Why do we always hate on the next generation?
When we released our Generations column this time last year, I had only one goal: to document the distinct backdrop against which Gen Z was growing up. In an era when our dreams, hopes, and desires are routinely being outsourced to machines, I wanted proof of our existence, of our humanity.
But with each article, the reactions got increasingly incendiary. The comment sections were filled with people who don’t read past the headline and resort to ad hominem attacks when their beliefs are challenged. Elders have called me annoying and disrespectful, and told me I remind them of their rebellious children. Somebody even cussed me out one time, which prompted my dad to come to my defense (world’s best Boomer!).
Even outside of my personal experience, it’s plain to see that Gen Z is the easiest target of unconstructive criticism. It’s become trendy to talk down to us, regardless of what we might actually be doing right: whether it’s in the workplace, within our social circles, or in any online space we happen to inhabit. The only way I’m able to detach myself from detractors is by remembering that I am only part of a vicious cycle.
The cycle of generational resentment appears eternal, driven by the belief that the older generation followed the right blueprint. This conviction, that we were the last generation to uphold certain values or enjoy privileges that make us invincible in the face of crises, causes us to form faulty generalizations against entire groups of people, based solely on when they were born.
The knee-jerk reaction is to come down hard on the youth, using the same old stereotypes to reassert our authority or to keep ourselves from fading into obscurity. Millennials, for instance, were maligned the moment they entered the workplace. In a video from 2016, inspirational speaker Simon Sinek lamented their distinct sense of entitlement and mental fragility—the same traits unfairly ascribed to today’s Gen Z. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our constant complaints about Gen Alpha got us acting like an old man yelling at a cloud, allowing us to maintain the faulty generalization that those who are younger are too self-absorbed, while we, however, can do no wrong.
It’s never as simplistic as that, though. Each demographic grew up in starkly different conditions and contexts. We can’t tell them to change when we don’t know exactly how they came to be. Boomers and Gen Xers may be seemingly apathetic towards more progressive issues because they don’t brush up on mental health and feminism. But let’s not forget that they endured a decades-long dictatorship that culminated in our country’s most historic revolution.
Conversely, millennials and Zers are said to be coasting, overspending on little treats rather than saving up for traditional milestones. But not only have our timelines shifted, but the traditional ones feel completely non-existent. Given the rising costs of basic necessities and the volatility of today’s job market, we are forced to redefine what fulfillment is outside of familial and societal expectations.
These are things we could have learned if we actually bothered to listen to one another instead of drowning them out to get our point across. We aren’t exempt from this responsibility, either: We have to admit that the disdain goes both ways, as seen in the ubiquity of the “Okay, Boomer” meme. Fortunately, Generations has been just as educational to me as it hopefully is to those who engage with our work. Interviewing sources for our weekly pieces and speaking with special guests for our podcast provided an opportunity for candid conversations on why we are the way we are, and how it might still be shaped by what others have to say.
In our podcast episode about the youth’s misuse of therapy speak with trauma therapist and Gen Xer Gang Badoy Capati, I learned how our elders had to cope in the absence of mental health terminologies.
Watch the fourth episode of Generations with Gang Badoy Capati here.
When I discussed money matters with Boomer motivational speaker Francis Kong and Xennial restaurateur Eric Dee, I found out that thriftiness taught them life skills we must also apply in the age of Buy Now, Pay Later.
Watch the eighth episode of Generations with Francis Kong and Eric Dee here.
The challenge isn’t proving that I’m in the right, but taking these bits and pieces from those who came before me to possibly make a better version of myself. It’s painting a portrait of who we are, even if it could get tainted by others’ preconceived notions.
Needless to say, it has been the privilege of my life to participate in such enriching conversations. My only hope is for Gen Z to sustain them in their own circles: To exercise patience when their Boomer parents are challenging their politics, learn what they can from their Gen X bosses and millennial colleagues, and stay open to how Gen Alpha can surprise us—all while staying true to the values and beliefs that make up our generation.
