If you were in your late teens/early 20's now

Mister Vain

Would you be happier/better off than what you were when you were actually that age? I remember when I first starting drinking and going out to bars and clubs. I absolutely hated it, mainly because smoking was still allowed in those places back then. I remember having to claw my way through a cloud of smoke to reach the bar and the horrible stench off my clothes the following morning. lack of social media and online dating meant there were less options to meet people, (although some may argue it was actually easier back then.)

Today people live online and are glued to their smartphones. There are obvious downsides to the changes in technology but in saying that, I've met people and done things in the last few years that just wouldn't have been possible pre facebook. I think there is more for young people to do now but I'm not sure if they're better off.

whiskeyman

probably worse off.
As I was just coming out of college in the crazy boom times, I'd a lot of cash from summer jobs during college and enjoyed it all.
I was able to job-hop aplenty in my early 20s too.
Although things are improving, I wouldn't fancy coming out of college or being young in the workforce with little experience these days.

SEPT 23 1989

Smokey nightclubs talking face to face with women with no assh0le photo documenting your drunken escapades

those were the days:(

Captain Flaps

I'll be 28 later this month, but I've been a scout leader since I was 18 so I've been exposed to the evolution of the 'culture' of that age bracket since I was that age.

I am absolutely thrilled to have grown up when I did, though admittedly I'd say older folk saw the whole emo thing the same way we view the hashtag generation now.

Birneybau

I'm glad I got through those years with no social media, I can imagine the 'pressures' (obviously as seen from somebody mid-30s) would be crippling in some cases.

CINCLANTFLT

Have you seen what young ones wear today!!! I'd love a go off some of that... All they wore in my day was jeans and a body top... These days it's little bodycon mini dresses and such! The best I can hope for now is to stalk my younger cousin's friends on the Facebook :-(

the evasion_kid

youth is wasted on the young...

Dodge

Captain Flaps wrote: »

I'll be 28 later this month, but I've been a scout leader since I was 18 so I've been exposed to the evolution of the 'culture' of that age bracket since I was that age.

If the bit in bold is true, the last line isn't true

Magico Gonzalez

Yeah, the whole no job things would be a pain alright. I had my first tastes of freedom and excess in the 90s. It was our generation's equivalent to the 60s. Supposedly the end of politics, democracy had won. It felt like progress and economic growth were eternal. Grunge ended and was replaced by (really really good) pills and rave culture. If you went to college you were pretty much guaranteed a job afterwards.

The first major jolt to the system was the Internet bubble bursting, then the massive calamity of 9-11 then the various economic crisis that lead us to today. Seems like a hard place to be young to me. The world is a much more tense place, the global economy is spluttering, the EU and free movement is on it's knees.

I'll take the 90s every time. No amount of shiny phones and mobile internet could change that. Also, if half the idiotic things I did were caught on social media I'd probably have chucked myself off a tall building. There's nothing better than things being in the moment and captured only in the memory of those who were there. I hate the phone cam culture of today, twitter shaming and all that horrible nonsense.

Fleawuss

CINCLANTFLT wrote: »

Have you seen what young ones wear today!!! I'd love a go off some of that... All they wore in my day was jeans and a body top... These days it's little bodycon mini dresses and such! The best I can hope for now is to stalk my younger cousin's friends on the Facebook :-(

I'd guess they have a word for that Admiral.

biko

I'd do it all over again, with as much added sexy-time as I could muster.

Mister Vain

Magico Gonzalez wrote: »

Yeah, the whole no job things would be a pain alright. I had my first tastes of freedom and excess in the 90s. It was our generation's equivalent to the 60s. Supposedly the end of politics, democracy had won. It felt like progress and economic growth were eternal. Grunge ended and was replaced by (really really good) pills and rave culture. If you went to college you were pretty much guaranteed a job afterwards.

The first major jolt to the system was the Internet bubble bursting, then the massive calamity of 9-11 then the various economic crisis that lead us to today. Seems like a hard place to be young to me. The world is a much more tense place, the global economy is spluttering, the EU and free movement is on it's knees.

I'll take the 90s every time. No amount of shiny phones and mobile internet could change that. Also, if half the idiotic things I did were caught on social media I'd probably have chucked myself off a tall building. There's nothing better than things being in the moment and captured only in the memory of those who were there. I hate the phone cam culture of today, twitter shaming and all that horrible nonsense.

This I would agree with. PC brigades everywhere now too.

eviltwin

I'd hate to be coming of age now in the world of social media, excessive political correctness and the situation globally with extremism. I was a teenager in the 90's and life was as crap for us as it is for today's teens in many ways but it was fun. I'm so lucky that I got to make my mistakes away from Facebook and camera phones.

Larry the Logster

Fleawuss wrote: »

I'd guess they have a word for that Admiral.

Stalking?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

CINCLANTFLT wrote: »

Have you seen what young ones wear today!!! I'd love a go off some of that... All they wore in my day was jeans and a body top... These days it's little bodycon mini dresses and such! The best I can hope for now is to stalk my younger cousin's friends on the Facebook :-(

Mother of god... :eek:

One eyed Jack

Mister Vain wrote: »

Would you be happier/better off than what you were when you were actually that age? I remember when I first starting drinking and going out to bars and clubs. I absolutely hated it, mainly because smoking was still allowed in those places back then. I remember having to claw my way through a cloud of smoke to reach the bar and the horrible stench off my clothes the following morning. lack of social media and online dating meant there were less options to meet people, (although some may argue it was actually easier back then.)

Today people live online and are glued to their smartphones. There are obvious downsides to the changes in technology but in saying that, I've met people and done things in the last few years that just wouldn't have been possible pre facebook. I think there is more for young people to do now but I'm not sure if they're better off.

I wrote this before -

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I feel bad for children and young people today because they can't get away with anything without it being recorded and uploaded, shared, and judged for it, a permanent digital reminder of their naivety and occasional stupidity that follows them long into adulthood.

If I was that age now again, and growing up in the world as it is now, I know I'd be miserable. There's so much pressure on young people nowadays to be somebody else just to fit in. I couldn't be dealing with that even now, never mind when I was a teenager.

Duggy747

I'd be paranoid that some gobshíte would upload the stuff we got up to back then.

Social media wasn't really something that took off here yet where the likes of MySpace reigned supreme in some parts, some people used to think it was pretty odd that others would do such a thing :pac:.

I do remember becoming friends with a few Irish girls through Faceparty, which was kind of like Bebo before that came about.

Mister Vain

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I wrote this before -

Originally Posted by One eyed Jack I feel bad for children and young people today because they can't get away with anything without it being recorded and uploaded, shared, and judged for it, a permanent digital reminder of their naivety and occasional stupidity that follows them long into adulthood.


If I was that age now again, and growing up in the world as it is now, I know I'd be miserable. There's so much pressure on young people nowadays to be somebody else just to fit in. I couldn't be dealing with that even now, never mind when I was a teenager.

Well said. I feel sorry for the kids who are bullied now too as it doesn't end in the classroom.

_Kaiser_

Born in the mid-70s so had the benefit of the 80s (great movies, music and a more copped-on attitude generally) and the 90s (better economy, job since I finished college - 1 year aside) but without the nonsense of everything being recorded and uploaded somewhere, or the whole cyerbullying thing.

My little fella is 3 and has already mastered the phone and tablet, but I do worry a bit what things will be like in a few years when he's in "big" school.

harry Bailey esq

Fleawuss wrote: »

I'd guess they have a word for that Admiral.

Off topic, but are you old enough to remember the original ads on TV for birdseye fish fingers? Captain Birdseye looking like uncle Albert sailing the high seas on a sailing ship crewed exclusively by little kiddies,and he always had one of the 'crew' bouncing up and down on his lap with him grinning from ear to ear?Never once saw him at the steering wheel,or helm to use a more nautical term.Jesus I always wanted to be one of those kids,but looking back now,it all looked very, very sinister.

the evasion_kid

Mister Vain wrote: »

This I would agree with. PC brigades everywhere now too.

trying to tell a joke these days is like...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVZP3I0U4AAXFjF.jpg

Captain Flaps

Dodge wrote: »

If the bit in bold is true, the last line isn't true

Go on?

You do realise 'scouts' as a broad term covers ages 12 to 21 right?

ArnoldJRimmer

Definitely not. I had a hard time in school for many years, but at least I had the sanctuary of home every evening and weekend. The fact that bullying alone can continue on social media now is enough to make me thankful that I'm not currently a teen

In my later teens and early 20's, I went a bit nuts and at times did some extremely stupid and embarrassing stuff. It was all hilarious at the time, but at least its stayed in the past with no permanent record on the internet.

xzanti

I'm so glad I had my 'hay day' before technology took over!!

I wouldn't change anything about my twenties, they were amazing!! No regrets.

Fleawuss

Larry the Logster wrote: »

Stalking?

I think it begins with P.

brummytom

I quite like being in my early 20s. I also like lock-ins when we can smoke inside.

desertcircus

Mister Vain wrote: »

This I would agree with. PC brigades everywhere now too.

Yeah, it was much better when the government was brought to court for criminalising homosexuality and you could be a violent homophobe without fear of backlash. "PC brigades" is shorthand for "people who insist on pointing out I'm being a cock when I act like a cock".

diograis

To all the people who say they'd hate to be young because of political correctness and social media:

Your age is showing.

One eyed Jack

diograis wrote: »

To all the people who say they'd hate to be young because of political correctness and social media:

Your age is showing.

I'm nearly 40, I have no idea what, or even who my child is talking about any more, and he's only 11 ffs! :pac:

(It's all Wizz Kalifah and skinny jeans :rolleyes:)

One eyed Jack

desertcircus wrote: »

Yeah, it was much better when the government was brought to court for criminalising homosexuality and you could be a violent homophobe without fear of backlash. "PC brigades" is shorthand for "people who insist on pointing out I'm being a cock when I act like a cock".

I'm not a member of any PC Brigade, but...


Seriously though, nobody was talking about being violent homophobes or any of that nonsense.

They were talking about identity politics advocates that have disappeared up their own arse and feel a need to make sure everyone is as miserable as they are. Well, they try anyway! Thankfully as I'm now older I'm free to completely ignore them, but I do wonder about their influence on young people, who as I said are under increasing pressure to fit in and conform to certain people's ideas for society.

It's ironic when you think about it really.

Magico Gonzalez

diograis wrote: »

To all the people who say they'd hate to be young because of political correctness and social media:

Your age is showing.

Good !!

I'm very happy to be 40 and have missed the over exposure era when growing up.

No way would I have wanted smartphone cameras in corrib village in Galway..

seachto7

When I was in my teens/early 20s, everyone, male and female, dressed like Kurt Cobain.
Now, as I play gigs most weekends, I notice that women of this age bracket seem to make a huge effort to doll themselves up. I'd be tormented most weekends!

Canadel

Magico Gonzalez wrote: »

Also, if half the idiotic things I did were caught on social media I'd probably have chucked myself off a tall building. There's nothing better than things being in the moment and captured only in the memory of those who were there. I hate the phone cam culture of today, twitter shaming and all that horrible nonsense.

I consumed a precarious cocktail of coke and booze a few years ago and apparently posed for a picture with some strangers on the street with my trousers down and c**k hanging out. I randomly ended up tagged in the picture the next morning on facebook by a person I was friends with who knew the strangers. I wish I could say that was the end of it, or even the worst part. But no, I was still so f**ked up from the night before that I made the picture my profile picture for the day. My dick is probably still floating around in an internet cloud, and many people's memories.

SEPT 23 1989

Canadel wrote: »

I consumed a precarious cocktail of coke and booze a few years ago and apparently posed for a picture with some strangers on the street with my trousers down and c**k hanging out. I randomly ended up tagged in the picture the next morning on facebook by a person I was friends with who knew the strangers. I wish I could say that was the end of it, or even the worst part. But no, I was still so f**ked up from the night before that I made the picture my profile picture for the day. My dick is probably still floating around in an internet cloud, and many people's memories.

I don't think I could survive the level of fear that scenario would bring on after doing that

Fleawuss

Canadel wrote: »

I consumed a precarious cocktail of coke and booze a few years ago and apparently posed for a picture with some strangers on the street with my trousers down and c**k hanging out. I randomly ended up tagged in the picture the next morning on facebook by a person I was friends with who knew the strangers. I wish I could say that was the end of it, or even the worst part. But no, I was still so f**ked up from the night before that I made the picture my profile picture for the day. My dick is probably still floating around in an internet cloud, and many people's memories.

Thanks for the warning.

DivingDuck

I was so lucky. I'm young enough that the internet was around, so I could use it to connect with fellow nerds/weirdos and made friends which I really believe saved my life at the time. But I'm also old enough that most people weren't using it, so I didn't have to deal with all the social media pressure kids have now.

I'm not anti-social media in general, but I do think the obsessive documentation/sharing of every experience has the potential to be very detrimental to people's futures. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually plays out as the years go by, or whether it'll become the norm and accepted that everyone has photos of them naked/pole-axed floating around and becomes something nobody cares about anymore.

desertcircus

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I'm not a member of any PC Brigade, but...


Seriously though, nobody was talking about being violent homophobes or any of that nonsense.

They were talking about identity politics advocates that have disappeared up their own arse and feel a need to make sure everyone is as miserable as they are. Well, they try anyway! Thankfully as I'm now older I'm free to completely ignore them, but I do wonder about their influence on young people, who as I said are under increasing pressure to fit in and conform to certain people's ideas for society.

It's ironic when you think about it really.

Who are these identity politics advocates? 99% of complaints about "PC gone mad" that I see boil down to exactly what I said - people who are annoyed that they're being called out for acting like complete cocks.

Captain Flaps

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I'm not a member of any PC Brigade, but...


Seriously though, nobody was talking about being violent homophobes or any of that nonsense.

They were talking about identity politics advocates that have disappeared up their own arse and feel a need to make sure everyone is as miserable as they are. Well, they try anyway! Thankfully as I'm now older I'm free to completely ignore them, but I do wonder about their influence on young people, who as I said are under increasing pressure to fit in and conform to certain people's ideas for society.

It's ironic when you think about it really.

Not really. Do you not think that, to an extent anyway, the whole concept of identity as it comes across now is specifically a reaction to the pressure to conform and fit in? You're contradicting yourself in the above post.

Being young can be ****e. The internet has allowed a generation of 'misfits' and people too awkward for their own skin to discover that there are thousands, if not millions of people who have the same issues, insecurities and as yet undefined sexual identities that they can connect with. Sure, the side effect of this is a few precious snowflakes who think everything is offensive and you can't be a good person if you're not a minority pansexual who uses they pronouns and self publishes a 'zine. I think the current point in time actually has some of the LEAST pressure to fit in that we've ever seen.

This is of course discounting Facebook envy and cyberbullying, which are unfortunately the other extreme.

The_Captain

Girls dress way better now than they did when I was 18/19. Guys too, to be fair.

Girls would wear jeans to nightclubs and put no real effort into their appearance.
Guys would get crap haircuts, bitta dax, Joop, blue jeans and the "going-out shirt" and you'd always have the guy who thought he was a legend for getting in by putting black socks over his runners to fool the bouncers.

Now girls wear dresses and generally look amazing going out, guys go to the gym, get nicer haircuts etc. Sweaty lads in Lynx Africa don't make the cut anymore, girls are more demanding and don't want guys who don't look after themselves.

It's good though, young people are generally healthier, seem to smoke less and don't drink as much. They're probably more active despite being online more.

Tinder and online dating are game-changers. It was for weirdos and cat-ladies when I was college aged, now people are meeting up all the time from it and there's no shame in meeting someone online.

Mister Vain

The_Captain wrote: »

Girls dress way better now than they did when I was 18/19. Guys too, to be fair.

Girls would wear jeans to nightclubs and put no real effort into their appearance.
Guys would get crap haircuts, bitta dax, Joop, blue jeans and the "going-out shirt" and you'd always have the guy who thought he was a legend for getting in by putting black socks over his runners to fool the bouncers.

Now girls wear dresses and generally look amazing going out, guys go to the gym, get nicer haircuts etc. Sweaty lads in Lynx Africa don't make the cut anymore, girls are more demandingand don't want guys who don't look after themselves.

It's good though, young people are generally healthier, seem to smoke less and don't drink as much. They're probably more active despite being online more.

Tinder and online dating are game-changers. It was for weirdos and cat-ladies when I was college aged, now people are meeting up all the time from it and there's no shame in meeting someone online.

I agree with most of your post but girls being more demanding is not a good thing. Yeah guys and girls generally look after themselves more these days, but a lot of that is a by-product of the narcissistic Geordie Shore culture that is prevalent now. On nights out now young people are more interested in looking good for facebook photos rather than actually having a good time. I think they're less approachable now and as you say, more demanding.

SEPT 23 1989

The_Captain wrote: »

Girls dress way better now than they did when I was 18/19. Guys too, to be fair.

Girls would wear jeans to nightclubs and put no real effort into their appearance.
Guys would get crap haircuts, bitta dax, Joop, blue jeans and the "going-out shirt" and you'd always have the guy who thought he was a legend for getting in by putting black socks over his runners to fool the bouncers.

Now girls wear dresses and generally look amazing going out, guys go to the gym, get nicer haircuts etc. Sweaty lads in Lynx Africa don't make the cut anymore, girls are more demanding and don't want guys who don't look after themselves.

It's good though, young people are generally healthier, seem to smoke less and don't drink as much. They're probably more active despite being online more.

Tinder and online dating are game-changers. It was for weirdos and cat-ladies when I was college aged, now people are meeting up all the time from it and there's no shame in meeting someone online.

If a 2016 20 year old pumped up,fake tan,luminescent teeth,SS hair cut youngfella walked into a 80/90's era nightclub he would be laughed out of the place

Mister Vain

BTW there's nothing wrong with Joop. Tis a great fragrance. :cool:

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

If a 2016 20 year old pumped up,fake tan,luminescent teeth,SS hair cut youngfella walked into a 80/90's era nightclub he would be laughed out of the place

The same could be said of vice versa in fairness.

Galwayguy35

Can't say I ever remember girls going to nightclubs in jeans, although a lot of them did wear denim minis all right, mostly dresses though.

Rikand

CINCLANTFLT wrote: »

Have you seen what young ones wear today!!! I'd love a go off some of that... All they wore in my day was jeans and a body top... These days it's little bodycon mini dresses and such! The best I can hope for now is to stalk my younger cousin's friends on the Facebook :-(

In the 90's and early 00's this would have been a perfectly acceptable post to make.

Not anymore sadly

Mister Vain

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Can't say I ever remember girls going to nightclubs in jeans, although a lot of them did wear denim minis all right, mostly dresses though.

I used to see it in some of the rougher places. The sort of clubs that would have ambulances on standby because of the amount of fights that took place. My local dishco which was adequately named "The Cage" was notorious for this.

wakka12

We are definitely not better off. If you're not popular or if you're not good looking your social media accounts will make this pretty clear to you if you weren't aware. And vice versa with popular and hot people. Everything is vapid and shallow, I can't wait until Im older and Facebook and instagram die
And I wish I could delete my Facebook before you tell me, but its essential for contact with other students for college projects.

One eyed Jack

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Not really. Do you not think that, to an extent anyway, the whole concept of identity as it comes across now is specifically a reaction to the pressure to conform and fit in? You're contradicting yourself in the above post.

I don't think it's specifically a reaction to the pressure to conform and fit in at all tbh. I think the whole identity politics thing is just another way for people who want to self-exclude themselves from society, and then claim that it's society has the problem.

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Being young can be ****e. The internet has allowed a generation of 'misfits' and people too awkward for their own skin to discover that there are thousands, if not millions of people who have the same issues, insecurities and as yet undefined sexual identities that they can connect with. Sure, the side effect of this is a few precious snowflakes who think everything is offensive and you can't be a good person if you're not a minority pansexual who uses they pronouns and self publishes a 'zine. I think the current point in time actually has some of the LEAST pressure to fit in that we've ever seen.

I'm not sure that's a good thing tbh. I mean, of course being young can be shyte, we've all been there, but the internet has allowed people to insulate themselves from reality, from other people - the same young people around them who they probably have more in common with than they realise. They don't realise it because they are, as you put it - "too awkward in their own skin". It's a self-fulfilling thing - young people with little or no social skills, become adults with little or no social skills. They never learn to break out of their own online group they identify with, and learn to mix with young people who are in some way different to them.

Captain Flaps wrote: »

This is of course discounting Facebook envy and cyberbullying, which are unfortunately the other extreme.

That's true alright, there are extremes, but if young people never learn to deal with people calling them cocks, then they may never learn to deal with this sort of craic -

desertcircus wrote: »

"PC brigades" is shorthand for "people who insist on pointing out I'm being a cock when I act like a cock".

I don't think one needs to be a member of any "PC Brigade" to point out the irony in that sentence - "Conform to my way of thinking, or you're a cock", is essentially the message there.

desertcircus

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I don't think one needs to be a member of any "PC Brigade" to point out the irony in that sentence - "Conform to my way of thinking, or you're a cock", is essentially the message there.

Nope, the message is " don't be a cock, or you're a cock". I have plenty of friends who disagree with me on major issues, but I'm friends with them because they're not cocks. Again, most of the "PC brigade" nonsense boils down to someone being a complete prick to someone less fortunate than them and then being astonished that other people call them pricks for it.

RDM_83 again

Boards definitely has an older demographic now anyway, can be seen by the fact that the post drooling over the amazing 90's has so much thanks.

On the question, swings and roundabouts, was a broke student in Dublin in a high hours course for majority of the full on Celtic tiger so had the scrabbling to find a place to live thing and the coke fueled mega w@nkers. Got about a year and a half of the good times then everything went to sh-t.
At least young people today expect things to be bad, I think the generational difference is between those that secured themselves before the crash and those that didnt or came after.

Worked with some young lads* last year, seemed basically the same apart from having more sex, not everybody is sitting on Tumblr or being cyberbullied.

*For girls might be a bigger difference with the over drive on body culture (I think people forget the male equivalent-spice boys been around for ages)

Captain Flaps

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Got about a year and a half of the good times then everything went to sh-t.

The crash happened exactly halfway through my BA in Photography... some sleepless nights were had!