40 Questions No One Over 40 Should Ask a Younger Person
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According to an Axios poll released this April, millennials harbor some resentment toward their elders—and that’s putting it lightly.
An astonishing 51 percent of millennials surveyed said they believed baby boomers had “made things worse” for their generation. Maybe that’s a little extreme, but this general consensus has to come from somewhere. And you can take it from me, an actual younger person: I can’t help but think that some of that animosity might be linked toward older folks’ tendency to ask questions (even well-intentioned ones) that inadvertently ruffle younger people’s feathers or worse: place them in extremely awkward positions.
In short, there are just some things that you shouldn’t ask someone who happens to be two or more decades younger than you. For instance, you definitely shouldn’t ask for clarification about our lingo—especially if it concerns acronyms. Obviously judgmental, condescending questions about our finances and fashion choices aren’t exactly welcome, either. And yet, every Thanksgiving brings a new barrage of them.
So, let’s, all together now, put a stop to it once and for all. To help steer everyone toward friendly territory, here are some of the touchiest scenarios—from needless 10-year-plan needling to downright intelligence-insulting—that you really don’t have any business creating or placing yourself in.
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As much as we may not like to admit it, a lot of us are just winging these years of our life—not to mention that asking this question of a younger person who doesn’t even have a significant other can broach particularly sensitive subjects. It’s probably best to avoid it altogether, unless you know for a fact that the person is and has been in a serious, committed, loving, stable long-term relationship.
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When we’re surviving on diets of microwave meals and copious caffeine, do you really think we can devote a lot of brain- and wallet-power to whether or not we want children right now?
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Nope, that’s what the Facebook photo album is for. (Trust me: you don’t want the daily overload of 100+ pictures being texted to your phone.)
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Talk about a touchy subject. For a lot of fields, the career ladder just isn’t what it used to be in decades past. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you work during the summer or how much your bosses love you—if there isn’t money in the company’s budget to fund another entry-level salary, then a full-time job just isn’t in the cards.
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Yeah, yeah, voting rates among millennials are lower than those of any other demographic. But there’s no need to drive the question home: we’re either going to do it or we’re not! Plus, as Jaboukie Young-White, another young person, pointed out on a recent episode of The Daily Show , Tuesdays are the hardest days to take off.
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Whether it’s avocado toast or a tattoo you’re not fond of, we don’t really want your opinion on our extraneous expenses.
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Contrary to popular belief, we’re not spending the entirety of our time wiling away on social media. We use those devices to catch up on the news, listen to podcasts, make to-do lists, order groceries, and much more.
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It’s called fashion, people.
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Pointed questions like this can really prod at people’s insecurities. The fact is that some women feel best about themselves when they’re wearing a full face of makeup, while others simply love experimenting with the plethora of products available. What’s it to you if we love Sephora?
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Equally as distressing as the previous question. It’s a personal choice, and if a woman doesn’t wish to wear makeup, you definitely shouldn’t try to make her feel uncomfortable about it.
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There are so many Microsoft Office tutorials available for those who are really curious, and for the most simplistic functions in Excel, a quick search on the internet will explain how to work the program much quicker than we can.
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Honestly, it’s not advisable for you to ask anyone this question, regardless of their age.
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The worst possible situation for this question is when a relative poses it over the holiday dinner very loudly in front of your current boyfriend, who is most definitely not the same guy you brought home last year. In those situations, all you can do is swallow a mortifying mouthful of mashed potatoes and avoid eye contact. Best to play it safe and forget the question entirely.
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This is one of those questions that is all about how you frame it. If you present the question brusquely, we’re bound to bristle. What’s it matter to you if my hair is naturally dark brown, but I have a tendency to dye it strawberry-blonde?
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A deeply personal question that likely has a convoluted answer with many intricacies and caveats. Unless you’re very, very close to the person, this question is definitely off-limits.
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When someone’s eagerly telling you about how much they’re enjoying the classes they’re taking, this is not the way they want you to respond.
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Whether it’s graduate school, a new vehicle, or just a nice new wardrobe addition, critical inquiries into money management skills (or lack thereof) are likely unwanted.
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Contrary to popular belief, being born in the digital age did not endow each and every person under 30 with a heightened Spidey-sense of technological understanding. Trust me, we’re disappointed about it, too.
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It’s all in the phrasing. Don’t expect a single person to be the representative voice for an entire generation—one that encompasses a lot of disparate beliefs, experiences, and views. If you want our opinion, frame it as asking us to answer based on our own personal experiences.
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Any seasoned liberal arts student is well-accustomed to this question, ready to respond, through slightly gritted teeth, by noting the benefits of a balanced education and studying subjects that interest and excite you.
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This is necessary for you to know because…?
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With night classes, summer school, and part-time studies all as viable options, yes, it’s possible to receive a college diploma out of the bounds of the traditional four-year route you’re accustomed to.
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We wear what we want, how we want it! Keep your eyes (and thoughts) to yourself, please.
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Don’t make us scramble here. “Dads That Fly?”—yeah, just…don’t.
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Could you be any more condescending? Just because younger people usually don’t pore over a print newspaper every morning at breakfast doesn’t mean they aren’t taking in the news. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. With the prevalence of push notifications, podcasts (like the New York Times ‘ “The Daily”, which is exceptional), and the omnipresent News app, young people are consuming the day’s headlines voraciously—albeit not in traditional modes.
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We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that, if you can’t follow the step-by-step directions to make yourself a Facebook account, you probably don’t need one—and might not even get much out of us making one for you.
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We’re not as materialistic as you might think—not to mention that phrasing it that way makes it all seem a little morbid.
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For the love of all that is good in the world, please don’t pose this question in front of said family friend’s mom . Now you’re just begging for some stuttering and straight-up awkwardness to ensue.
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Read the news!
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C’mon, don’t do this to us.
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Hey, let’s just focus on the present! Another round, anyone?
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Chances are that we understand it about as well as you do.
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Well, given recent trends, it’s looking like maybe never.
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I’m sorry, my what?
Scholastic
Phase? Excuse us. This is not a “phase.” Have you outgrown your Star Wars “phase” yet?
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Come on: this is 101-level. You should absolutely be able to do this yourself, now.
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Oh—you know, grandma, I’m racking my brain, but I can’t say I do remember that time before I was even born.
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Again, you really shouldn’t put us in this situation.
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We know that’s code for: “Will you teach me how to take a selfie?” Time this question wisely; it might just depend on how high our patience levels are when you ask.
