be a sign of the times
To be regarded, usually negatively, as emblematic of the current time period. Nobody looks up from their mobile phones anymore. I guess it's a sign of the times. Kids today hate the music you loved growing up? Well, that's just a sign of the times, I guess. There's lots of ways to contact people today, and, yet, no one ever gets back to you—it's a sign of the times.
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