What does it really mean to be a GenY or Millennial twentysomething? Countless research studies, articles, and Millennial “experts” are out there telling us this is who GenY and Millennials are — but are they right? Well it’s time we went straight to the source – actual GenY and Millennial twentysomethings. Crazy, I know.
What you’ll find below is A STELLAR LIST from fellow twentysomethings, including myself, on what it really means to be a GenY or Millennial twentysomething.
Picture by Malingering – Creative Commons
YOU MIGHT BE A GENY TWENTYSOMETHING IF…
1.‘You have died of dysentery’ does not sound morbid at all, but only stirs fond memories of playing Oregon Trail. ~ Me
2. Sometimes when someone is talking to me I completely tune out and just start counting how many times they say “like”. ~ Micah
3. You’ve learned the best way to communicate is to ignore some one’s phone call, let them leave a message, listen to the message, then respond back to them with a text message, that way you keep personal contact to a minimum. ~Adam
4. “Do you have any kids” has somehow become a normal question people ask me. ~ Mike
5. I miss school. And so do you. But it’s impossible to communicate that to someone who is actually in school. ~ Mike
6. You remember how cool it felt to get a pager. ~ Me
7. You know that if Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible. Ruminations.com
8. You grieve all the day when you spill coffee on something that is “dry clean only.” ~ Me
9. You know what pogs are. ~ Me
10. You thought Mary-Kate and Ashley were adorable. And now they kinda scare you. ~ Katie
11. Somewhere deep in your parents house resides a sweet collection of pogs. ~ Me
12. Somewhere in your parents house resides a sweet collection of mixed tapes. And/or you’ve given a mixed tape of love songs to a girlfriend or boyfriend. And to this day, that mixed tape was the most time you’ve ever spent on a gift. ~ Me
13. Soon it will be perfectly acceptable and customary to ask a girl to marry you via a Facebook wall post. ~ Adam
14. “Dry clean only” actually means “I’ll never, ever, ever wash this.” ~ Me
15. While driving yesterday you saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart. Ruminations.com
16. You ironed your dress shirts for the first month of your new job, and then decided a much easier strategy was just to stop believing that wrinkles exists. ~ Me
17. You can’t believe you actually ran when girls tried to kiss you as a kid. ~ Me
18. In your memory, the best TV can be summed up with four letters (T-G-I-F)… until you actually watch one of those shows, that is. ~ Mike
19. ‘Who was hotter — Kelly Kapowski or Topanga Lawrence?’ is a very legitimate debate. ~ Paul
20. You still can’t believe your parents turned your old bedroom into an office. Did your time with them mean nothing? Shouldn’t your bedroom have been left intact as a permanent shrine? ~ Me
21. You’ve prayed for the invention of sarcasm font. Ruminations.com
22. Mario Brothers 3 for Regular Nintendo is still your favorite video game. ~ Me
23. You know exactly what Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left Right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start means. ~ Me
24. You feel like a kid most of the time, until you see a real kid and think, “good Lord, kids are really young these days.” ~ Mike
25. You prayed daily that you could have an Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey. ~ Megan
26. You’ve wished that Disney continued having perverted, subliminal messages. It certainly didn’t affect my childhood and it makes it more fun for us to watch. ~ Micah
27. Standing over the sink is a totally normal place to eat breakfast. ~ Mike
28. Eating Fruity Pebbles over the sink is a totally normal dinner. ~ Me
29. You’ve wondered how growing up, we were allowed to all play Smear the Queer at recess? And how were we allowed to call it Smear the Queer? And how did every kid across the USA know about Smear the Queer? We didn’t have the internet. Did the elaborate Smear the Queer ground rules get relayed by Timmy from Tulsa via carrier pigeon? ~ Paul
30. People are beginning to point out your gray hair. “Wow, thank you for letting me know I have gray hair. I’ve never noticed that before.” (Dang it. Where’s sarcasm font when I need it?!) ~ Me
31. You now understand what your parents meant when they said, ‘You’ll understand when you get older.’ ~ Me
What additions do you have for — You Might be a GenY 20something if? What did we leave out? Add to the list below.
I identify with sooooo much of this list! Seriously! Except I don’t count likes and I never had a pager, but otherwise I was nodding along and smiling to most of it. So awesome.
Thanks Miss Lissy! Glad you could relate. And you’re better off not counting the amount of times fellow 20somethings say “like” or “um”. Once you start, you’ll never hear anything else 🙂
I luv, luv, luv this list!!! I really must be a 20-something, b/c I could relate to each one. Ok, my turn to add some more (but from a 20-something girl’s p.o.v). Here goes: You know you’re a 20-something girl if:
(1) You know the difference between a Furby & Tamagotchi; (2) You were always Princess Peach in Mario Kart … who cares if she was the slowest, she was the only girl & she was cute; (3) The only time you ever held a gun & were pro-killing animals was when you played Duck Hunt on the old-school Nintendo; (4) You know that a hacky sack is not a dirty phrase; (5) You rocked the white tank & men’s tie a la Avril Lavigne in her “Sk8er Boi” music video; (6) You loved BSB & NKOTB, but now you just feel sorry for those old dudes; (7) You wrote on an entire page insert in your BFF’s yearbook with colorful, scented sparkly gel pens & made sure she did the same for you – and you haven’t talked to that “BFF” since high school; (8) You were shocked to learn that Hot Topic now sells Hello Kitty stuff b/c you remember the store back when it was scary & all black; (9) You realize that the cliques in high school are alive & well in the real world too … damn; and (10) You sometimes wish dating were as simple as passing a note that says, “Do you like me? Check one box: Yes, No or Maybe.”
Jocelyn – Your list is stellar because…
1. I don’t understand half of it, which must mean it’s appealing to mass amounts of females everywhere.
2. Couldn’t agree more on passing a note still being acceptable. I say give it a shot. Except what happens when they check maybe??
I love it! Those were the good ol days….
I LOVE this. Linked on my Facebook page and Twitter! Great site!
Thanks Saumirah!!
My brother and I were just discussing pogs and slammers…those were the days. These are fabulous and hilarious. Here are some additions:
* You enjoyed pudding pops and dunk-a-roos and were the master at “Skip-it.”
* You read Judy Blume and Nancy Drew and Babysitters Club like it was your job. (if you were slightly dorky…which I was. cough. am.)
* If you were a little cooler, you read Goosebumps. I did not.
* You were a fan of Fraggle Rock and Gummy Bears and Care Bears. Basically, lots of cartoon bears.
* You think girls today are a bit hoochy but then you see pictures of you with shirts that exposed your belly button.
* You can finish the expression: I like big buts and I …
* You still don’t really know how taxes work but you pretend like you do.
* You’ve crimped your hair. Or, if you’re a boy, you’ve had a bowl cut or the “butt cut.”
* You thought Mary-Kate and Ashley were adorable. And now they kinda scare you.
* When someone says, “Who-oa” you immediately think of Joey Lawrence from Blossom.
* You get zits on your jawline and think, “Really? Still?”
* You know that Jerry Maguire was not Lizzy Mcguire’s dad. (my high school students asked me this when I was shouting, “SHOW ME THE MONEY” in class and they looked at me very confused)
* Speaking of, you once thought Tom Cruise was cool.
* You watched Beavis and Butthead when your mom wasn’t home.
* You’ve said, “Not the mama” and pictured talking dinosaurs.
* You’ve made prank calls using pay phones.
* You’ve used a pay phone period. And you’ve said your name is, “Mom, come get me.”
Okay, I’ll stop. Sorry for my massive comment. Fun topic. Oh and Jocelyn, speaking of “topic”- good call on Hot Topic. I was certain that only devil-worshippers went in that store.
Katie – With Jocelyn’s additions and now yours, I think we’re well on our way to breaking 100 Ways….
So many good ones! The “butt cut” had me rolling as I was always depressed that my Italian hair wouldn’t comply to the ways of the butt cut.
Then yes — we pay rent, we work full-time, we wear groan up pants every single day. The least God could do is smite are acne. Wasn’t that part of the growing up deal?
Katie, I just found this post today. AND I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT DUNK-A-ROOS!! haha I used to love those things. How did I ever forget them?
Thanks Shannon for the comment and for officially putting the DUNK-A-ROOS theme song in my head all day 🙂
Mixed tapes that I did carry in my walkman. Pants with stirrups. Cool girls wearing flannels and denim mini skirts. Having actually bounced on a pogo stick. And every boy within miles wearing a Real Fear t-shirt over saggy baggy jeans and airwalks. No guy I grew up with would be caught DEAD in skinny jeans.
oh yeah- Nirvana!
Kerry – Thank you for your additions! I especially love the mixed tape. It’s a shame to know that our kids won’t know the incredible RUSH of pouncing on the radio in time to record 95% of “Everybody Dance Now” circa CC Music Factory or Smells Like Teen Spirit
Just sent this to all the 20-somethings in my address book!
I have to admit, reading over this sent me back in time to a place where N*SYNC was (is) the coolest band ever, and my Popple is still considered a worldly possession. A time and place where MASH was a game that predicted your future, slap-on bracelets were a major fashion statement, and the Jagged Little Pill album exemplified every angry 12-year-old in the world. Goodness…and to think we are supposed to be in charge soon! Thanks for the walk down memory lane, and the confirmation of my GenY standing!
Ashley – Any time I can relive Jagged Little Pill and MASH in the same comment, is an incredibly amazing day.
Except back in Colorado we called it MASHO. “O” of course standing for Outhouse…
Thank you for the comment and for spreading the 20something love!
I’m a little late in reading this, but seriously enjoyed it. I’d just like to add:
-Thought wearing overalls was cute.
– you may have worn two different colors t-shirts at the same time with the sleeves rolled
-remember when it was cool to only wear your backpack on one shoulder.
Wait, overalls are no longer cute….?
No one take a picture of me right now
I still remember my pink Big Wheel with the pom-pom/streamers on the handles. New Kids on the Block were pretty cool along with Blossom. (I totally agree with always thinking about Joey Lawrence when I hear “Whoa!”) Pogs were SO cool. Then we weren’t allowed to play them at school anymore. My slammer had a hologram inside. I worshiped the movie Clueless, and still think to myself “she could be a farmer in those clothes” when I see overalls…we totally tried to play the card game Suck and Blow. Then I started my love affair with 311 when “All Mixed Up” came out. To this day I love when they pop up on my iPod.
I have started groaning at older generations that refuse to start learning about the new technology. I can fix their computers simply because i know how to use one….
In addition to the list that I relate to above….
You might be a GenY Twentsomething if
~ You think you’re not that old and then you realize that the kids who just graduated high school this year were born in 1993.
~ You have a 12 year old say to you, “My youth pastor was talking about Vanilla Ice and my friends and I thought he was talking about an ice cream flavor,” and you aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry because she was completely serious.
~ You start taking over the counter pain relievers after a really active day of play/moving/living because you actually need them.
~ Your mom drove an Astro van or Safari van.
~ You go back to your home town and talk about all the developments that have happened since you’ve been gone.
~ You played Kick the Can with the neighborhood kids until the street lights came on. And then you kept playing until you’re dad finally did “the whistle” for you to come home.
Ha! Lindsay some excellent additions! My neighbors had an Astro Van, which I knew meant their family had completely made it as it was like riding in van-like-luxury.
And seriously, 1993??!! Holy High School, that’s nuts!
Serious awesome list.
-Your parents were flabbergasted that you could type at age 12.
-You prayed daily that you could have an Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey.
-Being the first kid in the neighborhood who’s family had a PORTABLE phone deemed you tech royalty… and you no longer had to sit on the kitchen floor twirling a cord while talking
-Wearing JNCO jeans meant you were bad ass
-Your parents could pick up a phone and listen in on your phone calls
“Your parents could pick up a phone and listen in on your phone calls” – Oh yes those were the days.
Or as a boy you had to dread with every ring having to get through “THE DAD” who was assuredly going to pick up the phone.
Great additions Megan
would be a better article if half of them weren’t stolen from ruminations.com.
Thanks Karo for the heads up. I received three out of the 31 through different mass emails from friends. I’ll definitely link back to ruminations on the three I had not cited now that I know.
I’m going to add another to this list…
– You might be a Gen Y if you realize the photo featured with this article showcases different fashion styles of hipsters.
Right on the hipster-GenY-money!
You know you’re Gen Y if…
You know Stick Stickly.
*drops mic and walks off stage*
Ha!
1. Amazing post. I relate to at least 90% of the items mentioned in the original post and the comments.
2. http://sartalics.com/
You’re welcome. 🙂
You say “ten years ago” meaning mid/late 90’s then are shocked when you realize that was only 2002. And feel really really really old…
I explained dial up internet to a 12 year old the other day. She couldn’t believe the internet used to screech at you. I told her about the revolution that was the split telephone line. And she was floored by the fact that you couldn’t watch videos online: “Then why did you have the internet?!” Fair question.
You got the Konami code wrong! up up down down!
Josh – So true! Love me some Contra
LOVE this list! Relatable…even for a South African 😛
Here are a few more….(some may be quite South Africa specific – hope you don’t mind!)
– you remember Sega drive and Mega drive
– you had “magic” markers with a special pen so you could write over an existing colour to get a new colour
– you were “the bomb” when you could rewind your tape exactly to where the song began
– you used words like “the bomb”
– you got angry when radio presenters decided to speak over the end of the song you were taping
– you recorded stuff on videotapes (especially anything BSB related)
– you had proper cartoons: teenage mutant ninja turtles, the flintstones, the jetsons, animaniacs, goof troop- none of this new Disney nonsense
– you had to use command prompt to get into “Windows” on your home PC
– you carried your cd Walkman, the huge charger and every cd you owned on faily vacations (which took up most of your allocated luggage)
– you had, at one stage, a book of stickers and trading stickers was serious business
– you had to finish all the film in your first camera before you could see the pics
– you had to take the film to be developed and wait either an hour or a few days for it
– there were only four channels on TV (3 public channels and 1 private “part-time” channel)
– you remember when satellite TV came into the country and your parents installed it (the choices!)
– you remember everyone stocking up provisions during the first democratic election (1994) and during y2k
– the first versions of MS Word had a paper clip talking icon thing which irritated you
Kusha! What a great list. Awesome and fun to see how closely our childhoods aligned from miles away. The beauty of technology.
I definitely got mad when radio announcers talked over that one song I’d been trying for weeks to make. Love that one.
Thanks Kusha.
Haha oh i miss my pogs!
Eating breakfast over the sink. EATING BREAKFAST OVER THE SINK!!! I genuinely thought that was just me.
Here’s a few:
Game Boy was the biggest technological advancement in gaming. You thought the fact you could connect two together and play tetris was amazing!
Nike Air Flights had just come out and you begged your parents to get you a pair because everyone else in school had them!
The Reebok Pumps came out later and your parents refused to buy them for you, so you took on odd jobs to pay the $135.
You sent messages to beepers in number codes (143, 911, 411)
You spent $100+ on JNCO’s and cut the bottoms.
Everyone in high school wore Stussy, 26 Red, No Fear or the newest Nine Inch Nails album t-shirt
All the grungers wore caridgans with holes cut in for the thumbs
You bought every Pink Floyd blacklight poster at Spencers and mounted them on your bedroom ceiling
Aeon Flux – I don’t need to say more than that
You get legitimately upset when facebook became “open” to first high-schoolers and then the public.
seriously lol’d at this since my freshman roomate and I totally had a fit in 2006 over this and were like “O.M.G. we quit FB if it goes public.” We’re glad we didn’t make bets on it.
you know you’re from gen. y when you see SNL and you still think of kenan from” kenan and kel.”
“AW HERE IT GOES..”
MANY of these things are applicable to younger GenX too (like me). Sorry, though….never had any Pogs (but i know what they are. Hubby is 7 years younger than me)… and I was in college by the time I first used internet (OMG….Hotmail….). And most of the Millennials I know don’t even know what a cassette tape is much less own a pager lol. Also I don’t get the whole #hashtag obsession. Back in da dayyyy (uttered in old toothless old hag voice) we called dem pound signs…..hahaha. Im getting old.
..
I just lost the game. You might be a Millennial if you know that the game won’t be over until the President publicly announces that he lost the game.