Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
In the latest inter-generational spat, millennials are on the losing end, again. Zoomers (AKA Gen Z) have been taking to their platform of choice – TikTok mostly – to declare war on millennials (those who were born between 1981 and 1996) who they’re constantly lumped in with, and things got personal.
According to Gen Z, millennials only care about Harry Potter, Buzzfeed quizzes, and avocado on toast. They’re obsessed with posting selfies on Instagram and (vomit-inducing) phrases like #adulting and #coffeebreak. Not to mention our heel-dragging aversion to adult life, which is arguably a symptom of soaring house prices and near-constant recession (not that Zoomers care).
So we’ve decided to turn the table: what do Malaysian millennials think of Gen Z? Is Harry Potter still a personality trait for the “pick me” generation? Are we going to keep killing houseplants or have we grown? IRL reached out to a few.
Nadia, 35, Puchong
“I’m hopeful that Gen Z is radicalising faster than we did. For them, it’s always been cool to care about the environment and human rights. They’re not lumbered with the myth that if you work hard enough, you’ll succeed. Instead, they go straight to anti-capitalism: do not pass GO, do not collect $200. Still, I think they have the tendency that all young people do to think they’re the first to ever have these thoughts.
And they’re lucky. They never had to go through that awkward age where you have to wear catalogue clothes and have no idea how to blend your makeup. The information about sexuality and gender is right there at their fingertips and they have much better TV shows.”
“I am, however, seriously worried about what will happen to their faces when they get to 50 and it’s all been stretched out by fillers and plumpers. I guess they’ll all need lip tucks for their saggy mouths, and therapy for becoming influencers before they could legally drink.
As for what Gen Z think about millennials, I think a lot of these millennial stereotypes are just middle-class marketing bros making massive generalisations about a very wide group of people.
That being said, I have a Harry Potter tattoo and when I posted it on Instagram I captioned it with: ‘We are the granddaughters of the witches you didn’t burn’ and my girlfriend is trying to grow some beetroot. Roast me Gen Z!”
Kim, 28, Petaling Jaya
“I quite like Gen Z, they might even be our saviour. I think since millennials saw both before and after the internet took over our lives, we’re quite a compound and perceptive bunch. We’re much smarter than boomers were at this age, and Gen Z seems even more ahead.
I think the stereotypes Gen Z have of us are hilarious, LOL. I think anyone would find most things on this list quite cringe. Buzzfeed articles and finger moustaches? Sweetheart, that’s not millennial culture, it’s basic culture. Anyone born past 1990 with a bit of taste should be able to separate vapid pop culture from smart, informed youth habits.”
Resya, 30, Damansara
“I like Gen Z. I was born in 1992, so I feel on the cusp of Gen Z and millennials. My millennial side loved Harry Potter and cried like a baby when I went to watch the final film at the cinema. But my cynical Gen Z side has no problem ‘cancelling’ J.K. Rowling for being a TERF. I also can’t get into TikTok, I’d rather look at a static image on Instagram than 30 second dance clips.
When I think of Gen Z, I think of activists who care urgently about climate change and social justice. They don’t care about fitting into rigid societal structures because their sense of self is formed by online communities. But I also see teens with a fragmented sense of self who have a phantom identity online. I also think younger generations are idealistic, which mellows with age. When I became an adult, I realised that humans can be lazy and they just choose the easy option.”
Nik, 27, Damansara
“Gen Z seem very switched on and engaged with a whole range of issues, like the environment, instersectionality. They seem pretty sceptical about the particular brand of white feminism that’s trickled down into the millennial generation.
Source: Vox
I think the stereotypes they have on us make me laugh a lot, because it’s as if the marginalised opinions of a lot of people from the millennial group, and the boomer group to an extent, have been taken on more broadly by the Gen Z-ers. It’s a testament to how radical ideas are becoming more politically mainstream, which is quite hopeful!”
Roshan, 28, Petaling Jaya
“When I think of Gen Z, I think of TikTok. Always political, super woke, leaning on a kind of anarchist ideology, like “older generations f**ked everything up so we have to tear it down”. Whereas millennials are like, “that’s not very practical, is it now?” It’s natural that young people are idealistic but when you get older, you think about how you can fit yourself into the preexisting system.
I think the cultural stereotypes are really mixed, especially some of them are very spot on, especially the avocados, we are generation avocado. But stuff like the moustache, that’s not really any millennial I know. I feel like the moustache thing was a trend for two months, ten years ago, but I’m not sure why that’s been put into the whirlpool with everything else.
But the stereotype that really hits the nail on the head is this sense of arrested development, like everyone not wanting to be a grown up. If anything defines our generation, it’s a reluctance to commit to anything, maybe that’s why #adulting is a thing. I don’t know actually, I’ve never heard that term. There is the idea of millennials not taking responsibility for the world, which hits queasily close to home. I’ll be interested to see when Gen Z is older, are they still as radical as they are now once they realise how much of an enormous job it is to change anything in this world.”
The pandemic has forced millennials to grow up
While still young by many measures, we’re old enough to ponder existential life questions while also questioning past choices — whether a financial regret, or our skinny jeans.
The ironic part of millennials’ newfound uncoolness at the hands of Gen Z is that the latter doesn’t really care about being cool at all. Gen Z may enjoy their time in the limelight for now — until Generation C takes over.
For more stories like this, read: How Gen Zs Are Making A Better Difference In Malaysia and Why Do Gen Zs in Malaysia Prefer Renting Over Purchasing Properties?
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