If you’ve stayed abreast of the latest TikTok trend cycle, you’ve likely noticed the influx of video thank-you notes to the Universe for being “born in the right generation.” People my age and younger (I narrowly saw the 20th Century, thank you very much) are spewing gratitude left and right for cell phones, Air Fryers, women’s rights, vaping, tattoos, and modern snacks. It’s a sentiment that flies in the face of “old souls” and those who claim to wish they were around for Woodstock but would realistically be lost without the ability to own, let alone insert or tap, a credit card (yup, women couldn’t have their own credit cards until half a decade post-Woodstock).
Despite my most recent article about feeling connected to the subway commuters of yesteryear, these TikToks have inspired a change of heart. I was born in the right generation of New Yorkers. I’ve made it here so far, so I can make it anywhere, except for here 10+ years ago.
Transportation alone is so much easier now. The subway map is etched into my subconscious, and yet I still use Google Maps every time I leave my apartment. OMNY has existed for less than three years, and yet I can barely remember carrying a MetroCard (my efforts as a suburban high schooler to memorize which way to swipe one in order to look cool when visiting the city will soon be lost to time).
Uber, Lyft, and even Citibike are readily available (I’ve Citibiked once and made a whole occasion of it, but I like the thought that I could bike through traffic unprovoked at any given moment).
Imagine dining out without the ability to Venmo your friends exact change. Imagine ordering takeout without Seamless! I get that takeout existed before delivery apps, but I simply wouldn’t be caught dead talking on the phone.
I hate the principle of the $12 oat milk latte as much as the next guy, but I can’t fathom what life would be like without the ability to buy one in case of emergency. Maybe $15 fast casual salads are obnoxious too, but it sure is nice that they have an app for that.
Imagine Broadway before apps like TodayTix or even before the TKTS booth. You can use the Clear app to skip the line at concerts. You can book $5 Tuesday movies on your phone.
Location sharing, mobile ordering, dogs in strollers, Google reviews, “virtual doormen,” Shake Shack, Buy Nothing, apartment wifi, those creepy Amazon stores, bottomless brunch, Insomnia Cookies, Zipcar, Task Rabbit, and apparently Moynihan Train Hall all exist. And while sometimes the “old soul” voice in my head takes over, I’m ultimately grateful to live in the city that never sleeps in the era of the melatonin gummy.
