Latest news with #rMillennials
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
"I'm Surprised That My Friends And I Are Still Alive": Millennials Are Weighing In On Whether Or Not They Had "Free-Range" Childhoods, And It's An Interesting Glimpse Into The Past
If you're a millennial, I have a question for you: as a kid, how strict were your parents? Were you allowed to stay out past dark and play with your friends, or were you practically on a leash at home? Well, people from our generation are discussing this exact topic, and weighing in on whether their childhoods were "free-range" or not. Let's just say, it's veryyy interesting to hear about what other childhoods were like. It all started in a thread on the r/Millennials subreddit when u/WesternTrail asked about everyone's childhoods: Related: "I see so many comments here where people talk about stuff like staying out until dark and not telling their parents where they were, or just spontaneously going to a friend's house and doing whatever. I can't relate," they said. "Growing up near busy streets in central LA meant I had more restrictions than some people apparently did. I had to stay within a few blocks of home, and tell someone else when I left and when I got back. None of my friends lived within walking distance, so when I saw them outside of school, it was on a scheduled playdate. Aside from jogs around my neighborhood, I didn't really leave the house without an adult until my late teens. Does anyone else here relate more to my childhood than posts about staying out 'til the sun went down? Did y'all really have free-range childhoods???" Hundreds of people weighed in with varying answers, but I've rounded up 16 of the most interesting. Here's what people had to say about their childhoods: 1."My parents purposely bought a house on a dead-end street for this reason. I'd go out on my bike and see who else was out to play, and we'd just hang out in various yards, basements, or in the street itself. We'd make up games that we played in the street, like 'baseball,' except everyone was on rollerblades and you were hitting the ball with a tennis racket. Someone would yell, 'Car!' as soon as they heard something, we'd move, and then get back out there when it passed." "I knew to come home when the street lights came on. If my parents were looking for me and didn't see me, they'd check the garage to see if my bike was there. If it wasn't, they knew I'd found someone in the neighborhood to play with. Saying this as a non-parent, it's one of the reasons I think parenting is SO much harder these days. Our parents weren't supervising/providing entertainment literally 24/7 like today's parents are. My parents got tons of free time when I was out in the neighborhood! And when I was much younger, they could pay one of the teenagers from church or the neighborhood a couple of bucks an hour to babysit so they could go out. Or, we'd go to gatherings where everyone brought their kids, and then the kids (even very young ones) were off playing by themselves while adults had time to just hang out with each other. None of this is an option these days!" –haley232323 2."I'm 42 and grew up in the country. We didn't even have streetlights — we came home when the coyotes started howling. You think I'm kidding, but I was chased more than once..." –Shabbettsannony 3."My childhood was literally just hiding in my room most of the time. If I invited someone over or went out, nine times out of 10, my parents would invent some reason to get mad. Cellphones made it a lot worse because then I was expected to 'check in' a million times a day, and it opened up a new avenue of dumb shit that I could get in trouble for." –Meryule Related: 4."I'm surprised that my friends and I are still alive, lol. We survived being attacked by a pitbull, survived my friend dropping a 2x4 from a tree fort build that cracked my head open, survived jumping off of roofs into swimming pools, and survived climbing on top of a grocery store roof only to be escorted home by the police. I could go on and on. Good times." –6BT_05 5."We lived in a cul-de-sac, and our house was next to a giant dirt area with hills made for bikes. Every kid in the neighborhood went to our same elementary school, so we were outside all the time, going over to friends' houses and hanging out. We didn't sit at home and watch TV, only in the mornings before going to school. It was the BEST." –lalalutz 6."I had helicopter parents before there was even a word for it, and it was an extremely alienating experience to grow up like that while everyone else got to play freely around me. Going to my house meant you had to follow 100 arbitrary rules set up by my mom, so you can imagine I wasn't very popular with the neighborhood." –ConsumeMeGarfield 7."I graduated from high school in 2007 and wouldn't trade any of my kid/teenage years for anything. In middle school, I made friends with my neighborhood kids, and we played outside all day. On weekends, we played capture the flag until midnight, outside with no parents." –ImCerealsGuys Related: 8."I'd literally go days without checking in with my parents and just bounce between friends' houses in the summer. Once, I was four days into a two-week camping trip with a friend's family in another state before letting them know what I was doing. As long as the police weren't calling or showing up, my parents weren't too concerned." –bubbletrashbarbie 9."I grew up in middle-class suburbia in the Midwest. Everything that is mentioned in the stereotypical free-range childhood is literally all the things my siblings and I experienced growing up. Outside all day, playing with all the other kids in the neighborhood, looking for our friends' bikes on the lawn to find out which house everyone was at. Walking into random houses (I mean, one of our friends', not totally random) for snacks, popsicles, soda, whatever." "Making up games in the cul-de-sacs, hiking around the woods and the creek, down to the river, playing kickball, video games, basketball, swimming, catching lightning bugs and pulling the glowy parts off, sticking them all over our fingers and saying they were 'diamond rings.' (Sorry, lightning bugs.) Eventually, everyone was called home for dinner one by one. Sigh, it was great. Truly, the stuff nostalgia is made of. Sad my kids won't really get to experience it because I'm terrified of too many sickos out there these days." –Ok_Area_1084 10."We were kicked out of the house and were back for dinner. They had no idea that we almost drowned in the river, got lost in the woods, got attacked by a swarm of bees, and almost got trampled by a herd of in one day." –quailfail666 11."So many scrapes, cuts, forts, tents, special sticks, bonfires, water balloon fights, sneaking around construction sites, riding my bike into puddles as fast as possible, hiding things in holes, climbing through the trees behind other and everything. We played every type of game. We didn't go home until mosquitoes made being outside unbearable. There was not enough potential danger around in terms of vehicles or people. A kid wouldn't necessarily be given a watch, certainly not a phone, as that wasn't a thing back then. So you knew it was time to go home when it was dark and you were getting bitten up." "At one point, I realized if I played too close to my house, my parents could find me and make me come in. So I just went even further away. I rode my bicycle on main roads to supermarkets and rode back with bags of candy balanced on both handlebars. I went to visit friends who lived more than a few streets away. I think when people describe this type of childhood, it comes in two varieties: the suburban and the rural. An urban childhood is different. It's security-minded, it's boundary-minded, as opposed to laissez-faire." –oldsoulseven 12."Once you got your first bike, you basically could do what you wanted. Ride anywhere and check out your friends' houses to see if they are around. You could ditch your bike in a friend's yard; there was no chance of it being stolen. No one knew where you were, and no one had any chance of reaching you." "I remember once I biked a fair distance down a maintenance road, walked along a river until I found a fordable spot, dropped the bike, then hiked up a big hill in a forest and lay down in a clearing and watched the clouds go by. I remember thinking, 'Not a single person on Earth has the slightest clue where I am.' The culture was very different. Everyone basically agreed that children on bikes had a perfect right to be miles and miles from home. Police didn't hassle either the kids or the parents. We always had to carry a couple of quarters in case we needed to find a payphone to call home, and we had to memorize our home phone number. I still have it memorized, decades later." –Krytan Related: 13."My group of friends used an old, shut-down cement factory next to a quarry as our playground. The local gas station had no problem selling us lighters while we filled up containers with gasoline. Made epic bonfires, Molotov cocktails, wild games of hide and seek, and built a rope swing in the quarry. There's a bike/walk trail system through my township, and I was regularly miles away from home on my bike over the summers as well." –No_Account12 14."My friends were all free range. Us, not so much. My mom was a SAHM, so she listened in on our phone calls. When we asked to go anywhere, she had to know where, who would be there, and when to be home. We always had to be home for dinner, and it was rare that we were allowed to go out after dinner. We were kept out of a lot of trouble that way, but I kind of feel like we missed out." –ThoseRMyMonkeys 15."I had a pretty free-range childhood growing up, and honestly, it's been difficult to recreate it for my kids. We moved into a neighborhood that seemed to have kids out all the time, but I've noticed that every kid is scheduled for SOMETHING; summer camps for working parents, sports, and extracurriculars, etc. Add to the mix just the challenges of finding 'your people,' especially when you didn't grow up in the area." "My oldest was eager to jump on his bike and roam and ask friends to play, but after a pretty disheartening encounter with another neighborhood parent ('let us know ahead of time before he knocks on our door'), we lost the drive and haven't found it again. Between over-scheduled kids and unwelcoming neighbors, it's been really hard to find that drive for my kids externally. I'm hoping this changes as they get older and even more independent." –Unexpected_Sunshine 16."I grew up in a small town in New England. My friends and I would ride our bikes across town, grab candy at the only store, and head to the playground. Or play in the woods by ourselves. When we were 11, we were dropped off at the mall for a couple of hours by ourselves. No cell phones. It was great. Sad that kids aren't able to do that anymore." –Competitive-Safe-452 What do you think? Did you have a free-range childhood? Let me know in the comments! Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity. 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Yahoo
19-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Millennials Are Sharing Things They Think Will "Die" With The Older Generations, And Fine China Is Definitely On This List
Every generation brings with it its own unique cultural contributions that help shape society, even if they don't last forever. I mean, Duck Lips™ might be dated now, but they had a deathgrip on an entire generation before Gen Z rightfully rejected them (RIP). Following this train of thought, Reddit user Soup_stew_supremacy recently posed this question to the r/Millennials subreddit: "There is always discourse about Millennials 'killing' things (Applebees, newspapers, church, etc.). What are some things you think will 'die' once the older generations go?" The answers ranged from obvious to "Oh wow, I hadn't even considered a world in which THAT would be gone." Here's what people had to say: 1."Checks. As an adult, I've never used a check. The closest I've gotten is a money order back in my early 20s for a rental deposit on a house." —u/PermissionOaks Related: 2."Clubs. Not nightclubs, but community groups like the Rotary or Masons. I'd love to be involved in such a thing, but the current members are so damn hostile to any young person who shows up while also bitching about how young people don't get involved." —u/mlo9109 3."Hopefully fax machines. Scan that shit and send it as a PDF." —u/Ever_More_Art 4."'Company rooms' or formal living rooms — those rooms in your grandparents' houses that are kept pristine and saved for important guests or special events only. 'Don't go in there and mess things up!' I always thought it was SO WEIRD to have an entire room you only use a few times a year?!" —u/modernrocker 5."Broadcast TV. Everything will eventually roll over to streaming, no more OTA signal." —u/OwnConversation1010 6."All the schools. We are already closing schools in my area due to declining enrollment. A lot of services for children are contracting too. I don't think we will ever see birthrates like they were previously. Same with colleges. Our local community college just closed due to lack of enrollment." —u/Soup_stew_supremacy Related: 7."Funerals — how am I going to handle planning an event like this??? Also, I don't want one for myself and wouldn't want my husband or kids to have to deal with any of that." —u/HogBodyOdyOdyOdy "My grandpa passed recently in his 90s. His boomer kids skipped the funeral and did a siblings get-together to spread the ashes instead." —u/Pure-Introduction493 "I'm already seeing a huge decline in this. Since 2020, out of everyone I've known who's died, only two have had funerals. These have been a rough few years, too. I've known about 20 people who've died. On the one hand, I understand the cost and stuff being a hindrance. On the other hand, not having a funeral or any sort of celebration of life/gathering kind of takes away a piece of the closure you need." —u/NoTrashInMyTrailer 8."The china industry. I don't know anyone under the age of 70 with fancy plates they keep locked up in a cupboard they bought just to house those plates they never eat off. A hutch, it might be called?" —u/TheAlphaKiller17 9."All the churches. I don't think we will ever fully stop going to church as a society, but there are so many churches (especially in rural areas) that barely have a patronage under the age of 50. There are also so many denominations that are shrinking rapidly, including Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, and Jehovah's Witnesses, to name a few." —u/Soup_stew_supremacy 10."Can we kill the obligation to verbally acknowledge when someone has sneezed? Why? Why are you blessing me? I just had a reaction to some dust. It's not a big deal. Just ignore it and move on. I don't need your blessings." —u/PintsOfGuinness_ 11."Timeshares. What's really wild is that they have been understood to be predatory and a scam for at least 50 years now. There are pop culture references to that going back to the early '70s, at least. Timeshares and cigarettes are still somehow catching new victims even though literal children know exactly what is wrong with them." —u/MarginalOmnivore Related: 12."I wonder how much longer we will still have in-person banks, or at least see them dramatically reduce personnel since most of us use online banking." —u/dude_named_will 13."Never apologizing to your children." —u/VFTM "Emotionally immature parents. The world will be a better place when families can handle disagreements or harm without rug sweeping or boundary-pushing. Personally, I look forward to never seeing another boomer cry on a video about their kids not talking to them anymore." —u/historyosilence 14."'Jokes' about hating your spouse. And good riddance." –u/Glozboy 15."Small museums. There's a small one in my town about local history, and there are no members under 50, and most are over 60. Last I knew, they were down to about 15 members because several have passed away over the last couple of years." —u/Mlady_gemstone 16."'Classic' car shows. Although I do know of younger people into classic or specialty cars, I have attended these car shows with my parents, and the crowd is mostly older people (especially for 'classic' cars from the 50s, 60s, and 70s). I think most of us don't have the money for a new car, much less an expensive hobby car." —u/Soup_stew_supremacy 17."Rural hospitals. It's a financial thing. Rural hospitals already find it very difficult to stay open. Factor in decreased Medicaid funding, and it's guaranteed to happen." –u/lysistrata3000 Related: 18."Dryer sheets and plastic flowers. Good riddance." —u/AttentionOutside308 "Dryer sheets are full of chemicals and microplastics. The residue that they leave on your laundry is actually also quite bad for them, especially towels." —u/Ill-Country368 19."Cards. For birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. Other than Christmas cards, I don't know anyone under 50 who sends cards. Though thank you cards should still be a thing for major events like weddings and baby showers." —u/PinkHamster08 "They're like eight bucks now and for what? Why? I only buy cards for my parents. Once they're gone, that's it for cards." —u/what-name-is-it 20."I hope being forced to keep a grass lawn will go away. Too many cities have laws about keeping your lawn under 6 inches or 4 inches or whatever. It's a barrier for people who want to segue their property to a more natural, lower maintenance form." —u/BlueEyedSpiceJunkie "It's also not environmentally friendly." —u/Ever_More_Art 21."Cooking and housekeeping knowledge. The older generations were trained in household management, cooking, and cleaning by the generation that went through the Great Depression. Some of them still have a lot of institutional knowledge and skills from that time. If you still can, call your grandma and ask her how she makes those amazing dinner rolls!" —u/Soup_stew_supremacy 22."Excessive holiday decor/gift giving. I really hope that dies soon. I help people clean out their junk, and so much of it is brand-new 'gifts' that were never even opened. I really believe people would be happy without all the 'stuff.'" —u/Pearl-2017 23."The housing shortage. I know that houses are scarce and expensive now, but as the population declines, we may end up with more houses than people to buy them at some point. I see this as a good thing for future generations (this will more than likely happen to our kids or grandkids, or even great-grandkids, not to us)." —u/Soup_stew_supremacy What do you think? Are there any things you think should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments! Note: Some answers are edited for length and/or clarity. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Millennial Says, The Older I Get And The Further In My Career I Go, The More I Realize How Deadly Accurate 'Office Space' Was
'It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.' That line from the 1999 cult classic 'Office Space' movie might've gotten a laugh 26 years ago, but for a lot of working millennials today, it's hitting uncomfortably close to home. As one millennial recently put it in the r/Millennials subreddit: 'The older I get and the farther in my career I go, the more I realize how deadly accurate 'Office Space' was.' That simple statement launched a tidal wave of agreement from thousands of people, most of them somewhere between their 30s and 40s, grinding through careers that feel increasingly pointless. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can When the movie first came out, many viewers saw it as an absurdist comedy. Now, it feels like a documentary. 'It came out when I was in high school and I thought the exact same,' one person wrote. 'I remember a couple years later in my first office job, like a week in I realized 'it wasn't satire, it was a f***ing documentary.'' Another echoed the sentiment: 'Watched it again recently and was like 'oh sh*t.'' A number of commenters shared that their daily work lives are basically spreadsheets, emails and meetings with no clear purpose. 'People ask me what I do at my job, and I can't even explain it. I send emails and make spreadsheets, homie,' one person said. 'My decks are basically full reports with a lot of data and they get referred to for years afterwards. I don't even get to present them.' Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Many talked about doing great work, only to get tiny raises or none at all. 'I crunched for three months at the beginning of 2025, usually 10-hour days with a couple of 12-hour days... Hit the target on both [projects], got a 0.5% raise shortly after. Lowest I've ever gotten, in a year where I easily did my best work,' someone wrote. Another added, 'Got a huge promotion/raise I'd been trying and failing to get for 5 years'—but only after they stopped putting in effort entirely after their dad passed away. Several said it outright: if you care too much, you're either ignored or punished. 'The squeaky wheel gets more work assigned to them for no additional pay or prospects for promotion.' The idea of the workplace as a 'family' was torn apart by users. One wrote, 'I naively approached this job with 'we're a family' energy.' A year later? They keep to themselves now. 'People are petty, insecure, control-hungry, arrogant, defensive. Humorless.' Others pointed to open office layouts and endless meetings as morale-killers. 'I'm still wrapping my head around 30-minute daily standup meetings and then filling out a 'What I Did Today' in Slack.'Many millennials admitted that the further they move up the corporate ladder, the more hollow it feels. One said their goal is now simply to 'do half the work for twice the pay' as a program manager. Others are focused on survival, not ambition. 'You only have to work hard enough to be cheaper to keep than replace,' one comment read. And if there's one consistent theme, it's this: working hard doesn't guarantee anything. One person summed up the entire vibe: 'Watching that movie growing up it's like okay, that's kinda funny but he's not being serious. Now... now it's gospel.' After thousands of comments, one thing is obvious: 'Office Space' isn't funny because it's exaggerated—it's funny because it's true. And for a generation that grew up being told to find purpose in their work, discovering that the working world often rewards apathy instead of passion feels like a bait-and-switch. Read Next: Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article A Millennial Says, The Older I Get And The Further In My Career I Go, The More I Realize How Deadly Accurate 'Office Space' Was originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Millennial Says, The Older I Get And The Further In My Career I Go, The More I Realize How Deadly Accurate 'Office Space' Was
'It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.' That line from the 1999 cult classic 'Office Space' movie might've gotten a laugh 26 years ago, but for a lot of working millennials today, it's hitting uncomfortably close to home. As one millennial recently put it in the r/Millennials subreddit: 'The older I get and the farther in my career I go, the more I realize how deadly accurate 'Office Space' was.' That simple statement launched a tidal wave of agreement from thousands of people, most of them somewhere between their 30s and 40s, grinding through careers that feel increasingly pointless. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can When the movie first came out, many viewers saw it as an absurdist comedy. Now, it feels like a documentary. 'It came out when I was in high school and I thought the exact same,' one person wrote. 'I remember a couple years later in my first office job, like a week in I realized 'it wasn't satire, it was a f***ing documentary.'' Another echoed the sentiment: 'Watched it again recently and was like 'oh sh*t.'' A number of commenters shared that their daily work lives are basically spreadsheets, emails and meetings with no clear purpose. 'People ask me what I do at my job, and I can't even explain it. I send emails and make spreadsheets, homie,' one person said. 'My decks are basically full reports with a lot of data and they get referred to for years afterwards. I don't even get to present them.' Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Many talked about doing great work, only to get tiny raises or none at all. 'I crunched for three months at the beginning of 2025, usually 10-hour days with a couple of 12-hour days... Hit the target on both [projects], got a 0.5% raise shortly after. Lowest I've ever gotten, in a year where I easily did my best work,' someone wrote. Another added, 'Got a huge promotion/raise I'd been trying and failing to get for 5 years'—but only after they stopped putting in effort entirely after their dad passed away. Several said it outright: if you care too much, you're either ignored or punished. 'The squeaky wheel gets more work assigned to them for no additional pay or prospects for promotion.' The idea of the workplace as a 'family' was torn apart by users. One wrote, 'I naively approached this job with 'we're a family' energy.' A year later? They keep to themselves now. 'People are petty, insecure, control-hungry, arrogant, defensive. Humorless.' Others pointed to open office layouts and endless meetings as morale-killers. 'I'm still wrapping my head around 30-minute daily standup meetings and then filling out a 'What I Did Today' in Slack.'Many millennials admitted that the further they move up the corporate ladder, the more hollow it feels. One said their goal is now simply to 'do half the work for twice the pay' as a program manager. Others are focused on survival, not ambition. 'You only have to work hard enough to be cheaper to keep than replace,' one comment read. And if there's one consistent theme, it's this: working hard doesn't guarantee anything. One person summed up the entire vibe: 'Watching that movie growing up it's like okay, that's kinda funny but he's not being serious. Now... now it's gospel.' After thousands of comments, one thing is obvious: 'Office Space' isn't funny because it's exaggerated—it's funny because it's true. And for a generation that grew up being told to find purpose in their work, discovering that the working world often rewards apathy instead of passion feels like a bait-and-switch. Read Next: Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article A Millennial Says, The Older I Get And The Further In My Career I Go, The More I Realize How Deadly Accurate 'Office Space' Was originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
