upworthy

Culture

Culture

Elder Millennials discuss the major cultural differences they have with 'core' Millennials

"Teddy Ruxpin."

Images via Wikipedia

Elder Millennials reveal the different childhood experiences they had compared to young Millennials.

Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are a generation with wide-ranging childhood experiences. Millennials born in the early 1980s, also known as 'Elder Millennials," had vastly different upbringings than those born in the 1990s.

In a Reddit forum for Millennials, member @_NoleFan6 posed the question: "Elder millennials (81-84), what are some things that separate you from the core/late millennials?"

They continued, "I’m just curious what makes my fellow elder millennials identify more with Gen X? Some things for me are: Being old enough to remember the tail end of the 80s, seeing Terminator 1 before Terminator 2, M.A.S.K. (iykyk), woodgrain VCRs, roller racer, going to see 1989 Batman at the theater, seeing Bo Jackson play, and not accessing the internet until ‘97 (I was 14). How about y’all?"

Many Elder Millennials could relate. They offered up 16 of their childhood experiences and how they differ from younger Millennials.

teddy ruxpin, teddy ruxpin toy, teddy bear, teddy bear 80s, 80s bearTeddy Bear 80S GIFGiphy

"Teddy Ruxpin. I'm a 1982 baby, and the Teddy Ruxpin craze was big when I was around 3 years old in the mid-'80s. I had talking Teddy, his talking friend Grubby, his books, his cassette tapes, his toy air ship and figurines, pajamas, underwear... People who are a few years younger than me don't really know what I am talking about when I mention him." —@KevinTodd82

"Being a latch key kid. And when young millennials don’t understand the turn it up to 11 phrase." —@geopimp1

"I’m an elder and my sister who’s 10 years younger is a core so I see Millennials as her generation not mine really as far as how we grew up. She was in grade 4 when 9-11 happened and I owned my own home. She is who taught me to take a selfie and I still have never used a filter. There’s just so much difference." —@Trick-Coyote-9834

my little pony, saturday morning cartoons, cartoons, 80s cartoons, morning cartoonsMy Little Pony 80S GIFGiphy

"We’re basically the in-between crew. We grew up like younger Gen X (80's Saturday cartoons and toys, landline phones, dial-up internet, tapes) but we hit our teenage and college years just as all the new techs exploded. So we remember life before smartphones and social media, but we adapted to it way faster than Gen X did. Basically, we were young enough to go through the whole switch from analog to digital, so we remember life before the internet but adapted to the online world pretty easily. We relate to Gen X and millennials in different ways, kind of the best of both. That’s why some of us like the term 'Xennials', which is those born between ’77 and ’83 or 84'." —@CedricBeaumont

"Tv before ratings. It was a free for all." —@merylbouw

"tamagotchi. pokemon. grunge." —@WOLFMAN_SPA

"Patchouli oil smell." —@rollbackprices

grunge, grunge music, nirvana, kurt cobain, alternative rockkurt cobain nirvana GIFGiphy

"Grunge. We were a little too young for the breakout albums in 1990-91, but we were the perfect age for the follow-ups in 1993-94 and the broader explosion of 'alternative rock' music in the mid 90s. Sadly, people who are even a little bit younger did not share in this experience, and that’s a bad thing because the music industry took a turn for the worse in the late 90s." —@Appropriate-Topic618

"Never had computer is or video games growing up. Literally grew up outside with no electronics." —@Humbly2022

"Being aware in the 90's." —@DiskSalt4643

90s, 1990s, the 90s, millennials, cluelessAlicia Silverstone Reaction GIFGiphy

"Being an adult when I got my first email address, and 9-11 happened. (A very young one, but still.) Having a truly analog childhood." —@Wild-Sky-4807

"Remembering Desert Storm and the USSR listed on maps in first grade textbooks. Princess Diana's death. MySpace top 8. Making your own websites on angelfire. AskJeeves. Dogpile." —@Ready-Player-Mom

"Michael Jordan. Michael Jackson. Mike Tyson. Michelangelo." —@Due-Set5398

michael jordan, jordan, michael jordan gif, miachael jordan nba, bullsChicago Bulls Dunk GIF by NBAGiphy

"I’m (82) an elder married to a core (88). Music, pop culture and especially kids programming are the main difference. We remember the 90s very differently - I was already too old for the Disney 90s surge of Aladdin and Lion King while she was too young to follow Jordan and the Bulls. I outgrew TGIF by the time Boy Meets World went on the air but she was too young to understand why boys loved Step by Step." —@Quick-Angle9562

"I think the biggest difference is cell phones/social media. Late millennials had smart phones in hs. We didn’t have text messages, and had to wait til after 9 to talk for free." —@walkhardd

"Watching Jurassic Park in the movie theatre 🥹." —@organicbabykale1

From Your Site Articles
elder millennials
Culture

Why elbows on the dinner table is rude and other seemingly nonsensical etiquette rules

Placing your fork and knife one way means you're done but another way means you hate the food?

Photo credit: Canva

Why elbows on the dinner table is an etiquette no-no.

"Don't put your elbows on the table," is something most people living in the western world heard when they were growing up. There was never much explanation outside of it simply being rude, but who decided propping your elbows on the table while you ate is something to be frowned upon? It turns out there was actually a legitimate reason for this rule when it was first introduced according to an etiquette expert.

William Hanson, an etiquette coach, took some time to answer people's questions about etiquette rules forWIRED, and one of the very first questions is from a woman demanding to know why there's a rule about no elbows on the table. It's one of those rules that seems nonsensical even after reaching adulthood, but according to Hanson, the rule started with good reason.

etiquette; etiquette rules; elbows on the table; silly etiquette rules; fine dining rulesDish on white ceramic plate Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash

"The no elbows on the table rule goes back to the medieval times in Europe when they were eating from trestle tables. They would put these benches out with sheets of wood on top. If you put your elbows on the table, the table would tip and the food would go everywhere, and obviously that's not very good etiquette, and so it became the etiquette to not put your elbows on the table. We do really still abide by the no elbows on the table rule because I think it looks really ugly," Hanson explains.

The etiquette questions were wide ranging, with a couple of revelations that may be surprising for some, like the right way to stir your tea is not in a circle at all. According to Hanson, the proper way to stir tea is actually to gently move the teaspoon back and forth in the cup. For some reason moving the spoon back and forth instead of in a circle doesn't feel like you'd actually be stirring anything, but it looks more sophisticated than clanking the spoon in a circle.

etiquette; etiquette rules; elbows on the table; silly etiquette rules; fine dining rulesPerson holding white ceramic cup Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash

Later in the video, Hanson gives an informative lesson on how to properly eat peas. Those little green buggers can be annoying with their tendency to roll off of your utensil. Of course, a lot of people put the fork down to swap it out for a spoon when there are peas involved to make things easier, but Hanson shares that there's actually a proper way to eat peas that doesn't involve spoons or chasing them as they roll out of your dining room.

"What we don't do is scoop like this," Hanson says while demonstrating a scooping motion. "In really casual dining that might be permissible but in more formal dining we're going to be using both the fork and the knife. Some people do this," he says while using the knife to scoop peas on his fork. "I think this is more difficult to keep those peas balanced. You see, there we go. One's gone. It's much better to just spear them onto the tines of your fork and eat like so."

One etiquette rule that may surprise quite a few Americans is that clinking your glasses together when offering a cheers is not proper. Hanson explains that "in formal dining, you're drinking from fine glassware that's expensively made and if you do start smashing your glasses together, you're going to hear the clink of glass all over the floor, and that'll somewhat ruin the meal."

etiquette; etiquette rules; elbows on the table; silly etiquette rules; fine dining rulespeople holding clear glass bottles during daytime Photo by Quan Nguyen on Unsplash

Hanson then takes time to debunk a viral infographic attempting to demonstrate how to place your silverware to inform the servers what you think of the meal and if you're ready for the next course. He seems to have pretty strong feelings about this misinformation calling it "a bunch of rubbish."

"The only positions you put your cutlery in when they're not being held in your hand is to indicate that you are resting or if you are finished," Hanson says before laying the tines of the fork across the butter knife on his plate to demonstrate the resting position. He then shows that when you're finished with the food you are to put your fork and knife parallel on your plate, which could also be angled slightly, depending on what part of the world you're in. In France the same position applies but the fork is turned over, meaning the tip of tines are on the plate. This indicates you're finished with your meal to the serving staff without them having to ask.

Another helpful etiquette tip is that, according to Hanson, the only appropriate time to interrupt someone is if they're on fire and they haven't discovered it on their own. But he reminds people that "a conversation is meant to be like a game of tennis. You're not meant to hold the ball and never let it go."

From Your Site Articles
silly etiquette rules
Culture

Millennials experience a delicious bite of nostalgia sharing the 90s snacks they miss the most

"Push pops omg."

Images via Wikipedia

Millennials get nostalgic about their favorite 90s snack foods.

From cereal to chips to candy, the 1990s produced some pretty iconic snack foods. Millennials reached for their favorite childhood snacks in their backpacks, in the cupboard after school, and at the gas stations where there were treats galore.

In a Reddit forum, member @Downtown-Rise5606 posed this question to Millennials: "What was your favorite childhood snack from the 90s? Like you wake up on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons, what is the snack you always reached for?"

The question had many Millennials walking down memory lane, reminiscing about simpler times and the foods that defined them. These are 52 nostalgic 90s snack foods that people miss the most.

90s, 1990s, full house, 90s food, 90s foodsHungry Full House GIFGiphy

"Jell-O Pudding Pops. Grape Swedish Fish." —@kurujiru

"Cheese Nips hit totally different than Cheezits." —@baardvark

"Magic middles, Smurf berry crunch cereal, Tmnt ninja pies, Carnation breakfast bars, RC premium draft cola in the glass bottles, Dinasour Eggs candy, PB Crisps, Tatoskins chips, Dunkin doughnuts cereal." —@No_Ad295

trix, trix cereal, 90s cereal, 1990s cereal, trix fruit ceralFood 90S GIFGiphy

"SnackWells devil food cookies, while part of the terrible toxic 80s and 90s diet food culture, were f*cking SO delicious. As far as just Saturday morning cartoon nostalgic foods, you can't go wrong with Trix cereal, when it was still in the shape of fruits. I also like Nerds cereal a lot, and as an older kid and teen, Basic 4 was where it was at. Once, apparently Basic 4 was having a special promo, because we opened a box that we had just bought and inside was a fresh $5 cash bill." —@horsetooth_mcgee

"It's a cereal, but I miss Alpha-Bits." —@CanIGetAWitness16

"Fruit wrinkles." —@rich4pres

pushpop, push pop, pushpops, pushpops, 90s candypush pop GIFGiphy

"Push pops omg. Those Betty Crocker pop bottle fruit snacks. I could probably write a really long list lol." —@73738484737383874

"Nabisco Dip in a Chip." —@CountrymanR60

"The Simpsons cereal…Homer O’s and Krusty had a flavor too…the buzz lightyear cereal….rice crispy TREATS cereal…a cold box of ecto cooler after riding bikes around the neighborhood with your buddies…crackers and peanut butter with a tall glass of milk." —@firestarter1877

"Carnation Breakfast Bars. The chocolate chip was fabulous!!" —@iheartmycats820

"Doo Dads." —@SonnyCrocket87

"Ecto Cooler, Ninja Turtles Pizza chips, cookies and cream Twix, Butterfinger BBs, Rice Crispy Treat Cereal, Crystal Pepsi, Clearly Canadian, Snapple Elements, Dunkaroos, Flintstones Push Pops, Ritz cheese sandwich crackers that don’t taste like metal." —@LegitimateHumanBeing

crystal pepsi, pepsi, pepsi crystal, crystal pop, crystal sodaVhs Pepsi GIFGiphy

"Can we bring back the glass Sobe bottles? Specifically, the strawberry banana." —@TheDungeonLurker

"Trix yogurt." —@NichoBrown


pudding pop, pudding pops, jello pudding pop, jello, jello popsBill Cosby The 80S GIFGiphy


"Jello Pudding Pops, and Pizzarias from Keebler. I really wish someone would bring Pizzarias back." —@Harlow1976

"Wheatables crackers were so much better than Wheat Thins. Those Planters PB Crisps (and the chocolate ones) are sorely missed. And the Philadelphia cheesecake bars... those things were amazing." —@Worried_Biscotti_552

"Waffle crisp!" —@morethanill

"Oreo Os and Berry Berry Kix cereal." —@Illustrious_Cold5699


pop tart, poptart, poptarts, poptart, 90s pastryFood Drink 90S GIF by Shaking Food GIFsGiphy

"Pop tarts." —@Both-Cap1441

"Hostess Banana Flips." —@No_Sand_9290

"Mr. Bones candy. Grape Bubble Yum." —@Vancj012

"Kudos bars." —@J-littletree

"When I was a kid our grocery store used to carry like these "gourmet" fruit roll-ups which were like a normal fruit roll-up except more natural I guess and they tasted more like real fruit they were so good they had the most bizarre mouthfeel." —@JackhorseBowman

From Your Site Articles
90s food
Popular

People from other countries share 14 things that instantly tell them someone's American

Have you ever heard of the "American lean"?

via zoetnet/Flickr, Ewen Roberts/Flickr and Tom Hodgkinson/Flickr
Some American tourists enjoying the sights

Americans have a style and personality all their own, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s just noticeable when they travel aboard. Americans often stand out because of their outgoing personalities. They are friendly and enjoy having casual conversations with strangers.

This is an endearing trait to a lot of people in more reserved cultures, although it can also come off as a little brash.

An American characteristic that isn’t quite endearing to people in other countries is that they can be rather loud. In Europe, one can always notice the Americans in the restaurant because they can be heard from across the room.

One Reddit user wanted to know the specific ways that Americans stand out when traveling abroad, so they asked the AskReddit subreddit: “What’s an obvious sign that someone is an American?”


american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureIt may not be quite this obvious, but Americans do stand out.Giphy

The post was popular, receiving nearly 6,000 responses in just 6 days. The most popular ones described how Americans' unique personalities, style of dress, dental hygiene and body language make them easy to spot.

Here are 14 “obvious” signs that someone is an American.

1. Posture

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans slouch and lean.Giphy

"Apparently, the CIA trains American agents to not lean on things if they go undercover in foreign countries because Americans lean on anything they can while standing around," one user wrote.

"I bet MI6 trains British agents to lean on everything if they go undercover in America because Americans lean on anything they can while standing around," joked another.

Shockingly, this is actually true. The "American lean" is well-documented and, yes, a former CIA chief has said publicly that it's something the agency addresses with its operatives to help them blend in.

2. The date

"MMDDYYYY," a user said.

The way Americans write the date seems normal and commonplace when you're in the US, but around the world, we're practically the only ones who do it that way. Similarly, only a small handful of countries outside of the US use the imperial system of measure.

Writing the date or using feet and inches are a dead giveaway!

3. Distances are different

"Anything under 4 hours is 'close by," someone suggested.

"Everything in Europe is around the corner if you're from the US. I can drive the whole day and not leave my state, but in Europe, I can pass through 4 countries in that same time frame," said another.

The massive geography of the United States has a big affect on how we see distance. It shows up when we travel to other countries that are more densely packed together.

4. They're polite to servers

"In the touristy cafe-restaurant I worked at:

If they asked me for the nicest spot we had

If they asked me my recommendation without seeing the menu first

I would walk to the table, and they would say right away ‘hey, how are you doing?’ This one threw me off a lot at first. Why is this person asking me how I'm doing?? I'm just there to take the order. I got used to it, and I think they found my awkwardness cute.

They would ask my name when I greeted them and took their order.

I'm Northern European.," explained one user.

"It’s under-appreciated just how polite, friendly, and sincere Americans are in general. It blew my mind the first time I came to the US, and I love that my children are growing up with those same values," said another.

You might expect to hear that Americans are rude and entitled when traveling, but that's not necessarily the case! In America, some friendly rapport with your waiter is expected, and Americans tend to be a more outgoing bunch that love to engage. That makes them stand out in European countries, in particular, where restaurant service is meant to be professional and efficient rather than charismatic.


5. The water bottles

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans love huge water bottles.Giphy

"I was told, 'Americans carry water bottles around like they're worried they'll never have access to clean water ever again," one user said.

"I don't care what anyone says. If you think carrying a water bottle when walking a lot is weird, you're probably slightly dehydrated all the time and are just desensitized to it. You seriously need to drink water frequently if you want to be ideally healthy," said another.

The water bottle fad is uniquely American, for better or worse. Whether it's a Yeti, a Stanley, an Owalla, or something else, you can bet if someone is swinging a massive water bottle wherever they walk, they're an American.

6. Smiling

"I was in Germany this past summer, and I realized smiling at everyone you make eye contact with is very American. When I went to London on the same trip, they seemed less weirded out by it but would awkwardly return the smile. I was taught to always start with a disarming smile. Never realized it was American," said one person.

7. "More ice, please."

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans love tons of ice in their drinks.Giphy

"I spent a year in Europe completely iceless to the point I forgot that was a thing. I stopped at a bar in Chicago fresh off the plane and not only did I get free tap water, but water with ice. I instantly felt at home," added one person.

There is a long and fascinating history involving someone called "The Ice King" behind why Americans, and so few other cultures, love to put tons of ice in our drinks. Needless to say, it makes us stand out like a sore thumb when traveling.

8. Personal space

"As an American man, I’ve been told repeatedly by European and Asian friends that we simply take up space (not by being fat) as though we’re entitled to it. Men in other countries apparently don’t claim the same personal space we do," one person offered.

You mean manspreading? Apparently, other cultures don't do that.

9. White teeth

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans value ultra-white teeth.Giphy

"It’s even more bizarre that they assume we have braces or bleach our teeth because they’re straight and white. I have naturally straight white teeth. I brush them twice a day so they stay white. I don’t do anything special to them, but I remember being in London and some similar-aged students literally making fun of me for my teeth… it’s true that they don’t naturally look like headstones in an ancient graveyard, but there’s no need to make fun," someone added.

Imagine getting made fun of for having white teeth! For one reason or another, American culture places high value on having extremely white teeth. We all know the old jokes about British teeth, but some findings show that while Americans' teeth may be whiter, Brits may be healthier overall. Something to think about.

10. Casual dress

"My friend went to Germany recently, and what people said about Americans is you can spot them a mile away because they’re the ones wearing pajamas in public. Apparently, in other countries, at least Germany, they dress a little more formally and in less baggy clothes than we do in America," someone added.

Activewear, sweatpants, pajamas — we love to be comfortable! But it does make us a bit obvious when we're out and about in other countries.

11. Baseball hats

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans wear hats... everywhere.Giphy

"Baseball cap... even on an infant riding in a pram," a user suggested.

Baseball hats are common in many countries around the world, but most people internationally only wear them outside. If someone's wearing a cap inside or at a restaurant, it's a safe bet that person is American.

12. Shoes

"Americans are shoe snobs (they don’t think they are, but they are). Setting aside wealthier business types, Americans generally wear more on-brand, on-trend, high-quality shoes than others," someone said.

13. They're loud

american tourists, american culture, americans abroad, americans, USA, tourists, travel, europe, cultureAmericans' default volume is loud.Giphy

"That was my first thought. Americans yell at each other in normal conversation in public. I noticed it years ago in Europe, and now I can’t stand it in the US," another user added.

Now there's an unsurprising revelation! Just like our tendency to take up space, Americans seem to have less awareness of those around them when it comes to conversation volume, as well.

14. Occupation matters

"Immediately asking someone what they do for a living when meeting them. Our jobs and work are our entire identity," one person said.

"I hate that about American culture. I'm an American and recently became a SAHM, so I don't have an answer to 'What do you do for a living?' Half the time, I add the caveat, ‘Oh, my last job was with Apple,’ so that I'm not written off as an unemployed ‘loser.’ But it really is dumb to determine a person's worth by what they do in order to afford food and shelter," added another.

There are huge differences in work culture between America and other countries. They're so big and pervasive that they show up not just while we're working, but in the way we interact with others. For example, in Europe it's far less common to be friends with your coworkers. People value the purpose they find in work and the results, but are happy to keep the majority of their life separate from their career.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles
americans
Trending Stories