So, apparently younger generations don't have as much generational awareness, because they have access to sooo much more content.

So, apparently younger generations don't have as much generational awareness, because they have access to sooo much more content.

I'm an elder Millenial, and I grew up watching what was on TV, and then whatever VHS/DVDs my parents deemed worthy of purchasing. So, the things I would watch would be newer movies and TV shows, of course, but then also older movies and cartoons, as well. I had a larger range of social references, just because I was plumbing from a shallower well. It seems like it shouldn't work that way, but new content is being made at a unprecedented rate. Not just major studios, and Streaming Services, but things like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. I might watch a Midnight movie from the 70's, because that was all that was on, but younger generations never need to. There's just an endless supply of content from whatever you're into at the moment.

So, apparently younger generations don't have as much generational awareness, because they have access to sooo much more content.

I'm an elder Millenial, and I grew up watching what was on TV, and then whatever VHS/DVDs my parents deemed worthy of purchasing. So, the things I would watch would be newer movies and TV shows, of course, but then also older movies and cartoons, as well. I had a larger range of social references, just because I was plumbing from a shallower well. It seems like it shouldn't work that way, but new content is being made at a unprecedented rate. Not just major studios, and Streaming Services, but things like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. I might watch a Midnight movie from the 70's, because that was all that was on, but younger generations never need to. There's just an endless supply of content from whatever you're into at the moment.

Also just access is different, there used to be one TV in the house, if you could afford it maybe two, and now everyone will have their own device.

@RickiTarr In the evening we watched what our parents watched. I've seen lots of Dallas and Dynasty even though that's not really made for teenage boys.
With the exception of Heather Locklear.

So, apparently younger generations don't have as much generational awareness, because they have access to sooo much more content.

I'm an elder Millenial, and I grew up watching what was on TV, and then whatever VHS/DVDs my parents deemed worthy of purchasing. So, the things I would watch would be newer movies and TV shows, of course, but then also older movies and cartoons, as well. I had a larger range of social references, just because I was plumbing from a shallower well. It seems like it shouldn't work that way, but new content is being made at a unprecedented rate. Not just major studios, and Streaming Services, but things like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. I might watch a Midnight movie from the 70's, because that was all that was on, but younger generations never need to. There's just an endless supply of content from whatever you're into at the moment.

@RickiTarr I remember that overarching sense of absolute boredom and straight up dislike for like 95% of everything that was on TV. I had no choice, there were no alternatives. I watched the least awful thing I could. And there were some good things of course, but just so much of the time I had to be watching anything just had to go to whatever was least bad. It's weird that I can remember some I actually rather disliked with something vaguely resembling fondness — I guess in part because at least they were better than most of what's on these days. Which is to say that there may be a lot available today, but it's shoveled in, lowest common denominator, provide only one thing type stuff. (That existed then, but nowhere near to this level...)

@edgeofeurope THAT'S TRUE! I have a friend who talked about her whole family watching Twin Peaks, and then growing up, and thinking Why would my parents let me watch this trippy murder show lol

@nazokiyoubinbou YES! You just had to watch what was there. This is probably why I read so much as a kid.

@RickiTarr I would say it also adds the challenge of having a common personal language with friends. There used to be limited shows so it was more likely you saw the same shows as your friends and would incorporate references of the shows into your culture and discussions. Now it’s harder to get on the same page with people which may also make it harder to bond and maybe the fact that we don’t all watch Gilligan’s Island together also increases the loneliness factor for everyone.

So, apparently younger generations don't have as much generational awareness, because they have access to sooo much more content.

I'm an elder Millenial, and I grew up watching what was on TV, and then whatever VHS/DVDs my parents deemed worthy of purchasing. So, the things I would watch would be newer movies and TV shows, of course, but then also older movies and cartoons, as well. I had a larger range of social references, just because I was plumbing from a shallower well. It seems like it shouldn't work that way, but new content is being made at a unprecedented rate. Not just major studios, and Streaming Services, but things like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. I might watch a Midnight movie from the 70's, because that was all that was on, but younger generations never need to. There's just an endless supply of content from whatever you're into at the moment.

@RickiTarr @edgeofeurope Twin Peaks is a weird one. The way it starts out you really think it's just going to be a murder mystery, good guys trying to catch a serial killer kind of thing. Who knew it was actually a soap opera at first? I guess by the time they gave up the pretense and started unapologetically playing actual soap opera music to let you know which type of soap opera segment is playing right now people were hooked or something.

(Personally I never could finish it. Or at least what there was of it. I really don't like soap operas... Sorry.)

@RickiTarr I remember that overarching sense of absolute boredom and straight up dislike for like 95% of everything that was on TV. I had no choice, there were no alternatives. I watched the least awful thing I could. And there were some good things of course, but just so much of the time I had to be watching anything just had to go to whatever was least bad. It's weird that I can remember some I actually rather disliked with something vaguely resembling fondness — I guess in part because at least they were better than most of what's on these days. Which is to say that there may be a lot available today, but it's shoveled in, lowest common denominator, provide only one thing type stuff. (That existed then, but nowhere near to this level...)

@RickiTarr That's actually a darned good point right there... There was a heck of a lot more incentive to actually read or even play crappy videogames no one would play today for entertainment when you couldn't just tune into a Youtube and watch whatever you wanted on demand. EDIT: Oh, and radio too. I bet people aren't listening nearly as much as they used to...

@nazokiyoubinbou @RickiTarr yep, like why did I waste some of my youth staring at the box where my dad insisted on watching golf, darts, fishing and other interminably boring stuff when I could have been doing anything else

The same movies I've seen 20 times though they didn't merit even a second watch.

Some things are better (some problems are more just... Family)

I'd say the fondness is largely just familiarity? People like that.

@noodlemaz @nazokiyoubinbou That's another interesting line of thinking. My friend group often has the discussion about whether you'd go back to pre-internet days, and to be frank, I do love the internet and don't want to go back.

@noodlemaz @nazokiyoubinbou That's another interesting line of thinking. My friend group often has the discussion about whether you'd go back to pre-internet days, and to be frank, I do love the internet and don't want to go back.

@RickiTarr @noodlemaz What I want more desperately than I can put into words is to go back to the Internet of the late 90s and early 2000s. Back before enshittification. It was just... so different... There was still plenty of bad stuff — So. Very. Many. Trolls... — and sites you had to not click on, not to mention that even if you didn't run IE some sites were still kind of dangerous, but no one was tracking you, forums were great, and some sites at the time just felt straight up neat. (Zophar's Domain for example.)

That is what I would go back to in a heartbeat. Lots and lots of downsides — for example, finding fixes for issues or information on obscure things was really hard — but it was 10,000,000x better than the Internet of today...

@nazokiyoubinbou @RickiTarr Even like, early-days birdsite.
I know someone who worked there from the start, it was a passion project. They truly cared. Many people there did.

I still have friends I met and got to know there. I made professional connections, it formed a not-insignificant part of my first post-doctoral job, even.

It gave customers power over businesses to get real customer service and fix issues, like we'd never had before. Because they cared about what people saw and thought of them and would act.

It gave us ways of sharing local info so fast. I miss the snow chat every time it started coming down in London..! Important and frivolous things alike, I think we lost a lot when Elno destroyed it (after Jack let it go to shit)

@noodlemaz @RickiTarr To be fair, it was already in its death knells even before he finished it off. But, that said, yeah, it was a very different place long before that.

Heck, even Facebook once wasn't quite so horrible. There were communities and such on there back before they started obsessing on maximizing tracking every single detail of our every single day to sell to advertisers.

Though, for me, the best social media was absolutely the forums back in the day. Again, So. Many. Trolls. But also so worth it. Most were just straight up actual communities.

Thankfully Mastodon feels a little bit like what all that was. It's not quite the same, but it's really nice.

@nazokiyoubinbou @noodlemaz @RickiTarr Old fogey here, but the internet (and I'm thinking mainly of Usenet) really was better before 1995, with the September that never ended and Cantor and Siegel deploying the first spam-bot.
The Fediverse is better. I know we have work to do, especially on racism, but that was one of the things that was worse.