Boomers will knock. Loudly. At all hours.
There's no doubt that there are contrasts between the generations, as baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z see and experience the world quite differently. While generation gaps have always existed, the tech age has widened those gaps in big ways, which sometimes creates challenges but often results in hilarity.
For instance, watching a Gen Zer try to figure out how to use a rotary phone is pure entertainment. The way emojis are used and interpreted varies vastly by age, making for some chuckle-worthy communication mishaps. Slang terms can be hard to keep up with the older you get, but they can also be manipulated by savvy elders to great comedic effect.
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And now, comedian Jake Lambert is comparing how the different generations arrive at someone's house in a viral video that's been viewed more than 12 million times.
"You've basically got boomers who will turn up completely unannounced any time from about 7:00 in the morning and they will knock on your door just slightly louder than the police using a battering ram carrying out a house raid," Lambert begins.
"And then you've got Gen X. They would have made the plans well in advance, and they would've also checked in a couple of days before just to make sure the plans are definitely still happening," he goes on. "You see, Gen X is the forgotten generation and they're so scarred by this title they would've assumed that you'd forgotten not only about the plans but about their very existence."
"Millennials will have hoped that the plans would've been canceled. There's no reason that a millennial will ever actually want to come to your house," he continues. "They will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they're on their way, just as they're about to get into the shower. And a millennial will never knock on your door. You'll just get a text either saying 'here' or 'outside,' and that's your cue to go and let them in."
"Similarly, Gen Z will never actually knock," he concludes. "But the chances are they won't have to, as they would have been documenting the entire journey from their house to yours, maybe even on Facetime using this angle [camera facing directly up at the chin] as they go along for some reason. Either that or they'll just send a picture of your front door or a selfie of them outside it. And again, just like the millennial, that's your cue to go and rescue them from the outside world."
Gen Z will send a selfie from outside your house as an indicator that they've arrived. Photo credit: Canva
People feel alternately seen, attacked and validated by Lambert's assessments, with the most common response being "accurate."
"I‘m a millennial, my husband GenX. Scarily accurate! 😂"
"Described this millennial to a T."
"This is surprisingly accurate 😂 I laughed slightly louder than the police using a battering ram…"
"Sooo accurate…guilty of the lateness and ‘here’ text 🙃"
"I must admit I'm a millennial. But knocking on the door feels so aggressive, uknow? 😅😇"
"Millennial texting to say almost there but just started getting dressed to go out. Why do we do this? It's not intentional, at least not for me."
"Honestly your observations are just brilliant! GenX-er here!"
"The Gen Z angle omg. 😂😂"
Naturally there are some people who don't resonate with their generation's description, but there are exceptions to every rule and some people will never fit a stereotype. However, judging by the wave of affirmative responses, Lambert has nailed the generational generalities across the board—and done so in a way that allows us all to laugh at ourselves.
You can follow Jake Lambert on Instagram.
This article originally appeared last year.
Ava's Kitchen leaves a bit to be desired in the customer service department.
Toddlers can be a handful, but they're also the absolute best, with their tiny little adorableness, their burgeoning vocabulary, and their slowly evolving understanding of the world. Their imaginations are something else, and spending time in a wee one's world is always an unpredictable treat. Being the parent of a toddler is a unique joy that only lasts for a fleeting season, so you have to take full advantage of it while you can. And one dad has clearly done just that.
Christopher Kyle is father to Ava, who at 18 months old treated her dad to a meal at her sit-down restaurant. Only according to Kyle, the service left much to be desired. In a post on Instagram, Kyle shared a photo of Ava in her play kitchen while he sat waiting for his food in a tiny chair at a tiny table.
The father/customer wrote:
"So I tried to support another Black Owned Business for lunch today. It's called Ava's Kitchen, just opened end of April. It's a very clean establishment, but whewww let me tell you about this owner.
First off, I asked why there are balloons on my chair, and it's not my birthday? She talm'bout, mind yah business; those are Mommy's.
I been waiting on my order to get done for 45 minutes, and I'm the only customer here. She was making good progress at first, then she stopped for 20 minutes to go watch Paw Patrol.
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Overall the customer service could be better, but the cook is a cutie; so I'll give her another chance. Let's not give up on Black businesses so fast after one mistake. 💕"
People absolutely loved this dad's humor and clearly stellar parenting skills. Anyone who has sat through a tea party—or any activity with the wee ones—knows that for all of its cuteness, toddler play is an exercise in patience and endurance.
Upworthy shared Kyle's story on our Instagram page and our readers did not disappoint.
Some played right along with the game:
"Starting a restaurant is tough.. give her a chance ❤️❤️"
"I mean, she started a restaurant during a global pandemic, give her a break 😂"
"Is she taking reservations?"
Fans of Paw Patrol had some words:
"Paw Patrol is a must watch so 🤷🏾♀️😂"
"I died at Paw Patrol 🤣🤣🤣 that's my show though. I don't have kids I just watch it just because lmao."
"Paw Patrol break is mandatory. Too cute! ♥️"
Others just gushed over the entire scene:
"Love EVERYTHING about this!! The adorable owner, the customer's humor and the incredible love."
"That's the cutest restaurant owner I've ever seen. The dad's face is priceless! 😂👍❤️"
"LoL the story is funny & beautiful!!! This warms my heart!! This babygirl will grow up to have such a healthy look at men (in any capacity) as long as she & her Daddy keep such a beautiful bond!! Happy Father's Day (early) Keep encouraging her to do her thing and her confidence will continue to soar!! I just love this!! 😍😍😍"
Since that post went viral, Ava and her dad have had some other creative adventures, including building things at Home Depot's free kids weekend workshop:
Will Ava be a restaurant owner, a carpenter, or something totally different when she grows up? Who knows, but with her dad's support, no doubt she'll build success wherever she ends up.
This article originally appeared five years ago and has been updated.
Image via Canva/pixelfit
Man shares how he overcame his social anxiety and shyness.
Social anxiety and shyness can be crippling. However, one man who battled social anxiety and being shy opened up about how he overcame his shyness and social anxiety over two years.
The man, who goes by the username Educationalcurve6 on Reddit, explained in a post, "Two years ago, I couldn't order pizza over the phone without rehearsing it five times first. Going to parties gave me panic attacks. Making small talk felt like trying to speak a foreign language I'd never learned. Now I can start conversations with strangers, speak up in meetings, and actually enjoy social situations."
He detailed seven important steps he took to beat his shyness and social anxiety with hopes that others who struggle can feel more confident.
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Start stupidly small.
"Don't jump into deep conversations first. Start with 'thank you' to the cashier," he wrote. "Nod at people walking by. Say 'good morning' to your neighbor. Build the muscle slowly. It doesn't matter if its small talk just learn to get into the habit of talking."
Ask questions instead of trying to be interesting.
"'How's your day going?' 'What brings you here?' People love talking about themselves. You don't need to be funny or clever just genuinely curious. Plus it makes conversations longer," he shared.
Use the 3-second rule.
Another tool he used helped him with speaking. "When you want to say something but feel scared, count to 3 and force yourself to speak," he explained. "Don't give your brain time to talk you out of it. The longer you negotiate with your brain the harder it will feel like."
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Embrace being awkward.
Another big step he took: giving up on avoiding awkwardness. "I said weird stuff deliberately. I stumbled over words. I had uncomfortable silences," he wrote. "Guess what? People forgot about it in 5 minutes, but I remembered that I survived it. People move on."
Find your "social training ground."
"For me, it was the gym. Same people every day, low-stakes conversations," he added. "Find a place where you can practice regularly with the same group. Could also be in the library."
Stop apologizing for existing.
Ultimately, he started to value himself. "'Sorry, can I ask you something?' became 'Can I ask you something?' 'Sorry to bother you' became 'Excuse me'," he explained. "Stop starting conversations like you're inconveniencing people. It's not a mistake you were born. So stop being sorry all the time."
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Remember: Everyone's focused on themselves.
Finally, he reminded others that no one is paying as much attention as you may perceive. "That embarrassing thing you said? They're not thinking about it; they're worried about what they said," he shared. "Everyone's too busy being self-conscious to judge you as much as you think. That's why letting overthinking get the best of us never ends well."
He concluded his story with one last note of encouragement: "If you take nothing else from this just remember you don't overcome shyness by waiting until you feel confident. You build confidence by doing scary social things while feeling scared," he wrote.
What causes shyness?
Shyness is caused by a combination of nature and nurture.
"It’s not that it’s one or the other; it’s both [genes and environment] and they work together," Thalia Eley, professor of developmental behavioral genetics at Kings College London, told the BBC. “It's a dynamic system."
According to Eley, shyness is 30% caused by genetics while the remaining 70% is due to environmental factors. Specifically, shyness develops as a survival strategy.
“It was useful to have people in your group who were off out there exploring and engaging in new groups but it was also useful for people who were more risk averse, [were] more aware of threat and would do a better job protecting young offspring, for example,” Eley added.