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Zoomers and Millennials are very much alike. For example, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, and they are on track to becoming the most well-educated ones too.
But in many ways, these digital natives, who have little or no memory of the world that existed before smartphones, are quite special. To the point that sometimes even their closest associates have problems understanding them.
So when Reddit user Dramatic-Anywhere-50 posted a question on the platform, asking: "Millennials, what confuses you about Gen Z?" many of them delivered. Here are some of the most upvoted answers.
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#1
Why do all of you claim to be shy, antisocial, and don't wanna be the center of attention, all while posting every single selfie, dance video, etc of yourself online constantly.
RELATED:
#2
"Wow, you're over 30 and know what videogames are?"
You little s**t brain thinks that videogames fall out of trees? Who do you think is making them, the Fortnite fairy?
#3
Cancel culture. Many Gen Z'ers act like people are completely incapable of learning to be better, and instead only focus on one bad thing someone said a million years ago or something that was taken out of context.
Mimi 2 years ago
Cancel Culture is erasing what's undesirable to some, (undesirable often with good reasons). But democratic processes need different opinions and open talk about that. Zapping out people doesn't stop their opinion, they just take it underground, feel oppressed and start to hate. Happens in China, happens in Russia. No good. To the commenters who think canceling equals boycotting: I disagree. Boycotting is an action you take for yourself and fully your right. It leaves the other one with a chance to overthink and adjust rather than just being dissolved and publicly erased.
#4
It may sound ignorant, so I apologize, but when I was in HS, we hated being labeled- now it seems people want their labels on display- whether it’s sexuality or learning differences, etc (ace, neurodivergent, etc). I respect it, I just remember not wanting to be boxed into labels.
CalicoKitty 2 years ago
I expect with the variance of labels people find it easier to find one that doesn't feel so restrictive? A lot of labels are self-identified now, as well, rather than slapped on like a post-it note. Still, there are plenty of people running around preferring to be a vague human blob...
#6
Do none of you realize putting your entire lives on the Internet is going to come back to bite you in the a*s someday?
#7
Why does it seem like they all skipped the awkward phase? It’s like they came out of elementary school knowing how to coordinate outfits and drink Starbucks.
#8
One of my students said, "LMAO" in front of my yesterday and she asked me if I knew what it meant. I had to tell her that those kinds of acronyms are at least 20 years old and my generation popularized them. She was shocked.
#9
They don't drink alcohol.
I went to a college football game recently and I was really surprised by what I saw... Back in the 2000s/2010s you would see what seem liked everyone getting HAMMERED in the AM. I'm talking shots at any bar you went to, doing pulls off liquor bottles on the street, whatever. It was routine to see people passed out places, getting loaded into ambulances, etc.
Obviously none of this is good and I'm not encouraging any of it but in my experience that's just what college football game day is like.
Fast forward to the game I went to recently and my group were the most drunk (number of people and drunk level) I think I saw all weekend. I'm not bragging, just saying it's really strange to go in to a college bar before the game and do a couple of shots while "the kids these days" look at you like you're crazy.
We followed up with some research and apparently all of the stats back it up. With Gen Z it's official - alcohol isn't "cool" anymore - which is a good thing because it is absolutely terrible for a variety of reasons.
#10
Do you actually fact check anything or just read the headlines/memes?
Well-Dressed Wolf 2 years ago (edited)
Isn’t that what Millennials/everyone else says that Boomers do?
#11
Millennial style was catered to looking slim - if you look skinnier, it's flattering!
Gen Z's confidence and ability to wear anything is confusing and I admire that.
#12
I had very nice conversation with a young man about high school age a few weeks ago at the gas station. He was wearing an anime t-shirt, immaculate clothes, fit, polite and respectful. He had very nerdy interests but also was raising money for his school team.
I'm a bit taken aback and jealous at how Gen Zs have seemed to blend social groups together in a way that we never could.
Hatred Pony 2 years ago (edited)
I used to be picked on for liking sci-fi, comic books and anime. Now it's cool, I am still not. 🤓
#13
The fashion.
Listen, I'll be the first to admit I'm old, out of touch, probably look like a f*****g dork to young people. I'm fine with not understanding and letting fashion be the domain of the youth. Teens set trends. That's how it's always been. I don't need to try to cling on.
That being said, since we're being honest here,
The baggy pants. The chunky shoes and dad style white sneakers. The mullets. The serial killer glasses. Bucket hats. Crocs.
It's all so...Frumpy. Sexless. I don't get it.
BUT I will say, props to Gen Z though for being cool and forward thinking and giving a s**t about one another and the planet and being so open minded and rejecting old social constructs and binaries around identity. The kids are alright.
InvincibleRodent 2 years ago
You know, I actually prefer this "frumpy and sexless" look to the hyper-sexualized era of fashion that was (and in many cases/circles, is) present some 10-15-20 years ago. This feels like an antithesis of that, and it's refreshing.
#14
I found out the other day that they think gifs are for boomers which shook me. It was the first time I could truly relate to the Abe Simpson line:
“I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”
#15
Where are all the Gen Z celebrities? Apart from Tom Holland and Zendaya, I cannot think of a leading man or woman in Hollywood in their 20s. Ryan Gosling is playing Ken in the Barbie movie and he's 41.
#16
I'm only 26 so I guess I'm at the tail end of the millennial range and near the start of Gen Z. I've never understood the desire to copy those TikTok challenge trends.
Monday 2 years ago
I mean a couple years ago everyone was copying planking challenges and posting it all over 9gag instead. The medium may have changed but the idiocy remains the same.
Happy_Pandalover 2 years ago
Same thoughts. The platforms just change. I remember there once was Vine (?!), where people had funny videos abd challenges. As long as they are fun and not harmful, why not ☺️
Load More Replies...
Stephanie Paich 2 years ago
Same reason people "had" to do triple dog dares a few decades ago. I never understood this either, but it's in every generation, some people are desperate to fit in.
Keating_5 2 years ago
People like to feel connected by doing the same thing they saw someone else do. For millenials and Gen X especially, it was lien dances, so yes, we did the same thing and I don’t get why this is looked down on so much-except the dances now are kinda simplified in my opinion and the tide pod challenge was DEFINITELY stupid, even if it was a satire of follow culture overall.
#17
Truth be told, nothing.
Yeah what they do "confuses" me, but I know I acted in the exact same manner when I was their age, or knew somebody that did. They're still developing and trying to navigate a world where technology is moving fast. They also haven't been knocked around by life enough to get it together.
#18
Why do they go to events like concerts and sports games but watch through their phones as they take video? They're denying themselves the whole experience! Put down the phone and fully enjoy being present
Hatred Pony 2 years ago
It's not just Gen Z, it seems every generation does this now that we can record with our phones. I have gone to plenty of concerts where it was a 30+ crowd and still all you could see were phones being held up and dimwits staring at them.
#19
Why do y’all vape? Like seriously. We were so close to just completely obliterating smoking and then comes along vaping… and so many of y’all 15 year olds think it doesn’t have negative effects?? when y’all all get cancer at 40, don’t say we didn’t warn you
#20
How incredibly tolerant they are of ads and being tracked constantly.
CalicoKitty 2 years ago (edited)
Every time I see an ad normalising some kind of tracking (recent one for family plans that let you track phones automatically come to mind) I think to myself "Ah. Well that's some poor bastard murdered. Excellent [/s]."
#21
I'm Gen x and I want to know why Gen z wears those hot hoodies in the summer
#22
How much Gen Z reveals about themselves on the internet. I've seen TikToks where kids are showing videos of their street, their house, their school...pretty much everything anyone would ever need to follow you and/or potentially do bad things to you. If you want to document your life online that's fine, but be careful. People can do a whole lot with a little bit of information, and the internet can be a really dangerous place if you're not careful.
CalicoKitty 2 years ago
Nobody teaches basic internet security nowadays. Half the families went completely lockdown in the early days with all the creepers on virtual worlds and all that stuff and then everyone realised honestly it wasn't /that/ dangerous and decided that meant they should just let the kids run off free range. Just because you don't need a full-body suit doesn't mean you shouldn't wear safety goggles- !
#23
The fact they might think about the 90s the same way i thought about the 80s or 70s when i was a child of the 90s, a long time ago
#24
The hypocrisy. They will go on a shopping spree on Shein every two weeks. Meanwhile, the same people are probably 'worried' about climate change.
Fembot 2 years ago (edited)
If aynone’s NOT worried about climate change by now there’s something seriously wrong. Maybe don’t judge people for not being perfect but rather lead by example? (I also hate the sheins and amazons of this world btw, but by no means lead a perfect, carbon-free life). We are all hypocrites.
#25
Why don’t you ask older people when you don’t know something? I work with a lot of Gen Z and I see a lot of the blind leading the blind for no reason at all. Get some outside opinions.
#27
I’m 24 so what confuses me most is which generation I belong to
Laura Mende (Human) 2 years ago (edited)
Yeah same! I think there is a thing called "Zellenial"? Could be wrong though... We're as old as we feel! I'm feeling more like Millenial because older siblings made me feel older myself.
#28
How do all these young guys get their hair to look that way that's super in right now, are they out getting perms?
#29
Why some of them act like they pioneered the social media/influencer boom or look at me surprised because I have Snapchat, etc, even though many of these came out when millennials like me were in our early 20s and the core demographic
#30
They have a very weird and strange sense of humour... like it's hard articulate what it. is exactly... but it's quite precise?
What do you think ?
Michal Pifko 2 years ago
I teach first year university students. They are fine and in no way worse than we were at their age. People always criticize the new generation for some reason.
Devon M 2 years ago
Agree! I'm 36 and had the opportunity to return to university a couple years ago and just graduated with a business degree in May. Almost all of my classmates were in their late teens, early 20's. I had originally attended the same University from 2004 to 2006 and I honestly didn't notice a huge difference between my generation and theirs, if anything, they seemed more open and accepting. I remember having a hard time fitting in and no one really talked to me during that first college experience (admittedly I was, and still can be, a bit shy and awkward). When I returned all of my classmates were so nice, and not just to me, they all seemed to get along, and many of them were brilliant. I think Gen Z is doing just fine.
Load More Replies...
Q B F T 2 years ago (edited)
Fwiw this is no different than posts of boomers complaining about millennials - looks like millennials are transitioning into the grumpy "kids these days..." phase as easily as every gen before them.
Monday 2 years ago
I for one am looking forward to shaking my cane in the air and ranting about "kids these days" and "In my time".
Load More Replies...
Buren 2 years ago
Whoever they are, boomer, X, Y, Mil, Z, I lost track, always complain about generations before/after them. It's not about generations, it's about what one chooses to do
DrBronxx 2 years ago (edited)
Oh no. It's happened. Millennials have reached the stage of life where complaining about younger generations has become a significant part of life. We're old. I guess this weekend I'll go buy a pair of trousers that go up to my nipples, and sit in front of my house while I become incrementally more prejudiced. (I know some of the observations in this post are positive, but there are way too many "shaking fist at cloud" complaints).
Chich 2 years ago
Whats this? Millenials complaining about "kids these days"??? "Get off my lawn" can't be far behind :P
MimSorensson 1 year ago
Dude, I don’t complain - kids were always stupid, I was stupid, everyone was stupid and everybody gets called “you young whippersnapper” sooner or later - but I don’t want people on my lawn. I’ve been at the “get off my lawn” stage since I had a lawn in my late twenties. Just… don’t be on my lawn, man.
Load More Replies...
Black Pearl 2 years ago
I think this whole list is kinda stupid. The people described here are not all of us and it's not the best to just generalize all of us. A whole generation doesn't act the same, it's the different people in it. There are absolutely Millennials that are like this.
Demi Zwaan 2 years ago
Why are generations such a big deal these days? Because the rich always needs to have us fight each other instead of fighting against them, and the whole race against race or gender against gender is getting out of style. So now it's generation against generation. It's ridiculous.
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago
I refuse to join in bashing the generation below me. Get the f**k over yourselves, whiners.
Philenzortia 2 years ago
A friend of mine said yesterday “new generations keep getting dumber and dumber”. And I think that comment belongs to a closed mind person. I think were a little dumb when we were younger, and I hate that we are creating this gap. Only because we, millennials are older doesn’t mean that we are right and gen z is wrong. I hate that trend of having to complaint about younger generations. That should stop with us.
HarperTheCentaur (they/them) 2 years ago
The generalizations here seem a little unfair. This view of Gen Z seems based on Tiktok culture, which is FAR from all of us. I happen to be a Tumblr user of three years, and the culture there (also mostly Gen Z) is kind of the antithesis of Tiktok culture, at least in some aspects. I don't want to be put in a box, and this zoomer caricature does not represent me.
KimB 2 years ago
I'm gen X and I will say one thing I know is worse for the younger generations and that is bullying. The cyber bullying is obnoxious and definitely wasn't something we had to worry about. Yes some or even most of us were bullied or picked on in school but it ended there. We went home to our parent(s) and didn't need to worry until the next school day. These kids can't get away from it when it's at school and then all their social media.
Stephanie Paich 2 years ago
I was born in 94, so tail end of millennials. I learned how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point in 7th grade. And I was in public school. They knew those programs were becoming used in most jobs, even office jobs in a non-IT capacity generally use computers to some extent, so they wanted us to be prepared. But it seems like people younger than me don't know how to use these programs and it baffles me. Why would schools not still be teaching them? Just about every job requires you to use them at some point, what gives?
MimSorensson 1 year ago
Yeah - human kind has complained about the younger generation for all of humanity. The ancient Greeks complained about the younger generations, as long as there’s been a written language there’s been angry writing about the “lack of respect” and the “strange habits” of younger people. We just forget, that’s all - when we reach thirty five or so we forget that we were exactly as dumb in exactly the same way, only with different gear.
Joshua Moore 2 years ago
Just to add to the fun......"I'm old, get off my lawn, you young whipper snapper!! What time is Matlock on? I'm hungry, cold and confused. Where's my vanilla ice cream?"
Wintermute 2 years ago
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” ― Socrates Some things never change - and I'm referring to the ability of people to complain about stupid s**t.
tHeBoRdEsTpAnDa 2 years ago
I will say, I'm on the older side of gen-z, my generation is... really something
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 2 years ago (edited)
I feel that every generation is going to complain needlessly about the generation before and/or after them. I'm an Millennial, but I deeply admire Gen-z's activism--I feel like they are the movers and shakers who won't sit still and be complacent.They push for change and growth and I really respect that. Do I think that some Gen-z "aesthetics" are bizarre--hell yeah. However, I have no right to talk since I come from the generation that wore tiny dresses over flared jeans while rocking the world's chunkiest highlights.
Load More Replies... Mindghost 2 years ago
I'm still impressed how some GenZ people take so much for granted and make me feel like i cherish worthless things. Like i had to wait for a specific movie to watch in TV and made big deal of it, while today you simultaneously watch the movie on NetFlix, hear your music on spotify while playing your downloaded game with your friends over internet and look something up on the smartphone while you wait 5 seconds to respawn :)
Michal Pifko 2 years ago
I teach first year university students. They are fine and in no way worse than we were at their age. People always criticize the new generation for some reason.
Devon M 2 years ago
Agree! I'm 36 and had the opportunity to return to university a couple years ago and just graduated with a business degree in May. Almost all of my classmates were in their late teens, early 20's. I had originally attended the same University from 2004 to 2006 and I honestly didn't notice a huge difference between my generation and theirs, if anything, they seemed more open and accepting. I remember having a hard time fitting in and no one really talked to me during that first college experience (admittedly I was, and still can be, a bit shy and awkward). When I returned all of my classmates were so nice, and not just to me, they all seemed to get along, and many of them were brilliant. I think Gen Z is doing just fine.
Load More Replies... Q B F T 2 years ago (edited)
Fwiw this is no different than posts of boomers complaining about millennials - looks like millennials are transitioning into the grumpy "kids these days..." phase as easily as every gen before them.
Monday 2 years ago
I for one am looking forward to shaking my cane in the air and ranting about "kids these days" and "In my time".
Load More Replies... Buren 2 years ago
Whoever they are, boomer, X, Y, Mil, Z, I lost track, always complain about generations before/after them. It's not about generations, it's about what one chooses to do
DrBronxx 2 years ago (edited)
Oh no. It's happened. Millennials have reached the stage of life where complaining about younger generations has become a significant part of life. We're old. I guess this weekend I'll go buy a pair of trousers that go up to my nipples, and sit in front of my house while I become incrementally more prejudiced. (I know some of the observations in this post are positive, but there are way too many "shaking fist at cloud" complaints).
Chich 2 years ago
Whats this? Millenials complaining about "kids these days"??? "Get off my lawn" can't be far behind :P
MimSorensson 1 year ago
Dude, I don’t complain - kids were always stupid, I was stupid, everyone was stupid and everybody gets called “you young whippersnapper” sooner or later - but I don’t want people on my lawn. I’ve been at the “get off my lawn” stage since I had a lawn in my late twenties. Just… don’t be on my lawn, man.
Load More Replies... Black Pearl 2 years ago
I think this whole list is kinda stupid. The people described here are not all of us and it's not the best to just generalize all of us. A whole generation doesn't act the same, it's the different people in it. There are absolutely Millennials that are like this.
Demi Zwaan 2 years ago
Why are generations such a big deal these days? Because the rich always needs to have us fight each other instead of fighting against them, and the whole race against race or gender against gender is getting out of style. So now it's generation against generation. It's ridiculous.
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago
I refuse to join in bashing the generation below me. Get the f**k over yourselves, whiners.
Philenzortia 2 years ago
A friend of mine said yesterday “new generations keep getting dumber and dumber”. And I think that comment belongs to a closed mind person. I think were a little dumb when we were younger, and I hate that we are creating this gap. Only because we, millennials are older doesn’t mean that we are right and gen z is wrong. I hate that trend of having to complaint about younger generations. That should stop with us.
HarperTheCentaur (they/them) 2 years ago
The generalizations here seem a little unfair. This view of Gen Z seems based on Tiktok culture, which is FAR from all of us. I happen to be a Tumblr user of three years, and the culture there (also mostly Gen Z) is kind of the antithesis of Tiktok culture, at least in some aspects. I don't want to be put in a box, and this zoomer caricature does not represent me.
KimB 2 years ago
I'm gen X and I will say one thing I know is worse for the younger generations and that is bullying. The cyber bullying is obnoxious and definitely wasn't something we had to worry about. Yes some or even most of us were bullied or picked on in school but it ended there. We went home to our parent(s) and didn't need to worry until the next school day. These kids can't get away from it when it's at school and then all their social media.
Stephanie Paich 2 years ago
I was born in 94, so tail end of millennials. I learned how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point in 7th grade. And I was in public school. They knew those programs were becoming used in most jobs, even office jobs in a non-IT capacity generally use computers to some extent, so they wanted us to be prepared. But it seems like people younger than me don't know how to use these programs and it baffles me. Why would schools not still be teaching them? Just about every job requires you to use them at some point, what gives?
MimSorensson 1 year ago
Yeah - human kind has complained about the younger generation for all of humanity. The ancient Greeks complained about the younger generations, as long as there’s been a written language there’s been angry writing about the “lack of respect” and the “strange habits” of younger people. We just forget, that’s all - when we reach thirty five or so we forget that we were exactly as dumb in exactly the same way, only with different gear.
Joshua Moore 2 years ago
Just to add to the fun......"I'm old, get off my lawn, you young whipper snapper!! What time is Matlock on? I'm hungry, cold and confused. Where's my vanilla ice cream?"
Wintermute 2 years ago
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” ― Socrates Some things never change - and I'm referring to the ability of people to complain about stupid s**t.
tHeBoRdEsTpAnDa 2 years ago
I will say, I'm on the older side of gen-z, my generation is... really something
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 2 years ago (edited)
I feel that every generation is going to complain needlessly about the generation before and/or after them. I'm an Millennial, but I deeply admire Gen-z's activism--I feel like they are the movers and shakers who won't sit still and be complacent.They push for change and growth and I really respect that. Do I think that some Gen-z "aesthetics" are bizarre--hell yeah. However, I have no right to talk since I come from the generation that wore tiny dresses over flared jeans while rocking the world's chunkiest highlights.
Load More Replies... Mindghost 2 years ago
I'm still impressed how some GenZ people take so much for granted and make me feel like i cherish worthless things. Like i had to wait for a specific movie to watch in TV and made big deal of it, while today you simultaneously watch the movie on NetFlix, hear your music on spotify while playing your downloaded game with your friends over internet and look something up on the smartphone while you wait 5 seconds to respawn :)
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