The Difference Between Xenials And Millenials

+++ title = “01” date = 2020 +++

I was technically born right around the cusp of the start of the millennial. It makes me an old millennial, or someone who only partially grew up with the internet. I still remember a time when I didn’t have the internet, but it wasn’t the internet that changed things for me.

I’ve written about finite collections before. In today’s streaming playlist culture, I’ve ordered a stack of cheap CDs for my son to explore one day. That’s how I learned, through scrounging around in my dad’s record collection. 

The difference between my age group and the next one (or maybe the next next one) is that for a while there, even when the internet was available on everyone’s computer via dial up modem, we still found of our favorite things offline. Most of my favorite musicians were found via MTV or radio still, my friends were still recommending things to me… there were no recommendation algorithms.

We used to find things offline but then learn more about them online via fan sites, blogs, and the occasional video file that took forever to download.

But today’s kids get to discover things much earlier. And a plethora of things. 

I wonder if, in the future of best parenting practices, doctors and psychologists will recommend that we provide finite collections of materials for children, so that when they discover the infinite internet, they will at least have some armor and a sense of duty.