I finally managed to impress the gen Z of my household – by admitting I skived out of an open day | Zoe Williams

TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:

"Reflections on University Open Days: A Generational Contrast in Experiences"

I finally managed to impress the gen Z of my household – by admitting I skived out of an open day | Zoe Williams analysis cover image The Guardian 8.0
Image Source: https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e49f8e23ed95cdd800dfbb015274bb6e95500300/1415_0_7217_5773/master/7217.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctb3BpbmlvbnMucG5n&enable=upscale&s=cd49e954865985e39f42d12488ca02bc
Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/commentisfree/2025/may/20/i-finally-managed-to-impress-the-gen-z-of-my-household-by-admitting-i-skived-out-of-an-open-day
View Raw Article Source (External Link)
Raw Article Publish Date:
AI Analysis Average Score: 8.0
These scores (0-10 scale) are generated by Truthlens AI's analysis, assessing the article's objectivity, accuracy, and transparency. Higher scores indicate better alignment with journalistic standards. Hover over chart points for metric details.

TruthLens AI Summary

In a reflective piece, Zoe Williams recounts her experience of attending university open days in the past, contrasting it with the current expectations for such events. When planning a trip to a university open day in Bristol with her teenage daughter, Williams notes that the guidelines typically allow for only one guest, which she finds limiting. She reminisces about her own university visits with her sister, where they cleverly manipulated the system to spend their allocated travel funds on a day out instead of the intended educational purpose. Their adventures often led them to shopping centers rather than universities, leaving them to fabricate experiences based solely on prospectuses without the benefit of online research. This nostalgic account highlights the differences in how young people today approach university visits compared to previous generations.

Williams further elaborates on the challenges of navigating university choices without the internet, contrasting it with the ease of access to information available to today's youth. She shares amusing anecdotes about friends who took similar liberties with their open day trips, resulting in unexpected detours and experiences far removed from university life. When she shares these stories with her Gen Z family members, they express genuine astonishment at the lengths her generation went to evade parental oversight, underscoring the significant cultural shift brought about by the advent of digital technology. This interaction not only showcases the generational divide but also serves as a reminder of the resourcefulness that characterized the pre-internet era, leaving a lasting impression on her children who are accustomed to the immediacy of information at their fingertips.

TruthLens AI Analysis

The article presents a humorous and nostalgic reflection on the experiences of the author and her sister during their university open days, contrasting it with the expectations of the current generation, particularly Gen Z. Through this narrative, Zoe Williams explores themes of parental involvement, generational differences, and the evolution of youth culture.

Generational Differences in University Experiences

The author reminisces about her own teenage years, revealing how she and her sister cleverly manipulated their parents to skip university open days. This anecdote not only entertains but also highlights a fundamental shift in how young people today engage with educational institutions. The mention of Gen Z's reaction to her story suggests they are surprised by the audacity and creativity of past generations, indicating a possible disconnect in how youth today perceive authority and education.

Nostalgia and Honesty as a Tool for Connection

Williams' tactic of admitting to her past mischief serves as a bridge of understanding between her and her Gen Z children. This moment of honesty allows for a shared connection, showcasing that while the context of youth experiences may change, the underlying themes of rebellion and exploration remain constant. The reaction of her children—initially impressed, then puzzled—reflects a contemporary curiosity about the past, which may be perceived as more innocent and less digitally influenced.

Cultural Reflection on Youth Behavior

The narrative serves as a commentary on the evolving nature of youth behavior, particularly in the context of the internet age. Williams highlights how the lack of access to information in her time led to a more adventurous and perhaps reckless approach to exploring new places, contrasting sharply with today's youth who have instant access to information. This raises questions about how technology shapes experiences and whether it enhances or limits exploration.

Potential Manipulation and Underlying Messages

While the piece is primarily anecdotal, it subtly critiques modern parenting and the expectations placed on young people. By framing her past behavior in a light-hearted manner, Williams might be attempting to normalize youthful rebellion and challenge the rigid structures of contemporary education. The manipulation here is not overt but rather a playful tactic to engage readers in reflecting on their own experiences and the pressures of modern youth culture.

Overall Reliability of the Article

The piece is grounded in personal experience and humor, making it relatable, but it also serves a broader commentary on generational shifts. The reliability stems from its anecdotal nature, though it should be noted that personal stories can be subjective and may not represent the experiences of all individuals in the same demographic.

In summary, this article provides a reflective lens on the generational divide regarding education and youth culture, encouraging readers to consider how the past informs present behaviors and expectations. The manipulation level appears low, as the author shares a personal story without overt political or social agendas.

Unanalyzed Article Content

Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/education/commentisfree/2025/may/20/i-finally-managed-to-impress-the-gen-z-of-my-household-by-admitting-i-skived-out-of-an-open-day

When you book your kid on a university open day, places tend to have a pretty strict specification: no more than one guest. Me and the middle teen kicked this around a bit, planning her trip to Bristol. Her friends could book their own place; it definitely wasn’t a cocktail party; so what kind of guest, exactly, did they have in mind? “They mean a parent. Didn’t you go with your parents?” Oh boy, no, we did not.

My sister and I used to tell our mum that one of us had to go to, say, Newcastle, and the other one should go too, in case she got lost. Then we’d trouser the train fare – even in 1990, it was a lot – and spend the day in the Arndale centre in Wandsworth. Sometimes we went to the cinema. We never did anything lavish, like go out for lunch. We spent an awesome amount of time and a not negligible amount of money inthe Body Shop.

The flaw in this plan was that we didn’t have the internet then, so there was no way of knowing, after a busy day in “Birmingham”, what Birmingham was actually like. I guess we could have looked it up, but you didn’t find many Ordnance Survey maps in the Arndale centre. We’d come back freestyling wildly, using what we could pick up from the prospectus. Yes, the people seemed nice, though a lot of them were wearing chinos. The science facilities were excellent, for anyone who wanted to do science, which was neither of us.

This, by the way, was absolutely standard. I had adventurous friends, who took the money to go to, say, Sheffield and then went somewhere completely different, which didn’t even have a university, just to see what was what. I had one friend who accidentally fetched up in Manchester on the same day as the open day, and still didn’t see the university, because she was there to see theInspiral Carpets.

When I described this to the assembledgen Zof the household, they seemed genuinely impressed, which was gratifying for about five seconds, until it turned out that they were just amazed we ever found a way to lie, before the internet.

Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist

Back to Home
Source: The Guardian