Are you cooler than your parents?

Bullgrit · Feb 25, 2014

Yesterday was my brother's 42nd birthday. Talking with him about us now being over 40, (I'm 46), brought us both to the conclusion that we both think we're much cooler than our parents* were when they were in their 40s. And we even both agree that we think our parents were pretty cool, relative to other parents we knew.

We're both pretty hip to contemporary pop culture, (even though I just used the term, "hip"), but I think some of that has to do with the easy access to info on everything via the Internet -- something our parents didn't have.

Do you feel you are cooler than your parents were at your age? Does the Internet help our generation stay cool?

Bullgrit

* Our parents = mom, dad, step-dad

Umbran · Feb 25, 2014

If "cool" means "in synch with popular culture at the time", then I am cooler than my parents, but they were very uncool, so that's not saying much.

But, when I say, "hey, that person's cool", it usually has nothing to do with pop-culture at the time, and has more to do with pleasantness of being, aplomb, and such.

In the sense of being laid back, composed, being easy to deal with, and such, my folks pretty much lived in a refrigerator.

Jhaelen · Feb 28, 2014

Umbran said:
If "cool" means "in synch with popular culture at the time", then I am cooler than my parents, but they were very uncool, so that's not saying much.

This. I've never considered myself 'cool' but compared to my parents I'm the epitome of coolness.

Dioltach · Feb 28, 2014

When my parents were my age their lives revolved around caring for their four children; my wife and I have no kids, we're both self-employed (and doing faily well, knock on wood), we travel all over the world, we have a modified arcade cabinet in our living room with all the best 1980s games on it, we go to concerts.

But my parents were students in London in the 1960s. That alone means that they're cooler than I ever will be.

delericho · Feb 28, 2014

Only in the same way that a volcano is cooler than a supernova.

Also, I'm not in competition with my parents, be it in coolness or anything else. I find even considering the notion... odd.

Jan van Leyden · Feb 28, 2014

I sincerely hope that my children (close to 15 and 12) find me uncool!

They need something to distinguish them from their parents, making the forebears inherently uncool.

And I hope that some time in the future they realize how cool I am, acknowledging the difference and evaluating me in a different light.

But what makes me uncool now? I

Don't use a smartphone
Prefer e-mail to SMS and Whatsapp
Oppose to Facebook
Read books in a foreign language
Use the computer for other things than games*
Prefer 70's rock music to contemporary sounds
Watch movies in cinema instead of on a tiny display

*: Notabene, our son seriously works with Blender to whip up an intro for the Youtube channel he and his friends want to start.

ExiStanc3 · Feb 28, 2014

I'm not sure about the term 'cool', it is really mainly use by people from our generation (I'll turn 40 this year too), but there is something I'm pretty sure: I spend much more time with my children doing stuff they like.

As children, we were the firsts to be raised with 'video games' and boardgames. So, as an adult most of us still continue to have those hobbies.
I just see my oldest child (I have three: 7 y/o, 4 y/o and 5 months) play some games with me. God, I would have liked to do this with my parents!!

Bullgrit · Feb 28, 2014

Bullgrit

sabrinathecat · Feb 28, 2014

Um, yeah... Really depends on "cool"
My parents were totally outside the pop culture of their time.
My mother worked for the airlines (TWA) in the 1960s, and actually used her travel benefits to visit as many places as possible. After a couple years in the London office, she transferred to Sudan. She would take her weekend trips to anywhere she could. (remember, traveling alone was almost unheard of for women, especially in African or the Middle East)
My father was an Egyptology professor who jumped the Berlin Wall.
Neither was into the "modern" music of their era. Working in Africa cut my mother off from most pop music from 1958-67
I would argue that they were way cooler than pop culture.

My mother does pretty well with current tech.
My brother is more in tune with pop culture and seems to enjoy it more.
You've probably seen what I have to say about movies by now enough to know that I'm outside the loop. And my house is full of legos--not sure if that makes me cool or a pathetic man-child.

Jan van Leyden: do you have their channel? Can you pm me a link? I'm curious. If you youtube "samurai vs Bunny Rabbit" you'll find mine.
Bullgrit: neat sword. Original or replica?

Olgar Shiverstone · Feb 28, 2014

Nah. But somehow I notice that the older I get the smarter my dad gets.

Are you cooler than your parents?

Bullgrit

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Umbran

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Jhaelen

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Dioltach

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delericho

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Jan van Leyden

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ExiStanc3

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Bullgrit

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sabrinathecat

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Olgar Shiverstone

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