An attempt to bridge the gap

Parents engaging in child interests improves relationships

Story by Sydney Rowe, staff writer

The majority of kids don’t always see eye to eye with their parents.  Parents can sometimes be judgmental about the things their kids like because they didn’t grow up with it or aren’t completely informed on the subject. Kids often feel as though they aren’t being heard or understood which can lead to tension or attitude towards their parents. Although this is can be natural in occurrence, the generational gap between the two family members contributes greatly to the agitation. 

The taste in music between parents and their kids usually differs greatly. While teenagers today listen to artists such as Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Ariana Grande and others like them, most of their parents grew up listening to Guns N’ Roses, Queen, Bon Jovi and other classic rock singers.

For many kids, their parents are quick to judge their music without really giving it a fair chance. If they were to approach the music with an open mind, maybe they wouldn’t be so against it. Many songs from today even take inspiration from the 1980s and 1990s. For example, Taylor Swift’s song “New Romantics”  has lyrics that give an ode to the “Breakfast Club.” “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson is another great example with ’70s and ’80s funk influences. Although modern music might not be what they’re used to, parents might find that they might become a little closer to their kids if they gave it a chance.

Movie choices are another way that parents and kids typically vary. Parents that are a part of Gen X grew up with movies “Back to the Future,” “Indiana Jones” and “Grease.” There’s no denying that these movies are iconic, but many kids today don’t relate to them as much as adolescents of the past.

Modern movies resonate better with teens today with the current ideas they offer. People want to see movies that represent the messages of today rather than outdated ones. The nostalgia factor creates a bias that parents possess, but getting out of their comfort zone and trying to watch the movies their kids like could benefit their relationships greatly. 

Video games and social media are consumed so much nowadays that it’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t use either. Even parents and guardians are hooked on the trend. However, instead of Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, parents are known to be predominantly active on Facebook. Facebook, though it has its appeal to certain people, is slightly outdated. Most young people don’t use Facebook the way they use other platforms.

Young people typically don’t want to be on social media platforms with only older adults because it’s not entertaining to them. Many parents are guilty of assuming that newer apps, such as Snapchat and Tik Tok, are more dangerous or time consuming than Facebook without really knowing that much about it. Downloading Snapchat or Twitter and learning the dynamics of them would help parents understand the appeal it has to teenagers, and seeing the efforts their parents made would create a sense of appreciation within kids.

If even after parents try to learn more about their child’s interests and still dislike them, their children would know they attempted and didn’t draw conclusions right away. This would allow more credibility to their opinion in future instances. In the long run, the relationship between the two would show improvement because of the mutual respect they share. Sons and daughters may not always get along with their parents, but attempting to better understand each other is an easy way to improve bonds.