on fashion. When I was growing up, if your jeans dragged on the ground, you’d go home with half the parking lot stuck to your cuffs. Now? They are pairing Y2K fashion with ‘90s irony and topping it off with Gen Z-level confidence. And yes still recovering  from the fact that crop tops are business wear for the current generation.

But here’s the funny part — despite my confusion, I kind of love it. This generation is fearless, weird in the best way, and constantly reinventing what it means to be human on the internet. They care about mental health and are allergic to cringe in a way I find almost spiritual.

Do I understand it? Not even close.

So now, when I catch myself saying “I just don’t get it,” I try to smile instead of cringe. Because I remember my parents said the same thing about me once. And somehow, we turned out okay. And who knows maybe one day, the grilled cheese iron kid will look at the next wave of humanity and whisper the same thing we all do eventually.

And honestly, It’s kind of freeing, as I never thought I’d become my parents. But now that I have; turns out… they were just tired.