It’s Christmas Eve, Our stockings are hung by the fire, we’re stuffed to the brim with cookies, crab dip and meatball sandwiches and I’m on my 3rd glass of wine. I’m sitting next to my 19 year old sister, sophomore in college who is taking a picture of her boots.
Sister: “Snapchat“
Me: “That sexting app!?”
Sister: “Bekah, it’s not for sexting”
Me: Yes it is! I heard a segment about it on NPR!
And it struck me: I responded to something I don’t understand (a really dumb app that has NO purpose other than sexting, let’s be honest) and shared my distain with someone younger than me citing a interview I heard about it on NPR. I’m becoming my dad, right? (but cross out NPR and insert Rush Limbaugh)
Does it make me uncool that here I am, in my TWENTIES (i will remind you of this every time I post until I am no longer in my twenties…which is happening this year. I HATE you, 2013) and I have no desire to “snapchat” with my friends? I mean, what is the point of sending someone a picture of my boots that will disappear in 5 seconds? BOOBS I can understand. Boots I cannot.
And when did I become the age that I don’t “get” what the kids are into? For example:
- I use e-mail. Have you heard of it?
- I have idea who Kid Cudi is. Apparently he does that rap thing
- The only One Direction member I can name is Harry Styles and that’s only because of Taylor Swift.
- And (shhh don’t tell Nikki) I haven’t listened to the new JT song yet
What do you mean this isn’t cool?
Remember when you were younger (or let’s be honest, just last week) and you saw or heard someone older talking about something they think is hip but was so uncool (Ugh.. I forgot I did it this morning. I judged a radio DJ for JUST LEARNING about Formspring (that stupid question website that was cool for about 5 minutes back in 2009)) and thought, “Wow.. I wonder if they care that they are such a loser“? Well kids…. you can think that about me. Because when it comes to snapchat (and a growing list of other things) I’m that old person loser.
And I’m okay with that. Because with age (BUT NOT THAT OLD. I’M STILL IN MY TWENTIES) you come to realize that it’s all about perspective. I don’t need a teenager to think I’m cool. While I don’t want to be a dorky adult, is not knowing the names of the two supposed gay One Direction members REALLY all that dorky? (And is that even a true piece of gossip?) I’m pretty confident in the things that I know about and like. I have friends who are into cool things like good wines and going to bed at a decent hour. If my peers start to think I’m not “down with our age-appropriate group of friends” I might start to rethink what I’m into, but so far my pals still love me, even when I admit to have never seen Forrest Gump.
So This is me. This is who I am. You can take me or leave me. And in the meantime, I’ll be over here using EMAIL to send NPR articles to my pals thank you very much…
So… what do you think? Agree that coolness is all in your perspective? And maybe only judged by your own peers? (Or only matters when your peers judge?) Is there a point to snapchat other than sexting!?
