Following the datacenter attacks, full post and dataset after the link https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/1x4hhff/oc_subreddit_activity_during_russian_datacenter/

I’m 37, born in 1989. Growing up, my understanding was that you tipped at restaurants where somebody came to your table and served you. The way I was raised, 10% was normal, 15% was generous, and 20% meant excellent service. That’s what I grew up with, before anyone turns this into an argument about restaurant percentages.

Outside of that, tips were mostly optional. Tow truck driver helps me late at night on a difficult job? Here’s an extra $20. Repairman goes above and beyond? Maybe $40 or $50. Something you chose to do because you appreciated somebody.

Now I can’t even order a coffee without feeling like I’m having a fucking moral dilemma.

Dutch Bros is the worst about this in my experience. They take your order, hold out the tablet, look you dead in the eye, and ask, “Would you like to leave a tip?”

Bro. You just took my order. I haven’t even gotten the coffee yet.

Sometimes I’m going straight to the window, so nobody even came out to my car. Same question. I say no, and now I’m sitting there waiting for my drink in this awkward silence, feeling guilty over something that’s supposedly optional.

It’s not that I’m broke. It’s not that I can’t afford an extra dollar or two. I just don’t like being put on the spot every time I buy something. Having the money doesn’t mean I want every transaction to come with a guilt trip.

Starbucks feels a little less awkward, especially when I order through the app. Scan, get my drink, move on. But at the window, that tip screen still gets put right in front of you. One dollar, two dollars, three dollars… dude, I just wanted a coffee. How did this become another decision I have to justify to myself?

And my frustration is mostly with the corporations setting this up. Why make employees ask customers directly? Why create this uncomfortable interaction between the person buying a drink and the person making it? It feels like these companies want customers to take responsibility for making sure their workers get paid enough.

Pay your people properly. If I want to leave something extra, let it actually be extra.

Maybe nobody behind the counter gives a shit when I hit “no tip.” Maybe some of that awkwardness is in my own head. But the way the question gets asked absolutely makes it feel like there’s a right answer, and “no” isn’t it.

Yes, this is a first-world problem. I know. But it’s getting to the point where I’d rather skip going altogether than deal with it.

I just want a motherfucking coffee.

Are other millennials feeling this? Where do you draw the line between something you’re happy to tip for and being asked to tip just because you bought something?

🚬

We remember

When $1 would get you MULTIPLE items 🥲

(Artificial Intelligence, Steven Spielberg - 2001)

This movie was upsetting and hard to watch in 2001. How are we feeling now? Yassified jude law is the only comic relief. Some highlights, gonna trauma dump bc I need to sleep tonight and I am completely wrecked:

- Haley Joel Osment's acting in this film recalls the emotions of all of his others from this time, and in the context of this film, it is gut wrenching. Like is the actor of our generation who completely froze time.

- My son is Davids age in this movie and that has done something to me that makes me want to go wake him up and tell him I love him.

- What the fuck are we doing to the planet?

- A striking self awareness in this movie, on a human level, as if it was decided a long time ago that AI would be ushered in to destroy humanity.

- Disguised misogyny typical of 90s movies, of course sex robots... but it has a modern cruelty that is super detached and very very sad.

- Strong commentary on the mental and emotional load of motherhood.

- We are only here for a brief moment, but our actions, our consequences, our refuse will be our legacy.

https://www.threads.com/share/_4R7g1R1P/

Class of 2004 here. Just turned 40. I remember wearing Skechers all throughout high school and I thought they were cool then. (Edit to add I’m a girl and had them several different colors to match my outfits.)
We just recently got a Skechers store in my town so I went in there to check it out, I was shocked how comfortable the shoes were. I like them better than my Hokas in terms of comfort.
Add in their buy one get 50% off sale and the prices weren’t bad either. Is anyone else rocking some Skechers?

I had no idea this would blow up this much! Seems to be you either love them or hate them.

Yes my living room is small but I'm doing my best 😭

The rapid decline in the ability of people to understand sarcasm and other intricacies of language hit me like a freight train recently. Theres so little thought given to conversation now. Everything is taken literally and/or without meaningful thought. I know it started to decline with our generation but damn. It makes me sad on so many levels. I cant be the only one that feels this way, right?

I can't believe they used to actually print out paper currency for 5¢ of Canadian Tire money.

Are most millenials meeting their spouses in person or online? How did you meet your So?

My gen alpha kids are asking their friends how their parents met and they said a lot of them met on dating apps like tinder. Well I knew of someone else who met on tinder and are happily married. Also met two others who met online as well.

I sort of met my spouse online on Facebook at the age of 24 but he will tell everyone we met in grade school because we did meet in grade school and then went to middle school and high school together but we did not date or anything. So I think it's safe to say I met him on Facebook and we messaged each other for 3 months. That's how we really met. It's totally online now. I think my Gen alpha will also use the internet to find a spouse and I think it's great for us introverts.

My 20s were a "life is sposed to fun" mentality, due in part to family influence, but I suppose I can't blame it all on them. I partied and drank my 20s away, early 30s were still stupid decisions. Early 40s, I finally am using my brain. In school again, this time for "real"...but it seems, I dunno...not as meaningful.

I'm single, no children, not that I ever pined for kids, but my chances are almost up.

I gave up on dating apps, and people won't even make eye contact with others in the street. If I would have known life would be like this, I suppose I would've settled years ago. Does anyone else feel like this?

The 90s and early 00s were a childhood golden age. Between pokemon and mcdonalds play places it was like the entire world was catered to kids. You could go to any store and find pokemon themed suckers, gum, bouncy balls, figurines, then go to the flea market and the cards and games were everywhere. You couldn't escape it at school, everyone had their gameboys or binders out. I want into a music store and this track was playing for the whole store.

I would definitely not allow my kids to do this today, but apparently this was totally appropriate back then. My husband even did something similar in his kindergarten class and we didn't go to the same school district. Yikes!