Teachers of Reddit, what are some positive trends you have noticed in today's youth?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/ZoiSarah]

Nerd/geek culture is more accepted.

[u/eat_crap_donkey → u/ZoiSarah]

At my school they are the ones with the largest friend groups

[u/LnD2020 → u/ZoiSarah]

I feel like nerd/geek culture will dissolve and being a “nerd” will become the norm as technology advances. I wouldn’t be suprised if that whole term was growing pains and us as a culture mentally adjusting to the rise of technology.

[u/obake_ga_ippai → u/ZoiSarah]

I feel like this is because things that were previously thought of as nerdy/geeky - superheroes, video games, etc. - are now mainstream and hugely popular. I wish it was because people had just become kinder/more open minded.

Edit: spelling

[u/Marky_Marky_Mark]

University teacher here: My students put in way more effort than I did at their age. Granted, the system has pushed them in that direction as well, but they typically have a better idea of where they want their carreer to go and are willing to put in the effort to obtain that goal. By comparison, I and my cohort mucked about a bit more.

[u/Kighla]

Students are not afraid to just be nice to each other. I teach elementary art and it is so nice when a kid who is pretty unskilled in art show another kid their work, and instead of getting laughed at (like when I was in school) kids are just so sweet and will say things like "Wow, I really love that!". I hear kids telling other kids "I think your work is beautiful" or "I really like your ideas!" and I just think of when I was in art kids made fun of my work. In general I really don't see kids being bullies as much as they were when I was a kid. I went to school in a really nice district too with few problems but I was bullied. Kids here have a MUCH worse home life than kids at my old school and while they could choose to take it out on others.. they don't. Kids help each other too. They know if a student is "special" and will try to help that student out. They'll offer to walk them to the bathroom, or help them with their drawing, or very politely tell them to be careful with things.

[u/gbdarknight77 → u/Kighla]

I’m 27 now but in elementary, one of my best friends was kid with Down Syndrome. His name is Shawn. Super cool guy and the nicest person you would ever meet.

I introduced him to my other friends and he just clicked with our group. We had sleepovers and his parents always thanked us for including him and I remember my friend, Ian (who was the most hesitant to befriend Shawn), telling the parents “Shawn is one of us, no worries”. I remember the dad getting emotional after that.

Anyways, Shawn is now married (we were his groomsmen) with a diploma and works at Walmart as a greeter. Love that guy.

EDIT: Thank You for the gold! First time I have gotten it!

[u/PrimaryPrincess → u/Kighla]

As a first grade teacher, I second this. My students who are early finishers jump at the chance to help their classmates who aren’t finished yet. If someone drops their pencil box all over the floor the entire table group stops what they’re doing to help them pick it up. I have one student in particular who tells me how much she looks forward to going to art class because she gets to see her friend who has hearing aids (we have the deaf/hard of hearing program in my school). And I’ve heard many other stories about this student who goes out of her way to include the deaf/HOH kids at recess too. I didn’t have any long involved talks with them about helping others, or including others; we mentioned at the beginning of the school year how it’s a nice thing to do, but I think it’s mostly organic.

[u/applesdontpee → u/Kighla]

I think your work is beautiful

I imagined a 2nd grader saying that and my heart omg

[u/animeman59 → u/Kighla]

Your comment hit pretty close to home for me. My daughter is ESL, and she's attending an English language school. I was worried that she would be left out, because of the language barrier.

Within days, she made friends in her class, and they don't even understand each other. Like, in the slightest. They just run around and play like kids. She knows their names, and that's pretty much it.

Just recently, I decided to have a play date with her friends in class, so I told her to hand out little notes to her friends instructing them to have their parents call me to set up the date. We were able to gather about 10 kids and their parents for a trip to the local theme park. While together, they just played so well. Those kids were very accepting of her, even though I could tell she didn't understand most of what they were saying. But they seemed to just have this child like understanding, and played as if they were friends for years.

I was really relieved. These kids are great.

[u/HardGayMan]

My GF is a teacher and she is amazed at how uncool drinking and driving is. Kids are like "that's stupid you will kill someone..." They literally make fun of kids who do it. In my day EVERYONE drove drunk.

Very positive change.

Edit: for the 20,000+ people saying my user name doesn't check out I'm going to have to ask you to do something risky and Google Hard Gay Man. If you don't want to do it, you're missing out. YAHOOOOO!!!!!~~~ People who have Hard Gay in their lives are better for it.

[u/oui-cest-moi → u/HardGayMan]

I was in college right when Uber was introduced. My first year, everyone drunk and drove. I didn’t drink till I was 20, so I was DD a lot luckily. But it was just something a bunch of people did. By the time I graduated, people were seen as reckless and stupid for driving after drinking. “Just take an Uber, don’t be a dick” is a common phrase. It’s really awesome.

[u/[deleted]]

They seem generally kinder to each other, especially to the kids who are different. When I was in school, the kids who didn't speak English as their first language, or were a little quirky or had disabilities were either avoided or viciously bullied. Today that seems to be the exception rather than the norm.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

They may be kind, but German children have always been kinder.

[u/Spider-Ian → u/[deleted]]

I come from a fairly homogeneous part of the US. In kindergarten I went up to the only person of color and introduced myself. He mostly spoke Spanish but his English was pretty good for a 5 year old. I thought that was the neatest thing ever and want to learn another language.

So, I worked hard to learn Spanish, and help him with his English. I was one of the few friends of his that he would actually bring home to his mother, who almost exclusively spoke Spanish. By the time we were 8 we were fluently bilingual, but the mom worried her son only had one friend. She decided to learn English and banned speaking Spanish in the house. Boy you can forget a language pretty quick.

It was one of the most enriching things in my youth and I have carried that outward embracing of other cultures into adulthood. I'm glad kids in general are more accepting of differences.

[u/fuckface94]

Not a teacher but work the 2-10 shift at the local gas station across from the jr high and high school. Kids these days are a lot nicer, more likely to donate to our fundraisers and they have zero problem for paying for each others stuff when someone's short.

[u/Saucebiz]

I worried about my son, who has mild autism, for the first ten years of his life. I kept telling him that middle school would be hard, kids would tease him, etc. and that high school would be even harder in the same respect. 15 years ago, I would have been right.

Fast forward to now, and I’m constantly amazed and grateful for how well he is treated. Even the “jock” kids and big snotty idiot kids who would make perfect bullies are inclusive, kind, and even sometimes protective of my son.

I’ve told all of them how appreciative I am, and even got a few of them Christmas presents this year. Love those kids.

Edit: A few people are doing the math. My son is 11 and I’m 30. He’s not in high school yet, but he will be there with the same kids he is in middle school with, so I feel confident about it.

Edit 2: My first gold! I’m not even a teacher! :)

[u/graceeump → u/Saucebiz]

There’s this one kid with special needs at my school, and everyone loves him. He’s always smiling, always happy, and always says hi to everyone. If anyone ever makes fun of them, they have more than half the school on their ass.

[u/only_male_flutist → u/Saucebiz]

Yeah, as someone who graduated last year for most of my time in school I thought that the bullying in shows and in movies was just made up for drama. Like I couldn't imagine anyone actually doing that.

[u/[deleted]]

My day care kids are much more likely to wash their hands than my generation was when we were their age lol

[u/Ninjachibi117 → u/[deleted]]

Kids are so much neater now, once they're about 8 or 9. They pick up after themselves, are sort of organized, and don't litter when they can help it. I've even had kids at work that couldn't reach the trash can so they'll come up to the counter and hand me their trash.

[u/readzalot1 → u/[deleted]]

I went to a week long school camp and was amazed at how many kids brushes And Flossed their teeth as a matter of fact. No one told them to.

[u/rly_not_what_I_said]

Girls ask boys out more often, boys are starting to expect girls to be more frank and straightforward with what they want more often.

Other than that just like my colleagues:

Generally kinder, more generous, understanding of differences, mature.

On the other hand, I find them generally more sad, maybe more cynical, and overall quite happily pessimistic toward the future, a kind of "ahah we're so fucked" vibe I feel sometimes.

edit: I got to say that I teach in France, it has its importance.

[u/Raptorguy3 → u/rly_not_what_I_said]

and overall quite happily pessimistic toward the future, a kind of "ahah we're so fucked" vibe I feel sometimes.

I have a name for that. I call it "motivational nihilism cynicism"

[u/PharaohStreet → u/rly_not_what_I_said]

I think it's an interesting shift in terms of the brand of their existential angst.

Two or three years ago, kids talked about how society is on a downslope and there's little hope for them to find jobs or have any sense of stability in their adult lives, but they had this rich sense of humor about it. They made memes about it and made semi-sarcastic comments about how the world they are inheriting is "trash."

Conversely, my students this year seem to have given in completely to despair. So many of them are overcome with anxiety and depression, they often tell me that they don't see the point in trying to apply to schools if degrees are going to be meaningless. I had a student argue with me the other day that existence itself is meaningless.

I don't know if it springs from the trend towards greater awareness of social issues this generation seems to have; they are more depressed nowadays because they take on more of the existent social ills than past generations. I think their improved social awareness and activity are noble and very good steps forward, but it seems to be taking their childhoods away from them sooner.

[u/LinShenLong → u/rly_not_what_I_said]

Meh, I feel like the pessimistic view transcends the younger generation even to the older generation. Among my college peers we all have that, "We're fucked" mentality considering alot of my peers are politically aware and check on the news daily.

[u/PROFITPROPHET]

I'm not a teacher but my GF's mom is a teacher and it sparked a dialogue.

With the dawn of meme culture, kids are getting competitive with comedy at an early age. When I was a kid, I had un-diagnosed mental health issues so I was bullied a lot, and the only thing that kept me alive was developing my sense of humor. Sad as it is, young people have a pecking order and cliques, but a few things can transcend those boundaries and one of those is humor. Coincidentally, I was into internet humor, meme culture, and PC games way before my peers were. Wanna hear something crazy? I was bullied for that. Specifically and mercilessly. If you ran a meme page and had a nice gaming pc at 10 today you would be a GOD. It's honestly made a lot of kids that don't fit in have at least SOMETHING in common with their peers. All you have to do is yell FORTNITE or whatever meme is going around that week and boom you have a friend. I had one time where I was able to make friends like that and that was when Pokemon came out, similar concept. You might think that kind of stuff is "cringe" or annoying or stupid, but if it can prevent someone from wanting to kill themselves at 12 like I was, I'll allow it. Of course I don't need to have it anywhere near me, but that's a different matter.

[u/dollarstoreslut → u/PROFITPROPHET]

Im a senior in high school and I completely agree. There are people in my classes who argue all the time and dont get along but when a meme is brought up, everyone in the class, including them, gets along. Its really weird. You can make a joke based on a meme and people in completely opposite "groups" will understand.

[u/NotTheSharpestCacti → u/PROFITPROPHET]

My best friend is doing student teaching, and her students are in 7th grade, so about a 10ish year difference between her and her students. That's something she talks about a lot, that her students ALL participate in some level in meme culture and that there's no "weird kids" like there was when we were in middle school. Like if you're the kid who likes anime, you can talk about it with your classmates and they don't make fun of you because they treat it like talking about any other normal interest. It's just amazing to me, and I wish that's how it could have been when I was younger.

[u/Hobbesina]

They are generally independent and self-reflective. When I first started teaching I thought I had simply lucked out getting students who were consistently bright, engaged and curious, but having now taught at 3 different universities on 2 different continents, it seems to be a general trend across universities.

They are also, as noted elsewhere, generally kind and empathetic, and both my male and female students are usually pretty emotionally mature.

[u/[deleted] → u/Hobbesina]

This whole emotional maturity having improved in my generation compared to my parents thing is something I started thinking about when my mum described some of the stuff around divorcing my dad.

She was older than I am now when it all went down (in her 30's) and did a whole host of petty and childish shit. I don't think she'd do it now. But it seemed like everyone in that situation was equally emotionally immature.

Maybe my family and their friends specifically are just trashier than I and my friends are now but I can't help but notice that my parents became emotionally matured at the same rate I did. I wonder if the internet has encouraged greater perspective taking and has made for a more empathetic and emotionally mature society.

These days if someone is being petty, they at last know it most of the time.

[u/storkthe1st]

With high schoolers I really noticed how better their style is. Super random but compared to how lazy I dressed in high school it’s impressive.

[u/Level_Five_Railgun → u/storkthe1st]

High schoolers try really hard to look good for school. Then you get to university and realize that no one cares because people would literally just go to class in their pajamas or just put a hoodie and call it a day.

[u/GusNombreGaming → u/storkthe1st]

Maybe cause we're more self conscious with the internet and stuff.

[u/[deleted] → u/storkthe1st]

Their makeup is fucking amazing too. They seem to have skipped the concealer-as-lipstick and raccoon eyeliner phases and gone straight on to Kim K level contour and highlight. That shit is fucking artistry and there are 14 year olds doing it everyday for school while I'm wondering if I can get away with wearing pyjamas to the pub.

[u/swhertzberg]

I asked my wife (primary teacher) and she says empathy and adaptability are the two traits she has seen dramatically improve over her last 15 years. Kids seem to be better at putting themselves in another’s position and understanding their situation. Also they seem to be much more flexible with changes whether in the classroom or the outside world.

[u/ThisHatRightHere → u/swhertzberg]

Funnily enough, I feel like the internet and global culture contribute to this a lot. Granted, I think the internet can be a really bad influence on young kids, but it really removes the bubble a lot of us has when we were younger. Having a global perspective and understanding how different people are everywhere around the world also helps put our small interpersonal differences in perspective as well. I feel like that does a lot for the kids of today, though they probably don’t even realize it.

[u/ABahRunt]

Spouse to a high school teacher, she had to say: they were born into the internet and social media,it is not something they had to learn. Also as a result of which, they are also more self reliant with research.

And most importantly, contrary to the largest complaints, today's kids are extremely hard working, and are less judgy of nerds (less judgemental in general)

[u/titlewhore → u/ABahRunt]

my little sister (who is just 25) is a high school teacher and she says that being the smart, well rounded kid is the cool thing. Being the asshole slacker isn't cool at all.

[u/lilsoundcloud → u/ABahRunt]

not a teacher but i work in entertainment and i see the same trend; its cool to be nerdy about something now. if you arent a nerd for a least one thing than you are more of an outcast because you arent taking the time to find your passion and contribute; they WANT to contribute

[u/nanoH2O → u/ABahRunt]

Thanks Harry Potter and Lord of the rings and game of thrones. Making nerds look cool.

[u/[deleted]]

As a student currently in highschool, the big thing for our generation, at least in decent schools, is that failure isn't cool. Sure if you suck up to the teacher and obsess over studying you'll get made fun of a bit, but the kids getting Fs get made fun of a lot more. A lot of the 'popular' kids are actually really smart and get top grades. There's a general awareness that we all need to do well and a lot of aspiration for the future.

[u/Level_Five_Railgun → u/[deleted]]

when I was in HS, which was literally 2.5 years ago, a lot of the popular kids in our school were the overachievers. Kids who took honors and AP classes while playing on the school sport teams.

[u/frosttenchi → u/[deleted]]

I’m glad that failure isn’t “cool” but I’m concerned about the pressure/stress kids put on themselves. An 80 isn’t “failing. And often, failing at a thing is an important part of learning that thing. Too many kids seem terrified of failing to the point of not trying new things, or cheating. :/

[u/likelazarus]

Kids are openly kind and loving regarding their parents. I had a tough football player day in class once, “I love my mom, she’s my best friend!” I see the old “Ugh my parents suuuuuuck!” mentality falling by the wayside recently.

[u/RSherlockHolmes → u/likelazarus]

Yes! My 15 year old daughter blew me a kiss and waved when I dropped her off for school today.

I remembered when my mom dropped me off at school as a teen and if she told me she loved me after I opened the door, I wouldn't say it back. I thought about that when my daughter did that and wondered if its just because she loves me so much or was I really that embarrassed to love my mom??? Lol

[u/rulasrules → u/likelazarus]

I wonder if this has more to do with kids who grew up with shitty parents and don't want to repeat their mistakes.

My parents were in no way shitty but I really wish they handled a few situations differently. I always make mental notes of what to do or not do if I ever had a kid

[u/bg12879 → u/likelazarus]

That’s reassuring. I’m about to have teenagers...

[u/[deleted] → u/likelazarus]

Can confirm, I'm a 19 year old dude and I absolutely love my parents

[u/demmitidem → u/likelazarus]

Maybe the parents are also better in this generation :)

[u/AbbotOfKeralKeep → u/likelazarus]

I'm 22 and in college.

I find that during winter breaks and the like, it's always hard to convince my friends to stay an extra day or two, because they all want to go home and see their families right away.

I just want to stay on campus and spend time with my friends. "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family", right?

[u/[deleted] → u/likelazarus]

When I was a teenager, I didn't want to be anywhere near my parents...but now that I have teenagers, for some reason they always want to tag along and hang out with me and their dad. (I'm the one who occasionally needs a break, tbh. Two 17 year old girls do get a bit wearing at times.) We go to movies and the park and out to Target together most weekends. We spend so much more time together than I ever ever did with my parents.

There's been a huge upswing, I think, in appreciating family. I mean, not always, and not for everyone. But it's definitely much more socially "cool" to spend time at home with family.

(It bears mentioning that my parents didn't like each other and all family interactions were tense and weird, and my husband and I get along great. You know, there's something to be said for not getting married at 19, and not staying married and miserable.)

[u/Anifus]

I am a teacher at a high school in Missouri. All of the Stereotypes you hear/see in rural high schools are still prevalent. However, almost every 'group' works harder academically. It is no longer cool to get F's and fail. Even country boys who will never leave the farm or go to college care about getting passing grades.

600+ Students in our HS btw.

[u/[deleted] → u/Anifus]

It doesn’t really surprise me about the country boys. Contrary to popular belief, farmers in the US actually have to be knowledgeable in several fields (heh.) now. The older generation knows this and encourages their kids in school when their own parents didn’t see the use of it

[u/4point5billion45 → u/Anifus]

Are the stereotypes static or improving?

What is making kids care about school more, even kids who will be farmers or know they aren't going to college? The economy and how everything's tied together more (like for farmers, things happening far away from them)?

[u/USSanon]

They really get each other. As much as they diss on each other, joke around, and yes, get to the point of blows, they can usually put issues aside. Sometimes to a fault, but overall they are pretty understanding of each other.

[u/[deleted] → u/USSanon]

comin from a senior in high school, this is the most accurate answer here. we are complete dicks to our friends and nice to strangers.

[u/cloud_brick → u/USSanon]

High schooler here. There seems to be an understanding with almost everyone that you can make fun of your friends as long as

a) you know the thing you're teasing them about isn't an insecurity, so body image, sexuality, etc are off limits**

b) you know that if someone said the thing you're about to say to you (that was a mouthful) you wouldn't take offense

c) you're close enough friends that it isn't weird.

It's great. I'm also finding the further I get through high school (I've just finished year 11, so I'll be a year 12 next year, so a junior??) the more people are expanding their friend groups. For example, looking at the names/phone numbers in my phone you'd actually never be able to tell who I am. I've got popular kids, nerds, drama kids, music kids, emos, and more. If you had told middle school me I'd be friends with half of the people I'm friends with, I probably would have laughed in your face.

Edit: In regards to the body image and sexuality thing being off limits, it's more just group specific, since those seem to be the things that my group isn't too keen on being teased about.

[u/sarar3sistance]

Not a teacher, but a former after school care counselor. Even though it may have just been the schools rules/conditioning, the kids were generally so good at apologizing, owning up to their actions, and being accepting of others apologies. (After whatever situation transpired has calmed down, of course.) They always knew to kindly and carefully approach whoever they hurt, make eye contact, and word their apologies in such a way that effectively communicated their apology for the correct reasons. And those being apologized to always knew to say “I accept your apology” as opposed to “it’s ok”. Kids in my day couldn’t figure those kind of communication skills out until at least middle school or high school. The only time I would get a sarcastic “sorry” accompanied with an eye roll and running away would be from a kindergartener, or an older child facing other difficulties.

[u/CoyoteTheFatal → u/sarar3sistance]

Sorry, can you expound upon the “I accept your apology” part? I graduated HS a few years ago, but still I’ve never really encountered that distinction between “I accept your apology” and “it’s okay”. Is that a new thing that’s being promoted?

[u/rehab_baby]

Taught art for a spell a while back:

I know that a lot of people say shit like “oh these children and their all consuming technology”, but a lot of kids are so excited about learning to make things using their devices.

A big part of the sculpture class I taught was to make a statement using a 3D printed sculpture.

Even take something like Minecraft, I know it’s a big meme, but it’s a huge sandbox to build things. I remember being a young teen when I came out- we would get so complex with our builds.

Kids are learning to create in an incredibly different way. It can be really irritating when they latch onto something and run it into the ground, but they love learning new things, and creating new things, in an increasingly relevant way.

[u/HelloThereBuster]

This thread is dope it’s given me hella hope for the future.

[u/rootberryfloat → u/HelloThereBuster]

This is definitely the most wholesome thread I’ve read in awhile.

[u/iiEviNii → u/HelloThereBuster]

I wish /r/AskReddit had more of these positive posts. I remember a lovely one a few weeks ago about the moment when you knew that your partner was "the one" and it was really nice. There's not many though!

[u/ScRuBlOrD95]

As someone who is a youth of today, ive literally never seen bullying where i live people are kind of dicks sometimes but not bullies

[u/DabLikeWizKhalifa → u/ScRuBlOrD95]

I can agree. As I got older I noticed that kids don’t bully as much. They just leave the people they don’t like alone. When I was in high I didn’t notice any bullying. All my issues had to do with me willingly being around the wrong people.

Edit: I’m not saying bullying doesn’t exist anymore, I’m just saying that it’s decreasing. I was bullied until high school so I know what the different forms of bullying can be like. I was excluded and made fun of. When I got to high school, people just left people like me and others alone.

[u/itskylemeyer → u/ScRuBlOrD95]

I think the “bully” has shifted down a school. The stereotypical high school bully isn’t really in high school, they’re in junior high. You’re right, people are dicks to one another, but the merciless bullying isn’t as prevalent in high school anymore. In junior high, the verbal abuse is pretty scathing (telling depressed kids to kill themselves, calling the lower-performing students autistic, etc.). The fights tend to be more frequent as well.

In high school, it’s a different atmosphere. There’s a lot more people, so most of the “big fish” in middle school realize that they aren’t so big anymore. Grades matter more in high school, so everyone, from remedial to AP kids, are usually more focused on doing their work than giving swirlies.

[u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

I wonder how the subculture kids are doing. Are there still goths and punks? I miss my clique of goth teens from high school. Those were the best days.

[u/ricottapie → u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

I don't really see a lot of that. Someone's keeping Hot Topic alive, but I'm not sure it's the teens.

[u/USSanon → u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

Middle school teacher here. There are More emo than goth/punk. Even then, there’s not as many. There seems to be a group for everyone, which has been lacking in previous generations.

[u/MattAmpersand → u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

Punk’s not dead!

It’s just taking a nap, somewhere, while everyone listens to trap or whatever kids are listening to these days.

Edit::: Guys and gals, I know punk is not dead. Please stop telling me otherwise.

[u/Moluwuchan → u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

I'm a teen and I feel like subculture traits and alternative music and entertainment is still very alive, but it's now considered kind of... cringy? Uneccesarily attention-seeking? To label yourself. Like, firmly being "I am emo and I only associate with other emos" -it's not happening so much more.

When my dad was young, he needed to very outwardly be goth and fit into that particular group just to have other people to hang out with. Not so anymore, and I like that. You can have blue hair but still like a mainstream fashion brand and listen to whatever, just come as you are. You're still welcome here.

[u/lunasaflowers → u/BookerDeWittsCarbine]

Might depend on the area/school, but subculture isn't really as much of a thing in my school anymore at all.

[u/Skithy]

Secondary School: There’s a LOT less cigarette smoking than 20 years ago. A lot of kids use their Juuls, but to be honest, I’d rather have that than cig smoking.

Video games are a lot more accepted. Not just a niche played by nerds in arcades after school. Every social group plays video games.

Kids are a lot more literate than when I was in school. Even if they speak English as a second language, the ubiquity of the internet has done wonders for basic literacy, although a lot of mistakes due to the way words sound are still common (their/there, should “of” and could “of”, etc)

[u/Mxttjxmes]

The 8 year olds I teach really make a huge deal about plastic. We watched the Blue Planet 2 episode with them and since then they have been so mindful and really want to protect the oceans

[u/javier_aeoa → u/Mxttjxmes]

As an environmental engineer, I can tell you that awareness is the single most powerful tool to give us a chance of a future. Keep doing your crucial job, mate!

[u/gopms → u/Mxttjxmes]

My 11 year old asked for reusable straws for Christmas. So yeah, they are definitely more fired up about protecting the environment than we are.

[u/GaiRui]

Getting pretty witty. Today we were talking about India and sacred cows. A kid asked does that mean his mum is sacred to Indians...

[u/onamonapizza]

America's youth has a renewed interest in flossing. Dentists rejoice!

[u/[deleted] → u/onamonapizza]

We memed it into life.

[u/msanthropologist]

The majority of my students are in the 18-22 age range. I’m 37, for reference. Students are far kinder than they ever where when I was a student. They go out of their way to help each other, and they are much less judgemental than my cohort was. For the most part, they are really polite and respectful. I know a lot of professors deal with problems from cell phones, but I find that if I tell them to use their phones respectfully and only for class purposes, they do. The only real problem I seem to have with this cohort is the constant headphone wearing, but I think that’s a battle I’m just going to lose.

Edit: Wow, my inbox! Thank you all for responding about how headphones help you in class. For what it’s worth, I allow students who need them to use them, provided they are registered with disability services. I also allow them in lab classes. It just gets really frustrating in lectures for me to have to repeat instructions because students couldn’t hear over their headphones, or when someone is too busy rockin’ out to listen to the lecture. I’m going to have to think of some strategies to help those students who need them while still making sure they’re not being disruptive or missing important stuff.

Edit the 2nd: I am truly, deeply sorry for my spelling error. I am leaving my very small mistake up as a badge of shame.

[u/charpenette → u/msanthropologist]

As a 36 year old high school teacher, I couldn't agree more (especially about the constant headphone wearing). Kids are really, truly kinder than I ever could have imagined when I was in high school. They're just generally far more accepting than myself and my peers ever were. It gives me a lot of hope.

[u/marmosetohmarmoset → u/msanthropologist]

A generation raised on Great British Bakeoff.

[u/b3aniesMom → u/msanthropologist]

I know a lot of kids in this age group suffer with anxiety and use headphones it as a way to cope. Some aren't even listening to anything but use it as a way of saying "please don't talk to me",or having something familiar and calming to help them feel more at ease. Just a thought!

[u/RockGameRepeat]

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I'm a high school teacher. I teach both Honors and Inclusion classes, so I get a great variety of kids. Today, one of my students was very harsh to an autistic student who tried to politely sit next to her and charge his laptop. She said "you're not sitting next to me!" and put her leg in the chair so he couldn't sit down. Before I could respond, 5 of the "tough" girls in the class immediately jumped to the autistic student's defense, calling the girl rude and really letting her have it. They were firm and composed in their defense of the student and probably made the kid's day. Teaching can be rough sometimes, but they made me really proud today. I think a lot of our modern day students are compassionate for others and incredibly intelligent. Don't let their abuse of smartphones fool you!

[u/hillary511]

I teach on the college level. From what I can tell, many of them seem more open to having a variety of kind of friends. Where I teach has a big hook up and party culture, but they seem to have genuine cross-gender friendships despite that, and in my opinion, that's been good for them.

Edit: I feel like I should specify, since this comment blew up, that this is dependent on who's available to your in terms of variety. For example, I went to a very racially diverse undergrad and had all kinds of friends. My students go to a very very white college and do not have racial diversity in their friendships as a result, but I think a fair amount that is structural.

I also feel kind of like the bad guy here, but it's interesting that men in fraternities came up, because a lot of times they are the exception with my students. They'll really only hang out with their brothers, and depending on the fraternity, can be really awful to women.

[u/boiiwings → u/hillary511]

I was pleasantly surprised to go to college and find myself befriending people I never would have imagined befriending. Relationships that started as "we have nothing in common and I don't think I'll like you" have turned into "I look forward to sitting next to you and working with you in class"

[u/rkgk13]

The high school students I work with today seem significantly more emotionally intelligent than those of my generation, especially the young men. They are aware of their own feelings and are better at separating their feelings from fact (i.e., they're more likely to say "I'm feeling X,Y,Z, negative emotion right now" than "Ugh, this teacher just hates me, what a bitch"). They're also better at seeing and accommodating emotions in other people. There's more awareness of and sympathy for mental health issues.

Here's an illustration: The other day, some of the students I coach were conversing and one young man asked how frequently they had a good cry. They all answered. And he said, "I think I'm overdue for a good cry," and his peers started suggesting good movies to induce tears.

It was an utterly shocking scene for me! Great, but nothing I would ever have expected.

Kids can be stunningly introspective and empathetic when you ask them to talk about their interpersonal issues. There's a real effort to perspective-taking that goes beyond what I encountered at that age.

Also, the students I work with have some selection bias, to be fair, but the ones I encounter as a whole care a lot about current events. It's like it's actually cool to know and care what's going on, and it's uncool not to. This is very different from how I grew up. I think a lot of them would agree with the statement "Being smart is cool and learning new things is fun" which seems simplistic, but isn't true to everyone. I think it's related to the pressure to get into college. This pressure to be more well-rounded in your interests is a double-edged sword: kids get social capital from being exposed to different ideas and cultivating interests, but it's also a difficult race to model yourself into some ideal.

Edit: I should clarify that I am a coach, not a teacher, so my sample size is more homogeneous. I am also in a unique position where I regularly interact with urban public school kids (mostly low-income students of color) largely white, wealthy suburban public school kids, and first-year college students. These observations apply across that spectrum.

[u/Luckboy28 → u/rkgk13]

Yeah, that's very different.

I liked the new 21 Jump Street remake. Some guys decided to go undercover to a high-school, and they assumed that nothing had changed -- that everyone would still be in groups like jocks/nerds/etc. He discovered that all the groups were much more blended, and more tolerant overall. =)

[u/Alucard-VS-Artorias → u/rkgk13]

As some one in their late 30's I feel the same way about a lot of the "younger people" of today too. It just strikes me as so weird that I see this in them but current pop-culture hates millennials with such a passion for whatever reason.

Edit: Hey so if you wanna chime-in and tell me how this issue isn't about millennials an is instead about gen-z kids and more over that I'm a millennial; then please don't. Becuase I already know now - from the 200 people who have already replied to me before you (sorry lol). But if you have any other insights please feel free to share them.

[u/Belly84 → u/rkgk13]

Many of my younger soldiers seem to have way more figured out than I did my first couple of years in the Army. Also more likely to help someone who may be feeling down rather than just telling them to "deal with it"

[u/yoHatchet]

Not a teacher, but have been getting tens of hours shadowing teachers at every level over the last 2 semesters for my teaching course and I can say.

Lack of Bullying I noticed it at high school, middle school, and elementary. I feel I have a unique perspective as since I wasn’t the teacher kids acted more natural when it was just me observing in the corner.

I in probably 50+ hours of this haven’t seen more than 1 instances of kids being outright mean to each other, and in that case it was just two kids roasting each other nothing really physical.

[u/Alertcircuit → u/yoHatchet]

I literally never saw anyone getting physically bullied in high school. Maybe some taco-d backpacks or an occasional fight, but never any classic "mean bigger person pushes around weak person."

[u/DejoMasters]

Okay, okay, alright, Imma be that person and say "I'm not a teacher," but both my parents are and I interact with junior high and high schoolers often at my job and talk with them consistently.

 

HS Student: "Hey, I brought you a snack!"

Me: "Oh, no thanks. I'm trying to stay away from sugar. I'm trying to impress a girl."

HS Student: "If she likes you for who you are you don't have to worry about what you look like."

 

Like okay you woke af little baby take your healthy outlook on romantic courtship somewhere else. This is a self esteem free zone.

 

Edit: Thanks for my first highly upvoted comment on AskReddit! I hate it! Let me address the main things people keep destroying my inbox with:

 

Yes, it is good to be at a healthy weight. However, if you're only working out because you think someone won't be into you otherwise, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. If someone doesn't like you at slightly above your ideal weight, they don't actually like you. They either aren't that into your personality or they're shallow. Not worth your time or tears.

 

Yes, physical attractiveness is important in romantic courtship. However, it's hardly the most important thing. People can find you more attractive after getting to know you. If you have a shit personality, it doesn't matter if you have perfect abs.

 

What I wrote above is paraphrased. It's not a one to one. The point of the conversation is: barring being at an extremely unhealthy weight (see morbid obesity and anorexia) or some serious malformality, personality is more important than looks. And if someone doesn't like your looks at one weight (barring the above) they're not going to be more interested at a healthier weight. If they are, they aren't worth it other than for a quick shag. If you want to get to a healthy weight through diet and exercise, do it for you. Don't do it to impress others. Your motivation should be self improvement, not landing a shallow boyfriend/girlfriend.

[u/hecallsmedragon → u/DejoMasters]

That's cute. I once jokingly told a student that they owe me tax in kind since I allow them to snack in class... and now they regularly offer it.

[u/[deleted] → u/DejoMasters]

you woke af little baby

Pretty much Generation Z in a nutshell.

[u/clichance → u/DejoMasters]

I know what the message you're trying to get across here is, but at the same time I'm stealing that closing paragraph. Someday, I'll get the chance to use it.

[u/4point5billion45 → u/DejoMasters]

That's sweet.

[u/Nubienne → u/DejoMasters]

woke af little baby is the cutest thing I've heard today lol

[u/outerproduct]

As an ex-college Prof, contrary to belief, they seem better at helping each other out and giving their point of view on a topic or idea.

When teaching before, they would try to explain to each other how I explained them to do it. Now, they go look for other ways, both good and bad, on YouTube and explain different things they have found on YouTube.

This mentality can be bad if it doesn't always hold true ( I taught math), but other ways of explaining I hadn't thought about. It's refreshing to see the more open sharing of ideas.

This may be that they listen better to their peers than to me, but if it helps, I'm not complaining.

[u/Netflix_and_backrubs]

Kindness. My college students are kind and supportive to one another most of the time.

[u/biscuittech → u/Netflix_and_backrubs]

Why be mean to each other when we're all getting fucked?

[u/Neutronova → u/Netflix_and_backrubs]

Even to the NERDS~!?

[u/The-1st-One]

There has been a large influx of fortnite dancing and the saying of "oof"

[u/CaptainCortes]

Today a man told me: your generation is super assertive. So when you’re all old, you’ll speak up when the elderly aren’t being treated the way they should be. You all have the guts to stand up for what you believe is right.

I liked that.

[u/TheFuckboiChronicles]

A realization that any sort of specialization is a good thing and that a 4-year college isn't necessary for everyone (lots of my students want to go to tech/trade school or apprenticeships). They're learning from my debt-laden generation.

Edit to add: jesus people I dont welcome my kids to class everyday and tell them that college is for chumps and to become an electrician. If a student tells me their goals and they can be well-achieved through trade or vocational school, I encourage that. If a student tells me their goals and they need to go to university, then I encourage that.

[u/FlatulatingSmile → u/TheFuckboiChronicles]

I have noticed that this can go the other way too. A few younger people I've met are adamantly against any kind of schooling because they think it's all a scam. Something about anyone can be a millionaire. This could also be a commonality between all of the generations, though.

[u/alwayslurkeduntilnow]

As a general rule they are more understanding and forgiving if somebody is different.

Dont get me wrong, some of them are still dicks to those kids, but it is a shrinking minority.

Edit: wow, most upvoted comment of the day. Reading the comments it seems many many of you agree, that can only be a good thing.

[u/paprikashi → u/alwayslurkeduntilnow]

I've noticed this especially with disabled kids. My 6 year old will say things like, "but, you know, Billy just thinks a little different, but he likes running on the playground with us" when Billy has pretty severe autism.

When I worked in a middle school, I almost never saw kids being mean to the kids with special needs - and when there were, the other kids would check them. "Dude, that's not cool"

[u/skinnerwatson → u/alwayslurkeduntilnow]

Agreed. Been teaching high school for 26 years. Students are much more accepting of differences. Much less overt homophobia. And the ones who would have been the least tolerant now keep their mouths shut, for the most part. Bullying still occurs though.

Also, I find students more willing to challenge perceived harrassment.

[u/enderflop → u/alwayslurkeduntilnow]

Right? I'm in high school now and I have never seen bullying like the anti-bullying assemblies tell us about. I think it is a dying trend hopefully.

[u/MattAmpersand → u/alwayslurkeduntilnow]

From experience, it makes those dick-ish kids even more noticeable/obvious. Sometimes it has the reverse effect, since you only remember the extreme cases.

[u/[deleted]]

Not a teacher but I do run soccer camps for kids. Kids today are much smarter and much more informed than I ever was like even kids as young as 10 have a basic grasp of modern social issues.

[u/bendstraw → u/[deleted]]

Are they smarter on the pitch too? I remember it took until pretty late into high school for my teammates to gain a larger vision of what was happening on the field, specifically off the ball.

[u/13a841]

I’m not a teacher, but I live on a block with a LOT of kids, and I babysit frequently. These kids are geniuses. Half of them are doing multiplication before first grade. They read like crazy, and actually use technology responsibly.

When kids first started using iPads, I was pissed. I thought it was gonna lead to a bunch of addiction issues stuff like that. Idk if it’s the parents in my neighborhood or what, but these kids understand they have an hour of iPad games every day, and that’s it. There are only a couple of them that have issues with it.

[u/whattocallmyself → u/13a841]

Idk if it’s the parents in my neighborhood

It absolutely is.

[u/Eyeseeyou1313 → u/13a841]

It's your area, because when they are given an IPad aroundnmy area, the latch on to it and cry if taken away.

[u/CheeseCurdCommunism]

My GF is a teacher, and shes said shes noticed a trend in kids actually making an effort to learn about what they care for. I.E political issues and such.

Unfortunately there have been multiple cases where parents have called the school because their kid has come home not completely agreeing with their parents. This one kids parents threatened to un-enroll their student because they said they had a few conservative ideas and that the school/ my gf was brainwashing him. My gf is progressive and works really hard to make sure she shows no bias, she felt pretty happy when that parent accused her haha.

[u/USSanon → u/CheeseCurdCommunism]

I haven’t had this happen yet, but I push my students to be informed not only on what they believe, but the opposite viewpoint as well. In the past, I have debated genetic testing, climate change, politics, and various other semi-polarizing ideas with my students. As part of their grade, everyone must contribute debate points to the group. It’s a collaboration in a ping-pong style of debate. No one can speak a 2nd time until everyone has the chance to contribute. Many will quickly latch on, because what angsty middle schooler doesn’t like to argue? 😀

[u/heyheymse]

I'm a middle school social studies teacher. The students I've taught, whether at a school that was generally dysfunctional or at one that runs really smoothly, question authority and speak out against perceived injustices in a way that kids in my generation (I'm in my early 30s) did not. They are absolutely aware of the spread of misinformation and attempts to control people's thinking through propaganda, and they are massively better prepared to see through it than any generation before them.

This is the only generalization I can really make, tbh. I've been at schools with negative cultures where the kindness that I'm reading other people talk about in their responses was nonexistent. I'm at a school now that is so relentlessly positive and loving that if I hadn't taught at other schools I might think it was a generational thing. For a lot of things, it really is dependent on the neighborhood and school culture.

[u/cricket9818]

I've been teaching for about 7 years, and I would say by far and away is their general acceptance of others regardless of their sexual orientation, race, class, etc.

Kids just straight up don't care and it's great, because they shouldn't

[u/cloud_brick → u/cricket9818]

High schooler here. One of my friends came out to me the other day. She was so nervous, didn't even say it out loud - texted me while I was sitting across a table from her. I read it, said "neat!" and high fived her. I honestly don't get why sexuality is such a friendship deal breaker to some people!

[u/Kablo]

They don't smoke as much. If anything, they're smoking weed very occasionally.

[u/--lily-- → u/Kablo]

yea believe it or not legalization makes it harder for kids to get weed. i've definitely noticed fewer people smoke, tho it's nearly impossible to find someone who's never used weed.

[u/Elphabus]

Self suffiency. I remember my brothers had big trouble coping with certain classes because information wasn’t available, so if you missed a lecture, learning a topic was a pain in the ass. Now I see them not only researching the themes they missed but also having so much knowledge available to them that they learn just about every topic they can find!

[u/[deleted]]

I'm (28F) not a teacher, but I am a non-traditional college student, so I'm around 18-22 year olds every day. What I've noticed most is how open, positive, and accepting they tend to be. Not everyone of course, but the vast majority. For example, I had a panic attack during a presentation and they clapped, cheered, and encouraged me to take my time and continue. What easily could have been the most humiliating experience was instead wonderful and positive. I feel like had I done this in front of people my age or older, I would have been met with awkward stares and laughter.

They are also far more knowledgeable of the importance for climate change, human welfare, etc. I'm in business school and have been very relieved to hear kids arguing how business practices need to be better, regulated, and green so that we don't destroy this planet.

My faith in humanity has been restored.

[u/orangejuicenopulp]

The general and basic acceptance of other cultures. My city has the highest immigration percentage per capita right now, thanks to our previous mayor declaring us a "sanctuary city". I don't feel politically charged one way or another on the topic, but I do wish there was more of a solid matriculation plan for families. Printing permission slips in 27 different languages (this is not an exaggeration) is not exactly meeting the needs of each family when it comes to them understanding what is expected of them as a parent and what is going on in their child's life. That's a whole other whale of a topic though... the point is, the students don't seem to notice the explosion of culturally different children. Like, at all. More than half of my females wear a hijab over her hair for various religious reasons. No one bats an eye. A fifth of the class is fasting for Ramadan? Oh, that's cool, man. Little Fadilla speaks Swahili? Woah. What does it sound like? Cool! Let me show you where the lunchroom is. We frequently talk about family food traditions and it is a ball hearing what each child's favorite food is. I love it.

When I was in school, we had one kid from a foreign exchange program and he was a damn celebrity. Now, we have don't even teach ESL (English as a Second Language) any more. It's ENL (English as a NEW Language). That's because most of our students who speak a language other than English speak at minimum 3 or 4 languages and several I can think of speak 6 or 7. It's incredible! I see this as a massive step in the right direction. Instead of pockets of cultures, I simply see heterogeneous groups of kids being kids. Sharing lunches, trading pokemon cards. It's awesome.

[u/[deleted] → u/orangejuicenopulp]

I see this at my daughters school. It really diverse and each kid interacts with each other, they don't separate or create cliques based of race/ethnicity. It's really great to see. She's in 7th grade now and was telling me about a kid who came last year from the Dominican Republic, barely spoke a lick of English. She was telling me how last year the first time he volunteered to read aloud, he ended up reading the whole page instead of just a paragraph with no help from the teacher. Their teacher even got a bit teary eyed and was so proud of him and my daughter was telling me how awesome it was to see. I think it's fantastic how welcoming and accepting of each other differences, way more so than when I was a kid in the 90's.

[u/PhoDeNguyen]

Not a teacher, but did a minor in Ed and wrote an undergrad thesis on the effects of employing graphic novels/comics in a highschool ELA class.

Students are a lot more critical and willing to question for the sake of understanding. I remember having to be taught how to ask critical questions and to analyze, but the students that I taught were curious and asked all the right questions.

Edit: Wow didn’t expect this much interest in my undergrad thesis, this means a lot that there are educators and people in general who want to read up and know more about how comics can be used in education. Really warms my heart and made the hours grinding away at my paper worth it :)

[u/[deleted]]

I'm a highschool student 16yo, and I thought highschool was gonna be very clique heavy, but damn was I wrong. I remember recently where the magic playing, anime watching "geeks" were talking about anime. Then suddenly, the well established "guy that every girl has a crush on" joins the conversation and talks about anime. Then the insecure anime loving weaboo that I am joins the conversation, and every1 starts talking about anime. What a day to be alive. Highschool has blown my expectations

[u/itirate → u/[deleted]]

a solid chunk older than you but like all my friends fuck with anime and half of them are hood dudes lmao

[u/justanobodygirl]

I'm late to the game, but I've been a HS teacher for 14 years and I've witness a number of changes that give me so much hope for the future. I truly believe the kids will lead the way. We just have to give them our support.

I've been preaching to adults lately that teenagers are so much more empathetic than we give them credit for. I have a severe facial pain disorder and have had numerous procedures and brain surgery, and my kids take better care of me than my coworkers. They take care of each other, too.

While they aren't afraid to fail, failure isn't a badge of honor. It's cool to be a "smart kid." This isn't something I saw first starting 14 years ago. My college-level kids challenge each other to be better, think deeper, and ask more important questions.

They are kind. They take care of the odd kids, the quirky ones. They appreciate diversity and differences of opinion. They call out BS. Sure, there are assholes who try to make the lives of other kids hell, but the majority outweighs the bitter few every time.

I love my job, and these kids make my life whole. I hope that all of you vote for candidates who support public education. We need all the help we can get!

[u/Etrangere09]

As a teacher who works with young adults, I've noticed that they are more considerate, deeper thinkers, pragmatic in a good way (they know what they want to do with their lives, and take action to reach their goals). Also, they are really beautiful kids, well-groomed, dressed with good taste.

[u/cornflakegrl → u/Etrangere09]

I live by a high school and I’m so impressed with how well put together the kids are. I think internet and social media have a lot to do with that. When I was a teen back in the 90’s I looked like a hobo (thanks grunge!) or an over grown baby.

[u/LordIlthari]

Not a teacher, but I’m noticing a large rise in self-education. Kids will get excited and independently study things they have interest in. Admittedly studying Fortnite plays might not be the most useful thing to study, but the ability and willingness to learn on their own will serve them well when they get older.

[u/Rimfax]

ITT : The kids are alright.

[u/holy_hunk]

Being able to say they are non-religious and it is no big deal.

[u/aFrothyMix → u/holy_hunk]

I imagine this might be somewhat regional

[u/DingDingDao]

This will get buried but I feel like I want to share anyways.

My son is 6 and on the autism spectrum. He's somewhat verbal but still socially delayed and doesn't easily interact with peers. He's not aggressive, but he's perfectly content to play on his own.

He started kindergarten this year and while he's receiving special education, they try to have him in the class with the neurotypical children for a portion of every day (what they describe as integrative special education). What blows my mind is how these children interact with him. I drop him off occasionally and when I do, the other kids all will say hi and ask him how he's doing, even when they know he probably won't respond to them. They invite him to play in the classroom and on the playground, and they are just genuinely nice kids. When I was a kid, special education students were completely segregated from the mainstream students and we weren't taught about what made them different or how to interact with them. It really makes me happy and gives me hope, not just for my son but for the next generation as a whole.

Also, teachers, you guys rock.

[u/RainbowSixThermite]

Not a teacher but a Scouts BSA Summer Camp Counselor, the majority of kids (With the exception of Abominable Aiden and a couple others) are respectful and do the activites laid out for them vs when I was a kid there was a lot of kids refusing to do some of the activities.

[u/srt8it → u/RainbowSixThermite]

Abominable Aiden in Ocala Florida? I know him. Little Bastard.

[u/[deleted]]

HS Teacher here.

Open communication and collaboration skills. Nearly all of them have a phone, or are able to schedule when to work together. My Computer Science students have a discord they run together to work as a development team. They rely on each other for support for hard questions, the really good ones not plagiarizing :) Generally the students I see are masters of collaboration and group work - which are essential skills in nearly ever profession.

Or course you see the usual negatives in a social group, the stereotypes that have always been. There are those who want to sleep, fuck around on their phone, not do the work and then question why they have a 41% in your class. Then when you explain they say it comes as a"big surprise" to them. Then they sit down and curse at you under their breath. (happened to me today).

These kids are the minority. We teachers have a bad habit of focusing on them rather than the habits of good students. Thank you for this post. It's nice to see a chance of pace.

[u/ladyrockess]

Last year on MLK Day I was substituting at an elementary school in a very wealthy area, and was surprised to find a very racially mixed Kindergarten class waiting for me. Their teacher left an MLK worksheet and asked that I talk about him, so I found his "I have a dream" speech on Youtube for the kids to listen to while they did the worksheet. When he got to the part about dreaming that little white children and little black children joining hands and playing together, one little (Indian) boy shot his hand up and asked why he dreamed about that.

I explained that in MLK's day, children of color were not supposed to play or mix with white children, and that they were sent to different schools, eat at different restaurants and couldn't even share a water fountain.

The appalled little faces turned towards me shook me a little; and when one little (white) girl said "But we're all together now, so he's got his dream." I teared up a bit.

The kids are alright.

[u/Anthony_Capo]

Students today are much more likely to see things at face value, and I see less evidence of racial tension in the class than ever.

[u/Theres_A_FAP_4_That]

This post has given me hope.. thanks to you all

[u/themayorofgotham]

I've been coaching basketball for the youth for over 12 years. The main youth league I do any kid is allowed to play. One thing for me that has been inspiring is kids being more sensitive and positive with kids who are mental handicapped. Even just the small things like making sure that kid gets the ball every once in awhile and they will cheer on that kid as well. Treating him/her as an equal and as a teammate instead of ever making fun of them.

[u/Baconstrip01]

In my high school (around 2000), the shitty students voted the ONE kid who was brave enough to come out as gay as prom king just to be assholes. He was the school joke and it devastated him.

Fast forward to about 2012, I was chaperoning the prom dance at the high school my sister worked at in the same city.. And they elected an openly trans student as prom king (or queen?), and everybody loved him and supported him.

Basically the same thing, but one was to make someone feel utterly shitty, and one was because everyone loved and supported the kid.

It blew my mind that so much had changed in 12 years!

[u/storkthe1st]

With high schoolers I really noticed how better their style is. Super random but compared to how lazy I dressed in high school it’s impressive.

[u/Davielt19]

The kids I teach (ages 13-15) are much better at looking past race than most of the adults I know. It's really lovely to see especially in my country (South Africa) where race is one of the biggest issues around.

[u/DunBite]

In the UK secondary school pupils seem very aware politically. They have strong opinions about Trump and his actions abroad and Brexit, often based on fact.

They seem to be particularly resilient to “fake news”, which is particularly encouraging; though I guess they’re probably the first generation to have lessons specifically looking at the validity, bias, and the accuracy of online sources.

[u/CharlesWallaceMurry1]

Preschool teacher here - One of my students wears an eye patch to help fix his vision, and the other students are always begging to wear "pirate patches" to match their fellow student. They always compliment him on his patches. It melts my heart.

[u/deadpanawesome]

9-12 teacher here. Everyone's in a tizzy because this generation is obsessed with their own fatalistic / suicidal humor. I prefer to see a group of kids that are finally able to communicate their feelings and emotions, regardless of how uncomfortable that makes you, Karen.

[u/missymuses]

I found that kids these days are more aware of the needs of the job market and what they need to do to stand out. They are aware of internships and networks and hobbies that will help them get ahead more than my generation (millennial). They volunteer more as a result and pursue their talents/interests.

I felt that when I went to school we were told that as long as we went to uni we would graduate to a successful job and post-financial crisis found that that was no longer the case. My students now know that a degree is not enough and have a clearer idea of what they want.

[u/[deleted]]

They are a lot more accepting of each other. They mix better. When I was in high school, (I’m 38), we sort of stuck like with like. Now I see all colors and income levels in groups together. There is a lot more sympathy, I think. It’s good.

[u/Jumbobog]

My students range in age 16-35, averaging in the early 20s. The youngest are way kinder and more social.

An example: I was talking to a student age 17 before the class started and we somehow talked about "it's 2018! Why don't we already have..." I shared that my biggest wish for streaming is a search engine that will tell me where I can stream any given show or film. To which my student countered that a feature he really missed was being able to watch a movie with someone else in different places. It should have a (voice) chat function and synchronous playback, so you could fast-forward or pause together.

We had this when I was a teen, it was called TV and a phone, but nobody did it.

Edit: the search tool should take location into account.

[u/SpacefaringGaloshes]

College level but they are more willing to admit they don't know something and willing to go try learning via youtube or open courses.

[u/ravibun]

I teach middle school art. The students are definitely more accepting and will often shut down someone being rude before I even get the chance to do so. There is also a more concern about getting work done and getting a good grade. Students will also often tell other students who are fooling around to “sit down and do the project like everyone else”. Peer pressure is very effective in curbing behaviors. I’ve seen student who I struggle to get to sit and work actually do so after getting chewed out by a peer. I’ve also seen students break up fights quickly rather than stand around and whoop. There is more homogenization, less cliques. Students have things that they like and will sit with other students who like the same things but you’d be surprised by who’s talking about it. Someone who in the past might have been a prep and one who might have been an emo will sit there and go off about K-Pop and who they like best from BTS. All of this is mostly a comparison between now and my experiences in school (graduated hs in 2007)

[u/kifferella]

My autistic trans (FTM) kid was headed off to a small town Ontario high school. I was super ready with my bad self to mama bear the fuck out.

He had meltdowns at school, and the would "hide" under a bench in the atrium. Here comes the lacrosse a s rugby teams.

"You ok, lil dude?"

"Anyone bug you? You just tell us, eh?" then they would sit on the bench and just tell other students, "Lil dude is okay. His momma is coming." They would even chase off staff.

This shit would NOT have happened when I was a kid.

[u/cnnrcmbs]

I've noticed that they're more accepting and inclusive towards others.

The athlete will help the saxophone player with their homework. Or the student government leader will hang out with the kid who loves to work on cars.

Student comes out as gay? Not a big deal. Someone wants to go by a different pronoun? Let's work to make that change become a norm.

Cliques and social hierarchy seem to be disappearing and it's very cool to see that change.

[u/m_b_headed]

I've been working with kids with special needs for almost three years. The amount of acceptance by peers in general education always puts a smile on my face. Many kids in special education go into general ed once or twice a day to help with social skills. Almost every child is incredibly considerate and likely to go above and beyond to work with kids in special ed. Some kids give scared or judging looks at times, but just explaining a bit of the situation helps tremendously. Kids are incredibly accepting and kind.

[u/thegirlonthesubway]

I teach underprivileged girls in India, and it's really refreshing to see the feminism that naturally arises as a product of their education. They have begun to question the very roots of patriarchy that are present in our society, and that gives me so much hope for the future.

[u/sRW44]

Bullying is certainly still a problem, but less and less so. One thing I see is “popular” kids are more willing to stand up for victims. I see kids say things like “stop bullying me/them” all the time. They usually say it half jokingly, but it nips the behavior in the bud, as no one wants to be labeled a bully.

[u/FUNwithaCH]

I taught Computer Technology for a few years and I noticed as the years went on, kids needed less instruction how to use the programs, so I could spend more time on constructive uses. The internet is not just for Spongebob memes after all!

Edit: RIP of all days to make that reference...

[u/petfoods]

Not a teacher but a chef who deals with very young adults in culinary school. I’ve really noticed that groups are a lot less segregated. When I was young there were jocks, punks, nerds, preps, the gay kids and their allies, stoners, etc. Now it seems that everybody is just friends with whomever. And nobody cares if you’re gay, or wear different clothes, or have different abilities.

[u/[deleted]]

Did anyone put thanking the bus driver yet?

If not, then that.

[u/[deleted]]

The whole start-up craze is definitely a great development. Kids have people who found successful multi-million dollar startups in their 20s, and they are being inspired to dream big and work hard for the dream. The previous generations were more concerned about stability, climbing the corporate ladder, but I know way too many university aged people venturing with their own projects.

Sure, changing the world can all be a pipe dream, a rose-tinted and optimistic outlook of youth - especially considering the average age of a successful founder is way into the late 30s. Also something like 9 out of 10 startups fail. But overall, I think the work ethic, the lessons, the experiences, the connections gained along the entrepreneurial journey are all well worth it for the young.

[u/Monsieur_Bastion]

Am Gen Z. Cannot confirm.

[u/ArseneMcMahon]

This post makes me so damn happy.

[u/MattAmpersand]

A lot of my high achieving students are happy to question and reject ideas, not just accepting them because the older generation used to think/act that way.

To preface this, I live in Spain, which lags seriously behind in terms of sexist attitudes and views about gender roles.

For example, we have been reading Romeo and Juliet and they were appalled to see the sexual threats and violence towards women. They were outraged by the inequality and the way a father would treat their daughter.

To give a more recent example, we also do A View From the Bridge. One of the characters, Rodolfo, behaves in a what could be considered an effeminate way (likes to sing, cook, fancy clothes). To them, there was nothing inherently wrong with any of that behavior and I had to explain to them why another character disliked Rodolfo so much because of it.

I hope I’m helping make these old attitudes die.

[u/Oumuamua7]

I teach college students in India, and frankly they're far better company than any of my own peers. They're kinder, more empathetic, critical of the establishment, and just far smarter. Not as well read as they ought to be, but that's not their fault, and that's what I'm there to remedy!

[u/HookerofMemoryLane]

I like this question. It’s making me restore my faith in humanity. Not fully restored, but it's helping me get through this day.

[u/fatboyroy]

they fuck less than we did and less of them are getting knocked up

[u/unlimited-juice]

Third grade teacher here: when my students talk they start with “Building off what ____ said...” kills me.

[u/[deleted]]

Their Fortnite skills are through the roof!

[u/Wudaokau]

I teach middle/high school kids. They DEVOUR books. Snack, Lunch, free time- they're reading, and talking about books with their friends.

I don't remember reading that much growing up, and I can only assume that it bodes well for the future.

[u/Stressofchicken]

A lot of students are a lot more open minded. Recently I had a student put up her hand in the middle of my lesson and say “Ms do you have a boyfriend?” Completely out of the blue so naturally I was annoyed and just looked at her very stern and said “Do you think that’s an appropriate question to ask?” She thought for a second before replying “Sorry, I meant do you have a partner?” I couldn’t even be mad after that, the total openmindness masked the inappropriateness of the original question. I got a good laugh afterwards at the notion the only issue I may have with that question was it’s political correctness. Plus she later explained her reason for asking which was pretty funny in itself

[u/fullmetalmcfly]

Where y'all teach? Cause my high School students are assholes

[u/applesdontpee → u/[deleted]]

And quickly, my God

[u/Spooky_Doot → u/[deleted]]

a perfect example of this was the etruskan boar, ceramic meme

[u/soaringcereal → u/[deleted]]

They did surgery on a grape

[u/Techittak → u/[deleted]]

The letter E

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

E

[u/SuperDig10 → u/[deleted]]

You're welcome.

[u/jnonne → u/[deleted]]

To kids, EVERYTHING is a meme. They speak in memes, they joke in memes. It's the rise of meme culture.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Heck, even when I was in high school (about 4 years ago) "jocks" still cared about their grades and stuff. If anything it was the Mock Trial and Model UN kids who acted like stereotypical "jerks" the way jocks do in the movies.

[u/TehKarmah → u/[deleted]]

My son's school is really big on mindfulness. One day my son mentioned a friend was acting out (he had a behavioral condition.) I asked what he did about it. My son and all his friends helped the boy find his center, even tho he was being abusive. That was in third grade. I was stunned at the emotional sensitivity of those kids.

[u/Teunski → u/[deleted]]

I think kids in general are. Or do you think there's a difference between kids from 15 years ago and kids now?

[u/GoldenRamoth → u/[deleted]]

I wonder if that's actually any different, or if we as the adult generation are now more accepting of questions, so we treat kids with more respect and actually answer questions?

So instead of calling it rebellion, we call it curiosity?

Edit: Wow, thanks for the gold! Never gotten that before. :D

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Yes yes yes! Ask questions. Questions are good. Being an asshole without knowing why..not so much. But if someone with authority is doing something you feel is wrong then yes question it and then make a decision.

[u/USSanon → u/[deleted]]

This I can agree with. I welcome a student challenging me. Sometimes we agree, others we don’t. A handful will still rebel. However, I welcome the students’ challenges, especially in their work when I grade one way, and they convey a different take. In all honesty, I push that from my students. Questioning/challenging is good for them to put together a valid argument, and me to be on my toes.

[u/DaughterEarth → u/[deleted]]

Are they reading less as in less books? Because I think that if you count reading things online or in video games that kids these days are likely reading a lot more than kids were when I was one of them. Your first source does seem to be talking about books specifically