water fountain

Xennials, the microgeneration between Gen X and Millennials that were born between 1977-1983, continue to get a kick out of how different school was for them compared to younger generations, like today's Gen Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024).

In an online forum of Xennials, member Plastic-Implement797 got his fellow Xennials buzzing specifically about their days drinking from school water fountains. "Back in my day no one cared about being hydrated," they wrote.

They followed it up with an epic water fountain meme that read: "Kids today lug around 40 oz Stanley cups like they're on a desert trek. "We survived on a single sip from a germ-infested water fountain between classes and called it a day."

  Jon Heder Drinking GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment  Giphy  

The post sent fellow Xennials down memory lane, with many commenting about how different hydration standards were back in the day. For starters, there were rules about how long you could drink from the water fountain. "1,2,3, THAT’S ENOUGH! 'Save some for the whales'!", one wrote, with others commenting about how absurd it was. "I remember coming in from gym class in elementary school and we did the 1-2-3. It was never enough and I always got in trouble for it. I was just running around outside for an hour, I needed more than 2oz. Everyone did. What was with that!" another added.

Another Xennial quipped, "Always pissed me off! Especially if the water fountain was so weak you had to perform CPR on the spigot."

And another Xennial didn't hold back. "We grew up in a time where kids were treated like cattle, and if something mildly inconvenienced or annoyed an adult, it got shut down…end of discussion. I’m as nostalgic for the past as the next guy, but this reminds that in at least a few ways, the world actually is a better place," they added.

Other Xennials reminisced about knowing which water fountains were the best (and therefore highly sought after). "Everyone knew where the one that dispensed cold water was rather than room temp water," one wrote, with another adding, "The good fountain always 1- was noisy, 2- was cold, 3- fired that water 3”+ into the air…accept no substitutes!"

Some Xennials shared their water fountain horror stories. "And that one kid who would stick his entire mouth on it," one commented, before another quickly added, "Ugh, HATED getting stuck behind that kid in line after recess."

  Parks And Recreation Water Fountain GIF by PeacockTV  Giphy  

While many Xennials shared their epicly gross water fountain stories, others discussed how scary their lack of hydration truly was compared to Gen Alpha kids. "Idk how I survived my childhood because I drink so so so much water now," one Xennials commented. Another shared, "We were all just chronically dehydrated until about 3pm every day."

However, many Xennials noted that the fact Gen Alpha is obsessed with their water bottles is a good thing. "My oldest fills hers up 3 or 4 times a day at school," one wrote, and another added, "They’ll have better skin than us." Another Xennial also noted, "I am thrilled we are hydrating the kids. However, I do wonder how many of my physical issues are from being chronically dehydrated growing up. 🤷"