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A generation gap has always existed, but it may be more obvious now than it's ever been. Young adults born after 1997 and Boomers clash often, and both sides blame the other for practically everything, from eating habits to economic woes. There are habits that many Gen Zers have, and sometimes it annoys older generations to no end. Here are some typical young adult and teen habits that many Boomers just don’t understand.
While older generations tend to value sticking at the same employer for decades, Zoomers prefer to seek new jobs often. According to one report, 83% of that generation consider themselves to be job hoppers in order to find a job and company that best aligns with their skills — and of course make more money. For some reason, it seems to rub Boomers the wrong way.
Somehow, when the absurdly high cost of living nowadays comes up, many seniors love to bring up avocado toast or Starbucks habits. It’s become a meme-like stereotype for Gen Z and Millennials, and Boomers think that quitting these little luxuries will allow them to afford basics like housing. In reality, it would take forgoing at least 5,000 avocado toasts to save up a house downpayment.
Speaking of the high cost of living, many younger people are disenchanted with the idea of buying a home or the “American dream” in general because they’re completely priced out of the market. That’s led to many younger Americans planning on being lifelong renters, and they don’t attach any stigma to that decision. To Boomers, that seems like a mistake.
Younger generations are less religious than Boomers. Thirty-four percent of Gen Zers are religiously unaffiliated, according to a 2022 survey, compared to just 18% of Baby Boomers. If the trend continues, Gen Alpha (those born in 2010 and later) will be even less likely to be religious. That’s, well, sacrilege to some older generations.
Family estrangement, or intentionally going low- or no-contact with family members for your own mental health or safety, has become much more commonplace among Gen Zers and Millennials. Though there’s not much hard data on the subject yet, a survey in 2019 concluded that 27% of Americans were estranged from a relative. Unfortunately, people usually cut contact with parents and grandparents who are Boomers, and often, the Boomers don’t understand why or how that could happen.
It should be no surprise that younger voters tend to vote democratic, while older voters tend to vote republican. This demonstrates the generation gap in ideals and politics, and Boomers hate it just as much as Zoomers.
For many Boomers, there’s a stigma around mental health. Some believe that if you need mental health help, you’re “crazy” or “unstable.” Zoomers are much more open to talking about mental health and see things like therapy as a helpful tool that many people can benefit from.
Gen Z members spend an average of 7.3 hours in front of a screen every day. That’s compared to 2.9 hours for Baby Boomers. Much of that time is likely spent on social media apps like TikTok, something that older generations don’t understand because they didn’t grow up with the same technology that Zoomers and Millennials did.
Cancel culture? “Going woke”? Those are bad things to many Boomers, but that’s what younger generations call “not putting up with BS anymore.” Older generations seem to be content with looking the other way when someone is acting badly or facing an injustice. Zoomers are much more apt to call out certain bad behaviors when they see them.
The way younger generations interact with their food is often different from Boomers. Thanks to smartphones, Zoomers and Millennials enjoy taking photos of their meals, often to post on social media. When you’re having dinner with Boomers, this can elicit eyerolls or annoyed comments.
Similarly, having a phone in your pocket all the time (not to mention the instant, no-film-required nature of digital photos) means that younger people take lots more photos of each other and themselves. While selfie sticks and the perceived narcissism that goes along with them may grate on Boomer’s nerves, it’s not much different from good old Polaroids.
Check out the comment section of any article by or about young people and you’re bound to see at least one comment about “living in their parent’s basement” that’s meant to be an insult. (Don’t let me down, comment section!) Almost one-third of Gen Zers still live with their parents, but it’s generally not because they’re lazy or failing at life, it’s because they’re priced hopelessly out of housing in some markets. At some point, Boomers should remember that they might benefit from multigenerational housing as well.
Almost 50% of young adult Americans said they’re unlikely to ever have kids, according to a 2023 survey. Besides believing that they can’t afford to raise children, a lot of young people just don’t want kids anymore. That’s something that Boomers don’t seem to understand or relate to.
Gen Zers expect more respect from their employers, and insist on a healthy work/life balance. To them, your job isn’t and shouldn’t be what defines you. It’s a matter of “work to live” versus “live to work,” and it’s the main force behind all that Zoomer job hopping.
Diversity and inclusion are important to Gen Zers, which is the most diverse generation of Americans ever. Many believe that labels should be chosen and not given, and that they help foster empathy for others. But that’s often lost on Boomers who view labels as a roundabout way of excluding certain people.
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