“Total Ignorance Of Science”: 40 Older Adults Point Out Weird Things That Are “Normal” Nowadays

It's natural for people to have differing opinions. Sometimes, these opinions can differ because of age. And that's completely normal, too. Clinical psychologist and author of The Aging Well Workbook for Anxiety and Depression, Dr. Julie Erickson, says that different generations commonly have conflicting views over norms, values, and beliefs.

"Each generation has 'cohort beliefs,' which are beliefs held by people born at a similar time period," Dr. Erickson tells Bored Panda. "These beliefs are shaped by a variety of different social, political, cultural, environmental, technological, and economic factors of the time."

But to say that "all elderly people hate technology" would be too simplistic and untrue. And, honestly, pretty ageist. There's much more nuance to it than that. "It's important to recognize that there is tremendous individual variability in the extent to which older adults accept new social norms," Dr. Erickson observes. "Some older adults are quite capable of evolving their worldview. It's an ageist assumption that older adults are stuck in their ways or more resistant to change."

The clinical psychologist says that some studies suggest the personality trait we call 'agreeableness' increases as people age. "That being said, as we get older, we tend to prefer what is familiar and personally meaningful," she also notes. "This can make some people less open to new experiences or worldviews."

When the world's changing so fast and in so many ways, it can become harder and harder to keep up with current trends. And that includes not only knowing who the most popular celebrities are or what the latest fashion trend is. It's more about things like what words or phrases might be inappropriate to use.

Some people grow more anxious as they age because they feel like the world might be leaving them behind. Dr. Erickson says that this is a concern for people who subscribe to the narrative that it's all downhill from a certain age.

"We forget about everything we gain as we get older: wisdom, maturity, emotional stability, a clearly defined sense of self, not sweating the small stuff as much, and plenty of experience solving problems. It's about finding a way to use these strengths in a changing world," she explains.

Bored Panda also had a short chat with u/-----Diana-----, the author of this thread. "I got the idea for the question one morning when lying in bed," the young Redditor tells us. The user shared how she lives in a Romanian village where a big portion of the population is over 50. "They have lots to complain about," the Redditor chuckled.

The inspiration for the question came from a lady in her mid-70s, u/-----Diana----- tells us. She overheard the woman complaining about how her grandchildren were always on their phones. The Redditor then went to r/AskOldPeople to ask the older adults what things the younger generation does nowadays that bother them. "The answers there tend to be intriguing generally," the user adds.

u/-----Diana----- also told us that she's heard her fair share of complaints about young people from her grandparents. "They're both about to turn 70 years old this year," she says. According to the Redditor, they like to talk about how the young generation is self-absorbed and how people became worse and worse after the demise of Nicolae Ceaușescu and the fall of the communist regime in Romania.

However, u/-----Diana----- agrees with some things the older people shared in this thread. She feels sad about how many young people of her generation seem to spend too much time on their phones and are not living in the moment. And while she thinks that the rise of loneliness might be imminent, she remains optimistic. All we need is some meaningful human contact, she says.