Generational factions like baby boomers, Gen X, and millennials are often critical of their peers and other groups for various reasons. Some of the grievances are trivial, but others have more gravity to them. When contributors to an online chat community were asked about their complaints with Gen Z, the responses were illuminating.
1. Everything Is Filmed
Gen Z must memorialize everything on video, from extraordinary events to mundane occurrences, which is a common objection for many community members. One person remarks that a documentary of the family breakfast isn’t necessary.
2. Persistent Victimhood
Always claiming victimhood even when they aren’t victims of anything seems to be an attribute among Gen Zers, laments a participant in the online conversation. Things not going the way they planned or anticipated doesn’t make them a victim; it makes them human.
3. Can’t Handle Adversity
“It seems a lot of Gen Z was shielded from hardship as a kid and never learned to experience it in a controlled environment. When they become an adult, they can’t handle criticism without shutting down,” asserts a contributor to the discussion.
4. Poor Social Skills
The never-ending availability of social media communications makes it difficult for Gen Z to develop the social skills required to build genuine connections with others. “Nobody has time to listen because everyone feels like they have so much to say. Nobody is willing to sacrifice to make others feel better,” someone describes their experiences to date with Gen Z.
5. Social Media Addiction
Gen Z’s preoccupation with social media likes, and the potential to go viral has become a full-blown addiction, claims another person on the forum. So much of their time is online that they only explore the world around them, if it’s through a social media-sponsored filter.
6. They’re More Isolated
It may be a confluence of things like the pandemic shutdowns, smartphones, gaming, and other technologies designed to simplify life. Still, Generation Z seems more isolated from society than the previous generation.
7. Label Culture
The insistence on labeling themselves to stand out as being anything but the average person is an annoying practice. The frustration comes from Gen Z assigning labels to themselves like “a high functioning sociopath, vegan on every second Monday, nihilist,” admits one user, who fears that all these classifications will eventually backfire and lead to less acceptance of differences.
8. Argumentative
One Gen Zer in the chat shares their concerns about how argumentative and violent their peers are and how quick they are to escalate conflicts occurring in public. They believe that if other Gen Zers would be more mindful of the effect of their words and dial down the hostile rhetoric, it would contribute to less hate in the world.
9. Making Mental Illness Trendy
Another frequent complaint about Gen Z is that they’ve made mental illness seem like it’s a trendy condition to have. Somebody on the thread writes, “Every Gen Z you meet has some sort of mental illness. ADHD, anxiety, autism, PTSD, depression, trauma, etc. I’m sure some of them aren’t lying, but some of them use it as an excuse to be mean people.” In trivializing mental illness, it makes it harder for people who legitimately have those conditions.
10. Poor Communication Skills
Gen Z has lost the capacity to talk to others, if it’s through text or a chat application. One commenter recalls not having friends in high school because they didn’t have a cell phone and watching other students send messages to the people sitting next to them instead of talking to them face to face.
11. Clout Chasing
Going out of their way to get the attention and approval of other people just to be defined as popular has become a part of Gen Z culture, a responder on the forum bemoans. They advise Gen Zers not to worry about what others think and live their best lives on their terms.
12. Practice Makes Perfect
Gen Zers must understand that developing a skill they’ll be proficient in takes time and practice. It doesn’t happen overnight. Suppose they give up too quickly because they’re not as good as the person they see online. In that case, they deny themselves an opportunity to grow and learn.
(Source: Reddit)
