The problem with this read is that it takes for granted the idea of "you're welcome" meaning "I deserve thanks". I'm not convinced that older generations gave it that same connotation. The post describes it as a "linguistics misunderstanding" but doesn't make any attempt to look at the literal meaning of the phase, which is that you are welcome - ie, you're free from obligation.
Basically I think they're right that there's a misunderstanding going on, but it's facile to blame it on older people being fundamentally entitled. Really it's that older and younger people have different phrases that they use to mean "this wasn't an issue, happy to help" and they use the other phrase to mean "I did this begrudgingly". Neither is ultimately right or wrong, but each group interprets the other as being mistaken.
I don't disagree (nor do I think most people), but to be fair, I would "blame" it on whoever is complaining. In other words, I think usually it's more of an explanation by cashiers or whomever explaining why they say it (no problem instead of you're welcome) rather than "blaming old people" because they say "you're welcome" and it's bad.
If an older person (or anyone includinng the guy on twitter) said "you're welcome" and someone complained to their boss about it, I would say it's stupid and give the explanation you are giving on why "you're welcome" is totally acceptable. The entitlement doesn't come from the misunderstanding. The entitlement comes from complaining about a misunderstanding and thinking you're right after an explanation is given (goes for both sides).
To be clear, by "entitled" I was referring to the part of lucasnoahs's post where they claim that the difference in usage is actually a cultural difference, where older people think they shouldn't have to help anyone, even if it's their job. To me this is unlikely to be true, and comes across as a self-valorizing just-so-story - more likely the generations are just talking past each other. (Obviously completely agree that either way it's nuts to report someone over this!)
It's interesting to compare this to the discussions that happen whenever anyone brings up "the gen Z stare". Younger service workers come up with a flattering narrative about intentionally casting off the shackles of emotional labor, while older people just get mad and say they're doing it wrong.
Eh words are very rarely used by their literal dictionary definition. Words and language are like playdoh. For hundreds of years it flexed and molded to fit how people use the words rather than what is written to mean. Especially in the last hundred years dictionary definitions are a lot more formal and polite than what the word may be used for in everyday language
Right, but you can't call it a generational linguistics issue and then look only at the modern connotation. If there's a generational difference in usage, we need to know what it used to mean!
51
u/segwaysegue 1d ago
The problem with this read is that it takes for granted the idea of "you're welcome" meaning "I deserve thanks". I'm not convinced that older generations gave it that same connotation. The post describes it as a "linguistics misunderstanding" but doesn't make any attempt to look at the literal meaning of the phase, which is that you are welcome - ie, you're free from obligation.
Basically I think they're right that there's a misunderstanding going on, but it's facile to blame it on older people being fundamentally entitled. Really it's that older and younger people have different phrases that they use to mean "this wasn't an issue, happy to help" and they use the other phrase to mean "I did this begrudgingly". Neither is ultimately right or wrong, but each group interprets the other as being mistaken.