As a teacher of Comprehensive/High School students, I've recently had some interactions with students that have left me questioning the future of our youth – and maybe even humanity itself.
The first red flag came when a student told me she had chosen Dance as one of her electives. Naturally, I got excited, envisioning her gracefully leaping across the stage in a classical ballet or contemporary routine. But when I asked what type of dance, she dropped the bombshell: "Tik-Tok dance."
Tik-Tok...dance? Is that even a real thing? The only images that conjured up were of awkward teenagers flailing their limbs uncontrollably to bad remixes or bad 'dad' dancing! So much for my visions of elegance and poise.
Then, in a discussion about current events, another student nonchalantly informed me that she doesn't read news articles. Her source of information? You guessed it – Tik-Tok. I suddenly had visions of world leaders breaking major announcements by doing little dances in their offices.
But perhaps the most cringe-worthy moment came when a student started addressing me as "Bruh." Bruh?! I'm your teacher, not your frat brother! Although, maybe I should start dressing like a hip college kid to stay relevant.
At this point, I'm starting to think the apocalypse might be coming, fueled by a generation raised on endless Tik-Tok videos and devoid of actual human interaction and critical thinking skills. Someone please send help – or at least some instructional Tik-Tok videos on how to relate to Gen Z! 😂