Taking oneself too seriously is a modern phenomenon much to be avoided

[DownToTheSeaAgain]

In my youf we wore puffball skirts and day glow leg warmers with pride but also with a slight sense of ironic self deprecation.

We used san pro to transform our saggy shoulders into squared off power dressing for the buy, buy, generation. We chuckled at the ridiculousness of it all and got on with selling off the nations utilities.

We protested against poll tax whilst wearing bin bags as fashion items. We connected with our world whilst at the same time appreciating that we probably looked a bit silly.

We didn’t take ourselves too seriously.

AIBU to believe that Gen Z have largely lost the ridiculous clothing choices and with that the ability to laugh at themselves and life in general?

Is this a C&P from Facebook?

Do you actually know much about modern youth culture OP?

I sense a teeny weeny bit of social media based ageism creeping in here. We 50+ Mumsnet users have as much right as the next person to post on here.

NB Original post is not ageism but an acute observation of the state of the world in today.

Nope, my kids are just as piss-taking of themselves and their peers as we were, if not more so.

Loads

I think they have more stressors that we did, more academic pressure, cost of living crisis, thoughts of never being able to buy a house, it’s pretty depressing for them really.

God no my DS just said I had that diplomatic front of Trump!

Why don’t you tell us some more about it then. You haven’t said much to support your statement at all.

And you got to do that without it being instantly posted online for strangers and people you know to comment on how stupid/ugly/fat you were. Photos and videos of your silly choices aren't available forever to follow you your whole life if a new employer or colleague or just anyone cares to Google your name. Lucky you.

So dreary. "Everything was better in my day!"

No, we didn't wear legwarmers ironically. We totally took ourselves seriously.

I am 59. Every generation has thought subsequent generations were lacking, somehow. You're not very original OP.

It’s okay for you to be ageist but heaven forbid your tone give away your age and receive commentary.
Turns out irony did pass you buy all along.

Nobody said you don't have a right to post here. I agree with the first response. It looks like one they facebook things that do the rounds

Gosh what a lot of miseries you all are.

I will defend to my dying day the right not to have to use [lighthearted] in the title but jeez…

The British habit of piss taking has been taken to the cleaners and washed out somewhat.

What kind of responses were you hoping for?

I'm 56 😳

I only asked if you copied it from Facebook lol.

ETA: An is this not ageism?

AIBU to believe that Gen Z have largely lost the ridiculous clothing choices and with that the ability to laugh at themselves and life in general?

Yup linking it to one generation is agist
especially when the 50 somethings are not wearing bin bags, leg warmers or anything ironically today either

You used the phrase ‘san pro’. I cannot possibly comment on a post that used such a dire Americanism.

I get you OP. Im a fan of tongue in cheek and not taking ourselves seriously

I could have predicted these responses.

Fair point. Sorry.

FWIW ‘sanitary pad’ sends me straight back to the trauma of wrestling with one in the girls loos at school and gives me PTSD

Yeah the youngsters in my team have no banter at all. They are literally unable to laugh at themselves.

You sound like your observation of young people is incredibly limited. Do you never spend any time in big cities or university towns and notice all the different youth subcultures?

I’m also in my 50s. I live in a city with a massive student population and I go to a lot of small, alternative gigs and I see Gen Z age people every single day who look absolutely bonkers in the best of ways and definitely have a sense of humour and irony about it.

I should have. But then I didn’t use the [lighthearted] mnemonic in my title.

I refuse to do so. It is tiresome when people have to say this and ruins the hyperbole.

Some will get it, others wont.

Yes. I am a small minded bigot who doesn’t have her eyes open as she walks through her parochial NIMBY centred village. (Lambeth)

To be fair I was hoping for tales of outrageous clothing and rebellion in the here and now. What I see is young people dressed like their parents and overly concerned about their career paths aged 17. Makes me sad.