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.
Older generations have always complained about the people who come after them. When newspapers were invented, people complained about how “nobody talks to each other anymore” and we still see these claims repeated about smartphones and technology.
But there are just some things that we’ve seen Gen Z be good at – things that their elders have yet to learn. Here are some of the things Gen Z can teach us:
1. Healthy positivity
Gen Z youngsters tend to be very proud of their friends for their accomplishments. We see a lot less catty behaviour and jealousy directed towards friends, instead Gen Zs tend to express worry and concern over friends who aren’t doing very well.
They very much uphold the idea of pulling each other up together and that success breeds more success. There’s also less judgement about people who aren’t as successful, as Gen Zs generally have a healthier attitude towards success.
Some think that this means that Gen Z “kids” are lazy – they’re not. They just don’t make success the be all and end all of their life, preferring to take things with a more relaxed attitude.
This can be contrasted with the toxic positivity of older generations, who are more likely to believe myths such as mental illnesses being caused by weak mindsets and not enough work.
You can see the differences on the same posts made on Instagram (which is more popular amongst Gen Zs) and Facebook (which has an older demographic of users).
Facebook sounds a lot more toxic:
Whereas Instagram has more “funny” comments that poke fun at the situation:
2. Social awareness
Growing up with social media and digital technology exposes you to different perspectives from very young. This does make Gen Z-ers not only more opinionated, but also more passionately aware of current social issues: from local politics and the long-term effects of colonisation to the climate crisis.
Unlike the generations before them, they prefer to take a strong stand on their beliefs if they can, recognising the power in collective action.
Source: misi solidarity twitter
An example of this can be seen in the great numbers of youth activists and their commitment to their cause: it was only last year that a 20 year old activist, Sarah Irdina (also the founder of Misi Solidariti), was actually arrested for sedition over her tweets.
3. Clear boundaries
Another major difference that Gen Z has compared with their millennial older siblings is that they’re completely okay with saying “no”.
Don’t want to go to a party with people they don’t like? Then they’re not going.
Don’t have the time to actually do the thing that mum is asking them to do? Sorry, but I really can’t do it.
Saying “no” is something that is really healthy and should be practised. Unfortunately, millennials tend to view it as being rude or they’re afraid to experience some FOMO (fear of missing out). Not learning to pick and choose how to help people can breed resentment or reinforce mental illnesses.
This is a lesson that Gen Z has learnt quickly: you can’t help others unless you take care of yourself first.
4. Talking out problems
While millennials are more likely to keep quiet and accept things passively (and secretly resent the offending person the entire time), your typical Gen Z youngster is more likely to be confrontational – although not necessarily in an aggressive manner.
They’re just more willing to talk issues out together. If a friend says something that struck them the wrong way, they’d like to know why their friend said that and investigate things. They’re much less likely to take things lying down. This is actually something I greatly admire as a millennial – we were too often told to be quiet and so we do that while trying to overlook things that rub us the wrong way.
But talking things out with people is what keeps relationships strong and free of issues like miscommunication.
5. Being “uncool” is cool
Gen Zs are okay with staying home and watching Netflix instead of going out partying. They’re also more likely to indulge in their niche interests and seek diagnosis for mental health issues. This generation seems to place less emphasis on what other people think about them instead seeking more genuine pleasures.
Although there is some stress on them to be more socially appealing or to socialise more, especially in their pubescent years, Gen Zs would rather be happy with themselves than to have people like them.
This is a refreshing change to Malaysian society, as it is still one that places a lot of emphasis on what other people think. Gen Zs are more likely to recognise that chasing the approval of other people is one that leads to one’s own unhappiness.
Although Malaysian culture emphasises what we can learn from our elders, there are things we can learn from people who are younger as well.
Learning and educating yourself are lifelong endeavours, regardless of the source of your education. Malaysians need to stop thinking that the youth has nothing to teach them, just because they are young.
Gen Z grew up in a vastly different time compared to their elders, and they have enhanced their way of living with accommodations and coping mechanisms we have yet to implement.
There is nothing wrong with learning from someone younger than you – only the refusal to learn.
For more stories like this, read: I’m A Malaysian Woman In My Mid-30s Who Does NOT Want To Get Married – Here’s Why, Despite Being Chinese, I Strongly Prefer Having Non-Chinese Friends – This Is Why, and I’m A Malaysian Woman Living With Autism – Here’s My Story.
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