Kelsey Meyers, one of the most viral TikTok creators, recently touched off a discussion on changing family arrangements across generations. In her viral video, she contemplates how family structures have changed, particularly among those raised by millennials compared to previous generations. Her observations have resonated with many viewers, prompting a lively discussion about the implications of smaller family gatherings and fewer cousins.
Kelsey, for her part, grew up going to big family reunions. When talking about these experiences, she describes weekends spent at her aunts’ and uncles’ houses, where she played with cousins. “We were just always running around together. There was always somebody to hang out with. Always somebody to play with,” she recalls. This feeling encapsulates the major difference to her kids’ experiences growing up, where these kinds of informal, cross-cultural interactions aren’t as common.
The trend towards smaller family sizes has been especially apparent at holiday times, Kelsey told us. She emphasizes this point by sharing an anecdote about her daughter. Despite an abundance of cousins on each side of the family, her daughter has zero first cousins. This situation is echoed by other viewers in the comments section, with one stating, “My daughter has no first cousins! Her only cousins are like my cousins’ kids.” Watching her on television, another young viewer recognized the same demons, showing that the struggle extends beyond any one family.
Kelsey explained that there was less accountability for missing a child in the 1980s and 1990s. She indicated that the caring community and family oversight by older brothers and cousins had lessened in today’s society. It was just sort of expected that the older kids had an eye on the younger kids. Rather than taking care of one another, we were too busy getting into shit. She evoked both the incredible freedom and the associated dangers of growing up in those times.
She shared that her children don’t have any first cousins either, owing to her siblings’ decision to not have children themselves. This makes all the more clear the wonderful evolution of family life in which more people are choosing not to be parents.
Kelsey’s TikTok video serves as a reflection of contemporary family structures and has garnered significant attention and agreement from viewers who share similar experiences. This dialogue is still growing and changing as more individuals begin recognizing how all of these changes have affected their lives and connection to each other.
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