It's a more or less universal truth that every generation thinks they are faced with problems that are worse than any previous generation has ever had to face. When you're young you lack a great deal of context, particularly if you're young and haven't studied world history very carefully. And given the tendency of the youth of today to support communism and soto voce (or openly) support brutal communist dictators like Stalin, Mao, and Castro and their henchmen like Che Guevara we can fairly definitively assume that these folks weren't paying a lot of attention in history class.
For an example look no further than this tweet from a young women who, despite having apparently obtained her PhD in English, still believes that the issues of her generation with socializing are due to the uniquely traumatic nature of the world into which they were born.
Has anyone considered that perhaps younger generation’s aversion/inability to make small talk isn’t merely due to screen culture but because we are inundated with how tragic and violent the world is—24/7— and small talks seems quite ridiculous and distracting in the light of that
— Amy Gaeta (@GaetaAmy) November 21, 2023
Surely the generation of adults who as children were drilled on the importance of hiding under your desk in the event of a nuclear blast as the adventures of Bert the Turtle were shown thought the world was one without anything to fear, fight? Or perhaps their parents who watched as the world descended into the chaos that was World War 2, or their parents in World War 1... the list goes on and on, to the wars that ravaged and devastated Europe throughout early modern history to the generations who lived through the Black Death's culling of the global population, there are too many things to list.
But please, do go on about how watching CNN as a kid scarred you for life, young lady.
In the 1960s and 1970s terrorist attacks and political assassinations were extremely common and people got drafted into a war. Did people not make small talk back then?
— Senior PowerPoint Engineer (@ryxcommar) November 21, 2023
People did, in fact, make small talk. They even made whole videos about how to do it well and Dale Carnegie made an entire self-help empire based largely on coaching people in how to use small talk to sway people to like you.
God young Americans are unbelievable narcissists. Get over yourselves
— Swann Marcus (@SwannMarcus89) November 22, 2023
So get off the screen and go make small talk. lol
— Whatevs (@j035ich5pach) November 22, 2023
Maybe it’s the same narcissism that tells you you are living in the apocalypse that’s responsible for your inability to ask another human about themselves. I don’t like small talk but it’s because I’m an introvert and grumpy. Don’t make excuses.
— funkhauser (@hauseoffunk) November 22, 2023
'The problem isn't me, it's the unique horrors of the world that we live in that's to blame. I'm great!'
I don’t understand the hate for small talk. Isn’t that how every conversation with a new person gets started? If someone can’t ever move beyond small talk, sure that’s boring and sad, but you can’t usually just dive the deep stuff right away.
— Jesse Pinkman (@stancillauthor) November 21, 2023
That's how conversation with a new person gets started if you're not a virulent narcissist, yes.
I did consider it. I immediately then dismissed the consideration for being silly and self-aggrandizing. https://t.co/6aMOh1aQLn
— Good Tweetman (@Goodtweet_man) November 22, 2023
"My phone didn't make me awkward and antisocial, my constant exposure to the tragedies of the world did." https://t.co/2OEs8nrksa pic.twitter.com/4NmeI6CcVE
— Doc Supafly (@DocSupafly) November 22, 2023
are you under the impression that young people living in, say, medieval poland were unaware of how tragic and violent the world is https://t.co/wicKRWxxAi
— N. Bourbaki, last living Burkean (@d08890) November 22, 2023
You'd think she'd be aware, since one of the important aspects of obtaining a degree in English is gaining an understanding of the times and circumstances under which the books in question were written... but apparently not.
Again, younger generations have always thought they were uniquely put upon and smarter than their elders, going back to the Goliards in the 12th and 13th centuries and well beyond. And their elders have always shaken their heads at the naivete of these kids and figured they'd grow up and get a grip on reality. Let's hope that happens soon though.
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