Feeling Older, In a Good Way

So, previously when I have worked at educational institutions I was often mistaken for a student rather than a staff member. That was part and parcel with working at institutions with higher average student ages due to the nature of the programming. (Graduate degrees at U of M and people just taking their sweet time, and career programming at Red River that attracted older students). Here at GMCC the average student age is 21, a good solid decade less than my age. But the real difference I am finding is not merely just age but also attitudes, behaviours and lifestyle.

Here's some examples:
-Every student has a lap top. Seriously, the halls are filled with kids and it is rare to see one without a laptop. When I was in university I didn't even have my own desktop. All this computing abundance is shocking, I feel like going up to them and saying, "You don't know how lucky you are." But that smacks of Grandpa on the Simpsons so I don't, but I still think it!

-Concurrent with the proliferation of computers is the increase in other gadgets. The cell phones, the iphones, the ipods, the camera phones, you name it they have it. It's funny to me that there's areas in the library where they have outlawed cell phone use because the kids are just way too chatty, all the time, never stopping. Which means there's areas of the library it's ok to use your cell phone. This would not have flown with some of the librarians at U of L I can tell you. This can also be said for class attendance. Apparently profs have to compete with people's cell phone conversations. What?!? It's become socially acceptable among your peers to talk on the cell phone in your class?! Wow. (btw, with all this technology floating around it's really hard to take student poverty and debt seriously.)

-This is what is really going to mark me as "old" but here goes. The clothing, or lack thereof. There are some girls out there dressed very scantily. Seriously, I don't want to see your bra or your underwear. It is not cool to have your shirt unbuttoned to your belly button. Seriously!

-The hairstyles. What's with the comb over, straightened long hair look for guys?!?

-The piercings. There are people out there who look like they belong in National Geographic.

I know all of this dates me and makes me sound really old, but frankly I'm just really glad that I'm not 20 anymore. (Although I could have used that apple notebook when I was in school.)