Growing up with social media, Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, have been much maligned.
While it’s nothing new for older generations to complain about younger ones (just attend one of my family’s Thanksgiving dinners), today’s constant access to platforms for self-expression makes that criticism far more visible.
With more mediums than ever before, people from every generation have the opportunity to express their opinions and one opinion that many are happy to share is their opinion on Gen Z.
Much has been made of Gen Z’s work ethic. If you look up: “people complaining about Gen z” on YouTube, you can find a surplus of videos with hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of views discussing the group’s work ethic, ambitions and general etiquette.
A video posted by the YouTube channel Nectar, which has nearly 8,000 followers, amassed almost 2 million views. The topic: what Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, don’t understand about Gen Z.
Videos on the topic can be highly polarizing and engaging, leading to a surplus of views in both short form and long form content.
Other generations have issues with Gen Z’s lack of understanding and willingness to say the same thing over and over again. Student at Syracuse agree with them.
“There’s a lot of reasons. Gen Z I would say is annoying because all our brains are mush and we don’t know anything that’s going on in the real world and it’s just six-seven, low taper fade, whatever it happens to be, it’s just the new meme that makes us all want to die inside,” Alex Grondin, a senior Newhouse student said when asked about why Gen Z is annoying.
The “memes” that Grondin referred to are what especially get to other members of the generation, who are not as fond about making jokes about things that many people may not understand. The repetitiveness has started to bother members of Gen Z, making members of the group feel the need to call other members out for their jargon.
“We say the same things, over and over again, and they’re the most ridiculous stupid things ever,” Sophomore Hannah Beam said. “Like Skibidi Toilet, and six-seven. So immature guys, stop.”
Gen Z’s obsession with repeating certain phrases has gotten the attention of legacy companies, like the iconic burger chain, In-N-Out Burger, which recently removed the number 6-7 from its ticket system after a flurry of disruptions from teenagers flocking their restaurants to video employees calling out the order number.
Fast food chain In-N-Out is retiring the number 6-7 from its ticket system
While many members of the “social media generation,” find Gen Z annoying, it’s not the consensus on Syracuse’s campus. There is a belief that they are just growing up but they will evolve.
“I don’t think Gen Z’s annoying,” senior Madyson Diaz believes. “I think that each generation has growing pains, but I think that when the time comes, we’re gonna do the right thing.”
With more of the generation entering the workforce, their impact on society will continue to evolve and perhaps people’s perspective on them will change.
Generation Alpha, people born between 2013 and 2025, will continue to make their mark on society and develop their distinguishable characteristics. They’ll become the new generation that all other generations will be able to make opinions on without anyone younger than them to critique.