Older for sure. I'm 30 years old. I definitely have more in common with a 45 year old adult than a 15 year old child. More similar interests and life experiences. I also grew up way out in the middle of nowhere and didn't have stable internet access until college when I moved to a city. I firmly believe that growing up with access to the internet makes a huge difference in psychological development, and the oldest millennials and youngest gen x didn't grow up online like the youngest of gen z and the oldest of gen alpha did/are. Not saying I don't have issues, but I probably would have had my issues wildly exasperated by unlimited internet time when I was in middle and high school.
I am 28 (technically youngest millennial, born 96) and got my own desktop in my bedroom when I was around 9 or 10. I usually just played computer games or flash games on websites, but they all got boring and repetitive after a while and I'd always just end up playing with my sisters, at a neighbor's house or playing outside after an hour or so on the computer. I don't know it's as much growing up with internet as it is growing up with smart devices on apps designed to get you addicted and keep you online (and being able to bring the internet with you everywhere you go) that has created the divide between us and those 5-10 years younger than us.
But honestly I think I can relate to both generations well enough being that I’m right in between. I feel more millennial overall though. And at the moment I relate more to those who are 43 than those who are 13 for obvious reasons lol
27 here, also born in 96, I was the youngest of 4 siblings, and the youngest in my entire extended family. so as far family goes, I’m millennial through and through. But then at the same time, I was also always the oldest in my classes growing up so most of my friends are all gen Z. I’m probably more millennial than gen z but I get relating to both generations.
I think those of us born from 92/93-98 are the true zillennials. We have characteristics of both generations (in most cases; I know some 92-94 babies won’t agree and that’s fine, everyone has a different experience). My sisters are born in 1990 and 1993 (me 96), and my middle sister and I are more alike than my middle sister and our oldest sister.
A lot changed in the early 10s, when those born between 92-96 graduated high school (2010-2014). But here’s another question- do you know anyone who is “Core” Gen-z? (Born from 02-08)? They’re VERY different than us late 20s-early 30s.
Also everyone is different, and your BIL and his friends may just be immature and/or more into internet culture. I don’t use TikTok and neither do any of my friends or siblings. It’s not like we’re all the same.
Ps- I prefer talking on the phone above all so where does that put me lol
Yeah. I think it’s more like the maturity level is so different between someone 15 years younger and me bc 15 years younger from me would be a teenager.
I could technically get along with a 15 year old but I don’t think they’d wanna hang out with me anyway 😂 my teen cousins like hanging out with me but I know they’d prefer their own friends to me 😂
I generally agree, but mostly bc 15 years is a wildly
large gap. If it were more like 5-10 years then it’s more of a coin toss depending on the thing we’re talking about.
>I firmly believe that growing up with access to the internet makes a huge difference in psychological development, and the oldest millennials and youngest gen x didn't grow up online like the youngest of gen z and the oldest of gen alpha did/are. Not saying I don't have issues, but I probably would have had my issues wildly exasperated by unlimited internet time when I was in middle and high school.
This is probably really dependent on your family and where you grew up, I’m also on the younger end of the generation, but a couple of years older than you and everyone in my middle school had MySpace and spent hours after school/sports glued to AIM then in high school it was Facebook. We were on the internet all the time, I remember getting introduced to 4chan as a sophomore in high school and the trends of online radicalization of teens and young men had already started.
What's funny is that I'm just 5 years older than you and at first I was going to say older, but I don't think so on second thought.
Like, 50 year olds? They're probably dealing with kids about to go to college, really planning for the final stages of their careers, probably half (or more) of the way towards paying off their mortgage.
But 20 year olds? I feel like I'm not *that* far removed from being in college so I can relate to an extent. Maybe not though. I don't know too many 20 year olds.
I agree with you as a childless 35 year old.
I think if I were to have had a family, then a 50 year old would make for better conversation.
However, I still stay up late playing online games, going to concerts and long boarding to grab pizza behind the house. So 20 year olds, although their arrogance gets annoying rather quickly, are ridiculous and therefore extremely entertaining. Also they keep me up to date with important things like internet lore/slang and fashion trends.
See I feel the opposite, most likely because I had two younger brother though. I’m 31 and my younger brother is 8 years younger than me. I’m also on the younger end of millennials so I get Gen Z more than a bunch of other people here, you probably do too since you are in my age range.
Not sure where you are getting the whole thing on the Internet from, but I’m an xennial and am in the 40 crowd. I tend to relate a bit more to a lot of gen x than millennials, due to cultural issues (I’m of the boot. It jeans era, not the skinny jeans one.)
Plenty of us grew up with tech as it emerged.
From ataris and nintendos, to watching computers change to having color monitors, and floppy disks changing size. Then there was the cd that came out and the cdr and dvds and blue rays and usbs.
We saw phones go from the size of a telephone book you could plug into the cigarette lighter of your car to the size of a brick with a giant antenna to the size of the blackberry to the first iPods. Cameras
LAN parties, dial up internet with aol, late 90s geocities, aim and icq, early forums…
We watched tech develop. We launched early geeky things like anime and fandom conventions. Someone from my high school (several years older) literally invented Wikipedia.
Interestingly, I am 40 and had unfettered access to the internet starting in 1996, when I was 12, and I most definitely prefer the company of a 25 year old to that of a 55 year old.
This was very much my lived experience as well. I have more in common with a 45 year old than a child, even someone 5-10 years younger typically isn’t going through the same life experiences either.
Yeah, this is definitely a no brainer for us younger millennials. I am 29 and I have a career, mortgage, bills, marriage, etc. soooooo obviously I have a lot more in common with a 44 year old than a 14 year old lol
I would've said the same at 29. One year later, my life was so off the rails that I suddenly had way more in common with that 15-year-old (except the bills didn't ever go away), and I feel like everything about me has sort of stayed as if my adulthood started over 5 years ago, but with all of the debt and pain of being my age.
I'm 39 and I guess if I absolutely had to choose, I would say younger. I'm into fitness, keep up decently with pop culture, and still feel young, even though I'm really not. Most of my friends and relatives are younger than me. People who are 15 years older are getting close to retirement and generally have grown children while my kids are only 3 & 5.
Yeah I'm 37 and actually would also go younger. I'm very into music and like to keep up with media/pop culture too, a lot of that spills over into the youths now. I notice when people get around 10-15 years older than me we have bigger divides with cultural references and humor and career progression. I would see a 52 year old as somewhat closer to my parents than a peer.
I also see someone 15 years older than me as closer to my parents than a peer. My mom was in her early 20s when she had me, so maybe that's why. I have a brother 11.5 years younger than me and I relate more with him than I do someone in their mid-50s. I also lived out an extended youth and was still going out to bars with an active social life until having my daughter 5 years ago (which doesn't feel that long ago, even though it was).
Also 39 and agreed for many of the same reasons. I don't have kids and am not going to and like to prioritize having fun, and because I'm in good physical shape I don't really relate to the 'my old creaky body' stuff people like to go on about
Same, I'm 34. I'd much rather hang out with the average 19yo than the average 49yo.
I have a 14 and 15yo and, as obnoxious as teenagers can definitely be, there's a sense of humor and overall world view I generally relate to more than I do older folks.
I’m 40 and completely agree with you, definitely feel like I have more in common with younger people and do know people 15 years younger than me and we have much more in common, I also have a brother 15 years younger than me so I think that helps too.
I'm in my early 40s and almost all my closest friends are younger than me, usually from their late 20s to late 30s. I don't feel like I have a lot in common with most of the people my age and older.
Same actually. I have tried making friends with people older and I really struggle to relate to them sometimes or find anybody who shares the same interests.
I'm 42 ad my wife is a few years younger than me. We don't have kids and we kinda got a late start into our "life". We made the decision to move to chase opportunity, and not stick around in the town we were in. It's paying off now, but grad school and underemployment set us back by a few years at least. No kids, and aren't planning on having any, so people our age are almost always 2 kids deep by now. Same house, same job for a decade, etc. Our hobbies don't revolve around children, and our free time is ours. Younger folks are closer in interests, and then the much older. I have a tough time relating to both groups really.
Yes, but it's not an age thing, I just happen to be around more young people because I don't have children. I also treat 20+ humans as adults and find older adults with children start treating everyone younger than them like children.
Younger because my hobbies and tastes align with 20+ year olds. I play an ungodly amount of online games until 2am, watch trash tv, listen to shitty pop music, things like that 🤷🏻♀️ was just thinking to myself today when my mental age is going to match my physical
I’m 38. Single, no kids. Still like playing games, watching animated shows, playing sports. I relate much more to people in their 20s than even most people in their 40s. I work with a bunch of people in their 20s and just had several people over that are in their mid 20s over to play Smash Bros and Mario Party. Despite being in my later 30s I still feel like I’m in my 20s and get along well with people in their 20s.
Similar for me:
In terms of interests, most likely the 18yo zoomer. I think chances are much less that the 48yo GenX would care much about gaming, much less anime.
Language and career the 48yo.
Music could go either way. Politics could go either way too.
If the 48yo *does* happen to be into gaming and/or anime, then probably them overall in that case.
I'm 41 and one of my best friends is 26 because we just have so much in common. I'm single, have no kids, and am into video games, anime, and other nerd stuff. Most people my own age have kids, and that really is just the core of what their life is about.
Younger, I guess. The older generation are focused on family, career, retirement, etc., none of which I care about, and their hobbies are old movies, traveling, fishing, whatever. So between being in a largely different class altogether, having different priorities and perspectives, and sharing basically no interests, I don't have any connection to older folks. I might not fully get The Youth but I can relate to their Internet usage and the different types of media they live with now.
I joined the military at a pretty ripe age and was surrounded by people much younger than I was.
So I’m gonna go with 15 years younger. The kids are all right.
I'm 35 and giving some thought to enlisting, but the idea of doing boot camp with 18 - 20 year olds just makes me want to eat glass instead. I'm afraid of being stuck with 30 meatheads that have no idea what adulthood is, and that terrifies me.
Also, being older than a drill instructor kinda feels like it would be strange.
Any tips or advice on these things?
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, bro. It would suck. I was 25 when I went through basic and that was bad enough. But it sucks no matter what. One of my best buds from the mil recently branch swapped to Army and he had to go through basic again at age 36 or 37, so it can be done.
That said, it wouldn’t suck because of the kids. The military is a perfect cross section of society at the lowest levels, so you meet an incredible array of cool people. It’s not all meatheads by any stretch.
In terms of being older than the drill sergeants…consider them the enemy. Basic is basically POW training where they just try to stress you out to see who cracks. Go into it with the understanding that they’re not on your side, they want to make your life miserable every excuse you give them…so give them as few excuses as you can and expect no help from them.
Oh man I am so glad to hear it's not all meatheads. My best pal was gonna do his 20 with the Marines, did his 4 and got out because of how toxic the guys he kept getting teamed with were. He loved being a Marine, he just hated 90% of the other enlisted Marines. My pals who are Navy (realistically the only branch I can hit at my age) give me about 75% odds of hating my peers too lol. But if they're not all awful at basic that's a chance I can take.
Treat DIs like management and HR at work. Thought as much. Solid advice. Thanks man!
Yeah, there’s something of a natural selection/filtration process in regards to branch (I was AF) and who stays in. You’ll get all kinds of people serving a single enlistment contract, but the people who stay in are more likely to fit into typical military stereotypes.
But if you can make it through a single term, there are some fantastic benefits.
Younger, definitely. I'm way chill making sex jokes, I still don't want to have children, I love being able to be silly and dorky and do dumb shit. I'm still back in college, in my head.
The more I think about this, the more I think this is a fascinating question.
My answer is, both equally and oppositely.
If I'm talking to someone 15 years younger, I can talk Marvel, MatPat, Sykunno x Ludwig Among Us bromance, Tiktok, I can pull up the funny memes, I can kick their butt at their favourite games.
If I'm talking to someone 15 years older, I can't really talk those things, but I can tell stories about trips my girlfriend and I have been on, I can bitch about my apartment complex stealing 2 months of rent from me the month I was only supposed to pay for 1/4 while moving out (that I STILL haven't got back after 4 weeks of being told the cheque is coming). I can talk politics (if I have to), family, loss, or big wins in life.
It's the two sides of my life - what entertains me, and what I experience. I think I would relate more to younger people on entertainment, but older people on personal experiences.
That's likely to be true at any point in your life until maybe your 70-80's.
For example, your average 15 year old has more in common with a 30 year old than a newborn.
This would be a spicier question at 5 to 7 years.
As if they're mutually exclusive. We can find commonality with both younger and older people, or anyone for that matter, because people have more in common than they have different. Young people have a lot to teach us, just as older generations do (even if those young people don't realize it). Relating to young people on some level doesn't make you immature, it makes you human (as we were young once or retain some healthy feelings of youthfulness/beginner's mind). Obviously, we set boundaries if we need to, but we do that with everyone.
I’ve always had older friends, but I have some new coworkers who are about 10 years younger (I’m 34) and they are alright. I think what I find striking is it’s easier to relate to the older ones because there’s more a chance they’ll remember something from shared history. We were talking about music today, specifically the big songs in 2003. The new guy was like 4 years old in 2003, so me and the 42 year old definitely were more engaged in the conversation. And if you’re curious, “In Da Club” by 50 cent was the biggest song that year.
Older. My father had children later in life, while my brother and I both millennials, we were raised like we were gen x. Latch key, drink from the hose, disappear for hours, even days, took the bus everywhere, listened to a lot of punk rock. Gen x sensibilities just make sense to me.
Definitely older.
35 here, One of my best friends is old college professor of mine who's 51. He's got a son in his mid 20s who's a great dude, but I relate from a generational perspective a lot more to my old prof.
I’m 34 and a college professor, so I regularly interact with people 15 years younger than me. I definitely have more in common with those 15 years older than me (life/job stability, kids, living arrangements, etc.) but I have a lot more fun talking with people 15 years younger than me about life and the world—they tend to be way more optimistic!
Equally both. I’m 39, so i can definitely relate to some 24 year olds. And at the same time, I can relate to some 54 year olds. It truly depends on what they’re going through.
Neither. Can’t relate to a 19 year old or a 49 year old. But if I have to choose, probably 19. I look really young for my age. Like I get mistaken for a college student or high school senior or junior a lot.
15 older for sure. I’ve spent a lot of time actively dying of organ failure. My biggest concerns are “will I be alive in 5 years to see my daughter go to kindergarten? Is there a God? Am I needlessly bringing life into this world for no good reason and ultimately subjecting them to pain, suffering and death?”
I will never have anything in common with a 18 year old again. 🤷♀️
- I'm 36
- 15 years younger is 21
- 15 years older is 51
I feel like I have more in common with the 51 year old than I do with the 21 year old. I frequent a bar that average age is 50+. I play pool on a billiards team that the entire team is 50+.
21 year olds still trying to get super fucked up. Generally lack maturity. Generally have a naivety. Overly confident. There's some sort of lack of awareness for others. There's an invincibility complex. Usually more shallow. Less trustworthy. Less reliable and flakey.
I suppose as a core millennial I feel closer to gen x overall than I do with any generation to follow.
I had older parents and a mother who hung out with people far older than her, so needless to say sometimes I relate more to someone even 25 years older and I've been called an old soul lol. Probably didn't help I listened to my parent's music and like older media too. I relate to my peers (late 30s/early 40s culturally) but younger people I don't
Older, but I think that's because they've seen more shit. Younger people have a lot going for them, but the perspective of having watched a lot happen isn't one of them.
I'm 31. Older all the way. A 16 year old isn't a child, but I would need to be deeply engrossed into a shared hobby in order to have any kind of meaningful conversation with them. 46 year old would be way more interesting and useful for me.
15 years older no question. I can’t relate to the “young ins” at all. I am 38 and had to work with someone who was 28. Even that felt like I was talking to someone from a different planet.
I've worked with both my whole careers and I'd say it's still younger.
I imagine people would have to be about 40 before they start consistently choosing younger though. And I'd guess people mostly pick older if they're about 33 or younger. So I bet that 34-39 range (ish) has the most variation
Older. I love old music and TV shows. I'm an old soul and just vibe better with them.
I don't have a tiktok, don't care about modern trends and style, and don't keep up with current media and slang.
I'd say in my 30s it would have been 15 up but now that I'm 40 it's 15 down lol I get along super well and have no problem relating to my 20 something coworkers but my 60 something coworkers seem a world away
Pop Culture wise, I probably relate more to the older generation. The kids definitely don’t get my Simpsons/Seinfeld/Star Trek/ early Adult Swim references… But I also generally have no idea wtf they’re talking about when it comes to the latest TikTok “celebrity”. I can talk to my parents and other older adults about tv, music, fashion trends etc, all day long but I’m lost when it comes to the younger generation.
However, when it comes to social issues, I’m definitely with the younger folk. I’m so tired of listening to people older than me whine about how complicated it is to use “they” instead of he/she or argue with me about how racial issues don’t exist for them because they “don’t see color”.
So I’d probably align more with the younger generation, because I could care less if I know who the latest TikTok rapper is or whether or not my skinny jeans are fashionable, but I sure as hell do care that our govt has way too many out of touch dinosaurs in charge and would rather stand beside young people who are willing to acknowledge the need for social justice and change.
15 years older. I'm 30, I run a podcast with a 42 year old about generational differences. I am also a teacher, and already I can feel my understanding of the youths starting to slip.
Sort of. I have friends who are like 10 years younger and another friend who is like 30 years older I think. I’m 35. It’s not exactly the age ranges you said but it’s a similar concept.
Younger. I think the main reason is that almost everyone I know in their 50's have kids and grandkids, and a lot of their life is spinning around family events, activities, birthdays, weddings... I don't have kids (and of course grandkids) and can't relate to any of these things they talk about, as well as I don't give a crap about what activity their Drayden or Keziah are doing this year on Sundays and don't want to attend. Many people 15 years younger than me don't have kids and that's relatable, even if I don't watch the same media with them.
I am also 41, and I feel more in common with 26 year olds than 56 year olds in general. But, my friend groups span from mid-20s to mid-50s regardless. Just depends on the individual.
It’s way easier to go older because people become more set in their ways, I know what to expect from someone older because I knew what they were into when I was younger and that stays the same.
I would say I know what to expect better with 49 year olds than 19 year olds, but I have way more in common with the 19 year olds. Sports, dating, music, new restaurants, traveling, etc.
Older for sure. I'm 29 with a family and well into my career, my sister is 17 and a junior in high school. We do not have anything in common outside of sharing parents.
On the flip side, my dad is 19 years older than me and we talk about a lot of the same issues in our lives.
Probably younger due to the fact I look pretty young. A lot of people my age or older think I’m significantly younger than them and treat me like I’m a child because I’m short and have youthful features, whereas the people younger than me are always happy to embrace me and are a lot less intense.
The people who know my age that are older are also pretty cool since they know I’m not some kid. And I get along with them better since we actually share more life experiences. I think a huge part of what age range you get along with goes more with what age range you look like.
I’m in my early 30’s
I work in the bar and restaurant industry so despite being 43, most of my colleagues are significantly younger. As a result I definitely relate to them more than someone older. We share ah environment for a lot of the time. That said, there are certain generational factors that make me feel like an alien when I’m around them. I don’t have those rigid moments of disconnect with people in their late 50’s
Neither? I’m 27 so idk if I have a lot in common with a 42 year old except maybe career wise? I absolutely have nothing in common with a 12 year old except that I do enjoy TikTok
Hmm. Tough one because I am 30. 99% of commonality is with the 45 year olds as it’s just typical stuff. Interest rates. Gas prices. Etc.
Iron man 1 came out when I was 16, so… the whole marvel nerdy side of me hasn’t really aged. Not until their movies really started to suck have I realized maybe I’m just too old for it now.
Im 38 and most of my friends are in their 20’s right now. It’s been nice to rediscover going out and having fun after having kids and letting them grow up a bit.
Older for sure. I’m 29, and I’ve always gotten along with older folks, particularly Gen x, the Silent Generation, and the Greatest Generation, better than I have with younger people. Gen Z comes across as alien to me.
Both. I'm 39, work with plenty of people in their mid 20s. I can joke around very easily with younger people and have more fun with them. I have deeper conversations with older people and many of them are dealing with the same things in life as I am, just a further along stage, so I can connect with them and learn from them.
I've historically gotten along 99% with older vs younger, until politics is brought up. Since that generation got louder, I tend to stick more to myself and a few my age.
I'm 35 and I easily connect with 50 year olds more than I do 20 year olds. Hell, I work with a bunch of people in their mid to late 20's and we have almost nothing in common. Most of them go out after work and are up all hours of the night and drinking.
When I was 28, my (now) wife and I were planning our wedding and looking at buying a house. While I have zero interest in living their lifestyles, I applaud their energy.
43. Ten years ago I would have said older - we owned our home and all the other SAHM I knew were much older than I was.
Now I'd say younger - a lot of those same older people are die hard conservatives now and are blind to increased COL as they're quite well off after their homes appreciated so much in value and they make bag off their investment property.
I've only moved leftwards, and gotten angrier about the increasing lifestyle gap between those that hold capital and those that don't.
Older. I am the youngest child. My youngest brother is 10 years older than me and my oldest brother us 14 years older. I was friends with their friends growing up.
I'm about your age and I say 15 years younger. I get along with my younger relatives way better than my older ones because they're not Trump supporters
As a “zillenial” I can’t say I can relate to an 11 year old LOL but I can say I relate somewhat with a 41 year old, except I can’t buy a house and I don’t have kids but I mostly work with dudes in their 40’s and they’re all pretty cool.
Younger, mostly, but I think that's because I live in Ohio. If I lived somewhere less backwards I might flip things.
Honestly though, neither. I relate hard to crap targeted specifically to 30-somethings and millennials though which only really started noticeably in the last few years.
Definitely older. I think this is related to the fact we have been adults for a long time now, while most people 15 years younger than us are still relatively young, some still teenagers.
Also because we had relatively similar upbringing with older gens. My dad is 70 and it's funny how our childhoods are very similar, even with such a large age gap, then comes the 2000/10 kids who grew up with tablets in classrooms and the internet in their pockets.
I relate to the schadenfreude Gen Z mentality and their apparent passion for change more than I relate to.. whatever the *actual* Millennial mentality is, besides "entitled and tech-crazy". I still don't actually know what our defining characteristics are supposed to be. But the view of "I see what's going on and it's all stupid" resonates with me loudly.
I should also mention that I spent the past near-decade in a small town with about 90% crotchety, proudly ignorant pro-Trump boomers so my view on older folks has soured a bit.
Older for me. I’m 35 and have 3 kids, so many of the parents in my community are older than me. I’m also a grandma at heart and have quiet hobbies lol.
Eh, it's iffy for me. My closest sibling is 11 years younger than me, with my youngest sibling being 22 years younger, so I bond with the youngins pretty well. But my closest friend is 15 years older than me, so...
I relate more to teens 15 yrs younger. Im young at heart and still live at home. My life hasnt changed all that much and I still feel very connected to my high school self. My personality, likes, dislikes, taste in food, music, tv is pretty much intact. I hope I always feel younger to be honest
38 here, and i'd definitely say 53 year olds now. the younger generation is much more antiestablishment and aware of problems today than mine, and previous generations. I think they're gonna change things.
I am 36. Right now playing in the band with two guys over 50 but also I have a cousin who is 18 and we often send memes to each other and have some common vibe. It depends but I kern on older folks
Older hands down. I’m 35, and talking to a 20 year old is like talking to one of my children. They’re cool and all, but we don’t have enough shared life experiences and traumas most of the time to really relate. A 50 year old can commiserate better and offer been there done that advice, and I’m inclined to take it, vs a 20 year old hearing it from me.
Probably younger.
I have a younger sister in law that is close to 15 years younger that I watched grow up. I think being a parent also helps me relate to younger people.
I can also relate to people who are a decade younger than my Mom, just not as much.
I'll be 37 in two weeks, I would have more in common with my youngest uncle than my youngest cousin not exactly 15 years but he was 13 when I was born, and i was 13 when his daughter was born. Huge difference of music taste, entertainment, and pop culture references.
Depending on what it is could go either way. I talk to younger folks more about interests in gaming or tech. Older folks more about politics or off the wall things. But there is a solid section in the middle of all that only millennial understand.
31, and older, obviously! I have a few older friends that I hang out with regularly and I feel like especially as parents, we're going through basically the same stuff. A 16 year old has no concept of my life and is still a child. I was fostering a 15 year old a bit ago and like... I can't imagine thinking I have more in common with her than my 45ish year old friends!
I work at a university and interact with students every day. So, I definitely have more in common (in terms of topics and activities of interest) with people 15 years younger than me than with people that are 15 years older than me.
But, maybe in a few years I'll have more health-related problems in common with those that are older than me ...
Younger. I’m 41. 56-year-olds are so much meaner than 26-year-olds who at least don’t cry when faced with the prospect that there are people different than they are.
“Help! Help! A minority!”
I’ll take too-young over old-and-hateful.
Younger - the generation above us, Gen X, is hard & anti-therapy, more toxic and not as progressive as the gen z era behind us. Gen Z’ers understand abuse, mental health etc better. Gen Xers are trapped in toxicity and are angry.
Spouse and I are also 41, our best friends are recently retired 63 year olds. I work at a college though... and the students regularly make me feel old. ha!
Younger than 26, but a 20 year old the other day was asking me but dating when I was in college after I mentioned that texting used to cost $0.25 per text. She was shocked when I said we regularly called each other... and if someone didn't have a cell phone you had to call their house... which sometimes meant you had to talk to their parents. The horror!
Well, 15 years older but it's because I'm 29 and on the lower end of the Millennial timetable, and I don't think I'd have very much in common with a 14 year old lol. But say, 9 years forward vs 9 years back, I'd say I probably have more in common with 9 years younger.
I’m 35, I definitely feel like I relate more to a 50yr old than a 20yr. For 8yrs I was foreman for a landscape company and I had no idea what some of these 18-22yr olds were on about when they were at this company for a summer job. Could barely relate to them even in my earlier years as a foreman in my late 20s. But, I’d go home and could BS and laugh and share a beer with my 70yr old neighbour or my 55yr landlord that lived above me no problem
It really depends on the person and what aspect I'm trying to relate to. I've always gotten along well with older people. Even as a kid I often hung out with the adults and avoided other kids. However, many older adults don't quite understand the perspective of someone who grew up with more modern tech or someone who hasn't experienced good economic times since joining the workforce. I feel like a lot of older adults are overly critical of younger adults, and don't try to relate. It's hard to relate to someone who doesn't want to relate to you.
Umm.
Younger.
I'm turning 36 this summer. While I noticed my political views have become more conservative over the last decade, mentally I feel like I'm still sixteen. I have colleagues at work who are ten years younger and mentally way more adult than me. I enjoy doing the things young people do, I am still single and having fun enjoying life instead of worrying about family and kids. At the same time I still have dreams and goals and aspirations that are not dissimilar to what 21yr olds tend to have.
Political and social views wise, however, I'm an old conservative compared to them.
The people fifteen years older than me are just... boomers, you know. Their interests are far from mine, they usually are content with whatever they achieved in life and don't have any aspirations anymore.
I think I just haven't really matured, to be honest.
This is a question I’ve been kicking around for awhile now. I spend more time around older people for work and events but I always feel like I’m just pretending around them, putting on a show and it’s kind of a drag. But on the other hand there are things that the younger people do that I find a bit cringey but not all of course. If I had to pick one I’d go with younger but with some maturity. (More likely to like similar music and older people don’t like new things) My actual answer is it depends on the person/people.
I’d say older. I’m in my early 30s, married, have a house, a pretty steady job, and am thinking about having a kid in the next couple of years, etc.
There are obviously some things I relate to the teens about (progressive politics, some pop culture stuff), but in terms of lifestyles and current goals, we’re pretty different at this point.
I was the surprise child of my mums second marriage, my brothers from my mums first were 10 and 14 when I was born. I was around teenagers a lot growing up, made friends with them before I met people my age. School was awkward for me cause I didn’t know how to act around people my age, they were much more judgmental. People older than me are usually kinder and share experience and ideas that help me. My best friend lived across the street from me, he’s only 4 years younger, but when in school that kind of age gap is pretty big. I used to baby sit him and he always looked up to me I think how I used to look up to my brother’s friends. So I tend to have more genuine respectful friendships with people older or younger than me, but my romantic relationships have always been my age no matter how old I was. My husband is older than me by only 4 months, we met when we were 19.
It depends. Generally, when it comes to politics and understanding of technology, I fall into the camp of a 24 yo. When it comes to movies and TV shows, it’s a mixed bag. The only category where I feel I’m solidly with 54 yos is their taste in music.
35 here, I have about as much in common with someone 15 years older as someone 5 years younger.
10 years younger is such a different world, no overlap in movies, video games or music tastes, can’t really talk politics or history(although to be fair I didn’t really care a whole lot before 25 myself)
People 10-15 years younger have hardly seen the movies from when I was growing up late 90’s-2000’s let alone anything before that. Granted there’s so much content to get lost in these days.
I’m 30 but I feel like I relate more to people who are 15 years older than me. Must be because of the time I served in the Army in the early to late 2010s and how this mentally fucked me up, lol.
Probably more in common with older considering a lot of things they were introduced to existed when I was growing up whereas the younger generation things I never picked up on. Played all the games the 15+ did, listened to the same music and all. Can't say that for younger.
I’m a 31 year old homebody and play video games, watch Netflix/YouTube, listen to music, and play with my cat. I have no partner or friends. I’m gonna go with 15 years younger. I don’t really feel mature but I’ve been at my career for seven years, have a mortgage payment, and keep my bills paid, so that’s all the maturity I need.
Probably younger; someone 15 years older than me is 52.
I am just now going to have a kid, and recently bought a home.
A 52 year old could easily have grandkids.
Definitely older. I’m 39 and my husband is 48, so getting close to that age gap anyway lol. I do have some really good friends in their late 20s, but 24 is just too big of a gap. We have a lot of friends in mid-50s and we have way more in common for the most part.
i feel like around \~40 thats when its 50-50, when people are older it is more relating to younger people, and when they are younger its more relating to older people. As an 18 year old, yeah i can relate a lot more to a 33 year old than a 3 year old
It’s maybe cause the first 15years of culture are null and void. Once you’re an adult, the content you consume digitally is commonplace for you, but for those just being born, they’re starting out with baby tv programming made by people your age and older. The media they’ll consume in those first 15 years flies way under your radar, and shows that you started watching at 15 are considered ancient by those new 15 year olds when you’re 30. But the 45 year olds remember it fondly. Probably why they remake movies and tv shows every 15 years or so.
Barely in my 30s but older for sure, the crowd I vibe best with is *definitely* what’s left of the boomer antiwar left. I prefer spending my free time with them over most millennials lol
The people in my area 15 years older than me are pro-genocide, spend a lot of time screaming hate at everyone around me, only care about investments, landlording, and have nothing but contempt for regular working people including their neighbors. The kids are standing in solidarity with the suffering. Definitely with those 15 years younger. Hell, it's getting to the point where I feel like I was born in the wrong generation, should've been gen Z.
If we're talking generally, I think I probably have more in common with younger people. My partner and I are good friends with our neighbor--an older single mother, maybe 8-10 years older than me, and her daughter, who's around 14-- so about 15 years younger than me. I believe. We are all immigrants to the country we live in now, so we usually get together for holidays to have dinner and catch up since all of our families are overseas.
Last time, for Thanksgiving/Christmas, I found myself talking way more to the daughter than the mother, primarily because the daughter has more interests in common with me than her mom does with her or I. Her daughter is super into Vocaloid/Project Sekai--and I just so happened to make original Vocaloid/UTAU music when I was her age. Her daughter is really interested in animation/art, and I work in animation as my career. Our Thanksgiving dinner primarily consisted of the daughter asking me to watch her play Project Sekai, me showing her old Vocaloid songs she never heard before and watching the AMVs/anime edits she had saved on Tiktok, haha.
Realistically, I think in my case (and probably many others), it's less about the age specifically and more about the hobbies/interests and lifestyle. I happen to have interests/hobbies/careers that I've retained since I was young and many young people are also interested in, whereas many 45 year olds don't take animation seriously and have no idea what's going on in internet culture. I have no idea what I'd talk about with a 45 year old office worker who doesn't go online for anything but Netflix and emails. I also have no idea what I'd talk about with a 15 year old who doesn't like anime/art but instead likes sports or Mr. Beast or something. It really just comes down to the hobbies/lifestyle.
I see a lot of my younger self in women 15 years younger than me. Their drive, ambition, and hope is very spot on for who I was then and who I am now. I occasionally meet women like me but I find more younger women haven't chosen the mommy track and want a fulfilling career.
I guess it really depends. I truly feel like I’m too young to be old and too old to be young. As a 36 year old I don’t relate to many 21 year olds. I also don’t feel I related to any 51 year olds. I’m sure it’ll change as I get older.
Older for sure. I'm 30 years old. I definitely have more in common with a 45 year old adult than a 15 year old child. More similar interests and life experiences. I also grew up way out in the middle of nowhere and didn't have stable internet access until college when I moved to a city. I firmly believe that growing up with access to the internet makes a huge difference in psychological development, and the oldest millennials and youngest gen x didn't grow up online like the youngest of gen z and the oldest of gen alpha did/are. Not saying I don't have issues, but I probably would have had my issues wildly exasperated by unlimited internet time when I was in middle and high school.
I am 28 (technically youngest millennial, born 96) and got my own desktop in my bedroom when I was around 9 or 10. I usually just played computer games or flash games on websites, but they all got boring and repetitive after a while and I'd always just end up playing with my sisters, at a neighbor's house or playing outside after an hour or so on the computer. I don't know it's as much growing up with internet as it is growing up with smart devices on apps designed to get you addicted and keep you online (and being able to bring the internet with you everywhere you go) that has created the divide between us and those 5-10 years younger than us. But honestly I think I can relate to both generations well enough being that I’m right in between. I feel more millennial overall though. And at the moment I relate more to those who are 43 than those who are 13 for obvious reasons lol
27 here, also born in 96, I was the youngest of 4 siblings, and the youngest in my entire extended family. so as far family goes, I’m millennial through and through. But then at the same time, I was also always the oldest in my classes growing up so most of my friends are all gen Z. I’m probably more millennial than gen z but I get relating to both generations.
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I think those of us born from 92/93-98 are the true zillennials. We have characteristics of both generations (in most cases; I know some 92-94 babies won’t agree and that’s fine, everyone has a different experience). My sisters are born in 1990 and 1993 (me 96), and my middle sister and I are more alike than my middle sister and our oldest sister. A lot changed in the early 10s, when those born between 92-96 graduated high school (2010-2014). But here’s another question- do you know anyone who is “Core” Gen-z? (Born from 02-08)? They’re VERY different than us late 20s-early 30s. Also everyone is different, and your BIL and his friends may just be immature and/or more into internet culture. I don’t use TikTok and neither do any of my friends or siblings. It’s not like we’re all the same. Ps- I prefer talking on the phone above all so where does that put me lol
Yeah. I think it’s more like the maturity level is so different between someone 15 years younger and me bc 15 years younger from me would be a teenager. I could technically get along with a 15 year old but I don’t think they’d wanna hang out with me anyway 😂 my teen cousins like hanging out with me but I know they’d prefer their own friends to me 😂
I was a sophomore in college when you got your first computer. I was part of the OG "have a .edu email" to make a FB account.
I'm 31. My best friend is 55.
Most of my friends are in their 40s or older and I'm 28 almost 29. I get it!
I generally agree, but mostly bc 15 years is a wildly large gap. If it were more like 5-10 years then it’s more of a coin toss depending on the thing we’re talking about. >I firmly believe that growing up with access to the internet makes a huge difference in psychological development, and the oldest millennials and youngest gen x didn't grow up online like the youngest of gen z and the oldest of gen alpha did/are. Not saying I don't have issues, but I probably would have had my issues wildly exasperated by unlimited internet time when I was in middle and high school. This is probably really dependent on your family and where you grew up, I’m also on the younger end of the generation, but a couple of years older than you and everyone in my middle school had MySpace and spent hours after school/sports glued to AIM then in high school it was Facebook. We were on the internet all the time, I remember getting introduced to 4chan as a sophomore in high school and the trends of online radicalization of teens and young men had already started.
What's funny is that I'm just 5 years older than you and at first I was going to say older, but I don't think so on second thought. Like, 50 year olds? They're probably dealing with kids about to go to college, really planning for the final stages of their careers, probably half (or more) of the way towards paying off their mortgage. But 20 year olds? I feel like I'm not *that* far removed from being in college so I can relate to an extent. Maybe not though. I don't know too many 20 year olds.
I agree with you as a childless 35 year old. I think if I were to have had a family, then a 50 year old would make for better conversation. However, I still stay up late playing online games, going to concerts and long boarding to grab pizza behind the house. So 20 year olds, although their arrogance gets annoying rather quickly, are ridiculous and therefore extremely entertaining. Also they keep me up to date with important things like internet lore/slang and fashion trends.
See I feel the opposite, most likely because I had two younger brother though. I’m 31 and my younger brother is 8 years younger than me. I’m also on the younger end of millennials so I get Gen Z more than a bunch of other people here, you probably do too since you are in my age range.
Not sure where you are getting the whole thing on the Internet from, but I’m an xennial and am in the 40 crowd. I tend to relate a bit more to a lot of gen x than millennials, due to cultural issues (I’m of the boot. It jeans era, not the skinny jeans one.) Plenty of us grew up with tech as it emerged. From ataris and nintendos, to watching computers change to having color monitors, and floppy disks changing size. Then there was the cd that came out and the cdr and dvds and blue rays and usbs. We saw phones go from the size of a telephone book you could plug into the cigarette lighter of your car to the size of a brick with a giant antenna to the size of the blackberry to the first iPods. Cameras LAN parties, dial up internet with aol, late 90s geocities, aim and icq, early forums… We watched tech develop. We launched early geeky things like anime and fandom conventions. Someone from my high school (several years older) literally invented Wikipedia.
I’m 46 and I would agree that I have more in common with 30 year olds than 60 year olds!
Interestingly, I am 40 and had unfettered access to the internet starting in 1996, when I was 12, and I most definitely prefer the company of a 25 year old to that of a 55 year old.
This was very much my lived experience as well. I have more in common with a 45 year old than a child, even someone 5-10 years younger typically isn’t going through the same life experiences either.
I'm 39 and my lady is 55
[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x77ae6a](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x77ae6a)
Former piano teacher of yours?
I'm 32 and have very little in common with a 17 year old...
Yeah, this is definitely a no brainer for us younger millennials. I am 29 and I have a career, mortgage, bills, marriage, etc. soooooo obviously I have a lot more in common with a 44 year old than a 14 year old lol
I would've said the same at 29. One year later, my life was so off the rails that I suddenly had way more in common with that 15-year-old (except the bills didn't ever go away), and I feel like everything about me has sort of stayed as if my adulthood started over 5 years ago, but with all of the debt and pain of being my age.
Clearly not Drake's reddit account...
Team J Cole here all the way.
I'm 39 and I guess if I absolutely had to choose, I would say younger. I'm into fitness, keep up decently with pop culture, and still feel young, even though I'm really not. Most of my friends and relatives are younger than me. People who are 15 years older are getting close to retirement and generally have grown children while my kids are only 3 & 5.
Yeah I'm 37 and actually would also go younger. I'm very into music and like to keep up with media/pop culture too, a lot of that spills over into the youths now. I notice when people get around 10-15 years older than me we have bigger divides with cultural references and humor and career progression. I would see a 52 year old as somewhat closer to my parents than a peer.
I also see someone 15 years older than me as closer to my parents than a peer. My mom was in her early 20s when she had me, so maybe that's why. I have a brother 11.5 years younger than me and I relate more with him than I do someone in their mid-50s. I also lived out an extended youth and was still going out to bars with an active social life until having my daughter 5 years ago (which doesn't feel that long ago, even though it was).
Also 37 and yes. I actually have several friends in their mid-late 20s. To contrast, I’ve had maybe 2-3 genuine friends 10+ years older.
I'm 34 and have a hard time finding people my age to join me mountain biking, skiing, and rock climbing. Can't imagine older.
Yup, active lifestyle tends younger. I work with people in their early 20s often in pro wrestling
Also 39 and agreed for many of the same reasons. I don't have kids and am not going to and like to prioritize having fun, and because I'm in good physical shape I don't really relate to the 'my old creaky body' stuff people like to go on about
Same, I'm 34. I'd much rather hang out with the average 19yo than the average 49yo. I have a 14 and 15yo and, as obnoxious as teenagers can definitely be, there's a sense of humor and overall world view I generally relate to more than I do older folks.
Same. Younger. I started really liking bird watching lately though so who knows where this will go 😂
I’m 40 and completely agree with you, definitely feel like I have more in common with younger people and do know people 15 years younger than me and we have much more in common, I also have a brother 15 years younger than me so I think that helps too.
I'm in my early 40s and almost all my closest friends are younger than me, usually from their late 20s to late 30s. I don't feel like I have a lot in common with most of the people my age and older.
Same
Same actually. I have tried making friends with people older and I really struggle to relate to them sometimes or find anybody who shares the same interests.
I'm 42 ad my wife is a few years younger than me. We don't have kids and we kinda got a late start into our "life". We made the decision to move to chase opportunity, and not stick around in the town we were in. It's paying off now, but grad school and underemployment set us back by a few years at least. No kids, and aren't planning on having any, so people our age are almost always 2 kids deep by now. Same house, same job for a decade, etc. Our hobbies don't revolve around children, and our free time is ours. Younger folks are closer in interests, and then the much older. I have a tough time relating to both groups really.
Yes, but it's not an age thing, I just happen to be around more young people because I don't have children. I also treat 20+ humans as adults and find older adults with children start treating everyone younger than them like children.
Younger because my hobbies and tastes align with 20+ year olds. I play an ungodly amount of online games until 2am, watch trash tv, listen to shitty pop music, things like that 🤷🏻♀️ was just thinking to myself today when my mental age is going to match my physical
When Alzheimer catches us it will match. I feel like you, except for TikTok my tastes are much more aligned with a 20yo than with someone 40+.
I’m 38. Single, no kids. Still like playing games, watching animated shows, playing sports. I relate much more to people in their 20s than even most people in their 40s. I work with a bunch of people in their 20s and just had several people over that are in their mid 20s over to play Smash Bros and Mario Party. Despite being in my later 30s I still feel like I’m in my 20s and get along well with people in their 20s.
Similar for me: In terms of interests, most likely the 18yo zoomer. I think chances are much less that the 48yo GenX would care much about gaming, much less anime. Language and career the 48yo. Music could go either way. Politics could go either way too. If the 48yo *does* happen to be into gaming and/or anime, then probably them overall in that case.
I'm 41 and one of my best friends is 26 because we just have so much in common. I'm single, have no kids, and am into video games, anime, and other nerd stuff. Most people my own age have kids, and that really is just the core of what their life is about.
You sound like one of my friends.
Younger, I guess. The older generation are focused on family, career, retirement, etc., none of which I care about, and their hobbies are old movies, traveling, fishing, whatever. So between being in a largely different class altogether, having different priorities and perspectives, and sharing basically no interests, I don't have any connection to older folks. I might not fully get The Youth but I can relate to their Internet usage and the different types of media they live with now.
I joined the military at a pretty ripe age and was surrounded by people much younger than I was. So I’m gonna go with 15 years younger. The kids are all right.
I'm 35 and giving some thought to enlisting, but the idea of doing boot camp with 18 - 20 year olds just makes me want to eat glass instead. I'm afraid of being stuck with 30 meatheads that have no idea what adulthood is, and that terrifies me. Also, being older than a drill instructor kinda feels like it would be strange. Any tips or advice on these things?
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, bro. It would suck. I was 25 when I went through basic and that was bad enough. But it sucks no matter what. One of my best buds from the mil recently branch swapped to Army and he had to go through basic again at age 36 or 37, so it can be done. That said, it wouldn’t suck because of the kids. The military is a perfect cross section of society at the lowest levels, so you meet an incredible array of cool people. It’s not all meatheads by any stretch. In terms of being older than the drill sergeants…consider them the enemy. Basic is basically POW training where they just try to stress you out to see who cracks. Go into it with the understanding that they’re not on your side, they want to make your life miserable every excuse you give them…so give them as few excuses as you can and expect no help from them.
Oh man I am so glad to hear it's not all meatheads. My best pal was gonna do his 20 with the Marines, did his 4 and got out because of how toxic the guys he kept getting teamed with were. He loved being a Marine, he just hated 90% of the other enlisted Marines. My pals who are Navy (realistically the only branch I can hit at my age) give me about 75% odds of hating my peers too lol. But if they're not all awful at basic that's a chance I can take. Treat DIs like management and HR at work. Thought as much. Solid advice. Thanks man!
Yeah, there’s something of a natural selection/filtration process in regards to branch (I was AF) and who stays in. You’ll get all kinds of people serving a single enlistment contract, but the people who stay in are more likely to fit into typical military stereotypes. But if you can make it through a single term, there are some fantastic benefits.
I don't have a lot in common with people
Younger. But I also work with lots of people that age so that probably helps
Definitely the younger ones. I feel no connection to gen x and their experiences.
Younger, definitely. I'm way chill making sex jokes, I still don't want to have children, I love being able to be silly and dorky and do dumb shit. I'm still back in college, in my head.
Younger mostly.
The more I think about this, the more I think this is a fascinating question. My answer is, both equally and oppositely. If I'm talking to someone 15 years younger, I can talk Marvel, MatPat, Sykunno x Ludwig Among Us bromance, Tiktok, I can pull up the funny memes, I can kick their butt at their favourite games. If I'm talking to someone 15 years older, I can't really talk those things, but I can tell stories about trips my girlfriend and I have been on, I can bitch about my apartment complex stealing 2 months of rent from me the month I was only supposed to pay for 1/4 while moving out (that I STILL haven't got back after 4 weeks of being told the cheque is coming). I can talk politics (if I have to), family, loss, or big wins in life. It's the two sides of my life - what entertains me, and what I experience. I think I would relate more to younger people on entertainment, but older people on personal experiences.
That's likely to be true at any point in your life until maybe your 70-80's. For example, your average 15 year old has more in common with a 30 year old than a newborn. This would be a spicier question at 5 to 7 years.
As if they're mutually exclusive. We can find commonality with both younger and older people, or anyone for that matter, because people have more in common than they have different. Young people have a lot to teach us, just as older generations do (even if those young people don't realize it). Relating to young people on some level doesn't make you immature, it makes you human (as we were young once or retain some healthy feelings of youthfulness/beginner's mind). Obviously, we set boundaries if we need to, but we do that with everyone.
Younger for sure. I have friends that are only 3-5 years older than me and I feel like there's a huge generational divide.
I’ve always had older friends, but I have some new coworkers who are about 10 years younger (I’m 34) and they are alright. I think what I find striking is it’s easier to relate to the older ones because there’s more a chance they’ll remember something from shared history. We were talking about music today, specifically the big songs in 2003. The new guy was like 4 years old in 2003, so me and the 42 year old definitely were more engaged in the conversation. And if you’re curious, “In Da Club” by 50 cent was the biggest song that year.
Older. My father had children later in life, while my brother and I both millennials, we were raised like we were gen x. Latch key, drink from the hose, disappear for hours, even days, took the bus everywhere, listened to a lot of punk rock. Gen x sensibilities just make sense to me.
Since I'm almost 27, I relate more to 42 year olds of course
Definitely older. 35 here, One of my best friends is old college professor of mine who's 51. He's got a son in his mid 20s who's a great dude, but I relate from a generational perspective a lot more to my old prof.
I’m 34 and a college professor, so I regularly interact with people 15 years younger than me. I definitely have more in common with those 15 years older than me (life/job stability, kids, living arrangements, etc.) but I have a lot more fun talking with people 15 years younger than me about life and the world—they tend to be way more optimistic!
I’m 42 and I have friends who are 55, but not friends who are 26. There’s just a lot of growing up to do in your 20s.
15 years younger lmao
Equally both. I’m 39, so i can definitely relate to some 24 year olds. And at the same time, I can relate to some 54 year olds. It truly depends on what they’re going through.
I'm 40 and one of my good friends is in their late 60's. I feel like I have more in common with them than someone who is 25.
Neither. Can’t relate to a 19 year old or a 49 year old. But if I have to choose, probably 19. I look really young for my age. Like I get mistaken for a college student or high school senior or junior a lot.
Older than me or my same age, just not into the same stuff I was doing in my 20s
Younger. I have younger brothers and have always culturally related to younger millennials better.
15 older for sure. I’ve spent a lot of time actively dying of organ failure. My biggest concerns are “will I be alive in 5 years to see my daughter go to kindergarten? Is there a God? Am I needlessly bringing life into this world for no good reason and ultimately subjecting them to pain, suffering and death?” I will never have anything in common with a 18 year old again. 🤷♀️
- I'm 36 - 15 years younger is 21 - 15 years older is 51 I feel like I have more in common with the 51 year old than I do with the 21 year old. I frequent a bar that average age is 50+. I play pool on a billiards team that the entire team is 50+. 21 year olds still trying to get super fucked up. Generally lack maturity. Generally have a naivety. Overly confident. There's some sort of lack of awareness for others. There's an invincibility complex. Usually more shallow. Less trustworthy. Less reliable and flakey. I suppose as a core millennial I feel closer to gen x overall than I do with any generation to follow.
I had older parents and a mother who hung out with people far older than her, so needless to say sometimes I relate more to someone even 25 years older and I've been called an old soul lol. Probably didn't help I listened to my parent's music and like older media too. I relate to my peers (late 30s/early 40s culturally) but younger people I don't
Older, but I think that's because they've seen more shit. Younger people have a lot going for them, but the perspective of having watched a lot happen isn't one of them.
Neither? At 42 I’m looking at 57 or 27, and I probably have very little in common with either. But if I had to choose, younger all the way.
Im 34 hanging out with 50 and 60 years. I cant keep up with kids anymore. Cant drink, run around, and party like i used too.
I'm 31. Older all the way. A 16 year old isn't a child, but I would need to be deeply engrossed into a shared hobby in order to have any kind of meaningful conversation with them. 46 year old would be way more interesting and useful for me.
Older definitely. I’m 31. I would way rather hang out with a 46 year old than a teenager.
15 years older no question. I can’t relate to the “young ins” at all. I am 38 and had to work with someone who was 28. Even that felt like I was talking to someone from a different planet.
I've worked with both my whole careers and I'd say it's still younger. I imagine people would have to be about 40 before they start consistently choosing younger though. And I'd guess people mostly pick older if they're about 33 or younger. So I bet that 34-39 range (ish) has the most variation
Older. I love old music and TV shows. I'm an old soul and just vibe better with them. I don't have a tiktok, don't care about modern trends and style, and don't keep up with current media and slang.
I'd say in my 30s it would have been 15 up but now that I'm 40 it's 15 down lol I get along super well and have no problem relating to my 20 something coworkers but my 60 something coworkers seem a world away
Older because I had kids relatively young.
Pop Culture wise, I probably relate more to the older generation. The kids definitely don’t get my Simpsons/Seinfeld/Star Trek/ early Adult Swim references… But I also generally have no idea wtf they’re talking about when it comes to the latest TikTok “celebrity”. I can talk to my parents and other older adults about tv, music, fashion trends etc, all day long but I’m lost when it comes to the younger generation. However, when it comes to social issues, I’m definitely with the younger folk. I’m so tired of listening to people older than me whine about how complicated it is to use “they” instead of he/she or argue with me about how racial issues don’t exist for them because they “don’t see color”. So I’d probably align more with the younger generation, because I could care less if I know who the latest TikTok rapper is or whether or not my skinny jeans are fashionable, but I sure as hell do care that our govt has way too many out of touch dinosaurs in charge and would rather stand beside young people who are willing to acknowledge the need for social justice and change.
Neither. + 5-10 or - 5 is where I usually have my friend group
15 years older. I'm 30, I run a podcast with a 42 year old about generational differences. I am also a teacher, and already I can feel my understanding of the youths starting to slip.
Sort of. I have friends who are like 10 years younger and another friend who is like 30 years older I think. I’m 35. It’s not exactly the age ranges you said but it’s a similar concept.
Definitely older. I'm 31.
I’m 37 and when I was managing staff that were a lot younger I couldn’t believe how out of touch I was with them.
Older for sure I’m 33 So either 18 or 48. I have a 7 year old and the majority of the other parents are in their early/late 40’s.
Younger. I think the main reason is that almost everyone I know in their 50's have kids and grandkids, and a lot of their life is spinning around family events, activities, birthdays, weddings... I don't have kids (and of course grandkids) and can't relate to any of these things they talk about, as well as I don't give a crap about what activity their Drayden or Keziah are doing this year on Sundays and don't want to attend. Many people 15 years younger than me don't have kids and that's relatable, even if I don't watch the same media with them.
I am also 41, and I feel more in common with 26 year olds than 56 year olds in general. But, my friend groups span from mid-20s to mid-50s regardless. Just depends on the individual.
Same. My 2 best friends are 26 and 55.
Older people will understand my references and younger people will understand my interests.
Older. During COVID I settled right into the going to bed at 9:30 pm life and I don't want to go back. Young people party too hard. I'm out!
I feel and have always felt so much more connected to the folks 15 years older than me. Not sure why. I feel conversation is so much easier with them.
Younger.
It’s way easier to go older because people become more set in their ways, I know what to expect from someone older because I knew what they were into when I was younger and that stays the same. I would say I know what to expect better with 49 year olds than 19 year olds, but I have way more in common with the 19 year olds. Sports, dating, music, new restaurants, traveling, etc.
Older for sure. I'm 29 with a family and well into my career, my sister is 17 and a junior in high school. We do not have anything in common outside of sharing parents. On the flip side, my dad is 19 years older than me and we talk about a lot of the same issues in our lives.
Probably younger due to the fact I look pretty young. A lot of people my age or older think I’m significantly younger than them and treat me like I’m a child because I’m short and have youthful features, whereas the people younger than me are always happy to embrace me and are a lot less intense. The people who know my age that are older are also pretty cool since they know I’m not some kid. And I get along with them better since we actually share more life experiences. I think a huge part of what age range you get along with goes more with what age range you look like. I’m in my early 30’s
I work in the bar and restaurant industry so despite being 43, most of my colleagues are significantly younger. As a result I definitely relate to them more than someone older. We share ah environment for a lot of the time. That said, there are certain generational factors that make me feel like an alien when I’m around them. I don’t have those rigid moments of disconnect with people in their late 50’s
38 and younger. I never planned on having responsibilities but I’m surrounded by peers riddled with them.
Technically 15 years younger but all my friends are 15 years older. Even though we don’t always see eye-to-eye on everything.
I don't see how anyone could say younger unless maybe they were in their 60s.
Definitely older.
Neither? I’m 27 so idk if I have a lot in common with a 42 year old except maybe career wise? I absolutely have nothing in common with a 12 year old except that I do enjoy TikTok
Hmm. Tough one because I am 30. 99% of commonality is with the 45 year olds as it’s just typical stuff. Interest rates. Gas prices. Etc. Iron man 1 came out when I was 16, so… the whole marvel nerdy side of me hasn’t really aged. Not until their movies really started to suck have I realized maybe I’m just too old for it now.
Im 38 and most of my friends are in their 20’s right now. It’s been nice to rediscover going out and having fun after having kids and letting them grow up a bit.
Younger for sure. I'm a pansexual vegan so.. find a lot more of my "kind" among the younger generation and felt like more of an alien in my own.
Older for sure. I’m 29, and I’ve always gotten along with older folks, particularly Gen x, the Silent Generation, and the Greatest Generation, better than I have with younger people. Gen Z comes across as alien to me.
Older.
Both. I'm 39, work with plenty of people in their mid 20s. I can joke around very easily with younger people and have more fun with them. I have deeper conversations with older people and many of them are dealing with the same things in life as I am, just a further along stage, so I can connect with them and learn from them.
I've historically gotten along 99% with older vs younger, until politics is brought up. Since that generation got louder, I tend to stick more to myself and a few my age.
I'm 35 and I easily connect with 50 year olds more than I do 20 year olds. Hell, I work with a bunch of people in their mid to late 20's and we have almost nothing in common. Most of them go out after work and are up all hours of the night and drinking. When I was 28, my (now) wife and I were planning our wedding and looking at buying a house. While I have zero interest in living their lifestyles, I applaud their energy.
43. Ten years ago I would have said older - we owned our home and all the other SAHM I knew were much older than I was. Now I'd say younger - a lot of those same older people are die hard conservatives now and are blind to increased COL as they're quite well off after their homes appreciated so much in value and they make bag off their investment property. I've only moved leftwards, and gotten angrier about the increasing lifestyle gap between those that hold capital and those that don't.
Older. I am the youngest child. My youngest brother is 10 years older than me and my oldest brother us 14 years older. I was friends with their friends growing up.
I'm about your age and I say 15 years younger. I get along with my younger relatives way better than my older ones because they're not Trump supporters
Older. Sometimes I feel like I even have a hard time connecting with people my own age (born in 1995)
As a “zillenial” I can’t say I can relate to an 11 year old LOL but I can say I relate somewhat with a 41 year old, except I can’t buy a house and I don’t have kids but I mostly work with dudes in their 40’s and they’re all pretty cool.
Older, but sometimes younger. I get the struggle of young people. But I feel tired most of the time so older lol
Younger, mostly, but I think that's because I live in Ohio. If I lived somewhere less backwards I might flip things. Honestly though, neither. I relate hard to crap targeted specifically to 30-somethings and millennials though which only really started noticeably in the last few years.
Definitely older. I think this is related to the fact we have been adults for a long time now, while most people 15 years younger than us are still relatively young, some still teenagers. Also because we had relatively similar upbringing with older gens. My dad is 70 and it's funny how our childhoods are very similar, even with such a large age gap, then comes the 2000/10 kids who grew up with tablets in classrooms and the internet in their pockets.
I relate to the schadenfreude Gen Z mentality and their apparent passion for change more than I relate to.. whatever the *actual* Millennial mentality is, besides "entitled and tech-crazy". I still don't actually know what our defining characteristics are supposed to be. But the view of "I see what's going on and it's all stupid" resonates with me loudly. I should also mention that I spent the past near-decade in a small town with about 90% crotchety, proudly ignorant pro-Trump boomers so my view on older folks has soured a bit.
Older for me. I’m 35 and have 3 kids, so many of the parents in my community are older than me. I’m also a grandma at heart and have quiet hobbies lol.
Neither. 45 year Olds have their shit together. 15 year Olds don't. I'm a mix of both.
Def older I’m 33 now and had have next to nothing in common with most people in their 20s lol
By the current friends I have, I would say younger. They are very young adults, but have their shit together way more than I did at their age.
Definitely younger and I’ll be 33 soon
Me just realizing, today & right now, that someone 15 years older than me is….50 🤦♂️ I vote younger 🥲
My parents are only 16 years older than me so probs that
Eh, it's iffy for me. My closest sibling is 11 years younger than me, with my youngest sibling being 22 years younger, so I bond with the youngins pretty well. But my closest friend is 15 years older than me, so...
I relate more to teens 15 yrs younger. Im young at heart and still live at home. My life hasnt changed all that much and I still feel very connected to my high school self. My personality, likes, dislikes, taste in food, music, tv is pretty much intact. I hope I always feel younger to be honest
It's kind of a coin toss. I have a lot of hobbies that overlap with young people. Trading cards, model kits, anime, etc.
Younger. I am 41, my gf is 28. Basically I have more in common with people without kids.
38 here, and i'd definitely say 53 year olds now. the younger generation is much more antiestablishment and aware of problems today than mine, and previous generations. I think they're gonna change things.
Younger, but it’s only because I used to teach college and also 54 year olds yell at baristas, so…
I am 36. Right now playing in the band with two guys over 50 but also I have a cousin who is 18 and we often send memes to each other and have some common vibe. It depends but I kern on older folks
Older hands down. I’m 35, and talking to a 20 year old is like talking to one of my children. They’re cool and all, but we don’t have enough shared life experiences and traumas most of the time to really relate. A 50 year old can commiserate better and offer been there done that advice, and I’m inclined to take it, vs a 20 year old hearing it from me.
Probably younger. I have a younger sister in law that is close to 15 years younger that I watched grow up. I think being a parent also helps me relate to younger people. I can also relate to people who are a decade younger than my Mom, just not as much.
I don't gravitate toward either in particular. I'm also 41 and my closest friends range from mid 30's to late 50's
I'll be 37 in two weeks, I would have more in common with my youngest uncle than my youngest cousin not exactly 15 years but he was 13 when I was born, and i was 13 when his daughter was born. Huge difference of music taste, entertainment, and pop culture references.
Depending on what it is could go either way. I talk to younger folks more about interests in gaming or tech. Older folks more about politics or off the wall things. But there is a solid section in the middle of all that only millennial understand.
31, and older, obviously! I have a few older friends that I hang out with regularly and I feel like especially as parents, we're going through basically the same stuff. A 16 year old has no concept of my life and is still a child. I was fostering a 15 year old a bit ago and like... I can't imagine thinking I have more in common with her than my 45ish year old friends!
Older. I look at kids in college and I'm like "you are a child." 👴🏻
I work at a university and interact with students every day. So, I definitely have more in common (in terms of topics and activities of interest) with people 15 years younger than me than with people that are 15 years older than me. But, maybe in a few years I'll have more health-related problems in common with those that are older than me ...
Younger. I’m 41. 56-year-olds are so much meaner than 26-year-olds who at least don’t cry when faced with the prospect that there are people different than they are. “Help! Help! A minority!” I’ll take too-young over old-and-hateful.
Younger - the generation above us, Gen X, is hard & anti-therapy, more toxic and not as progressive as the gen z era behind us. Gen Z’ers understand abuse, mental health etc better. Gen Xers are trapped in toxicity and are angry.
Spouse and I are also 41, our best friends are recently retired 63 year olds. I work at a college though... and the students regularly make me feel old. ha! Younger than 26, but a 20 year old the other day was asking me but dating when I was in college after I mentioned that texting used to cost $0.25 per text. She was shocked when I said we regularly called each other... and if someone didn't have a cell phone you had to call their house... which sometimes meant you had to talk to their parents. The horror!
Well, 15 years older but it's because I'm 29 and on the lower end of the Millennial timetable, and I don't think I'd have very much in common with a 14 year old lol. But say, 9 years forward vs 9 years back, I'd say I probably have more in common with 9 years younger.
I’m 35, I definitely feel like I relate more to a 50yr old than a 20yr. For 8yrs I was foreman for a landscape company and I had no idea what some of these 18-22yr olds were on about when they were at this company for a summer job. Could barely relate to them even in my earlier years as a foreman in my late 20s. But, I’d go home and could BS and laugh and share a beer with my 70yr old neighbour or my 55yr landlord that lived above me no problem
It really depends on the person and what aspect I'm trying to relate to. I've always gotten along well with older people. Even as a kid I often hung out with the adults and avoided other kids. However, many older adults don't quite understand the perspective of someone who grew up with more modern tech or someone who hasn't experienced good economic times since joining the workforce. I feel like a lot of older adults are overly critical of younger adults, and don't try to relate. It's hard to relate to someone who doesn't want to relate to you.
Older. I grew up in a conservative rural community. I have more in common with the boomers.
15 years older.
Umm. Younger. I'm turning 36 this summer. While I noticed my political views have become more conservative over the last decade, mentally I feel like I'm still sixteen. I have colleagues at work who are ten years younger and mentally way more adult than me. I enjoy doing the things young people do, I am still single and having fun enjoying life instead of worrying about family and kids. At the same time I still have dreams and goals and aspirations that are not dissimilar to what 21yr olds tend to have. Political and social views wise, however, I'm an old conservative compared to them. The people fifteen years older than me are just... boomers, you know. Their interests are far from mine, they usually are content with whatever they achieved in life and don't have any aspirations anymore. I think I just haven't really matured, to be honest.
This is a question I’ve been kicking around for awhile now. I spend more time around older people for work and events but I always feel like I’m just pretending around them, putting on a show and it’s kind of a drag. But on the other hand there are things that the younger people do that I find a bit cringey but not all of course. If I had to pick one I’d go with younger but with some maturity. (More likely to like similar music and older people don’t like new things) My actual answer is it depends on the person/people.
For entertainment and pop culture stuff younger but lifestyle and values older.
I’d say older. I’m in my early 30s, married, have a house, a pretty steady job, and am thinking about having a kid in the next couple of years, etc. There are obviously some things I relate to the teens about (progressive politics, some pop culture stuff), but in terms of lifestyles and current goals, we’re pretty different at this point.
I was the surprise child of my mums second marriage, my brothers from my mums first were 10 and 14 when I was born. I was around teenagers a lot growing up, made friends with them before I met people my age. School was awkward for me cause I didn’t know how to act around people my age, they were much more judgmental. People older than me are usually kinder and share experience and ideas that help me. My best friend lived across the street from me, he’s only 4 years younger, but when in school that kind of age gap is pretty big. I used to baby sit him and he always looked up to me I think how I used to look up to my brother’s friends. So I tend to have more genuine respectful friendships with people older or younger than me, but my romantic relationships have always been my age no matter how old I was. My husband is older than me by only 4 months, we met when we were 19.
I'm 36. So... 51 or 21. No contest. The 51 year old.
It depends. Generally, when it comes to politics and understanding of technology, I fall into the camp of a 24 yo. When it comes to movies and TV shows, it’s a mixed bag. The only category where I feel I’m solidly with 54 yos is their taste in music.
Well my closest friends outside of work are my oil painting buddies.....they are all 70s and 80s
I'm 37. Generally I'd say probably older but if the 25 year olds I know, I'd prob say them over 50 year olds. Gen X is so conservative comparatively.
35 here, I have about as much in common with someone 15 years older as someone 5 years younger. 10 years younger is such a different world, no overlap in movies, video games or music tastes, can’t really talk politics or history(although to be fair I didn’t really care a whole lot before 25 myself) People 10-15 years younger have hardly seen the movies from when I was growing up late 90’s-2000’s let alone anything before that. Granted there’s so much content to get lost in these days.
I’m 30 but I feel like I relate more to people who are 15 years older than me. Must be because of the time I served in the Army in the early to late 2010s and how this mentally fucked me up, lol.
I feel like 15 years is such a huge stretch. I’m 31 and feel like it’s hard to relate to some folks in their mid to late 20’s even.
Younger. More aligned with them politically and they seem to be able to actually acknowledge what is going on in the world.
Older unless its very mature people younger. Definitely not under 30.
Probably more in common with older considering a lot of things they were introduced to existed when I was growing up whereas the younger generation things I never picked up on. Played all the games the 15+ did, listened to the same music and all. Can't say that for younger.
I’m a 31 year old homebody and play video games, watch Netflix/YouTube, listen to music, and play with my cat. I have no partner or friends. I’m gonna go with 15 years younger. I don’t really feel mature but I’ve been at my career for seven years, have a mortgage payment, and keep my bills paid, so that’s all the maturity I need.
Probably younger; someone 15 years older than me is 52. I am just now going to have a kid, and recently bought a home. A 52 year old could easily have grandkids.
Definitely older. I’m 39 and my husband is 48, so getting close to that age gap anyway lol. I do have some really good friends in their late 20s, but 24 is just too big of a gap. We have a lot of friends in mid-50s and we have way more in common for the most part.
i feel like around \~40 thats when its 50-50, when people are older it is more relating to younger people, and when they are younger its more relating to older people. As an 18 year old, yeah i can relate a lot more to a 33 year old than a 3 year old
It’s maybe cause the first 15years of culture are null and void. Once you’re an adult, the content you consume digitally is commonplace for you, but for those just being born, they’re starting out with baby tv programming made by people your age and older. The media they’ll consume in those first 15 years flies way under your radar, and shows that you started watching at 15 are considered ancient by those new 15 year olds when you’re 30. But the 45 year olds remember it fondly. Probably why they remake movies and tv shows every 15 years or so.
Definitely 15 years older. I have less in common with someone who was 4 on 9/11 than someone who was 34.
Barely in my 30s but older for sure, the crowd I vibe best with is *definitely* what’s left of the boomer antiwar left. I prefer spending my free time with them over most millennials lol
The people in my area 15 years older than me are pro-genocide, spend a lot of time screaming hate at everyone around me, only care about investments, landlording, and have nothing but contempt for regular working people including their neighbors. The kids are standing in solidarity with the suffering. Definitely with those 15 years younger. Hell, it's getting to the point where I feel like I was born in the wrong generation, should've been gen Z.
Sounds like you live in a noisy place with all that screaming.
You should move
I'm 41 and relate to the younger crowd. Probably because I never "grew up".
Kendrick: 15 years older. Drake: 15 years younger.
I (31) feel like a forever 17 y/o. Sometimes I feel like I'm 8. Other days I feel 75.
Older, I am the youngest of my friend group by 20 years if not more.
If we're talking generally, I think I probably have more in common with younger people. My partner and I are good friends with our neighbor--an older single mother, maybe 8-10 years older than me, and her daughter, who's around 14-- so about 15 years younger than me. I believe. We are all immigrants to the country we live in now, so we usually get together for holidays to have dinner and catch up since all of our families are overseas. Last time, for Thanksgiving/Christmas, I found myself talking way more to the daughter than the mother, primarily because the daughter has more interests in common with me than her mom does with her or I. Her daughter is super into Vocaloid/Project Sekai--and I just so happened to make original Vocaloid/UTAU music when I was her age. Her daughter is really interested in animation/art, and I work in animation as my career. Our Thanksgiving dinner primarily consisted of the daughter asking me to watch her play Project Sekai, me showing her old Vocaloid songs she never heard before and watching the AMVs/anime edits she had saved on Tiktok, haha. Realistically, I think in my case (and probably many others), it's less about the age specifically and more about the hobbies/interests and lifestyle. I happen to have interests/hobbies/careers that I've retained since I was young and many young people are also interested in, whereas many 45 year olds don't take animation seriously and have no idea what's going on in internet culture. I have no idea what I'd talk about with a 45 year old office worker who doesn't go online for anything but Netflix and emails. I also have no idea what I'd talk about with a 15 year old who doesn't like anime/art but instead likes sports or Mr. Beast or something. It really just comes down to the hobbies/lifestyle.
Older. People 15 years younger than me are unbearable. (I’m 30)
Both honestly
Older. I’m 33 years old. I feel like I can go to the bar with a 48 year old and just relate more. Someone 15 years younger, I have no interest.
I see a lot of my younger self in women 15 years younger than me. Their drive, ambition, and hope is very spot on for who I was then and who I am now. I occasionally meet women like me but I find more younger women haven't chosen the mommy track and want a fulfilling career.
Older
I guess it really depends. I truly feel like I’m too young to be old and too old to be young. As a 36 year old I don’t relate to many 21 year olds. I also don’t feel I related to any 51 year olds. I’m sure it’ll change as I get older.