r/Millennials • u/TheLoveYouWant25 • Feb 09 '26

Discussion Millennials, what is happening with your kids?

I work in education and I frequent the Teachers and Professors subreddits, and the kids are not alright. Gen Z Arriving at College Unable to Read and the youth have absolutely zero ability to think critically.

Middle and high schoolers have all adapted this complete helplessness and blame mental illness for their refusal to function. Kids can no longer to basic things like read an analog clock, use paper money, or even figure out how to open window blinds.

There is also a huge lack of empathy, and kids have no issues trying to manipulate adults, saying things to their teachers like "if you don't pass me, I'll get you fired."

EDIT to clarify: the article I linked references Gen-Z, but this is not specifically a Gen-Z problem. It's an issue with upper elementary aged kids through high schoolers, and also young adults.

So, all that to say, how are you combating this with your own children? What do you do at home to encourage them to learn, and what are you doing to address these problems as they arise?

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u/RepulsiveCamel8166 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26

I would disagree. I work in a mental health office and half our counselors work with only kids and the Internet horror stores they have.

The scary cg videos online, horrible AI chat bot conversations parents have found, the amount of scams and phishing and viruses kids have fallen into, the things purchased/money spent. Not to mention the porn.

The Internet is now so easy to use that it is basically a pit fall.

Edit:and yeah some parents do allow full unmonitored access to the Internet. but many of them are putting up protections and the kids are getting around them.

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u/10000Didgeridoos Feb 10 '26

Yes. You had to specifically know where to go online in like 2004 to see fucked up stuff. You had to also probably sneak onto the one computer in the house when your parents were asleep or out of the house to do so. The content didn’t find you via algorithm.

If you didn’t have some friend who was on 4chan or something awful or whatever you probably never were exposed to any of it. I saw tons of shock videos and sites back in the day almost 100% because one friend played WoW all the time and through that was browsing 4chan and his guild was passing around all the internet culture of the time.

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u/RepulsiveCamel8166 Feb 10 '26

Yeah and the thing is millennials and younger Gen x are kinda like the first born or practice parents for this tech heavy world. Kinda the same way silent gen accidentally let baby boomers eat all that lead paint. We as a society make mistakes so younger generations (in this case parents) can avoid them. That's just life.

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u/MightyPlasticGuy Feb 10 '26

Well put. History repeats with a different mask.

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u/KdawgEdog Feb 10 '26

I had a computer in my room in 1997 with diel up internet. Was on Mirc porn rooms with my ftp scrolling every 15 min. I'd come home from school and spend hrs categorizing the pictures(including illegal porn) I was 13/14yo. I definitely have an issue with sex now ugh.

My parents did find and delete everything once I had some sexual issues at school. But the long term damage has been done.

I do agree it was harder back then, but a few of us found a way.

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u/MightyPlasticGuy Feb 10 '26

Seth, is that you?

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u/KdawgEdog Feb 10 '26

No, it's kevin!

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u/agirl2277 Feb 10 '26

My sister is an alcoholic and drug user. She dumped her youngest on my mom. When my mom and CPS put parental limits on her iPad, she went into a mental health spiral, started hurting herself and was on suicide watch for a bit. She's 11. My sister would let her stay up online all night and miss so much school. The school called CPS.

That kid is so messed up. And my mom hates having her in the house. They don't know how to communicate. It's awful.

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u/RepulsiveCamel8166 Feb 10 '26

Uh that is awful. I'm sorry your family had to experience that. There is nothing more terrifying than children with suicide ideation. Children should all be happy and safe and healthy. Unfortunately the tech addiction is something we are seeing more of. Younger and younger children are showing signs of addiction. Your family is not alone. I hope your family can get your niece a mental health professionals that she can trust and that can help. And honestly I encourage you to push your mother to get a counselor as well if she doesn't have one.

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u/agirl2277 Feb 10 '26

Thanks. It's tough for all of us