Most of you probably don't know this, but my parents have been around for a while. My dad was born in 1947 and my mom was born in 1960. They've been exposed to a lot of cultural feats in their time and have passed down their culture to me through the growing up process. Right now, I'm also like any other 20-something millennial being exposed to modern things like meme culture, 90's nostalgia, and other various aspects of our cultural lifestyle. More and more I find everything just kind of bleeding together, into a huge conglomerate that functions as part of my personality. This has some side effects to it that I'm sure you can relate to.
1. People will not know what you're talking about.
I'm sure this has happened to all of you regardless of whether it was or wasn't a result of your cultural experience, but in this regard, this tends to surface as a quote or reference to something that you consider completely normal because it's a staple of your cultural palette, and the other person/people look at you like you just sprouted another head. This usually results in me calling the other person a fetus if it's a reference to something older or a long explanation complete with fangirling about newer TV shows, memes, or technology if it's in regards to something newer. I think my favorite response to this type of stuff is the infamous tumblr response "you uncultured or swine" or I'm sure some of you are familiar with SNL's response that's similar to this.
2. You will question what is wrong with you.
Once again, I'm sure you all have done this in regards to another context, but, at least for me, this will spawn if frustration from the first confession builds up.
3. You will feel much older than you actually are.
I've noticed that since parts of older culture have been ingrained in my personality, it affects how I view my actual age. I'll end up feeling a decade or two older and then, embracing my inner queen, blow that out of proportion and state that I'm at the winnowing of my existence and will die soon.
4. It helps you understand a wide variety of people.
Getting the negatives out of the way, having a broad cultural palette is also really beneficial. It gives you insight on the thoughts, feelings, and values of various age groups and helps you understand them a little bit better.
5. It helps you understand where some newer things came from.
I'm sure you've all heard at some point in your life that "there's no such thing as a new idea anymore," and to some extent that is true. There are a lot of new things that you could say are just twists on things that already existed. Expanding your cultural horizons gives you the advantage of applying what you know to understand the origin of some of the new things your exposed to, giving you a more enriched understanding of things.
6. It increases your appreciation for preservation.
Just like Archaeologists love older civilizations and preserving their art, history, and literature, Experiencing older generations' culture gives you an appreciation for it and a desire to see it preserved for the generations to come so they can experience it and learn from it.
7. It allows you to connect with more people.
One thing that makes a friendship even easier to start is having common interests. There's something really satisfying knowing there's someone else out there who loves something the same way you do. Being exposed to a wide variety of culture makes it easier to find a tangible connection with someone, whether they be older or younger.
8. It influences your mannerisms.
The culture we're exposed to has a surprisingly vast affect on how we act and function. If you've ever seen Tumblr posts showing bits from a movie and then a comment saying something like "no wonder our generation is so sarcastic," that shows the kind of impact culture can have on how we act or see humor for years to come. Being exposed to older and newer cultural works increases the possible diversity you can have in your cultural adaptation. I often find myself quoting various TV shows and movies of various ages in response to things people say to make a point or say how I feel about the subject, which I think is pretty enjoyable.
9. It helps make you who you are.
At the end of the day, cultural exposure is a really awesome thing that helps you define yourself. Whether you may see yourself in some lights as a Dorothy Zbornak or Sophia Burset, culture from mixed generations has a way of making you a more well defined individual.
