Knowing Your Audience to Avoid Any Awkward Generation Gaffes

I am a “Boomer II”, otherwise known as “Generation Jones”! Then there’s “Generation X” followed by “Generation Y”, then “Z”. The one thing I've discovered over the years is how wide that generation gap can be. Each generation has certain slang and terminologies that change meaning over the years. So it's important to have an idea of who your audience is and what generation they fall into, to avoid any embarrassing generation gaffes.

I was always told how easy our generation had it. My dad reminded me about how he “Walked 50 miles to school EACH day… uphill both ways”… in the snow “up to here” as he gestured towards his chest. Well, I’ve been to my dad’s hometown… it has two streets that wouldn’t even be a total span of 5 miles. But I understand. He was genuinely concerned about future generations and our survival.

Now that I'm older, I hear my family and friends expressing the same concerns. And I have to admit, sometimes I find myself facing the same thoughts. Having the same concerns. 

I understand that we evolve, lifestyles change, and technology advances. But as a mom, and especially as a writer, it's the terminologies that often cause confusion. Some no longer make sense - and some are the source of some great embarrassment.  

One particularly embarrassing gaffe a few years back led me to become very aware and careful of the terminology I used.

It started out very innocently, as I just wanted to go walking outside on the grass. Since I don’t like how the grass feels on my bare feet, I asked my sons if they had seen my thongs. 

Now, in my defense, back when I was a kid, thongs were NOT called flip-flops. Thongs were worn on the feet. Today? Let’s just say thongs are no longer worn on the feet.

I was confused at the look of absolute disgust on their faces. Yet, I continued… 

“Boys! WHERE. ARE. MY. THONGS?” 

Now they were speechless. But I wasn’t in the mood to play around, so I was getting impatient. I insisted that I KNEW they had them. 

“I know you know where they are!”… “I’ve seen both of you wear them”. “I saw Brandon wearing them the other day when he was running through the sprinkler in the front yard”.

Well, now my eldest son’s look of utter shock was aimed at his little brother... 

“Why were you wearing mom’s thongs?... OUTSIDE?” 

Brandon denied it! You would think I would have clued in, but nope! I kept on insisting, “HE was the last one to be wearing them… so he has to know where they are”. 

It wasn’t until I noticed that Brandon looked like he was on the verge of tears of embarrassment that I paused. I thought at that moment that I understood. But unfortunately for my son… I didn’t.

Instead, I just changed my tone. Gently telling him that I wasn’t mad. “You can wear my thongs, honey… just as long as you put them back where you found them”

By this point his older brother was speechless… and my youngest was too shocked and confused to even defend himself. 

Finally, his older brother, sounding completely confused again asked his brother WHY he was wearing mom’s underwear...  

Click!... the nickel finally dropped! I realized that I wasn’t as “hip” as I thought. That MY definition of thongs was no longer current… at least for what I was referring to. I should have been asking them where my flip-flops were.

Now, as a copywriter, I try to be even more aware - and cautious - of using terminology and phrases that will resonate with my audience. 

I look at some of the odd differences in the meanings. For example, when something was unpleasant we would say “That’s Sick!” Now, when kids think something is cool, they say “That is sooooo sic!”

Even abbreviations. LOL is laugh out loud. BFF is best friend forever. And CT?…. no, it’s not a scan… it means “Can’t Talk”. I admit though, that I’m concerned with the over-use and dependence on abbreviations. Is it going to result in CSADT!! Or as my generation would say. Can’t Spell A Damn Thing!

As I see all these changes, I can’t help repeating the same words my parents would say. “I worry about this generation”… “What is this world coming to”?

But then again, our parents said the same about us, and I’m sure the generation before them had the same concerns. And most likely, this next generation will be saying the same thing…. Just in their own abbreviated way. 

I can hear them now!…. “OMG! This new gen! to think of what their future will bring makes me LMFAO! Kids these days…WTF”?