As the holiday season is in full swing, people look forward to spending time with their families. All generations have their qualitites, defining who they are. Whether they are old or young, one thing seems to be true. The generation gap is bigger than before, a physical disconnect is present between both sides, mainly caused by misunderstanding, and preconceived assumption.

Generation Z, the generation spanning from 1995 to 2015 has already seen changes that very well shaped our future.

Many people think about what older generations teach younger, more recent ones. I feel as a part of the younger generation, it was best to ask some adults for their opinions. “The younger generation has taught me to never be afraid, and to use my imagination. Another important lesson is to see everyone as special and valuable, and to accept instead of judge.” noted Sara Windle. She feels that she has learned so much and can still learn a lot from this generation. Not only can you learn morals from our generation, because as Nancy Banks stated “I have been taught how to make a simple and cheap meal from my grandaughter.” This is interesting, considering you usually would learn how to cook from your your parents, or other family figures, rather than your grandchildren.

Interestingly enough, the older the generation, the more people seem to look down on younger generations. Millenials, which the media love to pick on, telling them things like they are “ruining” industries, in debt, and too sensitive.

It seems that nothing positive can be drawn from this generation’s youth, and by what is seen in the media, it is really simply because of the fact that older generations, for the most part, are not even willing to hear younger people, because they weren’t heard themselves. Coming up with assumptions, and using seniority as an excuse to say, that younger people are less experienced is a very common mindset to have.

Of course, we must be sure to note, that not all who belong to older or younger generations believe in seniority importance. In recent years, coming across controversial political issues caused anger for many. Giving everyone a chance to express themselves as they would like, is valuable, no matter how old they are. Acceptance and open-mindedness are two terms that are more important that ever, not necessarily to try and bridge the gap between generations, but to realize that qualities contributed by each generation are learning opportunities, lessons that wil provide you with many assets in the long run.

People of different generations can sometimes find it difficult to communicate effectively, miscommunication being a common issue between that of young and old. Oral stories, pop culture, and history may seem out of the ordinary to older and younger generations. With the increase in developing technology, it allows for easier access to almost anything. Technology may help to remedy those miscommunication issues.

There are many different ways of life, lived by people of all ages. Our experiences define us more than anything, preparing us for the next set of challenges ahead. To understand generations older, or younger than us, fostering acceptance and creativity may be the most important of all. Simply changing your mindset, ot removing a certain assumption will help remove the stigma attatched to generation gap. This will make way for a greater level of understanding, and provide valuable learning opportunity for all.