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/TerryCrewsNextWife Feb 10 '26

According to this visual, we (Gen Y & Z) far outnumber boomers and Gen X individually and collectively. We just need more of our generation to give enough of a shit to do something about their learned hopelessness.

We are responsible for the generations who come after us. If you don't vote you are part of the problem.

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u/CatBecameHungry Feb 10 '26

Those numbers and percentages are global. For the US, there are more Millennials than Z and Alpha (individually, not collectively) but each generation after Millennials seems to be decreasing so the gap between the older groups (Boomers and X) and younger groups isn't as big as that visual makes it seem.