topic Re: Generation Z in Community Chat

Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:37:02 GMT

I am going to try my best to be PC here, so bear with me..our oldest granddaughter is just 13 & is smart, adorable, polite, you know the rest..not any experience with teenage girls just yet (we have sons) I think I just met my first member of generation z, a few days ago. I was at the counter of a very busy local ice cream store, while I was next to her, she requested samples of several different flavors, when she finally decided, the server asked her, cup or cone? She acted like she didn't understand him & since I was standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a little cone display, I TRIED to make eye contact with her & tried to show her the choices, actually I tried it twice..she totally ignored me! She was probably 14-15 years old..do I have the correct generation? Like my body mass was not physically there! As far as the PC comment I mentioned, I better skip it, BUT, if this is the next seemingly- entitled generation around here, I'm going to have lots of fun in the coming years..& praying my granddaughters don't act like this in public!

BTW, I am proud to be a boomer & my husband & I aren't old YET!!!

Re: Generation Z

Noel7 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:43:19 GMT

This does not sound like entitlement to me. I assume she didn't understand him, maybe she didn't know you could get ice cream in a cup, or maybe she didn't hear him correctly, or maybe she has a developmental issue.

Re: Generation Z

RoughDraft — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:46:28 GMT

@Noel7 wrote:
This does not sound like entitlement to me. I assume she didn't understand him, maybe she didn't know you could get ice cream in a cup, or maybe she didn't hear him correctly, or maybe she has a developmental issue.

@Noel7 The same thought entered my mind.

Re: Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:47:30 GMT

she understood perfectly

Re: Generation Z

Marp — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:56:16 GMT

She acted like she didn't understand him & since I was standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a little cone display, I TRIED to make eye contact with her & tried to show her the choices, actually I tried it twice.

Perhaps your attempt to make eye contact instead of speaking up and saying something like "let me move out of your way so you can see the cones" would have garnered a different reaction. With you just trying to make eye contact she may have thought you were the female equivalent of a "lecherous old coot".

Re: Generation Z

Noel7 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:58:46 GMT

@Evie2004 wrote:
she understood perfectly

I don't know how you would know, but how did it end? Did she finally choose?

As an aside, at about 14 I probably wouldn't have acknowledged a nearby adult staring at me either.

Re: Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:09:13 GMT

wow, lecherous old coot, just wow!

At her estimated age, if she is afraid to respond to this type of communication, I feel sorry for her! I would understand if she was a toddler.. My question was more about this young generation, as our granddaughter is approaching that age..

she was still there as I walked away to enjoy our ( with husband) turtle sundaes!

Re: Generation Z

mom2four0418 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:16:59 GMT

@Evie2004 wrote:
I am going to try my best to be PC here, so bear with me..our oldest granddaughter is just 13 & is smart, adorable, polite, you know the rest..not any experience with teenage girls just yet (we have sons) I think I just met my first member of generation z, a few days ago. I was at the counter of a very busy local ice cream store, while I was next to her, she requested samples of several different flavors, when she finally decided, the server asked her, cup or cone? She acted like she didn't understand him & since I was standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a little cone display, I TRIED to make eye contact with her & tried to show her the choices, actually I tried it twice..she totally ignored me! She was probably 14-15 years old..do I have the correct generation? Like my body mass was not physically there! As far as the PC comment I mentioned, I better skip it, BUT, if this is the next seemingly- entitled generation around here, I'm going to have lots of fun in the coming years..& praying my granddaughters don't act like this in public!
BTW, I am proud to be a boomer & my husband & I aren't old YET!!!

Generation Name	Births Start	Births End	Youngest Age Today*	Oldest Age Today*
The Lost Generation - The Generation of 1914	1890	1915	102	127
The Interbellum Generation	1901	1913	104	116
The Greatest Generation	1910	1924	93	107
The Silent Generation	1925	1945	72	92
Baby Boomer Generation	1946	1964	53	71
Generation X (Baby Bust)	1965	1979	38	52
Generation Y - The Millennial - Gen Next	1980	1995	22	37
Generation Z	1996	2010	7	21
Gen Alpha	2011	2025	1	6

Re: Generation Z

Noel7 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:19:24 GMT

Thanks @mom2four0418 !

Lots of good data

Re: Generation Z

MickD — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:21:27 GMT

Was there a noticeable eyeroll? My son is 17 and he's a good kid, so I don't worry about other's kids. Just focus on your own brood.

Re: Generation Z

tansy — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:24:18 GMT

Baby Boomers annoyed the heck out of the older generations, too.

Re: Generation Z

shoesnbags — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 02:13:41 GMT

@Evie2004 wrote:
I am going to try my best to be PC here, so bear with me..our oldest granddaughter is just 13 & is smart, adorable, polite, you know the rest..not any experience with teenage girls just yet (we have sons) I think I just met my first member of generation z, a few days ago. I was at the counter of a very busy local ice cream store, while I was next to her, she requested samples of several different flavors, when she finally decided, the server asked her, cup or cone? She acted like she didn't understand him & since I was standing RIGHT IN FRONT of a little cone display, I TRIED to make eye contact with her & tried to show her the choices, actually I tried it twice..she totally ignored me! She was probably 14-15 years old..do I have the correct generation? Like my body mass was not physically there! As far as the PC comment I mentioned, I better skip it, BUT, if this is the next seemingly- entitled generation around here, I'm going to have lots of fun in the coming years..& praying my granddaughters don't act like this in public!
BTW, I am proud to be a boomer & my husband & I aren't old YET!!!

@Evie2004

Maybe it's because you were trying to be PC, but there just isn't enough info in your description of what happened. I didn't read anything that indicated she was deliberately trying to be difficult. How do you KNOW that she understood him? ( Maybe something you're afraid to say?) And why didn't you say something out loud, instead of "trying to make eye contact"? I would have just said "Oh, here are the cones - I'm afraid I was blocking them!"

I ask these things as a former Spec. Ed. teacher. From what you've told us, it sounds like you made a lot of assumptions about this girl. But again, maybe there are things you aren't saying that were definitely bad behavior on her part? If so, that's really a necessary part of the story.

Re: Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 02:20:03 GMT

@mom2four0418, thank you, guess we have 2Gen Z & 1Alpha gen granddaughters!

Re: Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 02:37:50 GMT

@shoesnbags, I do have some assumptions that I will keep personal, but basically was just feeling people out about this AGE GROUP/ GENERATION Z..

I don't feel I can give my opinion of her on here..I am used to very socialized friends & family members & she seemed very strange to me..I do plan to read up on the gen zees, as we have 2 in the family! & a Gen Alpha too!

Re: Generation Z

on the bay — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 03:05:01 GMT

I wouldn't put this one encounter as representative of the Z generation.

Nor any individual a representative of any generation.

Every person is an individual and different.

We may share certain experiences from a generation but I think thats about it.

Also, I think I would be uncomfotable with a stranger trying to make eye contact and explain the cones to me.

Remember many kids are still taught to not talk to strangers, especially younger kids and she is still young.Or she just may have felt it was strange and chose not to engage. She didn't know you right?

I may have misunderstood your post but from what I read, thats what I think.

Re: Generation Z

Moonchilde — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 05:28:32 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
I wouldn't put this one encounter as representative of the Z generation.
Nor any individual a representative of any generation.
Every person is an individual and different.
We may share certain experiences from a generation but I think thats about it.
Also, I think I would be uncomfotable with a stranger trying to make eye contact and explain the cones to me.
Remember many kids are still taught to not talk to strangers, especially younger kids and she is still young.Or she just may have felt it was strange and chose not to engage. She didn't know you right?
I may have misunderstood your post but from what I read, thats what I think.

This^^^

How or why should a single encounter with a stranger give insight into an entire generation? And if there was indeed (IF) "something odd" about this girl, all the more reason not to label her as representative of an entire group of people.

The OP is a stranger - a stranger whom the girl possibly feels is weird or rude and wants nothing to do with. I wouldn't fault her for that. I've never thought that every person under the age of 18 "must" mandatorily cower in the presence of an adult - or blindly obey them, or blindly show them respect.

Re: Generation Z

Silver Lining — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 07:36:46 GMT

@Evie2004, your post shows your disdain for a girl you don't know but seem to want other posters to join you in criticizing. Remarks like she "requested samples of several different flavors" and "finally decided" and "acted like she didn't understand" cone or cup and "praying" your granddaughters "don't act like this in public" are very telling. Maybe she didn't notice you trying to make eye contact with her, maybe she did and could see you were annoyed. Yes, you are going to have a hard time if you continue to be that impatient with a girl picking out a flavor of ice cream and calling it the "entitled generation." BTW, the employees and customers expect samples. Those little plastic spoons behind the glass next to the tubs of ice cream are there to sample flavors.

Re: Generation Z

Silver Lining — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 07:24:40 GMT

You said she was "still standing there" when you and your husband walked away with your sundaes. Apparently she didn't prevent your being served.

Re: Generation Z

Evie2004 — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 08:27:13 GMT

@Silver Lining wrote:
You said she was "still standing there" when you and your husband walked away with your sundaes. Apparently she didn't prevent your being served.

There are 10 servers there when they are busy on weekends..usually no wait!

sorry this topic was misunderstood by several...I am a very nice person, I had no plans to disturb or scare her..it was just a very odd encounter.

Re: Generation Z

nunya — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 11:32:04 GMT

maybe the ice cream scooper was cute and she wanted his attention LOL