Is the Term "Empty Nest" Offensive Now?
Is this a fair point, or another case of people being offended by everything? A writer for Slate.com thinks we should stop saying "empty nester."
She thinks it's a subtly offensive or even damaging term, because, quote, "the word 'empty' conveys only absence." It's a word you almost never use in a positive way. (Unless you're saying, "The highway was totally empty today!)
She also thinks it's an outdated term because a lot of "empty nests" don't really stay that way anymore. How many times have you seen a baby bird fly off . . . then come back four years later and stick around another decade?
The term "empty nest" has been around for over a century. It was coined in 1914 and came to describe a sort of malaise that can set in once your kids are gone.
She thinks it's time to replace it with a different term, but what would that term even be? Her suggestion is "NEXT CHAPTER." Like, "My kids are finally gone, and I can move on to my next chapter."
The only problem is it doesn't really work as a noun. You can't say, "You're a next CHAPTERER." (???) But is she right that it's more positive?
(Slate)
Originally posted on August 26th, 2024