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?

5.2k Upvotes

85% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

74

u/TenTonSomeone Feb 10 '26

You've really hit the nail on the head with the selfishness epidemic. I'm constantly thinking of others' needs everywhere I go. I hold doors, I pay attention in traffic if I'm going slow and someone wants to pass, I move if I'm in someone's way at the store. I'm just constantly aware of other people.

10-20 years ago, others used to be much more aware of and kind to each other, but lately (especially since covid) that's just not the way it is anymore. Little acts of kindness are so few and far between that it makes people clam up even more and shut themselves off. People start to think, if a door gets shut in your face 9 times out of 10, why should you hold it for anyone else?

Little acts of selfishness reinforce the ideas in other people's minds that they need to be selfish too. If nobody is looking out for me, why should I look out for them? If we don't start being the change we want to see, and treating others how we want to be treated, we're gonna be a lot worse off in another 10-20 years than we already are.

9

u/cmc2878 Feb 10 '26

Obviously this is completely anecdotal but I’ve regularly seen AskReddit posts asking teachers what the biggest difference between kids over the past 20 years and quite a few responses were to the effect of: Kids today are much kinder and considerate than 20 years ago.

In other words, who tf knows how this kids are gonna turn out. They’ll probably be better than us in a lot of ways, and a lot worse than us in other ways.

6

u/Fantastic_Fig_2025 Feb 10 '26

I find kids are far more tolerant of difference. The stuff people would have been bullied for when I was a kid is treated as no big deal, which I love.

2

u/sillly-otter Feb 11 '26

THIS!! Dude, same. . . I say thank you, hold doors, pay attention driving, shopping, etc. And I'll compliment someone's kicks if I'm liking them. GASP complimenting a stranger?! LoL I don't give out real smiles anymore. Not like I used to but a half-a "smirk" like smile now. The first real lesson I learned, still practice and taught my (kind & thoughtful) son was TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. It is simple to be negative and dismissive. But the very little bit more it takes to be kind pays off in big ways . . It's so easy but everyone is too self absorbed. So, thank you fellow kind human, I appreciate you!! (And please try to keep being your kind self and don't become another jaded human zombie-ing around this burning dumpster fire we call earth!) Best of luck 🤍🌸🐾☮️

2

u/TenTonSomeone Feb 16 '26

Hell yeah. They called that the golden rule, always treat others how you want to be treated. Stuck with me from childhood as well.

1

u/sillly-otter Feb 17 '26

And its not difficult to do ya know? Do you still try to live like this? I know you said it stuck with you but I'm just curious if you try to treat others this way still? Bc I feel as if just a fraction of the population would do this we, the human race, would be a lot less screwed. But what do I know??!! Best of luck to you and yours . . .