8 Things Gen X Accepted As Normal That Were Actually Terrible

You grew up in a world where certain behaviors felt normal because everyone around you treated them that way. This piece shows how many widely accepted habits and attitudes from that era—about parenting, work, health, and entertainment—actually caused harm or ignored real risks.

Bold the most important sentence: You’ll see why practices once shrugged off as “just how things were” deserve close scrutiny today, and what that shift means for how you live, work, and raise the next generation.

Spanking kids as a normal discipline method

You probably grew up thinking spanking was an ordinary way to correct behavior. Research now links spanking to worse outcomes later in life, even if it seems to stop misbehavior in the moment.

If you use physical punishment, it can damage trust between you and your child. Plenty of parents have switched to nonphysical strategies that teach limits without causing fear.

Smoking indoors at home and in public spaces

Photo by RDNE Stock project

You likely grew up where smoking inside was normal — in living rooms, cars, even restaurants. That routine exposed you and others to secondhand smoke, which carries real health risks like lung disease and heart problems.

Today you know there’s no safe level of secondhand smoke, so smoke-free homes and laws protecting indoor spaces became common. If someone still lights up near your kids or in a shared space, ask them to step outside and keep windows and vents closed.

Working 80+ hour weeks without complaint

You grew up thinking long hours proved dedication, so you kept your head down and accepted crushing schedules.
That norm ignored real costs: sleep loss, burnout, strained relationships, and declining health.

When everyone around you praised endurance, you rarely questioned systems that demanded extreme hours.
You learned to equate suffering with loyalty, which let unhealthy workplaces persist without pushback.

Leaving kids to play unsupervised outside until dark

You likely remember riding your bike or meeting friends at the corner and only coming home when the streetlights flicked on. Parents trusted neighborhood norms and assumed risks that would alarm many today.

That freedom taught independence, but it also exposed kids to dangers without adult oversight. Laws and social expectations have shifted because leaving young children alone for long stretches can be unsafe.

Accepting sexist and racist humor on TV without question

You grew up with jokes on TV that punched down and got laughs without pushback.
At the time, the lines between satire and cruelty felt blurred, so you often let it slide.

Now you can see how those routines normalized stereotypes and made hurt feel ordinary.
Not calling it out back then didn’t mean it was harmless — it meant you learned tolerance for harmful ideas.

Ignoring mental health issues and avoiding therapy

You learned to tough it out and keep feelings to yourself, so asking for help felt weak. That habit made anxiety, depression, or substance use simmer longer than they needed to.

Therapy wasn’t common or accepted when you were young, so you may not recognize signs early. Getting support now can change routines and relationships without erasing your resilience.

Believing ‘paying your dues’ means tolerating toxic work environments

You were taught that rough treatment proves you’re committed and will pay off later. That idea normalized bullying, unpaid overtime, and managers who used fear instead of coaching.

You don’t have to accept disrespect to gain experience. Learning and advancement can happen without chronic stress, harassment, or exhaustion.

Using harsh parenting expectations without empathy

You grew up being told toughness builds character, so you hand down strict rules and high demands without checking how your kid feels.
That can teach compliance but also silence, anxiety, and shame when emotions are ignored.

You might think rigidity prepares them for reality, yet kids need guidance paired with understanding.
Simple empathy—listening, naming feelings, adjusting expectations—reduces fear and builds trust.

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