This is somewhat related to the other "growing older" thread, but I didn't quite think it fit in there. What are some examples of yours that even though you are growing older, you aren't growing more mature? Two things I also wonder about is music and videogames. When I was younger, I always envisioned myself listening to more "serious" music when I got older and got a job. Even though I'm not that old (turning 24 next month), it almost seems a little absurd to me that I'll be driving to work as a lawyer and listening to Bone Thugs N Harmony during my daily commute. I'm starting to think I'll be like that guy in Office Space raps along with Scarface on the way to work. What are the chances myself and my friends will still be listening to rap in 20, 30, 40 years? As for videogames, I was a big gamer and rpg player in high school. About halfway into college I thought I was starting to outgrow videogames. I still played Halo and Madden with the guys, but the only other games I had personally bought and beaten in those 4 years was GTA3 and Vice City. I sold my slim PS2 over Xmas break because I thought it was about time to get more serious about life...I just bought a PS3 last week. I've also seen a couple of my friends come full circle. They went away to college, got degrees, but now they are back at their parents house for various reasons (one is getting his Masters in Accounting and the other's job transferred him temporarily to his home city for ~6 months). It just feels weird to me that they are back home.
It always seems weird when its happening to you. I outgrew some video games and some music, but a lot of it has stuck with me.
Which I immaturely view as a good thing based on the fact that I want to have sex with a girl born in 1990, just to tell my friends I did it.
I guess the reality is. . you like what you grow up with To me . .. I guess the maturity is not that don't like Rap anymore but I just think what is coming out now is garbage I still put on The Pre-1995 Rap and listen to it LOUD!! but I WILL NOT be jamming .. MY DOUGIE. . .AYE BAY BAY . .or SUPERMAN THAT HHHOOOEEEE Rocket River old Fogey
This is commonplace in our generation. Instead of moving out and working after highschool or college like they used to in the past, many are staying at their parents homes working a little or getting higher degrees. I think the reason is that many don't see the value of doing the grind so early, or feeling independent by burning away that rent and food money. We are the same generation that had parents sending us to sports camp, music lessons, structured fun times, and other group activities. You could say that we're the most focused upon and most sheltered gen yet.
It's ok to still like what you liked when you were a child. Who says you have to get rid of your childhood? Maturing is a subjective word. To me, maturing is the understanding how to balance serious time and fun time. Just because someone still watches cartoons, that doesn't mean he/she is too immature to do their job.
Says you. Immature girls in their 20s-30s are single handedly keeping Real World on TV and keeping gossip magazines on the shelves. Its the equivalent of me playing fantasy sports, gaming, and making fart noises.
I've never understood the idea of out-growing music. Then again, I grew up regularly attending the opera, the symphony, and the ballet. I discovered rock and heavy metal when I was in 2nd grade thanks to briefly having an older step-brother who had one hell of a vinyl collection, so I also grew up on Zeppelin, Sabbath, The Who, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Queen, and Rush. For things coming out while I was listening to those guys, I listened to Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, and others in glam metal. My dad was a band director and I was a sax player myself, so I listened to a lot of jazz, swing, and blues. I still go to the opera and I still listen to everyone I listed above and then some. I guess I just had a broader exposure than most to music. If its good, and you like it, why would you 'out grow' it? I just don't get it. As for video games, the age of the average gamer is 32-33. I've read that and seen/heard it cited a million times from a million sources. I liken it to TV: a few generations ago, the generation that didn't grow up with TV couldn't understand the younger generations fascination with it. The younger generation and every generation that followed grew up with TV as a viable entertainment source. We're at that point again with video games and computers. Generation X-er's like myself grew up with both, and every generation to follow will do the same, which is why software companies make so much that is geared toward adults. To the OP, I would challenge your perception of what it means to be so 'mature.' Like what you like, take care of yourself and your responsibilities, and congratulations: you're mature.
Don't worry, I intend to stay "immature" as long as possible. I think a lot of times people mistake what is mature/immature for what it means to have fun. Some would say that a grown man spending a Saturday on a fantasy football draft is immature. I just think it's a fun hobby. One thing that I have found out is that as I have grown older (more mature?), it isn't so much that I have given up old stuff, but that my views and interests have broadened. I still like the type of music I liked when I was a kid, but my tastes have also broadened to encompass much more than back then. When I was younger, I didn't enjoy reading books, now I have a list of books I want to read/buy that spans multiple pages. I have an unquenchable intellectual curiosity and love learning about the world we live in, but I also enjoy talking trash to kids over the internet while I whoop up on them in Madden (ala Vince Vaughn in "The Break-up"). Maybe that broadening of interests is a primary factor in what constitutes "maturity"?
It's almost like I'm growing younger; I stayed like a kid in a lot of ways but it's gotten to be more. I don't see why I have to stick with what my generation likes. I listen to at least some of the new music. I wasn't into video games for a while (time and money limitations) but now I'm wanting to get into it a little more. My fiance and I have a large plastic tub of cartoon movies that we got at resale stores. You can actually find stuffed animals and a Harry Potter poster in my room. I don't care, it's my business. I do want to be mature in terms of being financially self-sufficient, though. I notice a lot of our generation not doing it, or moving back home from time to time with mom and dad. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I never wanted to do it. You give up a lot of freedom: you have to live in whatever city they do, never mind where your friends are, and they'll see all aspects of your life and probably not let you do some stuff you would have done. I made sure to always have a job and live a cheap lifestyle, even if I was in school, so I would have enough money to remain independent. I thought that was how my whole generation was going to do it, but I guess not. ...and by the way, guys, younger women are overrated.
I think the real difference is that most guys are willing to admit their immaturity, while most girls one day decide to call themselves "mature," then run around doing all the fun stuff "mature" people get to do, and then are completely useless when they have to pay the piper and do the work a "mature" person does.
I was a hardcore gamer and grew out of video games around the age of 26. I'm 32 now and think it seems really weird to see someone over the age of 30 playing video games. Girls feel the same way - it isn't attractive.
I'm on the fence with the whole video game thing. Part of me thinks that, with the evolution of video games in the last 15 years, it's totally understandable that people over 30 would want to play them. A lot of them are marketed to them anyway. Then another part of me thinks that you should stop playing them after 30. It's just kind of weird. Last year was the first year I didn't get the new NCAA football game. I've got it every year since it came out. Probably won't get it this year either. I just don't have the desire to play anymore. Of course, a lot of people would think it's weird for a 38-year old to have 16K posts on a basketball message board, so what the hell do I know...
I think you're a little confused here. People don't grow up and all of a sudden start liking "old people music" (generally, anyway). What more typically happens is they keep listening to the music they always liked and grew up with, and they don't like the new stuff that's coming out when they're 40. In 20 years, people'll probably be going "typical old man over there, listening to his old-school Eminem." It's not you switching your music tastes. It's mainstream music tastes switching on you. Haveta say I find this a little funny as well. The whole "only kids play videogames" thing is looooooong gone. The biggest market for games is guys who are older than you, last I checked. This has nothing at all to do with "maturity." Having a steady job, paying your bills, and taking care of your family is what maturity is all about (basically being responsible). What you listen to and what you do for entertainment isn't. Yeah, honestly, that's a bit weird to me to. I certainly understand that that's just circumstances for a lot of people... my brother's working for a couple years before he heads to grad school, so I guess he figured he may as well live at home and take in a little extra cash before he heads off. Still though, I think people need to break away from their parents and learn to take care of themselves... I wonder about people who take so long to leave home. Then again, I guess in a lot of eastern cultures, it's normal for people to live at home until they marry. So whatever works, I guess...
I just got back from a concert full of music that I listened to in high school... .. it was Roger Waters.... He's 64 years old.
