Born before 1985? Then you are old!
Every year, Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin publishes what it calls “The Mindset List,” fun facts and figures about the incoming group of freshmen so professors will be able to relate to their new students. The list is a reminder that the world view of today’s new college students is significantly different from the intellectual framework of those students who entered only a few years earlier.
To better understand how the class of 2007 thinks, most of whom were born in 1985, read this and figure out if you’re old:
-The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1985.
-They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.
-They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
-There has been only one pope in their lifetime.
-They were 10 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.
-They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up on takeoff.
-Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
-Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.
-The statement “You sound like a broken record” means nothing to them. (They have never owned a record player)
-They have likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
-They have always had an answering machine.
-Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV.
-They have always had cable.
-There have always been VCR's, but they have no idea what Beta was.
-They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
-They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is or know about the “Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up!” commercial.
-They were born the year that Walkman was introduced by Sony.
-Roller skating has always meant inline for them.
-Michael Jackson has always been white.
-Jay Leno has always been on “The Tonight Show.”
-They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
-Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
-They have never seen Larry Bird play.
-They never took a swim and thought about “Jaws.”
-They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
-They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
-They never heard: “Where's the beef?”, “I'd walk a mile for a Camel,” or “De plane, de plane.”
-They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. was.
-Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not bands.
-There has always been MTV.
-They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter
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hmmmm. i know a fair amount of them, except the real american onces. funny still. i dont care who shot JR and im from 1982! Type writer! haha! who couldent use one of them? its a mechanical keyboard! wheres the... Read More
I was born, as can be found on a page about Andrew, in 1975. That means I was born old enough to be pretty old! To the list there I would add the following: They don't know how to dial a rotary phone. They have no idea the kind of solitude tha... Read More
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Reagan was shot?
Kids these days.
Reagan was shot.
Umm, I was born in 1984 and I'm a freshman this year. I do know and do remember the majority of the things on this list. Just because we're young doesn't mean we're dumb. Think of different ones, these are no good.
Jonah: I didn't make up the list. It comes from Beloit College and they make up a list every year.
Where's the one about McDonald's serving food in styrofoam containers...no kid these days could ever imagine that...it all comes wrapped in paper.