Teachers Of Reddit Reveal The Difference Between 2000, 2010 And 2020 Students

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satirequeen
Jun 12, 2020 3:00 PM EDT

The past few decades have brought change at a rapid rate; with the development of technology, children today live a totally different life to those who were born even two decades ago. And one group of people who sees this shift over time, are teachers. The teachers of Reddit have shared the biggest differences between 2000, 2010, and 2020 students. Scroll through for their insight into the changing generations right before our eyes. 

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  • 01

    More about entitlement.

    Text - More entitlement in later years. Less feeling the need to put effort in. In the UK I think that was partially driven by fees. We used to get a negative correlation between teaching support ratings and self rated achievement in our exit surveys - Spoon feeding does not help learning. (I was a university lecturer from 2003 to 2017.)
    via u/FoggingTheView
  • 02

    The dabs… The DABS.

    Text - I can't say with 100% confidence, but I bet kids weren't dabbing on teachers every day in 1997 & 2007.
    via u/jack22012
  • 03

    They dress more like their age.

    Text - Not a teacher, but have asked a few this question. The most common things said was one, kids seemed older then...whether it had to do with more freedom or being employing younger, kids in highschool looked like young adults, where now, many don't. They wear sports gear, and look alike, and look well, like teenagers. Making it really noticable when anyone dresses older. There are a few kids at my highschool that are so.eyimes mistaken for sub teachers by staff members that dont know them.
    via u/Lanna7
  • 04

    On understanding slangs.

    Text - Somehow young kids humor in like 2017 or so all the sudden started necessitating like five layers of irony. Most trends in slang or memes are based around the idea of sounding stupid until it becomes normalized and no one thinks of it again. Yeet was like this, dabbing is sorta like this. "Vibing" is in that transitional phase where it's starting to be normalized. Heck replacing various swear words. Anything before like 2015 was so simple, you could actually relate to the kids. What happe
    via u/SliideToTheLeft
  • 05

    Less branded items.

    Text - The students aren't as materialistic as they were when I was in high school. The students aren't as interested in status symbols or brand names the way they were when I was a teenager. They don't generally like huge logos on their clothing and they don't really bully anyone if that person doesn't, let's say, have a Hydroflask water bottle, but rather a Contigo or a dollar store brand. I remember the opposite happening when I was a teenager.
    via u/MissBonny
  • 06

    A little disrespectful at times.

    Text - I graduated high school in 2000 and I'm currently a teacher at a middle school. I would say what I and my colleagues notice most are that students are frequently more disrespectful to us (and adults in general) than most kids would have dared to be 20 years ago, and that many students lack perseverance. One of the biggest complaints teachers in my school have is that students literally won't even pick up a pencil to do tasks as simple as copying fill in the blank notes because it's "too m
    via u/Reddit
  • 07

    They get self-indulgent more than ever.

    Text - I've been a mentor in journalism for the last 10 years for my uni. Hardly representative, but I've found my mentees have become extraordanarily self-indulgent. Before, we might've talked about our personal lives at the end of sessions. But, the last two years especially, I've found the students feel comfortable derailing conversations about their work and professional ambitions to talk about themselves. It's weirdly unfocussed, and I find it difficult to bring them back from it. They also
    via u/WhattaWriter
  • 08

    On asking permission to go to the bathroom.

    Text - Used to hear, "Can I use the bathroom?" Then it was 'I need to use the bathroom." Then it was "I'm going to go to the bathroom." Before saying something like "no one should ask permission to go to the bathroom", realize that a school/classroom is a controlled environment. It's not that you are asking to use the bathroom it is that you are asking to leave the controlled environment and I have to decide if you are trustworthy enough to not leave and do something stupid that might get me in
    via u/hanginonwith2fingers
  • 09

    Dress more ‘normally’.

    Text - I'm not a teacher but I've had a teacher say that today's kids are less likely to be a part of an emo type group She said that today's kids dress and act more "normally" while some of her students in the mid 2000's were emo, goth, etc.
    via u/MikeyyLikeyy69
  • 10

    They are actually kinder!

    Text - I can't speak to the 2000 students (I was like 11) but I student taught in 2010 and have been running and after school program for a while now. The biggest difference for me is just that my 2020 students are just nicer. They have a great deal of empathy and care for others. My seniors like to hang out with the freshmen and be cool. My girls are all nice to each other instead of being bitchy. My boys are open about their emotions and talk about their feelings freely. And it isn't just the
    via u/SalemScout
  • 11

    Pokémon but still handheld.

    Text - How crazy is it that the new Pokémon is played on a console, but is also still a handheld? It's like everything changed and nothing has changed.
    via u/ChaoCobo
  • 12

    Teachers relate to Pokémon more.

    Text - Teachers no longer say "Pokemans" anymore cause the new teachers grew up with Pokémon. And they can name them too. Heck, I bet newer teachers now wouldn't even confiscate Pokémon cards like the old teachers used to. They would just sit and play with the kids. I know I would. Teaches them math. With that said, big difference is that you can relate to your kids more.
    via u/richardkim_nyc
  • 13

    Time has really changed.

    Text - 2000: "Please stop passing notes." 2010: "Please stop texting." 2020: "Seriously? You're streaming Netflix right now?"
    via u/Daveb138
  • 14

    Smartphone cameras.

    Text - Students now take pictures of things I write on the board or have on PowerPoints. Some still take notes on paper or on laptops/tablets of course, but especially for tables or data that has layouts or graphics involved, out come the phone cameras!
    via u/SereinOfLanden
  • 15

    Awkward years are diminishing.

    Text - The biggest difference I've seen is that as the years progress, students become in general more tolerant/accepting, less violent, and more hooked into their phones. Also, kids are hyper-aware of fashionable trends and personal image/grooming, to the point that I'm left wondering if teenage "awkward" years even exist anymore.
    via u/failing_forwards

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