Gen Z Class Brutally Reacts to Teacher Playing Them Millennial Anthem

A science teacher decided to introduce seventh-grade students to a whole new world of music during a break from their studies—but it's safe to say the pupils were less than impressed with his millennial taste.

Gabe Dannenbring likes to share some lighter moments with his class by playing them his favorite songs, including "I Miss You" by Blink-182. Some of the students knew the song already from TikTok or their parents, but for most of them it was a whole new listening experience (feel old yet?).

The teacher, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, wasn't sure what reactions he would get from the 12 and 13-year-olds, as he told Newsweek that he "knew they would either love the song or hate it." While any criticisms of the rock band's hit song from 2004 would be difficult to take, Dannenbring knew it would be entertaining to hear what they really thought, so he asked the pupils to write down their initial opinions—and they did not disappoint.

He said: "We needed to take a brain break as my students were working very hard, and they asked me about the music I like. I told them I love Blink-182 and "I Miss You" is a top five favorite song of mine.

"When the students first heard Tom DeLonge belt out 'where are you?' they reacted so loud that I thought the teachers next door would get annoyed with us. They did not know how to react to what they just heard. They said some crazy things, and nearly all of them called the song emo."

Among some of the most comical reactions, students said "it's kind of chill I guess," and "I'm disappointed in your Mr. Dannenbring," while one witty pupil wrote: "I'm sure your cats are already planning their escape."

What Was the Best Decade for Music?

Music taste can be very personal, but for many people there is no doubting when the music industry was at its finest. A YouGov poll revealed that 22 percent of American adults think the 1980s was the best decade for music, and 21 percent believe it was the 1970s.

When results were divided by the respondents' ages, 23 percent of millennials preferred the 1990s for new music, and 11 percent said that the 2000s were the best years. But as for Generation Z (born in 2000 or later), they appeared to prefer the more recent releases, with 17 percent saying that the 2010s brought us the best music, and 16 percent thought it should be the 2000s.

How Did Social Media React?

Thankfully for Dannenbring, his attempt to give his pupils a bit of millennial culture didn't completely fail, as he said there were still "a lot of students who loved" what they heard.

But he doesn't plan on stopping there, because there are many more anthems from the 2000s that he wants to play to his students.

He told Newsweek: "There are many other bands I want to show them, including My Chemical Romance, Sum 41, Paramore, Yellow Card, and Green Day. This generation needs to experience the classic pop-punk music so many of us grew up on."

The teacher's idea to educate his seventh graders has delighted the internet, after he revealed their reactions to the song online. The video he shared on Instagram via the account @gabedannenbring has already been viewed more than 2.6 million times and gained over 73.600 likes in a matter of days.

Although it was all a bit of fun, Dannenbring hopes to show that education is more than just about textbooks and studying, as he says that "building relationships and getting to know the students is so important." He sees music as a wonderful connector that allows him to form a bond with his pupils—not to mention the entertainment he gets from their unexpected reactions.

Dannenbring wasn't the only person who was offended by his student's reactions, because with over 900 comments on Instagram, many millennials shared their horror at the Gen Z reaction to such an iconic song. One comment reads: "Kids have no taste."

Another person wrote: "I would ask to teach a different class."

While one Instagram user commented: "They play Blink-182 in the grocery store and orthodontist office now. I'm officially old."

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