55 Surprising Things That Gen Z Have Going For Them, According To People Over 40
Interview
The fact of the matter is that different generations have varying outlooks and values in life. Some broader trends hold true, even if as an individual your philosophy doesn't exactly match that of your peers. Generation Z gets a lot of unnecessary flak for having different priorities than the folks who came before them.
The truth is that the members of Gen Z do a lot of things very well. So much so that the r/AskReddit online community came together to praise them for it, inspired by user u/jarbid16. Read on to see what Zoomers are doing right according to older generations.
We got in touch with the author of the fascinating thread, u/jarbid16. They shared their perspective on how Gen Z is perceived, its pros and cons, and the friction between different generations. You'll find Bored Panda's full interview with the author below.
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They treat people with disabilities with respect. My daughter, who is 23 with Down syndrome, has never been bullied ever at school or as an adult. Her peers treated her with respect and genuinely cared about her.
Generation Z refers to Americans born between 1997 and 2012. The generation that came before them is Generation Y, aka Gen Y, aka millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).
Meanwhile, those born after Gen Z are referred to as Generation Alpha or Gen A (anyone born between 2010 and 2025).
The older members of Gen Z are finishing college, entering the job market, and skilling up, while the youngest ones are still in school. That’s a pretty big difference to wrap your head around.
Wearing comfortable shoes when going out. This is low stakes compared to the other comments but whenever I see a Gen Z girl in a party dress and sneakers heading out to the bar I think “they’ve got it figured out”.
48yr old Gen Xer here. I am so impressed that Gen Z and some Millennials have stopped putting up with family abuse and drama and cut people off. Generally speaking of course, my generation and my parents generation (Boomers) have put up with familial drama and toxicity for generations because “They’re family” and “you only have one family.” WRONG.
You’re going to chastise me for being gay or having gay friends, etc etc? Fine. I’m not coming home for Thanksgiving and going to do Friendsgiving instead. You’re going to constantly give me s**t for X? Fine, goodbye and good luck in life.
I watched my Boomer parents put up with so much abuse from their Greatest or Silent Generation parents. And it’s not like they stuck around for fear of being cut out of the will. There was no money.
Every generation has its flaws but I sincerely applaud Gen Z and Millennials for this. In addition to tolerance for others.
Broadly speaking, many people use the term ‘Zoomers’ to refer to folks younger than themselves.
In the meantime, some members of older generations are so stuck in their ways that they call anyone young ‘millennials,’ no matter when they were actually born.
There are slight overlaps between each generation, and the exact range of years might change depending on who’s doing the research. To paraphrase Captain Barbossa from The Pirates of the Caribbean, generational time frames are more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.
They are nicer than we were growing up. I remember watching a kid happily dancing around a playground in a Harry Potter robe and a wand, casting spells, and realized that if he'd been doing that in the places I grew up, he would have been beaten up. Everyone else would have agreed that the kid was asking for it. Jocks beating up on nerds was seen as the natural order of things. There was a tacit understanding that some people had the right to attack others physically. Kids are smarter, more empathetic, and less judgemental these days, and I love them for it
Only while they are little kids. After 10 years old, forget it. Now kids at a young age are ganging up and killing other kids.
Treating consent like a normal component of dating. As important to learn as how to pay for dinner, how to dance, how to dress.
Wanting a 4 day work week. Everyone I know in their 40s is burnt out.
My GenZ coworkers (I work in IT) are not loathe to take time off. We're all exempt (no overtime), so if someone wants to pop out two hours early to go hiking or doomscrolling, they can and there are no judgements. They get their work done and they bail. As a GenXer, I came up inculcated with the ideas that a) butt time in seat is mandatory and b) there is ALWAYS more work to do...you are never "done". GenZ has inspired me to take better care of my mental health, to push back when I'm overloaded and struggling, and to get the h3ll away from my desk when I need to.
If you were born anywhere between two Gens, things can get really confusing. You can identify with either set of values more than the other, or you can pick and choose from both as you see fit. We know quite a few Zoomers who have more in common with younger millennials than their peers. Then again, we also know folks who think they were born in the wrong age because they don’t identify with many current social values.
Different generations being very critical of those that came before and after them is a tale as old as time. It’s easy to think that the social and cultural environment you grew up in is the ‘right’ or ‘only’ way of doing things. After all, it’s likely all you’ve ever known. And so, anybody who has a different perspective on work, family, and leisure is going to raise some eyebrows.
They're willing to leave jobs for better pay. When Gen X did it, it was branded as 'job hopping' and heavily frowned upon by companies. I'm happy that younger generations figured out that if you want to climb the ladder, you often have to jump over to a different one.
This is my favorite thing about Gen Z, the unwillingness to put up with employer bull$hit. My Gen X mom accepts all the abuse with tucked tail because "she should be happy to have any job at all". Gen Z understands the corporations woul be nothing without the workers, not the other way around, and act accordingly.
I admire their general disinterest in alcohol. Its consumption is so woven into our social fabric that it becomes hard to face how damaging it is to our long-term health. Whether Gen Z seems to acknowledge this truly, or they are just contrarian for the sake of being different, I think it's a positive thing, and I hope it sticks.
It's amazing how many good nonalcoholic alternatives there are today. I'm glad alcohol starts to lose it's grip on society.
They're so open about mental health and feelings, which I admire the hell out of. Their generation is willing to talk about it freely, rather than older generations who've pretty much kept mental illness (diagnosed or suspected, it doesn't matter) hidden away or never taken seriously. It's one of the few good things to come out of social media: There can be such support and understanding from complete strangers when someone shares their suffering
I still see- mostly guys- who really struggle to open up about how they feel its so so sad :(
From our perspective, this sort of intergenerational criticism is pretty much unavoidable. It’ll probably always exist. However, better self-awareness and a more open mind can help all of us be more accepting of these clashes between values. Just because someone has a different philosophy in life and very different priorities does not mean that they’re ‘wrong,’ even if your first instinct is to point and judge.
For example, someone who enforces their personal boundaries more strictly/loosely at work than you is simply doing what they think is in their best interest.
- Way less religious.
- Open minded.
- Less judgmental.
- Less money driven/more experience driven.
- A surprising amount of them are into rock and metal.
- Very creative.
- Less d**g abuse.
- Less violent.
- More into science.
- More aware of b******t.
Source: I’ve been teaching middle school for 9 years.
I know that they might look like morons, but the morons have ALWAYS been around in every generation. These morons are just a lot more visible because of social media.
Being more humanist. Some of it is inherited from what's taught/programmed at school etc, but some of it is also a choice they've made independently.
Boomer generation were utterly focused on career progression and productivity at all costs. That was a byproduct of the generation that raised them, who were coming out of major world wars and the peak of the age of industrialization.
Gen X inherited a certain degree of that by virtue of the fact they were raised by Boomers, but started to also think about food inequality, world peace and the environment (aka: save the trees).
Gen Y picked up more of the social equality mindset but I think got a bit lost figuring out their identity because they were at the beginning of social media and the idea of "personal branding".
Gen Z are far enough distanced from the age of industrialization now that their mindset is more centered around humanity. Healthy work/life balance, more tolerance for people with disabilities, varying sexual orientations and races/religions, more compassion and consideration of mental health.
Somewhat ironically, there's a theory that society goes through four phases that align to each generation, with the final phase being enlightenment, before going back to the start of the cycle which is essentially "war". Given the deteriorating state of the world, the generation after Gen Z may possibly end up looking more like the silent generation.
I love seeing that many gen z women carry *weight* on their bodies. The 1990s and 2000s encouraged girls and women to make themselves as small as possible, i.e. to physically disappear. After that cultural horror, seeing so many teens and 20-somethings proudly baring real muscle and fat damn near makes me cry.
I also love the wildness of self-presentation - the ill-fitting clothes, surprising pairings, and bonkers haircuts. Keep it up gen z!
Unfortunately this caused a bit of a weird trend to go into the extremes. At one side we still have those models that look like wandering skeletons, on the other hand we have those fat positivity online celebs that try to hype up being obese and then ... just die. Just recently another one of them passed away from the complications their weight brought. It's so sad, really ... You don't have to look like a gazelle, I don't do that either, but please, try to be healthy. You only have one life, and it'd be a shame if you'd lose it with 30.
Each generation faces its fair share of problems. Investopedia points out that around half of the members of Generation Z don’t make enough money yet to cover their basic living expenses. Meanwhile, more than a third have student loans that they’ll need to pay off. On the plus side, 70% are saving for retirement with employer-sponsored plans or outside the workplace. What’s more, Zoomers are starting to save for retirement much earlier than millennials (at age 19 compared to age 25).
Generation Alpha, which follows Gen Z, is thought to be the most technologically savvy and will likely be the most environmentally aware. However, it’s also facing some major challenges, such as having a reduced attention span (thanks, screens!) and focusing on remote rather than in-person socializing.
Gen Z is a lot less casually racist, sexist and lgbtq hating than the people I grew up with, which is something I appreciate.
Because their parents didn't really agree with it either and raised a generation that took the next step. Luckily, the homophobic dinosaurs that set the vibe are going away.
Gen Z includes some of the most compassionate, caring, and accepting people I’ve ever seen.
Theyre depressed and poor, but they all are so empathetic. I’ve seen them champion for one another so quickly. I’ve seen them immediately supporting their friends going through emotional struggle and it seems like they’re all well versed in therapy work.
Perhaps it’s because they’ve been through METOO, Covid, BLM, and now LGBTQ, but it’s like as a whole they’re just way more empathetic.
The author of the viral thread shared how they'd been seeing lots of social media posts about how Gen Z doesn't have the same values that previous generations do. "As someone who is on the cusp of being considered a millennial and a Gen Z’er, I’d talk to a lot of people online and in real life who would criticize Gen Z for holding different outlooks on work and life without trying to see things from a younger generation’s perspective. While I do believe a lot of the criticism I’ve heard is valid, I also thought to myself, 'There has to be something younger generations are doing well, even if they’re ruffling some feathers.'"
From u/jarbid16's perspective, one thing that Gen Z is doing particularly well is drawing their boundaries at work. "This is one of the things that really resonated with a lot of other Reddit users who responded to my post. It’s clear that the landscape of the workforce has changed quite dramatically over the decades and that things that were accepted as the norm back then simply aren’t normal now,” they told Bored Panda.
"One thing that I hear constantly is that 'younger generations don’t want to work hard.' I understand the sentiment behind this, but the cost of living has skyrocketed over the years, and oftentimes, hard work isn’t always rewarded with more pay/benefits. People have bills to pay, and life can feel fruitless for many when you have to work so hard to get so little in return," the OP shared their opinion.
I feel like fewer of them are smoking. And they have made being embarrassed of mental disorders pretty non existent.
They are far more accepting of people. My kids have relatives in the Midwest and the South who are white gun-toting conservatives. And they have friends who are gay, Black, Brown, Asian — you name it. They view people as people and love all of them.
Make boomers cry because "nobody want to work anymore"
No moron, nobody want to be a slave anymore.
"So many people nowadays are working several jobs just to survive, regardless of age. The cost of living is rising, while wages across the board have generally stagnated. There are a variety of other factors that contribute to this as well, one being technological advancements that made previously lucrative work sectors more or less obsolete in today’s workforce. In essence, people don’t want to overwork themselves when the results can seem very grim."
However, it's not like the youngest generations are getting everything perfectly right, either. There are some serious issues with communication and a lack of willingness to understand one another. "One thing I think Gen Z and Gen A could do better is communicate in real life. We hear this criticism a lot, but I do think social media has definitely changed the way we communicate with each other, and younger generations have embraced this almost to a fault. People will speak their minds on social media with no filter, but they often get nervous when they have to echo those sentiments with someone face to face," u/jarbid16 shared their take with Bored Panda.
**Spending money on experience instead of things.** My niece went to Paris to see a concert, she doesn't own a couch.
Good move, kid.
Can't figure out if this entry is making fun of the girl for spending money on a frivolous trip instead of something that could be considered a near-necessity, or if they're saying that good experiences always trump physical possessions. Personally, I think there has to be a balance -- too little spent on good experiences, and you're not really living; too little spent on possessions that you use daily, and your life will start to get very aggravating after awhile.
How did they get so good at maintaining houseplants at such a young age? All my younger coworkers have had desks overflowing with lush plants. I couldn’t keep a houseplant alive until I turned 30.
Rejecting and questioning tradition. I think each generation has played a part in disturbing the status quo, and Gen Z is a culmination of those efforts. The rift began with the counterculture of the Boomer era and has traveled through each subsequent generation, gaining momentum with every passing decade. Now we are beginning to see results in the real world. As a millennial born in '90, I see Gen Z reaching voting age as The Last Great Hope for America. If they can't turn the tide against Christian fascism, I don't know what will.
"In this current economic and political climate, so many people with varying ideologies and beliefs would rather not talk to each other at all and just demonize one another rather than have a discussion in order to meet in the middle somewhere. Sometimes, it seems that so many people think they can’t share criticism or frustration without being rude, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone, but it’s a trend that myself and many others believe is heading in a dark direction," they said.
Bored Panda was interested in hearing the author's thoughts as to why different generations tend to be so critical of each other. In their opinion, it comes down to the varying circumstances each one of them had to face.
"We tend to forget how different life was before the Internet. For example, my parents are Middle Eastern immigrants who moved to the U.S. in the '80s. They came from a country where the cultural and political environments were completely different, where conflict started to weave itself into the fabric of everyday life. My parents were firm believers in the American dream, and while they still largely hold those beliefs, they’ve even recognized that the world is not the same as it was when they first moved to the U.S.," u/jarbid16 opened up to us.
Making secondhand clothing cool. I love how the Gen Zs I know create their own style and care about the environmental impact of their choices.
Their generation doesn't seem to give a s**t about who is gay and who isn't. I'm straight but I cringed as a teen when friends openly talked bad s**t regarding gay people.
"I’m fortunate for my family; they’ve done so much for me and have gone through so much to provide a better life for me. While there are certain sentiments they have that I don’t necessarily agree with, I always try to see things from their point of view."
The author added that they personally believe there's a lot of value to be found in perspective. "In this day and age of polarization, I believe there is a lot of wisdom and knowledge to be gained by recognizing the different challenges different generations have faced. The world is in a weird place right now, and I think most people can acknowledge this in one way or another. It’s easy to let the current state of the world bring us down, but I’m still hopeful that the future will be better!"
Like others said: basically telling businesses to get bent if they’re not paying well or offering competitive benefits.
Voting. They are voting at historic rates and making their voices heard.
Y'all Americans really need a Gen Z voting surge to avoid re-electing the orange fasho.
My kids are all in their early/mid-twenties, and I love how they easily form platonic friendships across genders. I, a male, had no female friends growing up, maybe due to the heavily conservative Midwest environment.
"But men and women can't be just friends!!!!" is one of the most laughable statements. Dude, if you're unable to have any interaction with a woman without your blood running south, that sounds like a YOU problem.
What do you personally think Generation Z does well, dear Pandas? What do you think the members of that generation could aim to do better? Is there anything that irks you? What do you think the biggest challenges facing Gen Z and Gen A are going to be in the near future?
We'd love to hear your take on this, so if you have a moment, share yours in the comments!
They clearly don't give a s**t what people think about how they dress and present themselves. There's LOTS of confidence there.
You're mistaken here, I think. They may dress in a way that seems non-conformist, but I promise you there is a trend to that, as well. And the way they present themselves is certainly done in a way that they think makes them look good to their peers. As every generation or group does, in their own way.
In general, they are more accepting and tolerant of people who are different. Good on you Gen Z.
They seem to have a proper awareness of the realities of capitalism and what they really deserve in the job market.
"Quiet quitting"
You mean, working your established hours?
I love GenZ. They are everything us Boomers failed to be. GenZ are forward thinkers, they take a stand for what they believe in. They are courageous and for the most part they speak respectfully to the boomers even when provoked. Okay calling us "okay Boomer" not so much but sometimes it's warranted. ❤️ zoomers!
A lot of the younger members of Gen Z are very open about themselves and give less of a s**t about judgement. Love seeing it.
They are also allowing too much information about themself to become public knowledge.
Fleeing religion.
I feel Gen Z just doesn't push religion onto others, but they are just as religious as previous generations, maybe a little less. It seems like they are just more interested in actually learning their religion rather than just blindly following the old bigoted beliefs. Lots of Gen Zers I know go to church on Sundays, and the prayer halls at Friday are packed. Hanukah and Diwali are both widely celebrated, and you know when one of them or some other religious holiday is happening.
I think they stopped eating those tidepods.
They’re not gonna be slaves in the corporate world, like us. It may sound too much at times but they know their worth and mental health.
Unionizing.
Less tobacco, d***s & alcohol.
Gen Z's confidence and ability to wear anything is confusing, and I admire that.
Not shítting on it, I think it's great as well, but it's been happening for many decades, the younger generation breaking with conventions and fashions. Punks come to mind as it was the first I witnessed.
They harness the power of social media to raise awareness, organize protests, and make a difference.
To be fair, we didn't have social media when we were young enough to have the time to use it.
Skin care / self care. Growing up in the late 70’s early 80’s we never even thought about using sunscreen. Now my 12yo daughter has a 30 minute regimen every night for skin care. Good for you, sis! Take care of yourself!
There's a difference between self care and being a Sephora kid. Half an hour skin care for a 12 yo seems overkill. But as a generation, they're aware of sun damage and that's quite the improvement.
They put themselves first.
If it's before a company, toxic family, then yes. If it's before pets or kids, then only in the case of a oxygen mask drops from the roof in the airplane 🙃
I feel like the gym and lifting are becoming a trend amongst us Gen z ppl. a lot of young teens are lifting more and getting into that mindset, and along with that comes meal prep, stoicism, reading, studying, eating cleaner, and living with a clear healthy mind. just some things that stem from getting into the gym culture bc those things are highly endorsed.
More health focused for sure. Less alcohol, more sports... it's almost as if their parents have learned from their own mistakes.
They don't experience an awkward stage. It seems like they all skipped this part of life. It’s like all Gen Z'ers came out of elementary school knowing how to coordinate outfits and drink Starbucks.
Huh, think I must have missed the super secret Gen Z class on this…
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Most of these positive things they actually said about millenials and Gen X too. Eventually Gen Z will be older and the ones who are complained about. They’ll praise the new generations for having these exact qualities. The circle of life continues.
Yep. It’s quite depressing to think about how cyclical everything is.
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This won't be popular, but I find the whole birth-generation-determines-your-personality stuff to have about the same credibility as astrological signs. I'm supposedly GenX and have kids who are Millennials and Gen Z (two born only 2.5 years apart, but apparently completely different generations) and two grandkids who are Alpha. I also work in a field that involves people of all ages, from toddlers to centurions. There is simply little to no truth in these stereotypes about ANY generation, and pretty much all generations showed these same traits at a younger age. (Boomers didn't want to work for da man, remember?). Sad that agesim is now just being used as another wedge to drive hatred, and people who revel in it are no less bigoted than racists or sexists.
I'm an elder millennial who has some gen z friends and work with tons of gen z and I think you're 1000% correct. Most of this list applies to most generations in their *youth and / or just isn't accurate at all.
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Boomer here. My best friend at secondary school (in England early '70s) came out as gay. He lost many friends then. It didn't bother me one bit. I just accepted him as a true friend. He knew I wasn't gay and didn't try to hit on me. He passed away in the '80s from an AID's related issue. I still wear his silver friendship ring on my right ring finger to this day.
Thank you for that. I bet he valued the heIl out of you. Everyone needs a friend who loves them for who they are and always has their back. But that need becomes literally life changing when it feels like the rest of the world is against you.
Load More Replies... Most of these positive things they actually said about millenials and Gen X too. Eventually Gen Z will be older and the ones who are complained about. They’ll praise the new generations for having these exact qualities. The circle of life continues.
Yep. It’s quite depressing to think about how cyclical everything is.
Load More Replies... This won't be popular, but I find the whole birth-generation-determines-your-personality stuff to have about the same credibility as astrological signs. I'm supposedly GenX and have kids who are Millennials and Gen Z (two born only 2.5 years apart, but apparently completely different generations) and two grandkids who are Alpha. I also work in a field that involves people of all ages, from toddlers to centurions. There is simply little to no truth in these stereotypes about ANY generation, and pretty much all generations showed these same traits at a younger age. (Boomers didn't want to work for da man, remember?). Sad that agesim is now just being used as another wedge to drive hatred, and people who revel in it are no less bigoted than racists or sexists.
I'm an elder millennial who has some gen z friends and work with tons of gen z and I think you're 1000% correct. Most of this list applies to most generations in their *youth and / or just isn't accurate at all.
Load More Replies... Boomer here. My best friend at secondary school (in England early '70s) came out as gay. He lost many friends then. It didn't bother me one bit. I just accepted him as a true friend. He knew I wasn't gay and didn't try to hit on me. He passed away in the '80s from an AID's related issue. I still wear his silver friendship ring on my right ring finger to this day.
Thank you for that. I bet he valued the heIl out of you. Everyone needs a friend who loves them for who they are and always has their back. But that need becomes literally life changing when it feels like the rest of the world is against you.
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