Current mood: annoyed
Has anyone else noticed lately the increase among the younger generation (meaning ages 12-21) of the frequency of use for the word "random"? It really annoys me.
When discussing a surprise birthday party, a young man told me "it was just really random. it was cool."
I often hear my young co-workers bantering about the events of their day, referring to certain occurrences as "it was so random."
They even use the word as an adjective to describe a person. "You're so random."
I have heard a girl as young as 10 call someone random, and admittedly wondered if she even knew the meaning of the word.
My own brother, when questioned about the sudden rise in popularity of the term said, "I don't know. I don't really say 'random' a lot. I just am random."
Here is how Webster's Dictionary defines the word:
random ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rndm)adj.
Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective: random movements. See Synonyms at chance.
Mathematics & Statistics. Of or relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.
Of or relating to an event in which all outcomes are equally likely, as in the testing of a blood sample for the presence of a substance.
Well, someone please tell me...why is it cool to be random? What is the determining factor for something being 'random'. Does it have to be completely unplanned, as in definition #1? And if so, then how can a person be 'random'...when we call a person 'random' are we making reference to the fact that they may have been the result of an unplanned pregnancy?
Since when is 'randomness' to be praised? What ever happened to planning and preparing for something and then executing it successfully. I am terrified that the popularity of this word among teenagers could be reflective of their outlook on life. What if, in 20 years, when these kids are running the world, they are still glorifying 'randomness'...and what if they, because of their love of the random, begin living their lives like the definition of the word? What if they go about their daily lives 'having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective?' What will happen to society at large?
It is time for the 'pre-random' generations to take a stand against the adoption of this term into teenage slang. I will single-handedly fight the battle against the random if I have to. My first combat move is to begin praising the planned, organized and structured elements of life. Instead of saying someone is 'random'...I will exclaim, "You are so structured!" Or when describing a particular occurrence, I will state, "It was so organized and predictible." I am calling us all to action. All of us who are 22 and above. There are more of us than there are of them. Let's unite and stand against what is about to happen to our youth!
I may have been slightly facetious for dramatic effect, but it really does get on my nerves.
Currently Listening To: Pretend You're Alive By Lovedrug
