Much the same way that my generation started referring to my gal pals as "guys" as in, "you guys want to go out for a couple drinks (or whatever)."

Sometimes you eat the bear….sometimes the bear eats you.

With each other and their friends, I think they qualify as Gen Z. It's actually hilarious to see/hear. Also, one of them has a Funcle shirt, although she is not an uncle nor a funcle

When I read something that goes like "...and in the history of mankind..." I shake my head and feel unrepresented.

I know my mind is supposed to translate it to "well, the author means all of us, men and women" but I find it disrespectful.

has become the commonly used default when referring to a mixed gender group. To an old "dude" like me it just sounds awkward....

As in, as far as I could tell, I was the only one who used the word in my entire high school.

I'm pretty sure I got it from my dad, who grew up in a somewhat poor, let's call it "inner city" type neighborhood in the 50's/60's, and was also a Teamster in the same area after school, and Teamsters there were VERY diverse. Whereas where I lived in 1982 was white suburbia (funnily enough only like 20 miles from where my dad grew up, but a very different place. If you know the difference between, say, Hunter's Point, SF vs Montclair in the Oakland Hills, you'd get an equivalent in both distance and culture).

Anyways, I feel vindicated now that practically everyone uses the word "dude", even for dudettes. I was totally right and ahead of my time and those other kids were stupidheads for teasing me