Remember back when you knew everything, and adults were always doing stupid stuff that made no sense?
If you’re under thirty, this is your chance to tell them what’s up and how they should be living their lives.
If you’re middle-aged or older, you can participate too… Just think back to what your younger self might have said.
I’ll play, even though I know it’s a parody. 29 here, so just under the wire:
No, today’s teens are not horrible, obnoxious and lazy. They are sweet, well-informed and polite, and will do whatever you ask in return for just the slightest bit of respect from you. Seriously, they are so much better than me and my cohort were, and I’m barely ten years older - I have no idea what’s going on, but today’s teens are wonderful. Please encourage them, don’t be a dick to them.
No, the internet is not “stupid”. It is a tool. What you get out of it depends entirely on what you put in it. You are not superior for not “getting it” - you are just another version of the old git who was baffled by electric lights and motorcars. And seriously, you are too young to act that old. Stop it.
What about people that are older than 30 but younger than 40 (which is the accepted definition of “middle-aged” since average life expectancy is in the early 80s)?
I have written this so many times on these boards. I hope someone is listening. My generation was made up of little shits. Today’s teens are a lot better in almost every way.
Since this thread is still young 
maybe we should agree on a definition.
[QUOTE=Wikipedia]
According to Collins Dictionary, this is “… usually considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60”.[1] The current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary gives a similar definition but with a shorter span: “The period of life between young adulthood and old age, now usually regarded as between about forty-five and sixty.” The US Census lists middle age as including both the age categories 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, while prominent psychologist Erik Erikson saw it ending a little later and defines middle adulthood as between 40 and 65. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the standard diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, used to define middle age as 40–60, but as of Edition IV (1994) revised the definition upwards to 45–65. The average life expectancy in the US in 2013 was 76 for men and 81 for women,[citation needed] making the mid-point of a life of average length in the US 40 to 41 for women and 37 to 38 for men.
[/QUOTE]
Thirtysomethings are free to contribute as well. The important thing is to advise on the basis of your observations of what others ought to do, not your own experiences of similar situations.
Huh? It is possible for even young teens to have experience with things that relate to middle-aged folks.
I’m still waiting for you whippersnappers to tell me whether I am middle-aged or old or something in between that I’ve never heard of based on which definition you choose. I am 59, and I do not expect to live to be 120.
nm
If you look above, that’s NOT how the term is typically defined.
And if you’ll look above, you’ll see that I retracted my take on it. 
You’re over thirty, so you’re old.
I distinctly remember being thirteen or so and a friend’s mom, who was clearly old, turning thirty. My own parents had me late in life, so I don’t know when they turned old, as they were old when I met them.
I’ve been old for over ten years now, and I’m glad I got turning old out of the way early. I suggest you embrace your oldness as soon as possible if you have not already done so.
Thanks, AnaMen, I’m glad we got that settled. Hand me my cane, punk.
Any of us could have something useful to impart to someone else, but it is the unique perspective of the inexperienced person that is important here.
I’m too old to be running and fetching for you–ask a whippersnapping little sprog if you can find one that’s not busy sexting or listening to that rap music and showing folks its underclothes.
Yeah… no.
You kids gave us Miley Cyrus and Justin Beiber. What makes you think you have ANY credibility?
Speak for yourself!
As for the definition of “middle age” I think it goes something like this:
10-12 = Tween (like you are a double-digit age than doesn’t end with ‘teen’)
13-19 = Teenager
20-29 = Young Adult (Like you still think you are a college student. Note that 25 is an important milestone where it is now officially creepy for you to visit your college)
30-39 = Adult (as in you are now officially supposed to look like you have your shit somewhat together)
40-59 = Middle-Aged (You aren’t really aren’t an “old person” but you certainly aren’t young any more
60+ = Old (Yup…You are now old as fuck).
IOW, it’s not called “middle aged” because it falls in some statistical mean age for your lifespan. It’s called “middle aged” because it’s sort of in the middle of being an old and a young full grown adult. IMHO
I know this isn’t exactly in scope, but we old fucks–excuse me, “middle aged” fucks–grew up with computers and video games. I just turned 47. I used computers in middle school. Sure, they were the first personal computers ever, but they were computers. We had video games. Sure they were 8-bit, but they were futuristic to us!
I’m a young adult.
Would you guys who inherited the most prosperous and powerful country quit ruining it and stop eliminating the opportunities for young people that you yourself enjoyed? Much obliged.
I’m 36, so I’m not a young adult. But I will offer this bit of wisdom for people who are my age and older:
Stop pretending that your struggles as a young person were anything like what young people have to go through today. Stop pretending that the American Dream, however you want to define it, is something your children will attain as easily as you did…if they would only do X, Y, and Z.
The 25-year-old college graduate who is waiting tables didn’t make poor choices. They didn’t do anything wrong…or at least not anything more “wrong” than what you told them to do. They did just like you did and studied what they wanted in college. It’s just that fifty years ago, having a college degree was a rarity and thus special. It’s just that 20, 30 years ago, there were jobs to be had right out of school. Neither of these things are currently in play.
Young people don’t want to hear about how hard you had it growing up. You aren’t neccessarily the best role model for overcoming hardship. When you were growing up, you’d get a friendly warning if you were caught driving intoxicated. Now your life is fucked. When you were growing up, you could openly puff on a joint and the worse you’d face is being called a dirty hippie. Nowadays, you can get a mandatory life sentence. When you were a kid, no one worried about college until their junior year. Nowadays, the pressure starts in elementary school. You wouldn’t last a second in the current pressure chamber known as American childhood. You too would be gulping down Ritalin and Prozac if you had to deal with the stress that kids have to content with today. So quit with the “When I was a kid…” pontificating. We’re in a new day, with different challenges. Evolve already.
Also, Baby Boomers, your music is awesome, but it’s not the most awesome music ever. Either update your mp3 list or shut up about how bad music nowadays sucks. There was a time when people cared what you think. But that time is rapidly coming to a close.