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    People From Older Generations Are Sharing What They Love About Younger Generations, And It's Really Cool

    "I grew up with an overwhelming pressure to be just like everyone else, and I'm sure that younger people have faced the same pressure, but they stand up to it SO WELL."

    We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who come from older generations to tell us what they actually like about younger generations. Here's what they shared:

    1. "Borderline boomer here: While I don’t always agree with their methods, I like how the younger generations are fighting for change. From personal rights, to social justice, to the environment, change can only happen when large numbers of 'regular' people get involved and stay involved. Keep voting, y’all. Keep fighting. It’s your 'golden years' at risk now."

    —Anonymous

    2. "Openness and acceptance of mental illness! Young people have normalized being honest about mental health and taking steps to care for yourself. Completely different from when I grew up. There weren’t even diagnoses for so many things, and god forbid you actually tried to find help and someone found out!"

    —Anonymous

    A young person in therapy

    3. "As an old-school lefty/liberal, this feels like the generation I've been waiting for. The political action and engagement is wonderful and awe-inspiring. I have been waiting my whole life for people to finally give a crap about justice and human rights and economic inequality. They saved our butts in the last couple of elections. I love the kids these days!"

    stevieavebury

    4. "No joke, the recognition of food allergies is life-changing. In my younger years, there wasn’t any understanding of food intolerances or allergies, and the younger generations have made it so much easier to live."

    mirandanovak

    A bunch of foods on a table

    5. "They call out BS. They seem to have way more compassion and empathy than Gen X and boomers. They’re much more inclusive and accepting of all kinds of identities. I don’t always understand them, but I genuinely admire the younger generations."

    keetawnandon

    6. "This younger generation is much more open and tolerant to people in the LGBTQ+ community. Growing up in the '80s, it was very common to use gay slurs as an insult. That is rightfully looked down on now."

    itsjustmat

    Pride flags in the air

    7. "As a late Gen X'er who is a teacher and a parent of a teen, there are quite a few things that I absolutely love about the younger generations. I love how many of them care about the planet/climate change, equal rights for everyone, and are willing to vote/protest for what they believe is morally right. But, one of my favorite things about them is that 'toxic masculinity' is not nearly as much of a thing in their generation."

    —Anonymous

    8. "I like that they understand how serious the climate crisis is. I like that they are less bigoted than previous generations across all categories. I like that they are more willing to share their mental health struggles, be vulnerable, cry. I like that they are questioning unbridled materialism and consumerism. I like their greater tendency to know their power as consumers and advocate for justice."

    —Anonymous

    A person carrying a tote bag that says, "No More Plastic."

    9. "I'm barely a Gen X'er. I was born at the end of '79. I like so much about the newer generations — low BS tolerance, willingness to accept help, generosity of spirit, empathy, moral compass...all of this and more. I look up to them and work hard to be more like them."

    monarchjen

    10. "Gen X here. I love how Gen Z will unapologetically do what they need to in order to preserve their mental health. I recently resigned from a toxic job and and felt guilty about it. My Gen Z daughter's response? 'Screw those people. Leaving is what’s best for you. Match their energy.' I spent my last two weeks at that company doing just that."

    —Anonymous

    A posted saying, "I quit!"

    11. "I'm an older millennial. I admire the resilience I've seen of older generations. They just keep going, no matter how hard it gets. On the other hand, I love that the younger generation seems to be more open and accepting of differences. I hope that they can keep that and carry it over to the workplace, especially if they are in leading positions someday."

    just_my_two_cents

    12. "Gen Z'ers have taken electronic communication and social interaction to a whole new level. I like that they are not afraid to use the internet to maintain social bonds and make new friendships. They are so much more outgoing and accepting of others."

    —Anonymous

    A person using their cellphone

    13. "It seems to me that younger folks are fighting for better working conditions for all. Equal treatment for all. Greater acceptance of differences between people. Kinder speech. They care about the environment. I hope they can save us before it's too late. I am very sorry for the condition the world is in as they come of age. It's bleak. It's difficult for them to afford independence. My adult children still live with me. The milestones I was able to achieve at their ages are out of reach in today's economy. Good thing they are wonderful people. I'm happy to have them around, and they do pay their own expenses. I also love learning new memes and slang. I'm fascinated by how language and culture evolves. I enjoy video games and other online communities and am able to listen to youth all over the world. They are wonderful human beings, and I wish them all the best!"

    —Anonymous

    14. "Boomer here. I like that Gen Z and millennials are less reliant on and less infatuated with cars. They're also generally more open-minded about trying plant-based options such as tempeh, oat milk, and Impossible burgers. And, although I imprinted on The Beatles, The Who, James Brown, etc., I like a lot of (relatively) recent music, such as Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, and more."

    mister_punchy

    Oats and milk

    15. "As a boomer, I admire their determination to have a life outside of work and value time with family and friends."

    cathyholm

    16. "I appreciate their open-mindedness, compassion, body-positivity, and focus on happiness over achievements. It’s nice to see people recognize that you don’t have to be a size 2, get advanced degrees, make X amount of money, and be married with 2+ kids to be happy. If any of those things make you happy, then great, but you don’t have to accomplish all or any of them if they aren’t what make you happy."

    bluebird03

    People posing for a photo

    17. "Gen X'er here. What I greatly admire about the younger generations is their ability to think creatively, their willingness to challenge the 'status quo,' and their awareness that mental health matters. Honestly, pretty much no one from my generation realized that we could monetize the internet and social media, launch our own enterprise, or engage in philanthropic investments. We were raised to honor the old ways: college, career, marriage, nuclear family with house, white picket fence, and pets. It was not socially acceptable in my generation to acknowledge, let alone discuss, matters of mental health. We were expected to push it down, bottle it up, put a lid on it, and carry on. And for that, we're now the Prozac generation. The reality is that this is nothing new. When Gen X'ers were teens, the '60s generation thought we were all stupid deviants. The '50s generation thought that the no-war, free-love hippy generation were planet killers."

    "In my work (aviation), I interact with younger generations all the time. I have always found them to be quick, creative thinkers, engaged, and receptive. If I don't disparage them, they don't disparage me. For the younger generations, I hope they value and practice more personal engagement with their surroundings while relying less on devices and social media for engagement. Also, I hope they realize and accept that older generations experienced the exact same student loan, starting salary, mortgage, investment, and other early-adult life struggles that they do now. We all eventually figure it out and get ourselves centered, and they will become us before they know it."

    —Anonymous

    18. "I feel like people of my generation and older were raised to be thankful for any job we could get, and as a result, we tend to let employers walk all over us. I really admire the younger generations' ability to stand up for themselves in the workplace and set boundaries."

    dexm1981

    A posted reading, "Day Off"

    19. "As a Gen X leaning Xennial: Gen Z is going to change the world. They value themselves, positive cultures, and work-life balance. They take constructive criticism well and have little ego. They are open to new ideas and respectful of others' identities. I am impressed and in awe of this."

    adisgruntledpelican

    20. "They know themselves really well. They'll talk about their identities and psychology — how trauma has affected them and what they're doing about it. They know their neurotype. They have proper conversations and listen to each other about race, class, and queerness. I grew up with an overwhelming pressure to be just like everyone else, and I'm sure that younger people have faced the same pressure, but they stand up to it SO WELL."

    lexnettle

    Two people talking to each other and smiling

    21. "I'm an elder millennial — born in the early '80s. I applaud Gen Z's very low tolerance for BS in the workplace. This can be micromanagers, bigoted coworkers or senior leadership, companies that don't respect time-off for rest or for mental health, as well as companies that harm the environment or the social contract as a whole. All generations have dealt with that, but I love that Gen Z calls it out without hesitation and is willing to walk away from a position that no longer serves them without apology. Heck yeah, my Gen Z babies!"

    kishbish

    22. "Younger generations seem to be much more interested in respecting and helping others, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc."

    tonyc007

    People holding hands

    23. "I adore all the body positivity. I grew up when we all hated everything about our looks, and I carry that with me today. I made an offhand comment about not looking good in something, which is normal talk for my generation, and the young person nearby stopped me and said it wasn’t true and that I was a lovely person. I was floored and nearly started crying right there as I’ve never heard a positive comment about my looks like that. I love the body acceptance movement."

    mirandanovak

    24. Finally: "We NEVER told our friends we love them. My 21-year-old and her friends do."

    susans4176e6f6a

    Well, those were some nice, encouraging words to hear! Let's get the comments filled with more positivity. No matter what generation you're from, what's something you admire about another generation — whether younger or older?

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.