10 Things Gen Z Finds Unappealing About The Personality Of Millennials
Bricolage | ShutterstockThere are bitter, spiteful people in every generation, but some believe generational identity isn't real.
With every generation being so different, it's hard to collectively name traits or condemn struggles when they're not always true for every person. However, there are still some things Gen Z finds unappealing about the personality of millennials. At the very least, they're the kinds of things they've collectively assumed every millennial embodies, even if it's not true.
The things Gen Z finds unappealing about millennial personalities
1. Needing to differentiate themselves
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Many Gen Zers find it offensive when millennials make a clear effort to differentiate themselves from their generation. Even if it's not a trait that all millennials have, hearing just one millennial say something like "Why would you think I'm Gen Z?" is enough to stick around and feel offensive.
So many young people are constantly fielding comments and judgments about their generation from older people, so having the generation closest to them and their experience spewing similar kinds of comments is hurtful, to say the least.
But many people aren't saying these kinds of things about Gen Z. Some might even feel a sense of honest community with their generation, which is why they are quick to correct people that they're millennials. Despite all that, the difference between generations is something Gen Z perceives as annoying and unappealing.
2. Their cringiness
Many young people make fun of millennials on social media and criticize them for being "cringy" when, in reality, they're just referencing their own trends and connecting with people within their own communities. Just like Gen Zers have their own slang and trends to connect with each other, many of which other generations find cringey, millennials also do.
From selfie angles to clothing styles, millennials have collectively taken on an uncool identity, usually as a means of projection for the things young people don't care for in their own generation.
3. Constant optimism
While Gen Zers are advocates and challengers in the face of injustice, they also tend to struggle with the highest rates of mental illness and, therefore, pessimism than others. They're anxious and overwhelmed by their lives and the state of the world, compared to millennials who tend to be much more optimistic, according to psychology professor Jean Twenge.
When they're struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel or the bright side to their chronic struggles, being around millennials who are always optimistic can be unappealing and annoying. Sometimes, wallowing in struggles and having someone to listen to, instead of saying "at least you're not..." is what a young person really wants.
4. Traditional family values
So many Gen Zers believe that their millennial friends and family members are hypocrites, because while they've been largely described as more tolerant, modern people than their parents, they still hold traditional family values.
Wanting to have a family and kids is great, and is not something Gen Zers necessarily criticize in other generations. However, being pressured to do the same comes across as intrusive, especially coming from millennials who are supposed to be their more tolerant, modern counterparts. If they don't want kids, they don't want to have to defend themselves.
5. Their big sibling energy
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Yes, millennials are older by definition. Yes, they're often the eldest siblings and sometimes parents to Gen Zers. However, this mentality of being the wiser, more influential person outside of personal relationships is one of the most unappealing parts of a millennial's personality for younger people.
For Gen Zers, there's nothing more annoying than feeling like they're being parented by a millennial co-worker or criticized by a millennial stranger who feels superior just because of their age.
6. Gatekeeping 90s culture
Despite many Gen Zers being born in the late 90s, millennials tend to be overprotective of their 90s baby status. Much like actively differentiating themselves from younger generations, it can feel both invalidating and offensive for millennials to claim 90s culture as something only they can take pride in or appreciate.
Whether it's nostalgic posts on Instagram or slight jabs at Gen Zers raised in the 2000s, it can feel annoying and unappealing for younger generations to watch a time period be overtaken by certain millennials.
7. Earnestness
Many millennials have reposted motivational Instagram posts or shared an earnest update on Facebook. To them, it can feel like second nature, especially considering their values around individualism and community.
But for Gen Zers, often nihilistic and pessimistic, it's one of the most judged aspects of millennials' perceived identity. It's part of what young people characterize as "cringe" culture, even when it's lighthearted and thoughtful at its core.
8. Clothing choices
Even if they seem so subtle and small, there are all kinds of clothing choices and stylistic decisions that Gen Z finds unappealing about millennials. From wearing ankle socks to opting for a different cut of tight jeans, the differences between Gen Z and millennial style make a big difference in their perceptions of one another.
Considering young people today have somewhat of an obsession with their clothing and personal style, even in the workplace, these small style choices play a much bigger role than they might for boomers or Gen Xers.
9. Feeding into hustle culture
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While the hustle culture of boomers has slightly changed for Gen X and millennials, the identity that comes from exhaustion is still normalized. Many millennials take pride in overworking themselves, taking calls outside of working hours and keeping vague boundaries, even if it's at their own expense.
Millennials led the "girl boss" era and took pride in the hustle of Corporate America. And while they do appreciate work-life balance to some capacity, there are still remnants of the hustle culture around the Gen Z hate.
10. Gatekeeping nostalgia
On top of clinging to 90s culture, millennials are often perceived as gatekeepers around style trends and brands. From Disney movies to 90s style trends like the scrunchie, Gen Zers perceived millennials to be annoyingly obsessed with these trends, not letting anyone else accept or indulge in them.
Even if it's purely the comforting nature of nostalgia that brings millennials back to these songs and clothing items, for Gen Zers, it feels easy to chalk it all up to malicious intentions.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
