This Teacher’s Viral Teen-Created Playlist Is Proof The Kids Are Alright
So much diversity. So many green flags.
Kids are always so perplexing to the generations that came before them. The clothes they wear. The things they're interested in. The words they say. Take, for example, the fascination millennials feel about the way Gen Z moves through the world. And while we don't always agree with their hot takes (you can pry our flip-flops from our cold, dead toes), a viral video shared by a high school English teacher is filling millennials with hope for the future.
While Gen X and millennials love to separate themselves, the younger generations seem to take a more no-holds-barred "communal" approach. This is especially the case, it turns out, with the music they listen to — at least according to the classroom playlist of a sophomore English teacher who goes by Ms. C on TikTok.
Each semester, Ms. C opens a Spotify playlist to which her students can contribute. She plays the music in class and often discusses the choices with her kids. With more than 62k followers, the playlist makes a question people have abundantly clear: What are teenagers listening to? Well, according to English 10's ever-evolving public playlist, it's a little bit of everything.
In the most recent edition of "What teenagers are listening to," the playlist runs the gamut. It starts with 2009's "Pursuit of Happiness" by Kid Cudi, and if you do the math, you're correct to assume that at least some of the sophomores may not have even been born when the song was released.
A later addition is "Boot Scootin' Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn, which was definitely released before most high schoolers today were even thought of, much less born.
Another interesting pick? "Violin Partita No. 3," by Bach, which Ms. C immediately recognizes as a song probably added by a kid in orchestra, like she was.
It's not all about bonding, though. Ms. C also has a chance to stay updated on current artists and not become out of touch like adults in her field sometimes do. "'Nevada' by YoungBoy Never Broke Again," Ms. C says, announcing another student addition. "Great rap name, by the way." One student added "Bags" by Clairo, an artist Ms. C had actually seen in concert. (She's just so legitimately f*cking cool!)
Occasionally, Ms. C needs to remove something for various reasons, although she admits she's gotten major flack for deleting some songs. "'Pretty Rave Girl.' Oh, I know from my last video I should not take this off, even if it kind of stresses me out," she shares. "A lot of people like the rave music."
The rest of the additions are just as varied. From Talking Heads to Taylor Swift, there's no limit to what teens will admit to listening to. Turns out that this sort of generationally inclusive listening style has become a unique bonding experience — not just for her class but also for the rest of us.
Ms. C posts her class's Spotify playlist for her followers to enjoy, and it's literally better than any version of "Now That's What I Call Music" because it's so varied. Even the comments section is awash with happy listeners.
"'Pursuit of Happiness' is a major green flag," writes one commenter (Agreed!)
"I love this series," writes a fellow educator. "I've done this with my middle school kids for years, and I love seeing their taste in music. Especially as a music teacher."
"Teens these days have very diverse music tastes. It's so amazing," gushes one commenter, with another adding, "Okay I haven't lost complete faith in our youth."
Honestly? Same. Teens know good music when they hear it, and it's truly inspiring to see how "kids these days" don't force themselves into boxes. The kids are alright, y'all... the kids are alright.
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