Gen Z, your predecessors do not hate you. It’s a thing called generational divide.
Taylor Swift warned us all, “When you are young, they assume you know nothing.”
The slightly older ones—us millennials—may have forgotten it, but just a few years ago, we were in your shoes—in our teens and early twenties, trying to find our voice and what really mattered to us. We, too, had to deal with being the center of attention (perhaps the longest). We had to prove that our labels were not our identity. That we were not entitled, arrogant, and ungrounded. But, at some point, we just grew tired of it and said, “Ok, boomer.”
The bad news is it’s easy for everyone else to label you with stereotypes. The good news is it’s not personal.
As you join us in the real world, which is just a fancy term for the labor force, really, you will now be the youngest in the group and, frankly, at the bottom of the food chain. The bad news is it’s easy for everyone else to label you with stereotypes and you are now the center of attention. The good news is it’s not personal.
Many times, your language will sound nothing but gibberish to the older generations. Your problems will be unseen and your struggles will seem superficial. You won’t hear the end of how different, more difficult the times were from today: that they manually looked for information in the library or had to commute in the absence of Grab or Angkas, and that they earned way less before.
But they don’t hate you. It’s a thing called generational divide—and it’s a universal experience.
You will find yourself in a position where you just need to “suck it up,” accept that “you’re too young and emotional,” and that “you will know when you grow older.” Because they can’t be bothered to understand an entire generational behavior when it’s easier to throw some adjectives and roll their eyes.
In your case, we think that Gen Z are all rebels. That’s your branding. Here’s the good news: you are a force of nature. Let’s focus on that.
You have rejected traditions that do not work for you and have fearlessly pointed out things that we didn’t. Arguably, you’re better than us. This is not to say that you should reject everything. In fact, listen to your seniors. That’s how you learn, adapt, and thrive. But you don’t have to betray your values and priorities.
You’re right for putting your wellbeing first. You’re right to draw the line at work-life balance. You’re right for pushing for diversity. For advocating mental health and for all the rights that we didn’t fight for.
Instead, just do you. Yes, you don’t know the problems they had to deal with and, guess what, that’s not yours to carry. So, be emotional, be idealistic. These adjectives are not dirty words.
Because, honestly, you’re right about a lot of things and it’s only our ego that can’t take it.
For one, you’re right to say that your resilience should not be measured by how much you can do beyond your scope of work. You’re right for not tolerating disrespect and abuse in the guise of loyalty at your workplace.
You’re right for putting your wellbeing first. You’re right to draw the line at work-life balance. You’re right for pushing for diversity. For advocating mental health and for all the rights that we didn’t fight for.
Because while boomers may seem to have figured it all out and think that the generations after them know nothing, they still pay attention to you and may learn a thing or two. You are, after all, the center of attention.
I’m saying that some will raise their eyebrows when you speak your language. But some of us will also say “slay” and “period”—no matter how awkward we may sound, in support of your advocacies. And that, ultimately, our hope is always that you grow to be better than us.
And you should get to decide which values to hold on to and what kind of grown-up you want to become. Taylor once said, “The scary news is you’re on your own now. But the cool news is you’re on your own now!”
Yeah, you can face this,
A Millennial Rebel
