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What will the U18s of today vilify older generations for?

103 replies

Serada · 29/07/2026 15:34

Boomers get a tough time for a myriad of things - irrespective if whether they had any control over them or not.

What will today’s generation blame us for? Brexit? Environment? Housing costs? Lockdown? Large numbers of children or their parents with long covid? Falling healthy life expectancy?

OP posts:
MarilynMerlot · 30/07/2026 19:33

For still trying to force them into the old model: get on the property ladder and have kids. That world does not exist anymore. They can’t afford property and if we keep on the path we’re on their kids will likely have a difficult short life on a burning planet. Oh, and destroying their attention spans with early screens. I think that one will pale into insignificance though.

BarrelofBeer · 30/07/2026 19:50

Unyun · 29/07/2026 16:18

Constantly looking at their phones rather than paying them attention and actually talking to them.

^^

Lonulum · 30/07/2026 19:56

Environment
Not enough reservoirs
Building too many houses
Crap state schools
High housing costs

But mainly the alright jack re pensions so final salary defined benefit and for them possibly age 80.
High food costs from perhaps brexit and unable to live abroad.

I think probably should have kept grammar schools

Lonulum · 30/07/2026 19:57

Obviously ridiculous 9k student loans its clearly not worth that for 90%

scalt · 30/07/2026 20:05

Normalising mainstream media being full of sensationalist fear: it makes it harder to notice and act on genuine threats among all the noise. Many of the things on this thread are those things which the papers try to frighten us with every day, such as climate change; some of them may be justified, some of them may not. But because the news is CONSTANTLY trying to frighten us with terrorism, war, immigration, climate change, the greenhouse effect, the hole in the ozone layer, your mobile phone killing you (back in 2000, before the term "social media" had been coined), viruses, extreme weather, the Millennium Bug, etc. the list goes on and on. Lots of people (including me) just wave it aside with "whatever, heard it all before", and avoid the news. If news was more balanced, we might take it more seriously. But now, it's sensationalist wall-to-wall fear, and the government weaponised this in 2020, when in their own words, they "frightened the pants off the public", which made some people take the whole thing even less seriously. Even now, I don't know what to take seriously on the news any more, and what to wave aside.

@Serada I agree about being made to pay for higher education, and the lie that it would guarantee you a good job.

And that we don't hold politicians' feet to the fire, and we allow them get away with murder: in Tony Blair's case, literally. He should be in prison for the lies alone, but was rewarded with millions, and a knighthood. While ordinary people can be sent to prison for lying about who was driving a speeding car, Tony Blair and Boris Johnson lied to Parliament, the Queen, and the public, and faced no consequences at all. Boris Johnson faced no media scrutiny in 2020, because the media were in his thrall, and asking him only the "right" questions: one of the only people to ask him any exacting questions was Justine of Mumsnet. Perhaps if the media held politicians (and other rich and powerful bastards) to account instead of frightening the pants off the public every day, things might be different.

AgnesMcDoo · 30/07/2026 20:08

Maybe they will have learned not to be ageist arseholes

Persephonia1966 · 30/07/2026 21:18

Actually on climate change and fear mongering

I sort of agree because even though I think climate change is a serious threat and we should be doing more I don't appreciate the way the messaging is directed at children. I remember looking round a museum with a section on the climate and renewable energy (sponsored by Shell!) targeted towards kids. It was mostly very good but at the end there was a bit that said "only YOU can stop climate change" and I thought hang on, I actually think you Shell the multi-billion dollar energy giant can do more to stop climate change right now than my five year old. I'm all for kids turning lights of etc and being told about renewables. But I think the "only you can save the planet" rhetoric targeted towards the people with the least power to do so is a recipe for anxiety.

TheyGrewUp · 30/07/2026 21:24

Oh far simpler, barrel leg trousers and birkies.

scalt · 30/07/2026 21:28

@Persephonia1966 EXACTLY THIS!
So often the ones preaching loudest about climate change/greenhouse gases/ozone layer or whatever threat is fashionable are the biggest hypocrites. Think of those celebrities flying to climate change conferences in their private jets, when they could be using their millions to back real change. I remember Blue Peter pontificating about these things in 1988 or so. "It is hard for poor old adults to change their ways, to use cars less, to drop glass off at the bottle bank. But children can get them to do it!" When I volunteered in a primary school recently, I was annoyed to see Greta Thunberg's face on the walls.

And during the madness of 2020 and 2021, there was a vaccine campaign directed at children which I don't think actually saw the light of day, but it was talked about. It showed children in superhero costumes, with "I've been a hero and had the vaccine" or similar. It was discussed in the inquiry. Such decisions are not, and should not, be the responsibility of children.

scalt · 30/07/2026 21:30

TheyGrewUp · 30/07/2026 21:24

Oh far simpler, barrel leg trousers and birkies.

But teenagers nowadays like their birkies and socks. I've seen it: as soon as they finish their netball games, off come the trainers, on go the birkies (or sliders). And our generation sneers at older men wearing sandals and socks.

heartsinvisiblefury · 31/07/2026 08:38

Nousernameideaaga · 30/07/2026 19:13

Maybe that we sent them to schools that prepared them for the world we grew up in rather than the one they are growing up in

Nailed it !!

Serada · 31/07/2026 11:38

TheyGrewUp · 30/07/2026 21:24

Oh far simpler, barrel leg trousers and birkies.

🤣

OP posts:
VerbenaGirl · 13/09/2026 17:02

That they destroyed the planet and let AI take over unchecked.

Serada · 14/09/2026 11:31

Environment and AI are big ones.

OP posts:
mugglewump · 14/09/2026 12:53

For not standing up to the capitalist pigdogs who created

Global warming
Housing crisis
Spoilt beauty spots through mass tourism
Plastics and plastic pollution
Ultra-consumerism
An environment where both parents have to work full time to keep a roof over their heads when previously only one parent had to work to have the same standard of living
UPFs
Social media

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 14/09/2026 13:11

mugglewump · 14/09/2026 12:53

For not standing up to the capitalist pigdogs who created

Global warming
Housing crisis
Spoilt beauty spots through mass tourism
Plastics and plastic pollution
Ultra-consumerism
An environment where both parents have to work full time to keep a roof over their heads when previously only one parent had to work to have the same standard of living
UPFs
Social media

Capitalist Pigdogs

Hmmmm. Who exactly is a Capitalist Pigdog in your world? Politicians? What political system would you prefer instead of Capitalism?

LaurieFairyCake · 14/09/2026 17:04

Definitely that we fucked their world 🌍

we fucked it so much it’s proper unrecoverable fucked

Goldenbear · 14/09/2026 17:52

Dontlletmedownbruce · 29/07/2026 16:25

I would have said this a few years ago but the young people I know (and most older ones too) are embracing AI and don't give a flying fuck at the environmental damage it can cause. They literally don't care because it might save them 1 minute of scrolling or typing. Sometimes I can't believe what is happening, Europe is burning and we are embracing something like this as if the two aren't connected. It makes me want to go back to coal fires and chuck a pile of plastic in landfill, I've tried so hard for so long to reduce waste and minimise my carbon footprint (within reason) and it's all been a complete waste of time and energy.

School AI

Goldenbear · 14/09/2026 17:53

Oops didn't mean to quote you. Sorry.

Blocksfruity · 14/09/2026 18:10

Banning from the internet, the very thing that they are expected to use as the primary tool for their jobs, social life, shopping, research etc as adults in the digital world. I think they will look back at all the pearl clutching and be very angry that they were under prepared for the world that their European peers got ahead in.

Hellzbellz25 · 14/09/2026 18:18

Sharing them on social media, exactly why I’ve deleted all posts of my dd even from when she was a baby, I feel awful now as she couldn’t consent and I put loads of pics on over the years

38thparallel · 14/09/2026 18:27

Plus all the frequent flying everywhere. That will absolutely be vilified as one of the main causes of climate change in the future.

@EvangelicalAboutButteredToast This is true, and increases mass tourism and its attendant damage.
However, I would be interested to know how many young people try to refuse to go on family holidays abroad if flying is involved.

EmailsaysOOO · 14/09/2026 18:33

Yes, the environment..Air con, fossil fuels, flying everywhere, everything we're doing that is messing up the planet.

OverpricedCupcake · 14/09/2026 18:39

Making them accept that men can be women and destroying the safety, dignity, privacy and fairness of them.

SmallDFartyCarNRG · 14/09/2026 18:43

Brexit (already angry about it), AI (doesn't want to use it ever), cost of University (esp with the job situ thanks to AI), that we accepted cheap clothes from Primark which made most affordable brands lower their standards and Climate Change - we knew about it for decades yet did all of the above and didn't make building companies put solar on rooves/air heat pumps/green sustainable homes so most new homes are cheaply built heat traps.