30 replies to this topic

[Cass]

I was having this conversation with my grandma. I personally have a feeling we're a partying generation; I get the sense that entertainment has never been more important to people than before. My grandma disagrees and think it just looks like that because there's more exposure through social media.

 

What do you think? Do we party more nowadays than years, decades, centuries before? Why do you think that? Why did or why didn't we become a party generation, what factors contributed to that? Recession, technology? Do you have any interesting articles regarding the subject?

[renegade]

If by "party" you mean sitting at home playing Neopets/video games and watching Netflix and Hulu 90% of the time... then yes we are a party generation lol.

 

I'd say I probably agree with your grandma. If anything, I think technology keeps us at home more whereas prior generations likely went out and partied more because they didn't have as much easily accessible entertainment at home.

[HiMyNameIsNick]

Well, 100 years ago you had to work to eat. Now you have to work to earn money (and buy your food).

It used to be a lot more physical, you had to wake up early, and so on. But I agree, there's more exposure through social medial.

Edited by HiMyNameIsNick, 25 October 2016 - 12:17 PM.

[Swar]

I think I agree with your grandma. At least for me, I hate partying lmao so if we are indeed a party generation, I'll be on the side while everyones dances

[Keil]

I think a better term would be that we are a "self-medicating" generation than a party generation. A party generation would be the roaring 20's in U.S. history. We have much more access to a metaphoric drug store that we can use to poorly address our everyday stress and anxiety that includes literal pharmacological agents, food, media of all sorts, vacations, sex, etc. The only difference I say is the access we have and the liberal morals to allow for them.

[Prisca]

I guess the term "party" is subjective, and I'd say partying is fairly seasonal. I agree with you that entertainment is extremely important to people these days, and with your grandma that things can often times look different than they really are because of the lens that is social media.

[savethekings]

I think it is more common for people to be "stuck partying" than it was in the past, but parties have always been rampant for the bourgeoisie+.

[Turnip]

I dunno, I remember being told my dad willingly stayed in college for way longer than he normally would have because he partied all the time and didn't wanna give it up. He's getting close to 60 years old now lmao

 

Overexposure through social media and movies/music (or at least music videos? I'm always seeing people at the party or whatever in those) probably makes things seem a lot more prevalent :0

[Shannon]

This is a hard question to answer since this is the only generation I've been around, but I'd say partying is much more prevalent now than it was when my parents were younger. I mean, look at all the new festivals we have - they're full of booze, drugs, and sets so late we're raving until sunrise. My parents never had anything like that.

[bwoke]

Hmmm... Very tough question to tackle.. The gift of the internet has been obviously very influential into shaping our generation. You've seen those corny poems about social networking and how it's like an "anti social social network" or something else cliche which I have to agree with at some points. There will always be party goers but technology has indeed made us more anti social. 

 

Think of the 60's, those hippies hitting more drugs faster than I can say Exotic Butters, Woodstock, and the Golden Age of Sex and Rock and Roll. Tell me our generation is as crazy and awesome as that....

[jaredyne]

I'm gonna disagree. 

I'm a total recluse. Don't care about parties. I just wanna stay home and play video games tbh

 

Me tooooo. Going out and partying is way too much effort. At the most I might like, invite a few friends over for pizza and watch a movie or two.

[Cass]

I think a better term would be that we are a "self-medicating" generation than a party generation. A party generation would be the roaring 20's in U.S. history. We have much more access to a metaphoric drug store that we can use to poorly address our everyday stress and anxiety that includes literal pharmacological agents, food, media of all sorts, vacations, sex, etc. The only difference I say is the access we have and the liberal morals to allow for them.

I like the approach of viewing this generation "self-medicating". But then again, the hippies were pretty self-medicating too. I would say we're up there with the 60s and 20s though, also in a new form. It might not be that everyone, especially not forumdwellers (not intended to offend anyone, but it is a pretty obvious fact that a lot of frequent internet-users are less sociable in "real life") goes out partying everyday, but the possibility is there. If I wanted to, I could go to a club every day of the week. Even for the bourgeoisie it can't have been possible to party everyday.

 

I think the gaming trend is an interesting addition to "party", too, albeit in a different form. It may not be dancing and booze but certainly entails "long live the fun"; all of the reallife gaming experiences that are popping up everywhere, the prevelance of gaming celebrities, the very existence of Nordic Larping (look it up, it's hillarious) just shows, to me, that there's a great hunkering for relaxation and distraction of any form.

 

As for moral liberties, while I'm glad that it's socially acceptable to do a lot more things (talking sexually, mostly) we haven't quite reached the state of the old Greeks and Romans. They had a blast in those bathhouses.

[MozzarellaSticks]

Every generation loved to party. We've always had parties in some form, from balls to dance clubs to music festivals to house parties. It's nothing new.

[Rocket]

what is party? I must be lost in this generation because I hate people and I hate crowds and I prefer to sit at home and watch netflix.

 

I think social media makes it seem like it's a lot more abundant, but I don't think we are really a party generation.

[Coops]

I agree with your grandma. Social media definitely make it seem more prevalent, but like before, there are extroverts and introverts. There are plenty of people who don't like the stereotypical party, or even social gatherings. That will probably never change. I like @Kelvin's point. But I think the idea of self-medication applies to any and all generations. It comes in different forms. 

[cara]

I like partying, but I dislike people touching me and loud noises. So the struggle is real.

 

I think that our generation is more about getting white girl drunk and clubbing (I could be wrong here, just drawing from my experience). But when I think of past generations 'partying', I think more of hippies and Woodstock. 

[cara]

Same. That's why I stopped all together

 

It's actually kind of nice to hear you say that. It's definitely something related to being overstimulated but I'm not too sure because I dislike people touching me in general (like on public transit), not just clubs. I do know that many people I tell that to don't really understand.

[cara]

Yeah, there's people who don't like being touched regardless of like stimulation issues. I get it though, there's a lot of people who don't understand I hate being touched too. I've dropped contact with a lot of people because they'd just instantly hug me after I'd tell them a billion times. "Don't touch me." 

 

Oh god, just reading that made me cringe. I hate when people don't respect boundaries. Totally support you in that decision, friends should not make you feel uncomfortable. It's just a shame when people don't understand or care enough to try to.

[DonValentino]

This is a hard question to answer since this is the only generation I've been around, but I'd say partying is much more prevalent now than it was when my parents were younger. I mean, look at all the new festivals we have - they're full of booze, drugs, and sets so late we're raving until sunrise. My parents never had anything like that.

Woodstock?

 

Y'all forgetting the 60's and shit? lol

 

Even for the bourgeoisie it can't have been possible to party everyday.

They had dinner parties all the time and shit. They had opium dens. If they wanted to party every day they could have.

 

Since the beginning of damn time people been raging. We just document that shit 24/7

[Coops]

Oh god, just reading that made me cringe. I hate when people don't respect boundaries. Totally support you in that decision, friends should not make you feel uncomfortable. It's just a shame when people don't understand or care enough to try to.

This times a thousand. I'm autistic as well. Touching is weird for m,e. Most of my friends nowadays are super respectful of my boundaries. I think I just have better friends now though. My family...not so much. But I disowned some of them and the rest of them disowned me in response. So eh whatever.

[cara]

This times a thousand. I'm autistic as well. Touching is weird for m,e. Most of my friends nowadays are super respectful of my boundaries. I think I just have better friends now though. My family...not so much. But I disowned some of them and the rest of them disowned me in response. So eh whatever.

 

Cutting off family is obviously a major decision that is not made lightly. That being said, I completely understand why you would do so for this reason (or a mix including this reason). I think that people who do not suffer from tactile sensitivity/discomfort understand just how uncomfortable and upsetting it can be to be touched when you don't want to be. I can't say that I'm autistic, but if you feel the same or more so than I do about this, my heart goes out to you. It's a daily struggle that most people you encounter will not respect. 

 

It gives me a nice feeling to know that you both feel the same way as I do, though. I haven't met anyone else who struggles with this in the same way.

[Coops]

Cutting off family is obviously a major decision that is not made lightly. That being said, I completely understand why you would do so for this reason (or a mix including this reason). I think that people who do not suffer from tactile sensitivity/discomfort understand just how uncomfortable and upsetting it can be to be touched when you don't want to be. I can't say that I'm autistic, but if you feel the same or more so than I do about this, my heart goes out to you. It's a daily struggle that most people you encounter will not respect. 

 

It gives me a nice feeling to know that you both feel the same way as I do, though. I haven't met anyone else who struggles with this in the same way.

You definitely do not need to be on the spectrum to have sensory issues with touch, so, I imagine how you experience it isn't a lot different than I do. Hope that makes sense. And I agree it can really be a struggle. I have a huge personal bubble because of it. There are a few people I am comfortable enough with that I can indulge them for photos or hugs or whatever. People just take it so damn personal. Lol. Like it's not. A lot of my tactile issues are with certain textures. Oddly that makes hugging naked people easier. It's often clothing, or accessories that people wear that make it worse for me. But there is still major discomfort with people invading my space. Especially if I don't know them well, or at all.