Everybody gets old eventually, but sometimes our age creeps up on us unexpectedly and we’re surprised at how much things have changed. Many people talk about how the younger generation doesn’t know what a VHS is, doesn’t recognize famous old-school bands, or was just born in the 2000s. And even more people feel old after interacting with younger folks, from their new slang terms to their still fresh and hopeful outlook towards life.
This online user focused mainly on the workplace and asked people to share how their younger coworkers made them feel old. A bunch of users delivered entertaining stories that might even leave you feeling old and confused.
#1
When i fell down the last couple of steps on a stairway. No one pointed and laughed like I expected, instead they helped me up and asked me if I was okay. That’s when I knew.
day_of_duke , Alessia Cocconi Report
Final score: 155points 
troufaki13 troufaki13 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
That hurt in more ways than one…
53 53points reply View More Replies…
We spoke to Dr. Gleb Tsipursky who wrote “Never Go With Your Gut” and he shared some insights on the topic: “Younger people often make older individuals feel ‘old’ due to a generational gap in technology, language, and cultural references. This can create a sense of disconnect, making older employees feel as if they are not as adaptable or ‘in the loop’ as their younger counterparts. The rapid pace of change in the workplace also plays a role; younger individuals may be quicker to adopt new software or methodologies, potentially making older employees feel left behind.”
#2
When they absolutely love a “new” song and then I tell them it’s a re-make of a song from 25 years ago. They almost always try to tell me I’m wrong, until I pull up the evidence and then it’s shocked Pikachu face lol.
Final score: 147points 
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) Michael P (Perthaussieguy) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
A few years ago I read about a Kanye West song featuring Paul McCartney and some Kanye fans were saying how great it was for him to help out an unknown (to them) singer.
49 49points reply View More Replies… #3
had an intern refer to the 90s as ‘the late 1900s’
wtf. its true, but it makes my teenage years sound like the oregon trail or something
eusapian , Dale de Vera Report
Final score: 142points JoNo JoNo Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
When referring to something in the 70s, 80s or 90s, preface it with “last century” just for fun, especially if talking to someone 23 or younger.
24 24points reply View More Replies…
Dr. Gleb also shared some tips and tricks on how to stay youthful in the office: “To stay on top, especially in the office, older people should focus on continuous learning and upskilling. Familiarize yourself with the latest industry trends and technologies. Mentoring younger employees can also be beneficial; it’s a two-way street where both parties can learn from each other. Building a personal brand based on experience and wisdom can offer a unique value proposition that younger coworkers may lack. Lastly, ensure that you are networking both inside and outside of the office to keep your professional connections strong.”
#4
My childhood cat lived to 21.5 so teaching (freshman biology lab, so students were ~18) became very weird when I realized my cat was older than my students
mollusck_magic , Roberto Huczek Report
Final score: 139points 
Michael Largey Michael Largey Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago (edited) Report
Since you were teaching teenagers, you were lucky to have a long experience at herding cats.
39 39points reply View More Replies… #5
Saying Go Go Gadget Arms to a table when reaching for items and getting blank stares in return.
Ok listen kids, you have no idea how funny this is. Lol.
Final score: 131points 
Charlie the Cat Charlie the Cat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
Inspector Gadget
24 24points reply View More Replies…
Dr. Gleb also answered at what age people start feeling old: “Around their late 40s to early 50s. This is often when physical aging becomes more noticeable, and children may be leaving home, leading to a sense of emptiness and introspection. In the workplace, this might be the age when employees start to feel less in touch with younger colleagues or when they notice that higher-level positions are being filled by younger individuals.”
#6
I’m a (female) computer geek. I was running cables with this guy at work one night, and he kept trying to keep me out of the actual work part. I finally told him ‘I’ve been doing this since before you were born!’
That was about 25 years ago, and as of right now, I’ve been working in the computer field for 44 years.
Final score: 117points pep Ito pep Ito Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago (edited) Report
I once commented with coworkers I started working at the company in 1988. Then one of the younger ones said hey, I was born that year!
21 21points reply View More Replies… #7
Had a co-worker ask me, “Back before cell phones, did you just have to wait around at your house for a call?” Uh, yeah, pretty much.
Status-Effort-9380 , Kelli McClintock Report
Final score: 113points 
signore cappelletti signore cappelletti Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
…..not being attached to a phone was a wonderful way to grown up !!……………..
63 63points reply View More Replies…
“Labeling oneself as ‘old’ in the context of intergenerational relationships can be detrimental. It might induce a self-fulfilling prophecy where the older individual starts behaving according to the limitations they assume come with being ‘old,’ thereby missing out on opportunities for growth and learning. However, acknowledging one’s experience and wisdom as a form of ‘positive aging’ can be empowering,” said Dr. Gleb when we asked if labeling oneself as old is a bad or good thing.
#8
They were complaining how hard and awkward it is to meet women on Tinder. I asked if they ever had to call a girl at home and her Dad answered the phone. They were horrified.
Another time one of my guys asked what a payphone was. We worked at a phone company.
Zelcron , Christian Lue Report
Final score: 110points 
Ample Aardvark Ample Aardvark Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 4 weeks ago Report
Way back then, my boyfriend’s dad sounded exactly like him on the phone, and they both thought it was hysterical to pretend to be each other when I called!
26 26points reply View More Replies… #9
Various colleagues were debating whether the Concorde had been real. They couldn’t fathom that supersonic civilian aircraft used to exist and now they don’t anymore.
The Concorde last flew in 2003, when these colleagues were toddlers.
geckos_are_weirdos , Gabriel Goncalves Report
Final score: 106points 
David A Paterson David A Paterson Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
We want supersonic. Chant it with me.
24 24points reply View More Replies…
“The dynamic between younger and older people in an office environment can be very beneficial if managed correctly. Younger employees often bring new perspectives, tech-savviness, and a willingness to take risks. Older employees, on the other hand, bring experience, industry knowledge, and a nuanced understanding of company politics. Organizations that create a culture of mutual respect and learning between these two groups are generally more innovative and adaptive to change,” shared Dr. Gleb. So if at any time you feel “old” in your workplace, remember that you have a very important part to play and wisdom to share with the younger workers.
#10
In trade school, we were doing introductions, saying a little bit about ourselves. One kid says “yeah, I’m really into classic cars, I have a 1997 *something or another*. Me, the other couple older folks, and the instructors all made audible groans of horror.
IndustrialPigmy , Ash Edmonds Report
Final score: 105points 
Jan Hyde Jan Hyde Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
Or I like “old movies” – It came out in 1989 man, that’s not an old movie.
32 32points reply View More Replies… #11
Getting a blank stare after saying we’d meet, “Same bat-time, same bat-channel.”
AvogadrosMoleSauce , Mimi Thian Report
Final score: 102points Ace Ace Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
#Nana nana nana nana….
23 23points reply View More Replies… #12
Went grocery shopping and I thought, “Hey, they’re playing some pretty good music.”
wocketywack , Brittani Burns Report
Final score: 94points Some guy Some guy Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
Agreed! They play original versions now, not the canned, watered-down, zombies-in-the-Dawn-of-the-Dead-shopping-mall “music” anymore.
11 11points reply View More Replies… #13
Software engineering manager here. I have team members that have never seen Lord of the Rings.
meyerjaw , Nikhil Prasad Report
Final score: 91points Jan Hyde Jan Hyde Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
Seen? It was book in my day 😉
81 81points reply View More Replies… #14
I was talking to a coworker about movies and our favorites. I said something like “I watched that movie so much when I had it on tape in my college years”
Her: Tape?
Me: You know, on VCR?
Her: VCR?
Me: Oh well I guess those are old now. Everything is on DVD now.
Her: DVD?
Me: I guess those are old too. I guess Blu-ray is what’s on disc now.
Her: Disc?
Me: Nevemind
She was half joking but nonetheless it made me feel old.
Final score: 88points 
WhiteClawOfDeath WhiteClawOfDeath Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
My sister called VCRs fat DVDs
27 27points reply View More Replies… #15
They started calling me “mom” or “Mama bear” on the walkie-talkies. I find it kind of endearing, actually.
WhoaThere87 , Pradamas Gifarry Report
Final score: 82points 
Mimi La Souris Mimi La Souris Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 4 weeks ago Report
it’s so cute 🙂
17 17points reply #16
When a younger female said she was going to come by “with some incredible tea.” I was profoundly confused and disappointed when she showed up to my office without a calming elixir of the gods and instead proceeded to talk s**t about our co worker.
JBean85 , Content Pixie Report
Final score: 78points 
Mad Dragon Mad Dragon Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I say “spill the tea” all the time when I’ve got some juicy news.
16 16points reply View More Replies… #17
For me, it’s listening to a much younger group of girls complain about the guys they are hung up on. They are beautiful and young and have aspiring careers and they’ll tell me a story of what a guy did on a date and they’re like “I don’t know what to do!!” And I’m just sitting there like, “are you kidding me? Tell him to go f**k himself and find someone else who values and respects you?” I’m in my 40s now I don’t take s**t any more and my current boyfriend treats me like a queen. I’m always telling them to accept nothing less than absolute princess treatment from a guy. They never listen though.
Final score: 78points 
Karl Karl Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
That is the benefit of age and experience. You’ve developed a finely tuned b******t detector that lets you quickly work out who and who doesn’t deserve your time.
39 39points reply View More Replies… #18
I’m in IT. Co-worker needed to borrow a serial cable. The cable was older than the co-worker.
AMoreExcitingName , Karolina Grabowska Report
Final score: 77points 
The Scout The Scout Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago (edited) Report
Couldn’t you have found a matching picture? This is a supressed USB cable. A serial cable is the monstrosity with the square end that you find at the back of old monitors/printers.
18 18points reply View More Replies… #19
I’m a preschool teacher. It’s been a TRIP to watch parents go from Soooo much older than me, to the same age as me, and now they’re younger than me!?!?
Smart_Alex , Gabe Pierce Report
Final score: 76points Karl Karl Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
My dad was a secondary school teacher for 40 years. At the start of the school year one of his new pupils looked familiar so he asked her “Did I teach your mother?”.”No”, replied the girl, “You taught my grandmother!”He knew then it was time to retire 🙂
52 52points reply View More Replies… #20
Left a note for a new hire to call IT to help him set up his work phone and he couldn’t read cursive. Asked me what language I wrote the note in.
Final score: 72points Ace Ace Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
That’s just sad.
51 51points reply View More Replies… #21
When I was talking to this new delivery driver and we realized I had delivered pizza to his mother in the hospital on the day he was born.
Final score: 71points Some guy Some guy Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
That’s just as good on a “small world” basis.
11 11points reply #22
Younger dude said his first gaming console was the PlayStation 4, first computer ran windows 8, and had no idea what we meant by dial up or rotary phones. Had to stop and reevaluate my age lol.
happilystoned42069 , Kamil S Report
Final score: 66points Karl Karl Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I was temping at an office and some people were reminiscing about their first game console. One said theirs had been the first X Box and everyone called him old. I decided not to mention my Atari cartridge console with wood veneer effect and Tank Pong.
32 32points reply View More Replies… #23
(coworker) hey, a few of us are going out Friday night, wanna come?
(me) sure
(cw) great! Meet at my place at 11.
(me) wait, 11pm?…ok (to myself) that’s when I was planning on going to bed
idiotsarray , Jp Valery Report
Final score: 65points Just another idiot Just another idiot Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I’m in my 40s. When darkness falls, I like to be in my recliner with a tumbler of bourbon and watch TV.
40 40points reply View More Replies… #24
Our payroll company went under (luckily not with our money), so for that month, we got real live, honest-to-goodness paper checks. Several co-workers didn’t really know what they were or how they could turn them into money.
Ambitious-Eye975 , Money Knack, www.moneyknack.com Report
Final score: 64points 
BoredPossum BoredPossum Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I’d never even seen a check before I changed country. In Sweden we haven’t used them for ages.
7 7points reply #25
This effing toddler “software developer” had the freaking nerve to tell me that Windows 95 was released BEFORE HE WAS BORN. I was like, no dude, it was just a few years ago. I asked him how old he was. He tells me he’s 26, just finished his masters. He must be thinking of DOS 6 or around there.
Yup. He was born after Windows ’95 was released.
Final score: 64points 
Jeremy Bolanos Jeremy Bolanos Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I remember standing in line at the ‘computer store’ to buy Windows 95 (floppy edition) and then installing it over Windows 3.1
10 10points reply View More Replies… #26
One of my coworkers said their parents got them into Nirvana and Soundgarden because “that’s what they listened to in highschool.” I think I went into a fugue state for a minute with that one. But I still maintain that I am not old, and that 1997 was a few years ago.
Final score: 62points Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
1997 was precisely 6 years ago.
55 55points reply View More Replies… #27
Not me but a friend named Jessica (my name is also Jessica) said she was working with a young woman also named Jessica who said “oh wow I’ve never met someone with my same name!” She was 22. If you grew up in the 90s there were so many Jessicas.
Final score: 60points 
Jessica Reitzell Jessica Reitzell Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
Holler back
24 24points reply #28
When I couldn’t decipher the two youngest coworkers parts of the conversation. I had to search what some words meant.
Quantum_Yeet , Mimi Thian Report
Final score: 49points 
Jared Robinson Jared Robinson Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
thank god for urban dictionary.
26 26points reply View More Replies… #29
I work at a brewery part-time as a beertender (aka bartender) for extra income and free beer. I’m 45, and most of them are in their early 20s. I like all of them, but boy, did I realize quickly that I was out of touch with today’s slang in the US! We were trying a new beer, and my coworker was like, “Damn, this really slaps,” and that was followed by “no cap” by another. I stood there so confused about what these guys just said. They have all taught me much more since😆
StopTouchingThings , Amie Johnson Report
Final score: 47points 
Joshua David Joshua David Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I just act privy to the slang like totally. Then later I’ll do research.
8 8points reply View More Replies… #30
Years ago, before I retired, when I met a new young troop and realized I’d been in the military longer than they had been alive…
PirateKilt , Diego González Report
Final score: 40points Michael Largey Michael Largey Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 weeks ago Report
I know someone who retired from the military on the day before his daughter would outrank him.
18 18points reply View More Replies…
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