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Kids Say The Darndest Things: It Frustrates Me, But I Usually Laugh
Nothing surprises me
I have grandkids aged 4 to 22. Five of them live with me. I’ll save that story for another time. It is a temporary situation.
The challenge I face with the kids is that I don’t always understand them.
This is not a hard-of-hearing problem involving audiologists and hearing aids. It is a generational issue focused on a culture clash of Gen Alphas, Zs, and Xs vs. Baby Boomers.
I struggle with the kids' language and grammar and wonder why their ideas and opinions make no sense. I also question their information sources and decisions. It’s a familiar scenario among adults and kids.
I was taught early in life to make rational decisions based on facts and accurate information. Nowadays, kids make decisions because their favorite social media influencer tells them to or Taylor Swift says so.
I’m finding that while kids occasionally make good decisions, there is little substance to how they came up with them. Their bad decisions are almost understandable due to a lack of life experience.
For example, it’s not uncommon for the grandkids to tell me bizarre facts, such as the world is flat. Their source is a YouTube video, and the guy presenting seemed intelligent. My response is always to go back to the web, validate the statement with at least three websites, and confirm the source's credibility.
Growing up, we didn’t have discussions like that. We had a World Book Encyclopedia that my parents bought from a door-to-door salesman. We also accessed multiple libraries: a short bicycle or bus ride away. And we were taught to ask questions at school.
As the reigning family elder, I chose not to become the old curmudgeon my grandad was. I am active with technology and still work for a high-tech company. I supply the kids with their smartphones and laptops and provide all the tech support they need.
I occasionally spend time on social media, experiencing what they see and listen to. I admit there are some great videos on YouTube, and every now and then, I’ll see a TikTok production that I enjoy. Then, there are nonsense videos, websites, and Facebook pages.
