“It’s Not Supposed To Be Like This”: Older Adults Reveal The Biggest Differences Between Politics “Back Then” Vs. Now, And As A Gen Z’er, I’m Shocked

The first time I could vote in the United States presidential election was in 2016, when Hillary Clinton and former president Donald Trump ran. Since then, Trump has been on the ballot as the Republican nominee, and since 2016, politics has seemed like an endless stream of divisiveness and hatred, and that’s what I accepted as the norm. Color me surprised when I realized that it wasn’t always like this!

Recently, I asked older adults of the BuzzFeed Community to share how politics have changed — positively and negatively — from “back then” to now, and some of these really surprised me. Here are some responses that, depending on your age, might have you yearning for the political climate of the past or completely shocked:

1.

“It used to be that the news actually reported what happened instead of creating false equivalencies for everything.”

2.

“Politics have become pettier and more childish. Politicians used to act like serious adults, and now it’s like watching kids fight in the schoolyard. When did we decide that diplomacy skills aren’t important for politicians? Bring back boring politics, please.”

—Anonymous, 40s

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3.

“Young people were always involved in politics, but now, with social media, more young people are more invested than ever before. It’s great to see, in my opinion.”

4.

“Politics have absolutely become so incredibly hateful. No one can have a conversation anymore — not even over the basics — because it turns into a raging fight, where people call each other toxic and end up going no contact with those they’ve known for years. Minds are already made up regarding the party you’re in; you can’t win! Hell, I’m mostly in the middle, leaning a tad conservative, and people will flat-out refuse to speak to me if I dare mention I ‘dabble with red.’ It doesn’t mean I worship Trump and want to take away women’s rights. Not at all! But we’re not allowed to have our own brains, it seems.”

—wine_witch84

5.

“Because we didn’t have social media, no one was publicly shamed for their political beliefs.”

6.

“The good news is seeing politicians speaking up on behalf of marginalized groups and seeing the positive forward-thinking taking hold in the average Joe and Jane. The bad news is the incivility, anger, and outright hatred. It makes me sad that young people today think this is normal. It’s not normal — we used to agree to disagree and move on to a new topic. Now, it’s all about being outrageous to get social media likes with no regard for the pain you’re causing to others.”

—Tracy, 54, Oregon

7.

“Presidential candidates used to hold some level of respect for one another. It didn’t used to be so divided. I feel sorry for my granddaughter because every election since she’s been able to vote has been ‘a fight for our democracy’ thanks to Trump being on the ticket. It’s not supposed to be like this.”

8.

“Parties were put before individuals back then.”

—homeyturkey30

9.

“It used to be like, ‘Oh, there are two candidates. I agree with one of them more so I’ll vote for them, but the other candidate is okay, too, so it’s fine if you vote for them.’ That’s not the case anymore! I’ve ended multiple friendships because they voted for Trump, and I’m not sorry!”

10.

“You weren’t automatically labeled a racist, fascist, or ‘woke’ just because you support a different party from someone else.”

—arosebyanyothername2024

11.

“I think the real turning point was in 1987 with the rescindment of the Fairness Doctrine, which required news outlets to present multiple sides of issues. That’s when Rush Limbaugh started his show, which then proliferated into dozens of right-wing radio shows and outlets like Fox News. It ballooned into a far-right misinformation and fear-mongering juggernaut. Now, I’m watching my parents — an otherwise intelligent and loving pair — get sucked into this ‘alternate reality,’ and it’s terrifying.”

12.

“There used to be hope. It used to feel that change was a good thing. Now, no matter who’s running, it all feels like lies. It is very scary when almost an entire country feels like a storm is coming without any sunshine in sight. It just feels like we’ve all given up.”

—wine_witch84

13.

“Back in the day, any slight hint of impropriety and a candidate would bow out of whatever race they were in. Today, a grifter and convicted felon can run for presidency unimpeded.”

14.

“Politicians would waffle and weasel around, sure, but they didn’t make stuff up and have their staff say their lies were ‘alternative facts.'”

—Anonymous 

15.

“On a more positive note, I’m glad to see how progressive we have become. Never in my life did I think there would be people in the government fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, and never did I think I would be able to get legally married to my beautiful husband.”

16.

“It feels like we’re in the ’50s and ’60s again. We’re going backward. What happened to education, exploration, and the sense of wonder?”

—Daniel, 58, Texas

17.

Lastly: “Well, no president I’ve ever seen before said immigrants are eating cats and dogs, that’s for sure.”

If you’re an older adult, how have politics changed from then to now? Share with us in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your experience using this form!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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