TikTok creator Chelsea Bare (@chelseabare) recently showcased the differences between generations by having her Millennial husband and her Gen Alpha son perform everyday actions. With a 25-year age difference, the father and son stood on either side of a door, unable to see each other, as they responded to rapid prompts.
When Bare asked them how to roll down a car window, the father mimicked the motion of cranking a manual handle, while the son pretended to press a digital button. This pattern continued with each task. For instance, when asked how to answer a phone call, the father made a gesture reminiscent of a 1990s handset, using his thumb and pinky, whereas the son acted as if he was tapping a modern smartphone screen. Similarly, when it came to hanging up, the father dropped his hand as if handling a phone receiver, while the son again pretended to press a button.
The most striking difference appeared during a prompt about taking photos. The father acted as if he were using a vintage camera, framing it with both hands and clicking an imaginary shutter. In contrast, the son casually shaped his palm like a digital screen and tapped as if he were taking a picture with a smartphone.
They only aligned on how to dial a phone, making similar gestures. However, when it was time to make a heart shape with their hands, the father spread his fingers wide to create a classic heart, while the son used a tight four-fingered gesture popular among Gen Z.
This exercise highlights a documented trend regarding how different generations interact with technology. Research by Calvo-Porral and Pesqueira-Sanchez shows that people often stick to the habits they learned as children and use the physical actions they are familiar with. Many TikTok users reacted with fondness, reflecting on how muscle memory influences our everyday lives.
What actions do you associate with your own generation?
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Source: Upworthy, by Adam Albright-Hanna