Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
Friends enjoying a picnic with guitar and drinks.
It's a tough balance, enjoying one's youth like there's no tomorrow but also putting away some savings in case there is. As a Gen Xer, I recall getting my paycheck on Fridays and immediately heading to Sunset Boulevard for margaritas "on me." (Lucky for my friends, not so fortunate for my savings account.)
The issue is, as with every generation after the Boomers, it's simply harder to keep up. In a recent YouTube video, Tyreke Simmonds claims that Gen Z is dubbed "The poorest generation," and asks, "Did Baby Boomers kill the American Dream? Why is every generation financially worse off than the last one?"
How generations under the boomers have struggled. www.youtube.com, Tyreke Simmonds
Right away, he points out that while some of Gen Z struggles financially, this story is like a broken record. Economists said the same thing about Millennials and Gen X as well. To find out why exactly, he turns his attention to The Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers. Having come out of the Great Depression, the Silent Generation, in particular, were "raised with the mindset of scarcity and uncertainty when it comes to money," so they often saved as much as possible.
Simmonds continues to explain that In the 1950s, there was an economic boom with factories who once made weapons for war now making affordable consumer goods. He claims when the Boomers came along, they "hadn't experienced such hardship." While many of their fathers' salaries were "modest," housing, groceries, and gas were affordable.
In fact, according to David Beren's article, "6 Financial Benefits Baby Boomers Got That Future Generations Will Likely Never See Again," he notes that pensions were more common (and higher), house prices had not yet soared, and college was actually within financial grasp. "Can you imagine a world today where the average tuition cost for a single year of a four-year college program was only $2,469? Millennials and Gen Xers would be over the moon if this were the case. Unfortunately, this was the price of college in 1975, when many early Baby Boomers were first starting their higher education journey."
He points out that for Gen Z, it's even more of a hardship. "Over the last twenty years, education costs have increased astronomically. Private college and fee costs have risen 126%, out-of-state tuition rose by 112%, and in-state tuition increased by 133%." Not only that, with the FOMO caused by social media posts, the desire to "keep up with the Joneses (or should we say the Kardashians)" is even more prevalent than ever.
Kendall Jenner gives a thumbs up. Giphy E!
Richard Barrington, Financial Analyst for Credit Sesame, shared with Upworthy, "Even if we're not in a recession, it certainly feels like one for a growing number of workers—especially younger workers. Total job growth over the past six months has been the weakest for any six-month period since the pandemic lockdown months of 2020.”
But there are ways for Gen Z (and other generations) to live fun, exciting, social lives without breaking the bank. Dawn Allcot writes in a piece for Aol.com, "Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, struggle with finding a balance between socializing and saving money. A recent Ally Bank survey revealed that 59% of people in these generations have seen their financial goals blindsided by activities with friends."
But, she points out, that doesn't have to be the case. Quoting Lindsay Sacknoff, head of Ally's consumer banking: “I absolutely believe you can have both—meaningful friendships and healthy finances—it just takes a little planning."
GAME NIGHTS AT HOME
There's no reason you can't hang with your friends in the comfort of your own home. Snag some chips and salsa and bust out old-school games. (It's legit more fun than it might sound.) Or, if you (or your apartment complex) have some kind of fire pit, grab some marshmallows and make s'mores. It harkens back to a simpler time when we weren't on our phones and could make do without photo ops.
People having fun playing an old game. Giphy GIF by Reconnecting Roots
STREET FAIRS, BLOCK PARTIES, AND FREE CONCERTS
Allcot suggests looking to "free local events in your community too, from concerts to street fairs." One can find this, simply by Googling 'events nearby.'" Whether you're in a big or small town, there's usually something going on and often, at very little cost. Local coffee houses sometimes offer open mics in terms of music and comedy and one never knows what kind of gem they might find.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading…these are all free things one can do to be with friends, and be healthy to boot. If you're like me and would rather not work up a sweat, a good old-fashioned picnic can do the trick. Have people bring their favorite cheese/wine/grapes and just hang on a blanket. It might be the breath of fresh air people need right now.
Rodney Mullen skates a ramp. Giphy
MAKE CONTENT
Speaking of FOMO, for some it's hard not to attend the big events because they want to curate the illusion of an exciting life. But the truth is, you don't have to go to a stadium concert, or to Paris, or on a boat trip to have fun. You could spend a day with friends making fun videos on your phone. In an article for theshelf.com, they share (and it's no surprise) that Gen Z spends a lot of time consuming content. "While they’re not huge proponents of doom-scrolling, or even of using social as their go-to for work, Gen Zers rely on social media for leisure–using it for entertainment and connection."
So how 'bout instead of scrolling through content — make it with your friends!"
GO THRIFTING WITH BUDDIES
On the subreddit r/GenZ, someone asks, "How does Gen Z save money?" A few of the many excellent suggestions included thrift store shopping (from clothes to records to art). This Redditor got more specific: "STOP BUYING NEW, you can get an entire wardrobe for 150 at Goodwill, filled with brands from the mall."
Canva Photos
If you lived through an 80s childhood, this will send you back.
Generation X, made up of those born between 1965 and 1980, has many claims-to-fame in their younger years game. Gen X brought the world Prince and Kurt Cobain. We were The Goonies and The Breakfast Club. We took down the Berlin Wall while watching MTV.
But perhaps the most iconic thing about Gen X is our semi-feral childhoods of benign neglect. The standards of parenting and child rearing have shifted a lot in the past 40 to 50 years, as has the technological landscape that kids grow up in, so naturally, today's kids won't have the same childhoods previous generations had. But there's something particularly nostalgic about being a child of the 80s for those who lived it.
One mom nailed the experience with a video reenactment of what it was like to come home from school in the 80s.
Elizabeth Stevens (@BennettPeach on YouTube) arrives at the front door in her backpack, then pulls out a house key on a string around her neck. (Ah, the "latchkey kid" era when children were expected to come home to an empty house and let themselves in.)
Then she goes into the kitchen in her Care Bears t-shirt and finds a handwritten note—in cursive, of course—on the back of an envelope. "Working late—make your own dinner, watch your brother and the dishes better be done when I get home from bowling. – Mom"
- YouTube www.youtube.com
That's right. Mom wasn't just working late, she was also going bowling while her kids were home caring for themselves.
Then we see her washing the dishes despite barely being able to reach the faucet, even with a stool, and then her making a Gen X staple—the cinnamon-sugar and butter sandwich. On white bread, of course.
In just one minute, Stevens managed to capture the essence of so many Gen X memories, as commenters shared:
"The mom notes on an unopened bill is memories."
"Nailed it! The best thing about growing up in the '70s/'80's was being ALLOWED to grow up."
"Why this video made me almost cry?? How quiet it is inside the home. Lovely."
Wash the dishes before I get home from bowling! Photo by CDC on Unsplash
"Facts!!! No babysitter, go in the house, read the note, do the chores n not let anybody in!!!! I remember the homemade the 'cinnamon bun.'"
"70s and 80s … latch key kid here elementary, junior high and high school. we turned out self sufficient, independent and successful."
"Just so frickin on point!!! All of it from the clothes to the key on the necklace to the note. Even what you chose to do for a snack. Too good!!! The windbreaker that's memories. It's all coming back to me now lol thank you for this. You have brought a huge grin to both me and my inner child."
music video 80s GIF Giphy
"I was met with a note everyday, too. On the back of an envelope, my daily chores would be listed. If I was in trouble, I would cry as soon as I saw the note....lolol Love you momma. How I wished I could have saved those notes! They were historical treasures."
Tons of people gushed over the nostalgia of remembering those "good old days" when they were given both freedom and responsibility, with many saying kids today have no idea. One thing that might surprise the younger generations was how young the theoretical kid in this video could have been. We're not talking about young teens here—kids as young as 5 or 6 could be latchkey kids, and kids any older than that were often given responsibility for looking after younger siblings. Even official babysitting jobs could start around age 11, or sometimes even younger.
Gen X kids had learned to take care of themselves early on, which has its pros and cons. The rose-colored glasses many Gen X adults view their childhoods through can sometimes cloud the parts that were not so great about growing up in the 70s and 80s. Sure, that benign neglect resulted in resilience and independence, but for some that came at the cost of parental relationships and a sense of safety and security. We have more knowledge now about things like mental health support, parent-child attachment, and healthy relationship dynamics, and some of that learning is reflected in shifting parenting practices.
As often happens, the pendulum may have swung too far from the absent parents of the 70s and 80s to the helicopter parents of the 90s and 2000s, of course, and the "right" approach (if there is one) probably lies somewhere in the middle. But it is still fun to look back on those iconic childhood experiences with joy and humor and appreciate that they helped us become who we are today.
This article originally appeared in April. It has been updated.
People have strong opinions about chatting on airplanes.
Is there any social situation more inherently awkward than sitting next to a stranger on an airplane? It's not like a bus or a train, where you can get up and change seats if you're not thrilled with your seatmate. And with airplane seats getting increasingly cramped, you're inevitably invading one another's personal space in some capacity. Where else in life are you quite literally trapped for hours in such close proximity to someone you've never met and are unlikely ever to see again?
Some people enjoy making small talk on flights, finding it the most natural thing in the world to chit-chat with the person sitting next to them. Others find the prospect of talking to a stranger with no opportunity to escape the stuff of nightmares, and do everything they can to avoid it.
Since you never know who you're going to sit next to, it's like a game of roulette, and people tend to have pretty strong opinions on their own preferences. But are there any actual rules of etiquette that come into play for chatting with strangers on airplanes?
Some people love chatting with strangers.Photo credit: Canva
The biggest "rule" is to pay attention to one another's social cues, which is easier for some people than for others. Most people make it fairly obvious if they are open to conversation. If someone is wearing earbuds or headphones, that's a clear indication that they are not really interested in chatting. If someone is reading, a brief greeting is appropriate, but then let the person continue the conversation if they want to. If the person looks at you and smiles, there's a good chance they're down for shooting the breeze, at least a little bit.
But what if you're on the receiving end of someone's eagerness to chat and you don't really want to? You can use headphones or earbuds, but if you don't have any or prefer not to wear something in or over your ears, there are other options. Reading a book or looking at your phone sometimes works, though a lot of people will still offer a greeting. You can indicate that you're not really up for conversation by responding to any additional chit-chat with polite, one-word answers and avoiding reciprocating with "How about you?"
There's also nothing wrong with saying, "I'm going to read/watch a movie/sleep/have some quiet time now," if someone isn't picking up your cues. It may feel awkward to be direct or not reciprocate if you're accustomed to standard small talk, but the social situation on an airplane requires different approaches.
Earbuds and reading are cues that someone's not up for a conversation.Photo credit: Canva
Is it rude not to talk at all? Is it rude to ask people questions about themselves? In reality, there are no clear right or wrong answers here. The only thing that's actually rude is ignoring someone's cues that they don't want to talk. A brief greeting is generally polite, but beyond that, it's really up to the people involved to determine whether the plane ride will be spent in side-by-side silence, engaging conversation, or something in between.
Of course, some people go as far as to say you should "always" or "never" strike up conversations on airplanes, but most of us fall somewhere in between. It might even vary individually from flight to flight—maybe you've had a long trip or a hard day and want some solo reflection time, while at other times you might be feeling more social and enjoy some human interaction.
The most important thing is to recognize that there's a huge spectrum of preferences on this front. Just look at how these takes from a Reddit discussion on this topic differ so drastically:
"When you are boarding, it’s acceptable to let someone know you are sitting next to them, or perhaps say a simple hello. You should always treat others with courtesy, particularly the flight crew (eg, politely letting a seat mate know you need to use the restroom, placing a drink order). And it’s occasionally ok to strike up a conversation while deplaning as the other person is no longer trapped. Other than that, quietly keep to yourself.
The chances the person next to you just wants a moment to themselves is high. They had a long work trip. They are returning from a funeral. They are leaving school after finals. Even if they are relaxed, the chances they want to spend the flight speaking with a stranger who has a solid 50% chance of being insane is also low. No good can come of cornering someone in a tiny metal tube with no escape at 30,000 feet for multiple hours. It can only make someone feel trapped, desperate, and claustrophobic. And we’d all rather just listen to music, work, or watch a movie." – LazyConstruction9026
Some people want to be left alone on flights.Photo credit: Canva
"Yeah chatting with someone on a plane is a great way to make the time pass quickly. It's also really easy to tell if someone's into it and if they aren't I just do something like watch a movie or play my Switch.
I'd have missed out on a lot of cool people's stories if I didn't strike up a random convo on the plane. One person was headed to Mexico for a month to be the first to climb a 14-pitch 5.14b they had there with no falls. A father was moving him and his family from Canada back to Mexico to run a church/shelter. Then there was a dude from Norway that talked about how he was working at Disney in a Norway-themed restaurant for a year which was super interesting to learn the logistics of.
There's a lot of cool people out there that are open to conversation and have awesome stories to share that make the time fly." – Romestus
"I was on a 16 hr flight from Dubai to NZ and ended up sat in between an old kiwi farmer from the South Island and an old kiwi farmer from the far north. They got on like a house on fire. They apologised for talking over me probably 50+ times but truthfully I was overjoyed to hear their life stories and watch them become friends and ultimately exchange phone numbers. At some point we established that all 3 of us were returning home from watching the America’s Cup in Barcelona, and all shared about our relationship with sailing and team NZ. It was honestly delightful." – southernkal
"I sit and stare at the seat back in front of me for the whole flight regardless of the length. I have done this forever. I like being alone with my thoughts and it is relaxing for me. I do not want to speak with anyone. It probably looks like I am bored so people start speaking at me. After a few one or two word answers they usually get the idea." – Pawlyplaysthebanjo
"I talk to people almost everywhere I go, but I can also understand when someone isn’t interested in chit chat. I’ve gotten job doors opened through plane convos, mentors, and feedback on all manner of things. I’m a social person obviously, and love meeting new people and learning about them - but I also understand not everyone is, even if it makes me sad to sit in silence for an entire flight." – Plastic-Anybody-5929
The key is to read people's cues.Photo credit: Canva
"I had to catch too many flights this year due to two very significant deaths in my family. One of them required flying while my mother was on her deathbed. There was no way I wanted to talk to anyone and I’m glad that no one did. I needed that time to process and ground myself because of what I was going through. I’m not sure if I looked unapproachable or if people thought me rude. But I emotionally and mentally could not stand small talk." – invadergirll
"I love talking to people in airplanes, airports, etc. but sometimes I don’t want to talk, either. If they don’t seem interested in chatting- I don’t push. Once they put their earbuds in or start looking for something to read or watch, done. If they want to chat though- great!" – Born_blonde
You never know what people are going through and why they might want to or not want to talk. Plane chatting etiquette really boils down to reading people's cues (or learning to do so if it doesn't come naturally) and respecting when someone doesn't want to engage in conversation. In a cramped capsule at 30,000 feet, we definitely need to give one another plenty of social grace and space.