Trying to communicate with the youth…
Many things have changed over the years, including the language and phrases we use. Listening to my kids talk I have to ask for a translation at times. I was told I have drip. I was thinking…what?? It turns out it meant I had style. I was pleased it didn’t have anything to do with my nasal congestion. It got me thinking about words and phrases we’ve used over the years with regards to our vehicles and driving techniques and how the meanings have changed.
Many of the younger people I train to drive have missed some of the older technologies and therefore, some of the words and phrases make no sense to them or may confuse them. Millennials (born between 1977 and 1994) may understand them but some of the younger generation, such as the Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012) may be somewhat confused. Here are a few examples you can use to test their knowledge…and maybe have a chuckle.
Ask a Generation Z to roll up or down their car window. Technically, they are pressing a button, not rolling anything up or down. Yes, there are vehicles on our roads that still have a crank window, but they aren’t as common as they used to be. Find a vehicle with crank windows and ask the Generation Z to open the window. If they’ve never seen them before, it may take a while for that to happen.
While I was teaching class I used the word “drift” when referring to purposely 
moving into the next lane while doing a lane change. It was brought to my attention that drift has changed meaning over the past number of years. Drifting now is a driving technique where the driver purposely steers a lot to create a loss of traction with just the rear wheels – which is referred to as oversteer – while maintaining control of the vehicle and driving the car through the corner. I had to change the word I use from drifting into the new lane during a lane change to easing over or fading into the new lane.
Even something as simple as a car key isn’t always a car key. Many vehicles use a fob along with a push button ignition to start the engine. But those of us from the old school still use the term “car key”. And I do admit, sometimes it’s tough to break the old habits. Hand the fob to the Generation Z and say “here are the keys” and watch the look they give you.
Technically, not all vehicles have a gas pedal. Electric vehicles don’t use gas, so what do you call the pedal that allows the vehicle to accelerate? The accelerator. Ta da! Ask the Generation Z that question and watch the smoke appear from their ears. It’s not that we’re trying to mess with their mind. It’s more that we’re trying to patch the generation gap and learn how to communicate better with each other. And have a little fun at the same time.