When times change, the people do too. When you discredit younger generations by reducing them to outlier behavior like Tide Pod eating or uncommon, media-exaggerated fads that could not possibly represent an entire generation of individuals, you are wrongly generalizing their existence and perpetrating the lie that today’s generation is uniquely terrible compared to those of the past.

Each generation has had its own unique fads and distinguishing aspects of pop culture. Criticisms of older generations of “kids these days” are nothing new. There are records of older generations discrediting the youth since the beginning of time, even dating back to Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates.

Baby boomers were criticized by the generations that came before them and were stereotyped as spoiled anti-war hippies with a strong distrust for the government.

Does this mean that every baby boomer was a stereotypical hippie? Absolutely not. The hippie movement had tremendous media coverage, but it only represented a very small portion of baby boomers.

Similarly, the Tide Pod challenge was only done by a few people, so labeling the entire generation as Tide Pod eaters to discredit their political opinions on things like gun control is misleading and incorrect.

Some members of older generations have nicknamed Millennials and members of Generation Z as “snowflakes” because of their sensitivity to things like racism, sexism, and bigotry. As societies progress socially, it’s only natural that hateful comments that threaten the rights of others become intolerable.

In some ways, younger generations could even be seen as less sensitive than previous generations. Think about it. Imagine being so sensitive that you couldn’t handle sharing a bus with someone of another race, or even something as minor as using the same bathroom or water fountain. Imagine becoming enraged about things as simple as men wearing makeup, African-Americans kneeling to protest police brutality, or two women getting married.

Now that's what I consider sensitive.

Of course, not all older individuals share those sentiments. It would be hypocritical to suggest that. However, it is objectively clear that over time, society has become more accepting of minorities and less tolerant of bigotry.

You cannot blame younger generations for holding our nation accountable for its flaws and expecting it to actually embody the characteristics it prides itself on.

Different generations grew up in different times, so it is only natural that they have different perceptions of the world. But before you go pointing your fingers at another generation, recognize that generalizing people and placing them into boxes accomplishes nothing.

People have free will and the ability to shape their own opinions. Judge people as individuals instead of making ignorant generalizations. Not all older generations are racist and intolerant, just as not all younger generations are lazy and spoiled.

It is important to note the larger implications of generational-based shaming. No one likes being stereotyped or insulted, especially by someone who has never met them personally.

When older generations generalize younger generations in an attempt to blame them for the world’s issues and discredit their voices, all that does is drive our generations further apart in a time when we should be coming together most.