What’s something Gen Z does that older generations just don’t get?

[u/appropriaterice873]

[u/One-Opposite-4571]

I'm a college professor, and a bunch of my Gen Z students are friends or even roommates... but when they enter our seminar room, they don't greet or talk to each other at all-- just sit down and stare at their phones until class starts. Then, once the structured part begins, they'll have a discussion.

[u/EfficientNail4372 → u/One-Opposite-4571]

Haha my students are the same. I've been teaching long enough to remember needing to shush the class before we could begin. But now it's completely silent as they stare at their phones.

[u/CrissBliss → u/EfficientNail4372]

That’s horrifying

[u/weedmoneyy → u/EfficientNail4372]

as a gen z myself there’s this weird air of like some sort of awkwardness associated with talking with others even in proximity to each other unless you know each other already. it’s like breaking the ice every time and everyone is shy lol so to do that you wonder if ppl are wondering what you’ve been smoking lol to be that animated

I also wonder if it’s in part to our social battery being spent on social apps so there’s less in reserve for irl interactions, the time and place for being social and keeping to yourself seems to have shifted from what older generations talk about tbh and I think it’s from that increased connectivity without us evolving yet to handle all that potential for interaction at once

Edit to add since this blew up: I also thought about how many of us are probably scared of bad interactions since it’s way easier to be potentially recorded and posted on social media. An awkward interaction can make you into a lolcow if someone makes a big deal of it and lets the world know, and even though this isn’t likely it’s still probably a fear a lot of us have and ppl probably lean on the side of safety on a subconscious level. Not only this but I don’t think this is limited to my generation but probably just presents more in gen z and alpha since a lot of us barely knew a world that was any other way

but also omggg hiiii everyone where did you all come from?? i feel like im on tv

[u/Fit-Flan8284 → u/weedmoneyy]

Millennial here, and it was uncomfortable for me too for what it’s worth. I think the difference might be in social expectations… it was considered rude not to try and interact despite the discomfort. Presumably, because the discomfort will just continue indefinitely without intervention. The alternative (interacting despite the discomfort) will rip off the band-aid, so to speak by showing willingness to put in effort and demonstrate you’re friendly.

My Gen-Z siblings seem more comfortable with avoidance as a coping mechanism. Don’t acknowledge the other person, just try and pretend they don’t exist

[u/Patient_Composer_144 → u/weedmoneyy]

I don't think this is about increased connectivity. It's more like inadequate social skills; people never used to get so overwhelmed with basic human interactions.

[u/NecessaryForsaken313 → u/Patient_Composer_144]

Being social is a muscle. If you don't use it regulalry, it's not very comfortable to use in any kind of regular capacity

[u/UnderaZiaSun → u/One-Opposite-4571]

Friend who teaches high school tells me their recent cellphone ban has made a world of difference. Her students talk to each other much more now. They are more sociable in general.

[u/DhOnky730 → u/UnderaZiaSun]

started teaching in ‘07, and always complained about cell phones but it took until ‘23 for the schools to start implementing uniform policies and bans, with parents on board.

the craziest to me is when parents would call/text their kids to come to the office to get picked up for an appointment. No, the procedure is to notify the school in advance so we’ll send a note or mark something in the system so the teacher knows to have little Johnny/Susie in the office at 11am. But the parents show up tapping their foot, and get irate when we can’t have their child available in like 3 minutes, because they were already running late when they got to school.

[u/hermione87956 → u/DhOnky730]

There was a post months ago about that. My mom is a teacher and she says the arguments from the parents on the pushback to allow students to have their phones was crazy. For example, what if I need to notify so and so died. What did we do before cell phones? We just waited until you came home from school to break the news, they’re literally not going anywhere and the funeral is usually days out. What did we do for appointments? Told the office and the office contacted the classroom to send you there.

[u/SuperSocialMan → u/hermione87956]

I remember having to practically beg my mom to schedule appointments during school instead of the weekend so I could get a fucking break for once lol.

[u/shoeperson → u/UnderaZiaSun]

I see this in the workplace. The Gen Z kids we hire don't talk to each other at all. It's kind of depressing.

[u/PonceLoca11 → u/One-Opposite-4571]

Phones have enabled people to not be uncomfortable for any period of time. Anytime we are alone with our thoughts, we fidget and pull out our phones. When was the last time you sat in the waiting room or similar and just sat there without any digital stimulation? It's sad but it's the world we live in now. I do try to make the effort to not always pull out my phone every time and try to just bask in the uncomfortableness and build up patience and mindfulness and just be with my thoughts. It's difficult and you'll be lying if you don't think 95% of us are guilty of it.

[u/Practical-Yam283 → u/PonceLoca11]

My life got so much better and more full when I stopped taking my phone when other people are around. Even on a smoke break I'll pop my phone in my pocket if amyone else is around, and it doesn't always lead to me having a conversation with them, but its so much nicer to just be present around other people

[u/Spasay → u/One-Opposite-4571]

It's so WEIRD. I was helping another instructor with the projector and even the students who knew each other and were in the same program (and know me, since I'm the program creator) were just staring into nothing.

[u/Refrigerator6678 → u/Spasay]

I think it's less that they don't want to socialize and more that phones became the default ..waiting mode. Like instead of small talk, everyone just quietly checks out for a bit. Once something actually starts, they're fine again its just that in between time that's gone kinda silent

[u/cafe-aulait → u/Refrigerator6678]

It's absolutely the phone being default. I didn't always chat with my friends before class, but we did at least greet each other, and then maybe we'd be quiet reading class materials or downing a snack or just sitting quietly for some rest without input. But sometimes we did talk. Sometimes about the class, sometimes about upcoming events, sometimes about a stupid thing we saw online. So on any given day, there were some people talking before every class. Now it's mostly just quiet.

[u/4friedchickens8888 → u/One-Opposite-4571]

Yeah I'm a millennial who tried going back to school a few years ago, taking first year engineering courses plus some electives. I was kinda flabbergasted by the stares of get for just trying to chat with the person next to me before class started... COVID really did a number on those kids

[u/Shadow_of_wwar → u/4friedchickens8888]

Currently going back to school, they are so fucking quiet, it makes me feel like I talk way too much, half the time I'm the only student interacting with the professor.

They are fine once you draw them into a conversation but you really have to try.

There are also just a lot less people here than when I went in 2017-2018, nice actually being able to park nearby.

[u/ParkingSupport8000 → u/One-Opposite-4571]

fellow adjunct of 6 years, cuspy millennial pretty close to the gen z cut off. The classroom communication and behavior is so bad. It’s pushing veteran educators out. I personally realized doing this job without a PhD or prospects of full time employment, I’ve been like, doing a prolonged form of self harm. There’s a lack of accountability among gen z college students for their own learning and their own impact on the learning process and learning community. I am leaving teaching finally after years of doing the job in a state of disillusionment (for a few reasons) but one being that everyone has lost the plot of what higher ed is / what academia is. The idealistic project I signed on for as a weeee young one in a BA program myself no longer exists. And the job market for phds is a nightmare. So why do it? And here I am guiding these students through their own degrees unsure of their own potential outcomes. Anyways suffice it to say… my heart really isn’t in it anymore. They say it’s a calling and I am not feeling called anymore. It’s hard, and some of the Gen Z classroom behaviors have me feeling like Sisyphus and I’m not ready to let the boulder roll over me again.

[u/snufffilmstarlet → u/ParkingSupport8000]

Omg yes, as someone who’s 38 and back in school, the lack of accountability and engagement from my younger classmates is so frustrating. They want to be spoon fed everything and told what to do and are quick to go complain to higher ups if they feel something is unfair.

[u/coolcalmaesop → u/snufffilmstarlet]

It’s too late for me to pursue my interest but I’m still interested so I read the dental school sub. The amount of people admitting that cheating is normal is upsetting because we’re going to need to rely on these professionals in the future and I’m not entirely comfortable with that. I’m worried for STEM fields and worried if there’s going to be a cut off in innovation when lack of curiosity meets artificial intelligence meets poor collaboration skills.

[u/merryman1 → u/coolcalmaesop]

I was a UK STEM academic until a few years ago. It was quite unreal sometimes.

I genuinely don't know what the issue was other than like they have such a strong stress response it overrides any part of their ability to think?

Doing a set problem... Kind of ok. What is wanted and expected is clearly written and they can navigate around that sort of. Doing something real in the lab where its applying what they've learnt in the abstract in a more practical way? Nope. I had so many what I would consider to be decent or even good students who would freeze up, students from a maths background who would be unable to do percentage calculations on a calculator, even with myself and another person sitting with them for nearly an hour talking through it. That happened multiple times with multiple students.

And this was before AI really took off, I am hearing some absolutely insane horror stories from some of my friends still in the sector, and that's not even getting into the ongoing financial collapse the system is now going through as well. (E - Expanding on that, a lot of it is just total lack of engagement now. One friend was very upset after putting so much effort into getting ready for a mandatory seminar, hours and hours of work to make it engaging and entertaining, and then no one out of over 30 students turned up. For a mandatory part of the module...)

[u/ParkingSupport8000 → u/One-Opposite-4571]

Tbh I feel like there needs to be a whole thread where educators like us can theorize about what we are seeing because some of it is truly truly baffling.

[u/Bakedads → u/One-Opposite-4571]

At least yours talk at all. Mine are terrified and silent. 

[u/FizzyBeverage → u/One-Opposite-4571]

"We will now formally invite you for commentary amongst each other, which will cease immediately at 11AM when this class ends."

[u/Chino_Kawaii]

as an older gen Z I can't relate to like 90% of the stuff here

even within my uni class

[u/Stabbio → u/Chino_Kawaii]

It's bc they're complaining about early gen A or the worst of the worst

[u/Ouch_i_fell_down → u/Stabbio]

Welcome to being the younger generation. People were complaining about "millennials" and talking about them like they were high school student aged at a time when some of my millennial friends had their own children currently IN HIGH SCHOOL.

The hive mind wont move on to complaining about Alpha until Alphas are already too old to accurately fit most of the complaints anymore.

[u/fuckifiknow1013 → u/Chino_Kawaii]

Im also older gen Z ... I wasn't aware we hated millennials until this comment section. Was I the only one out of the loop?

[u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

Scroll tiktok at the movie theatre

[u/ThrustersToFull → u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

I noticed recently the messaging at movies to put phones and smartwatches away was REALLY intense, like sirens WAILING before visual and audio announcements. This seemed a bit OTT until I realised that it's so when they come and tell you "if we have to ask you to put the phone away again, you're out" - which I counted them doing with four distinct people, two of whom were told to leave - that there was no way to claim you weren't told.

[u/largececelia → u/ThrustersToFull]

That's tremendous, I like that.

[u/ThrustersToFull → u/largececelia]

It's unfortunate we've gotten to this stage but it's very very effective. I think part of it is that nobody wants the staff parading over to them, interrupting everyone around them, in the middle of a movie to tell them to stop fucking around with a phone. Public shaming can be a very effective tool.

[u/Macgbrady → u/ThrustersToFull]

Alamo drafthouse has all this "put away your phones" messaging then has you order... from your phone. Has you report people on their phone... from your phone.

[u/AndyOB → u/Macgbrady]

Wait what!? they used to have you use note cards!

[u/Macgbrady → u/AndyOB]

Yeah, it's very recent. I saw a movie like a week ago and it was a new thing. Apparently, there's a workers strike regarding it now.

[u/itsacalamity → u/AndyOB]

It got bought by VC so of course everything is worse now

[u/AndyOB → u/ThrustersToFull]

Wow. I would go to movie theaters again if the theaters actually proactively kicked people out for being rude. To me it is the single thing theaters can do to get people back into seats. Proactive kicking out of rude people and advertise that they are being proactive about it. I'd go every weekend if I didn't have to fume about rude ass people the whole time I'm watching the movie.

[u/BellaFrequency → u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

I witnessed this in person and it was WILD.

It was the last Spiderman movie. It’s Spiderman!

And I was surrounded by teenagers. The boys in the row ahead of me were all looking at their phones and showing each other reels… for the entire movie!

The girls behinds us were taking selfies and talking the whole time.

None of them were watching the movie.

When I was their age, I went to the theater with my friends to see the first Spiderman movie, with Tobey McGuire, and we were all so excited.

We sat in the theater after the credits rolled and watched that “Hero” music video, and it was such an experience….

Going to the movies was fun when I was a teenager. We actually liked watching the movie AND still enjoyed talking with each other and hanging out after the movie was over.

It was like the teenagers in my theater just paid for tickets to hang out together and ignored the movie completely.

[u/branimal84 → u/BellaFrequency]

I remember going to see that god awful 2003 Daredevil movie and my friends and I stood outside the theatre for like half an hour talking about it when it was over.

[u/ApesAPoppin237 → u/branimal84]

Yeah, talking with friends can really help process that kind of trauma.

[u/Not_A_Toaster_0000 → u/BellaFrequency]

The girls behinds us were taking selfies and talking the whole time.

Too busy telling everyone what fun they're having watching the movie to actually watch the movie

[u/DiskPidge → u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

Somewhat related I also find this soul crushing as a teacher.  I still remember the one time at 16 years old I got caught in the computer lab playing a flash game.  It is still mortifying to me that I was seen doing that.  It was the one and only time I played a game during a lesson during my entire education.

Now I teach in a university.  18-22 year old students.  20 out of 25 students in a class are texting, on Instagram and TikTok, playing games, watching YouTube videos... A large number of them have earbuds in.  I've had students in the front row clothes shopping on a huge tablet. The other day I sent a girl out because she was watching a TV series on her tablet.

When I was at school, if I ever chatted, I whispered at the back so I wouldn't get caught.  Now I have students sitting in the middle of the class playing League of Legends with the sound on, or watching a video on YouTube, and speaking at full volume as if they were in a café.  When I go over to do the whole "I've caught you" thing that would have had me painfully embarrassed as a kid, they look at me and tell me the YouTuber they follow just uploaded something and they won't wait until the end of the class to watch it.

Students sleep in class.  When I ask them to explain themselves, they say they couldn't sleep the night before.  When I ask them why, they say they were watching reels and couldn't stop until 4am.

And because of all this I've gained a reputation as "the angry teacher" because I tell them to put their devices away and get stern with them the third time they take them out again.  But the students are the ones who get angry at me when I repeat well over ten times every day over eight weeks that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable in a classroom.

[u/YunggMangg → u/DiskPidge]

R/teachers is probably the most disheartening subreddit to me. I hear this repeated so often. The kids may not actually be alright. A huge group of hyper individualistic kids who are lacking critical thinking, are getting barraged by propoganda and grifters, and never faced or feared consequences or how they impact others.. are going to become adults soon.

No idea how to steer away from this as a society. The fuck do we do if sociopathy and selfishness are the norm or even rewarded? Fucking tech is warping a whole gen. The iPad kids are growing up

[u/BrightEyeCameDown → u/DiskPidge]

Plunging into student debt to pay for tuition you're not even listening to seems utterly mental to me.

[u/digilici → u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

i’m gen z, and i don’t get it, either. why buy a movie ticket if you’re going to be on your phone the whole time? during the commercials and maybe the previews, sure, but once that studio logo appears, you put that shit away

[u/esoteric_enigma → u/ILIKETHECOLORRED]

I legitimately had to ask someone to get off their phone the last time I was at the movies. They were sitting in front of me and the bright screen light kept shining in my eyes while I was trying to pay attention.

[u/Hambone1138]

Holding those tiny little microphones in their hands when making videos

[u/VoltTurtle → u/Hambone1138]

Holding out a visible microphone is considered unprofessional by traditional media, but is a sign of authenticity and being “down to earth” on YT, TT, etc. The tiny ones are often cheap but high quality. For a generation that wants to be authentic while not having a lot of resources to work with, this is how they do it.

[u/internisus → u/VoltTurtle]

Yeah, I get that; I've literally watched video essays explaining it. But when you go out of your way not to use the available tools that make mics unobtrusive like clips and stands and arms, instead holding them yourself, it's performative authenticity, which makes it ironically inauthentic. Bunch of phonies putting on an aesthetic of being so real.

[u/DerFelix → u/Hambone1138]

It's so weird since those are literally built to be clipped on.

[u/charlesdexterward]

As a millennial with a lot of Gen Z coworkers, I don’t get the memes. In our work group chat they’ll post reaction gifs and deep fried memes that are completely incomprehensible to me. I don’t understand what is being said or implied by them at all, but they seem to understand one another.

[u/DangerousPuhson → u/charlesdexterward]

I didn't get it either, but with a little extrapolation it makes sense.

These kids grew up when memes were already established. Millennials lived through the early formative years, when cats had cheeseburgers and played the keyboard. But that's old hat now, virtually 20 years old. Gen Z never knew a time before memes... they grew jaded by them. They look at those old memes we loved the same way we (Millennials) look upon boomer humor. So they need something above and beyond. Postmodern, maximal, shocking. So their memes are always taken to the extreme (often confusingly so), because that extreme is all that gets a reaction from them now. They use memes mostly for irony, absurdism, and as meta-jokes unto themselves, not as the straightforward "here's a joke hahaha" that we used them for.

[u/denko_safe_cats → u/DangerousPuhson]

We got a memologist over here.

Can’t wait until you can major in that shit.

[u/justalittleloopi → u/denko_safe_cats]

I wrote a paper on memes back in college in 2012. I used "One does not simply..." as my main example.

[u/WorkFurball → u/justalittleloopi]

A completely different time in internet culture.

[u/itsacalamity → u/denko_safe_cats]

honestly, i'd read a thesis about the use of memes as shorthand for language, like, yesterday

[u/JohnLancock → u/itsacalamity]

Check out the book Algospeak by Adam Aleksi, the etymologynerd on social media, he has interesting educational videos on this topic that you may enjoy too

[u/idle_isomorph → u/JohnLancock]

Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch is similarly an investigation of how the internet changed language. A fascinating read. Her podcast, Lingthusiasm, is also awesome. Stong recommend!

[u/e_gurl → u/denko_safe_cats]

LMAOOOO I'm cackling because I definitely was reading with my full undivided attention like I was reading the abstract of a journal article 💀

[u/clarkedaddy → u/DangerousPuhson]

I always tell people a cats favorite food is cheeseburgers and literally no one knows wtf I’m talking about.

[u/igotthatbunny → u/DangerousPuhson]

Gen Z goes up to those born in 1997. I promise cuspers remember what life was like with dial up desktops in the computer room and no social media or memes!

[u/Hot_Letterhead_3238 → u/igotthatbunny]

Early GenZ feels like such a weird place man because yeah, we remember the old box PCs. The VHS tapes. The DVDs. This massive old projector that the teacher needed to use, that required changing paper under this glass.

So there’s definitely a divide between the early and late gen Z because technology evolved massively from 1997-2012

[u/fikis → u/Hot_Letterhead_3238]

I'm not pretending that this is my own miraculous insight, but:

I think the divide is between folks who can remember a time before smartphones and those who can't.

[u/JonnyGalt → u/DangerousPuhson]

I haven’t seen anyone, including millennials, posting old school memes like advice animals or rage comics in years so I am not sure if the whole boomer comic analogy applies. A lot of our memes were also based on absurdity.

I think it’s just more our gen are older and we are busy with family/career/life. We don’t have as much time for social media so we don’t keep up with the constant evolution of memes. Memes go viral and fade at a much faster pace as well.

[u/itsacalamity → u/charlesdexterward]

We've literally just taken the "Darmok" episode of Star Trek: TNG and made it our communication medium, just with memes. "Homer, backing into a shrub." "Phillip J Fry, his eyes squinted, his thoughts unsure." "A smiling boyfriend, his head turns. And the girlfriend looks askance.”

Edit: reworded 1 that bugged me

[u/kwangqengelele → u/itsacalamity]

Lebron, triumphant.

[u/inuvash255 → u/kwangqengelele]

Drake, dismissively. Drake, in celebration.

[u/HomunculusEnthusiast → u/kwangqengelele]

Pink Guy, his arms wide

Arthur, his fist clenched

Squidward at the window, his friends jubilant

Travolta, his coat in his hand

Edit: yeah it definitely works best for named characters. Stills/gifs from movies or TV, comics, etc., or ones featuring irl celebrities. Otherwise you're more just literally describing a situation rather than alluding to a story.

[u/Zolo49 → u/itsacalamity]

Honestly, it’d be kinda funny to troll the kids by only communicating to them with Darmok phrases.

[u/Prasiatko → u/charlesdexterward]

Because badger badger mushroom and salad fingers were totally comprehensible to everyone. 

[u/CremeSubject7594]

call millenial cringe but dress like how we did in the 90s and 2000s 😆

[u/MisterWoodhouse → u/CremeSubject7594]

College students are dressing like it’s the first season of The OC

[u/GarfieldianAcolyte → u/MisterWoodhouse]

Don't tell me they're bringing back the puka shells?

Edit: lots of people are very passionate about the puka and tbh? I love that for them

[u/MisterWoodhouse → u/GarfieldianAcolyte]

Popped collars, cargo shorts, puka shells, lace-trimmed camis, capri pants, all of it

[u/acEightyThrees → u/MisterWoodhouse]

Oh my god the popped collars. You just unearthed suppressed memories. Why

[u/Conscious_Writing689 → u/MisterWoodhouse]

My kid is a college freshman and every time we visit I see people in clothes I was wearing my freshman year of college (in the early 2000s). At least in my kid's cohort having a millennial for a parent is cool -- probably because all of their parents are Gen-xers 😂

[u/hermavore → u/CremeSubject7594]

Two 18 year old girls were in my shop today and they looked exactly like how Cleo magazine told me to dress in 2002. It was bewildering.

[u/Walmartian_Beta → u/CremeSubject7594]

I saw two girls walking down the sidewalk a while back; they looked like they covered themselves in glue and rolled around in my closet back in 1997.

[u/sunnyspiders → u/Walmartian_Beta]

The same clothes but worn like aliens in a human suit 

[u/gofredo50 → u/sunnyspiders]

Sugar. In water.

[u/Publius015 → u/gofredo50]

MORE 

[u/JustFourLetters → u/sunnyspiders]

they try so hard to be ‘aesthetic’ that it looks like a costume, and they’re so socially awkward that it’s like the guy from resident alien lmao

[u/RsonW → u/Walmartian_Beta]

There's this late teens or early twenties couple that comes into my work that look like they fucking teleported here from 2007.

Dude rocks the same jet black mop top, skinny jeans, and graphic tee outfit I had back then.

Chick rocks the same spaghetti top with low rise jeans and uggs like every girlfriend I had back then.

These kids look like they just left an Interpol show, I swear to God.

[u/GiveHeadIfYouGotIt → u/RsonW]

No joke last year driving home after work one day I saw a teen boy roll out of some bushes down a small hill looking like he just went on a shopping spree at Hot Topic circa 2006. Dyed black hair, Tripp pants, what I think was an MCR tee two sizes too big and an assortment of black and rainbow wristbands. Every time I drive past those bushes I try to see if there's a time machine nestled inside.

[u/goat_penis_souffle → u/GiveHeadIfYouGotIt]

Dammit, I just had those bushes sprayed for Emo kids

[u/Dinkerdoo → u/goat_penis_souffle]

You have to spray those bushes in stages: once to handle the current infestation and following up a month later to handle the eggs.

[u/patricio87 → u/CremeSubject7594]

All the loose pants stuff is how i dressed in 2004 lol

[u/Sad-Math-2039]

Generally speaking, communication skills are below par. I have almost got used to dead eyed silence after asking a follow up question trying to be nice.

[u/electric_emu → u/Sad-Math-2039]

I am an attorney and now there are a pretty good number of Gen Z lawyers and they just... don't respond. To anything. A few weeks ago I mentioned calling an opposing counsel to force a response and a younger coworker told me doing that was "insane" unless absolutely, 100% necessary or literally court-ordered. I am a millennial and I hate phone calls too but like damn.

And don't get me started on gym etiquette lol

[u/Working-Tomato8395 → u/electric_emu]

I haven't the slightest fucking clue what would inspire somebody with a refusal to talk in a work place, to become a lawyer. 

That's dumber than a vegetarian working for a butcher shop. 

[u/eec0354 → u/Sad-Math-2039]

THIS! Communicating with Gen Z is bizarre. Also, I’m a TA and it shocks me how the majority of Gen Z doesn’t write their last names on their papers, exams etc. didn’t even know that was an option in school

[u/ConclusionAlarmed882 → u/eec0354]

They stare right through you if you say "good morning" or "hello." I work with some Gen Zers and my work's culture is very "greet all your colleagues with a smile and a word" but these kids just stare dead-eyed, like you're invisible.

If any Gen Z are on here, I don't mean to be rude when I ask, Do you not know how to say, "good morning?" Even without socialization due to Covid, did your parents teach you to stare cold and stone-faced at people who interact with you?

[u/Intentional-Asshole → u/ConclusionAlarmed882]

The funniest thing to do is treat them like AI, I swear. If they don't say anything after you say good morning, just say "from now on, I would prefer if you would reply "good morning" back to me when I greet you in the morning" like a literal chatgpt prompt. 9/10 times they actually will do it

[u/orange_bigcat → u/Intentional-Asshole]

I’m 36 and when I started at my first job I legit had to be told to say good morning to people. Apparently people thought I was rude/standoffish because I wouldn’t say hello if I entered a room with people in it, wouldn’t say good morning in the break room when I was getting coffee or lunch etc. My boss pulled me aside and told me it was proper office etiquette to do these things, so I’ve done it every single morning since then. I was actually really embarrassed that I had done something “wrong” that my coworkers were picking up on.

I don’t expect younger people to fully understand office culture/politics if they’ve never worked in one before, but what I don’t get are the people (like many in this comment section) go out of their way to defend their behaviour after being told it’s not professional. I’ve seen so many comments from people defending their behaviour by saying things like “well I don’t like small talk” and “I didn’t want to participate in that conversation.” Unfortunately you do have to participate in small talk and conversations you don’t want to be in, it’s part of life, and definitely part of having a job.

[u/ArticulateRhinoceros → u/Sad-Math-2039]

Their phone etiquette doesn’t exist. They will call my work, a business, and not give their name. It goes like this:

Me: hello, local business here!

Them:….. breathing noises

Me: hello? Can I help you?

Them: yeah, I want to make a payment.

Me: ok…. What’s your name?

Them: huh?

Me: your account number will also work

Then: annoyed sounds I don’t know that shit

Me: you don’t know your name?

Them: no, the account number

Me: ok… then WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

them: Travis

Me: TRAVIS WHAT MOTHER FUCKER THERES THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN MY SYSTEM!

Like pulling teeth every damn time!

[u/AmphetamineSalts → u/ArticulateRhinoceros]

My brother in law lives with us (he's 22, I'm 39) and I'm 99% sure he'd rather be waterboarded than make his own doctor appointments. We were handholding him through the process of setting up an appt online and when he had log in he asked us what to put in the "email" field. If you don't know your email, how am I supposed to????

[u/lagasan → u/AmphetamineSalts]

I've been thinking there's a weird side effect o the younger generations being more accepting. On the whole, it's fantastic; kids can really be themselves in ways that just weren't an option when I was young. Hell, you didn't even wanna be out of the closet when I was in high school.

However, social anxiety is just a dominating force now. Instead of learning to break out of their shells, like we all had to, it's borderline celebrated. "My anxiety" is almost a catch phrase now, and people are quite literally afraid to talk on the phone or to people in a business or whatever.

I love that we're accepting of others, but there are some important basic social skills that are slipping away.

[u/remberzz → u/lagasan]

I've been dealing with social anxiety for literally 50 years. I range from 'really uncomfortable' to, at times, full blown agoraphobia. I'd rather be waterboarded than make a phone call, don't remember the last time I looked someone in the eye, often take out trash or pick up mail after dark in order to avoid my neighbors, and I'm most likely to be the one playing with my phone or petting the dog or helping in the kitchen or doing just about anything other than 'peopleing'.

That said, I can still manage the social interactions I have to manage. They may not be pleasant, they may even make me feel sick, but I can DO them.

I have spent decades pushing through and working on the issue and learning to cope as best I can because it makes me, and my life, better. It is hard but I know I need to do it.

I feel like GenZ won't even try. They're so easily excused and/or dissuaded that they never learn to surmount their difficulties.

"Oh, you have social anxiety! I guess you'll never work! Or have any friends! Or leave your room!"

It makes me so sad. What kind of lives are they going to have? How will they grow and mature? How will they find connections?

How is the future world going to run - how will the necessarily in-person things get done - when people can't be around each other?

[u/GreedyLibrary → u/ArticulateRhinoceros]

I worked in a call centre over a decade ago and got that shit frequently, it is not new to this generation.

[u/Sufficient_Drama_145 → u/GreedyLibrary]

When I worked at a call center, the number of people who didn't want to give me their zip code to verify their account was obnoxious. Like...lady, I can see your whole address already. I can see your date of birth (which you already gave me) and every time you've filed a claim. Why are you fighting me on this?

[u/orange_bigcat → u/Sad-Math-2039]

I’m a manager and work in accounts payable and what I spend the majority of my time doing these days with my younger employees is helping them communicate and help explain what other people are communicating to them. It’s so bizarre.

For example yesterday I was forwarded an email thread between one of my staff and a vendor. We short paid an invoice and the vendor was asking why we short paid it. The email chain went back and forth 4 times on each side before my staff member forwarded it to me and said they were confused by what the vendor was asking. After reading the whole chain I figured it out the issue in 30 seconds and responded to the vendor for them. It wasn’t confusing at all, my staff member just can’t communicate. Apparently reading comprehension isn’t her strong point either.

This is extremely common, in my experience.

[u/Icy-Builder5892 → u/orange_bigcat]

I was in team management for a while, and I was absolutely stunned at some of the things that I had to explain to grown adults.

For example, I was a manager at a resort. We had a local state university that would very often promote our property to their hospitality students, often for an internship, or for their first job out of college. And because this is a huge place, this is ideal for them. In order to graduate that program, you need 3 internships (or 2 internships and 1 field job to count as an internship), you need to go through a senior seminar which goes over everything you need to be a professional. How to interview. How to dress professionally. How to maintain a professional image in person or online.

They will not let you graduate from the hospitality program if you do not have a resume, and a portfolio, and lots of professional training. They simply won’t let you do it. The very bare minimum of this program has work experience and job training baked into it.

So there is absolutely no reason on earth that I should have had to explain to ANY of these new grads, that it is not appropriate to use purple comic sans font in an email to a professional client worth billions of dollars. It shouldn’t need to be explained. And yet I had to explain shit like this.

I truly don’t understand how that happens. I was encountering new employees who chose a career path that requires them to adhere to a certain standard, and then they would show up to the job and say, yeah fuck those standards. No dude, you’re dealing with an elite clientele. Those elite clients have expectations and you’re not going to change them.

[u/DueIntroduction6413 → u/Sad-Math-2039]

i went on a date with a girl who just stared at me after i asked her questions. like, longer than normal stare sometimes accompanied by like a grin but holy shit dawg, it was weird and offputting

[u/Bionic_Bromando]

It seems like they force themselves into a position where they don’t get to enjoy anything earnestly, for being of being called cringe. I think that’s so sad.

Like come on babies, go live your lives! You don’t get a second shot stop wasting your time acting cool, you aren’t cool and you are just depriving yourselves of joy.

[u/moien-yall- → u/Bionic_Bromando]

This is the thing. Earnestness and sincerity are cool, and I will go to my grave believing this!

[u/flybynightpotato → u/Bionic_Bromando]

I am pretty sure this is just what young people do. I'm a millennial and absolutely went through a phase where excitement, genuine enjoyment, were seen as deeply uncool. I think it's probably a phase that they'll grow out of.

[u/Miserable-Fennel8820 → u/flybynightpotato]

A decent amount of responses here are just young people being young people, with the addition of modern day tech that makes it gen Z specific.

[u/d645b773b320997e1540 → u/Bionic_Bromando]

Well on the other hand, back in the day we got to do stupid stuff and then laugh it of and have it forgotten.

These days, there's instantly a video of it on the internet that never vanishes. No wonder they're anxious about these things.

[u/MonkeysDoing69]

I think some people think Gen Z was all born after 2010 or something.

[u/trueblondiexo]

The way gen z treats online life like part of their actual identity, not some separate fake thing. Older people still see it as “just the internet” and gen z is like no, that’s where people meet, work, date, joke, fight, and exist

[u/BionicleBoy → u/trueblondiexo]

Well that’s the true generational difference, the internet is tied into everything with gen z. They were raised by it in many cases.

This is also where the disconnect between young and old gen z is. I was born in 2000, a majority of my childhood was playing outside and watching cartoons like previous generations. I played a lot of video games and was on the family pc a good bit but it wasn’t the same. I didn’t have an iPhone or social media at 10 years old like kids now, plus it was a different internet if that makes sense. The internet had its dark spots but there were online spaces for kids back then, not like today.

I grew up with the internet and am still very much in it like young gen z but older gen z still had a “traditional” childhood. I’m the last generation to grow up without iPhones and 24/7 internet access pretty much.

97-2003ish gen z might as well be its own thing in many cases.

[u/XxInk_BloodxX → u/BionicleBoy]

Omg same. 1999 here and I don't relate to millenial stuff or most the stuff on this thread. But also don't seem to see any of this with my younger coworkers so.

[u/BionicleBoy → u/XxInk_BloodxX]

Yeah we’re in weird zillenial zone where we just mixed it all into one little weird ball. Also yeah the youngest guys at work are generally pretty sociable, but I can admit if any generation is going to have terminally online goofs it’ll be us.

[u/sssmiklo → u/trueblondiexo]

When there's no third spaces to be real in, the internet becomes your actual social life

[u/malin7]

Using crying emoji like a punctuation mark

[u/Maxed_Zerker → u/malin7]

The other layer to why it’s confusing is it’s in place of the crying laughing emoji because that is a cringe millennial emoji supposedly but it’s not exclusively only for funny things either

[u/entitledfanman → u/Maxed_Zerker]

Tangentially on topic, my dad showed me a letter my grandma wrote to my great-grandma back in ~1959. What's stuck with me is how she used "haha" in the exact same way you'd say haha, lol, or a laughing emoji today in a text message. 

[u/eacomish]

They don't speak first ever even when theyre taking ur order just 👁👁

[u/bottleglitch → u/eacomish]

This lol. And I’m on the other side not wanting to say anything yet because I don’t know if they’re ready since they haven’t said anything.

[u/illegitiMitch → u/eacomish]

When the cashier just stares at you... Are you gonna tell me the total at least? I have to ask if I can swipe my card now

[u/cle2056]

You hate on millennials but play our music in the clubs…the clubs they attend but don’t dance at.

Yep, standing around a sensory overload factory sober while literally listening to “Move B*tch” by Ludacris.

😭 “Why don’t they move?!?? Why don’t they move b*tch?!?! 😭

[u/Several-Adeptness-94 → u/cle2056]

So essentially, shorties just show up in their apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur - but then proceed to not get low? … what is this world coming to?!

[u/Limp-Laugh-305 → u/Several-Adeptness-94]

They don't have anyone to teach them how to dougie. 

[u/LeftHandedScissor → u/Several-Adeptness-94]

I went to a show, the DJ played a pop, lock and drop it remix. I was near the front of the crowd, but didn't see a single person popping, locking, or dropping. Very disappointing.

[u/ctortan → u/cle2056]

Smartphone cameras and being afraid they’ll be posted to someone’s socmed probably

[u/DrVibeMan → u/ctortan]

the smartphone/camera environment could probably explain 80% of answers in this qestion

[u/CinnaSol → u/DrVibeMan]

I saw a video not long ago of someone also saying this is why convention culture is so boring nowadays too.

If you went to an anime or comic con back in the early 2010's you would see cringe behavior everywhere - people Naruto running around, Dragonball screaming and posing, fake fights, etc. but now it's just a bunch of people sitting around in chairs doing nothing.

Her main reasoning was that people are too afraid to be cringe on camera and I kinda agree.

[u/alib2525 → u/CinnaSol]

Yeah, I think we lost a lot of genuine public interaction and expressiveness with the invention of smartphones.

[u/CinnaSol → u/alib2525]

Also a lot less communal talent and culture being showed off. Now that everybody knows about every single local convention, they travel from all around for every experience.

What used to be just for a specific community has now become open to everyone all the time, so it's much less personal of an experience overall as well. Every convention is now more or less the same.

[u/DrVibeMan → u/CinnaSol]

Interesting. I can see that with my kids. I grew up playing guitar, drums, music in general, but modern day, these activities have a different feel. The idea that you can instantly see someone on the other side of the planet doing something amazing kind of takes away the experience of someone locally doing something that is just good

[u/aerodynamik → u/ctortan]

first time i ever seen it called socmed. socmed.

i like that. has an unpleasant ring to it. fitting.

[u/TheStorMan → u/aerodynamik]

Do you pronounce it sockmed or soshe meed

[u/Duranel → u/TheStorMan]

Just saw this and going with Sockmed. Reminds me of Ingsoc from 1984 and I like it for the negative connotation against socmed. (I say, posting on reddit.)

[u/chocky_chip_pancakes → u/cle2056]

I work at one and this is insanely accurate. Its a photo-op now, not a place to let lose. But that would be because clubs now are more about clout than about music.

[u/BlackIsTheSoul → u/chocky_chip_pancakes]

I attended a concert on Monday, the Neighbourhood. Despite being a nearly 14 year old band, they attracted a new generation of fans through TikTok and are bigger than ever with Gen Z. Big sold out stadium show.

I'm older and attending that show was depressing. Band was awesome... The Gen Z crowd barely moved, jumped, or danced or anything. They spent more time taking selfies, filming reels. Like they would do tons of poses, one after another, like it's muscle memory. It was so weird. As my buddy who came with me said, "you wouldn't know this is a concert. This is more like a mass photo shoot from America's next top model with a band as a background prop".

[u/Fluxxed0 → u/BlackIsTheSoul]

Concerts are weird now. I was dancing during the encore of a show and I accidentally landed on the foot of the girl behind me. She wasn't moving at all and just closed her eyes and held up a hand, as if to say "please, I can't with you." She's probably out there on reddit throwing shade at the weird old guy who was cringe af jumping around so the people behind him couldn't see the stage.

[u/lunchbox3 → u/chocky_chip_pancakes]

I went to a gig that had a younger crowd and omg they were so dull. They just stood like Sims watching the gig through their phone that they were recording it on. I know it’s a trope but I was so deflated. Some of my best teen and early 20 memories were dancing and letting loose at gigs and in clubs. And we did have digital cameras and Facebook - and people would upload like 40 pics after a night out and they were awful. But I think the difference was they are just on a desktop / laptop so it was never such an all encompassing thing. It was very time bound and contained if there was a shit photo.

[u/sobz → u/cle2056]

It's like a middle school dance from 1999.

[u/LIKELYtoRAPhorrible → u/cle2056]

Sad bitch noises*

[u/Lynnfomercial]

I’m a mom of Gen Zer’s and love that generation for a variety of reasons. But I don’t understand why their verbal skills are so poor. And yes, I know everyone’s going to say “screens” but these kids haven’t been locked in solitary confinement their whole lives. They have families. They’ve been out in public.

I run into this with my own kids, and I know I’ve taught them differently. But when I call them, they answer the phone with complete silence. Who does that? You say hello when you answer. The silence is bizarre.

Or the ones in customer service - I ran into a friend of my daughter’s at the store. They rang out my purchase in silence, which is fine. But before walking away, I said “thank you” and I don’t get what’s so difficult about responding with “you’re welcome” or “have a nice day.” Instead, dead silence.

I feel like we’ve wound up with a whole generation of Lurch from The Addams Family. Lol

[u/sassy_immigrant → u/Lynnfomercial]

I just wrote about this, but I’m so happy. I’m not the only one going through this.

The other day I was at the gym and my card wasn’t working so I went to the front desk and let her know and she just stood there. I had to ask her. What do I do? It was the weirdest experience because any other generation, would’ve said something because I literally spoke to them and it’s their job to try to find a solution.

Weirdly, I did not know it was a generational thing until I went to a batting cage, and I was in the batting cage when I wasn’t supposed to the machine was automatic, and I’ve only been to batting cages where I put the baseballs into the machine. She told me that I can’t be here. OK that’s great, but the machine is running and I can’t press any buttons from the inside and I don’t wanna walk away because the machine is working. I had to ask her what do I do, can you turn it off because I can’t and then she finally did it.

Why do I have to ask her for a solution? Would you do it by yourself because you know how to do it and it’s your job?

It is amazing to me that they don’t have a response. It feels genuinely not human and it’s so awkward.

[u/Neuroticaine]

I do find the millennial hate hilarious. They are doing so much of the same stuff we did. The problem is they're still under the impression that once you hit 30+ if you're still into the stuff you loved before, they think you're a cringe loser. They have no idea how fast age hits you. They'll be into the same stuff in their 30s as they were a teenager, too. They'll be mocked relentlessly by Gen Alpha as well. They'll also eventually learn that coating everything in 50 layers of irony is just lame jackass behavior, but they still have to work through their Main Character Syndrome phase of their 20s.

[u/starrypolygon → u/Neuroticaine]

This is so accurate and I always found the hate (and age shaming) for millennials so baffling. They also seem really afraid of ageing, as if they’re afraid of becoming like the millennials today. Even though some of their favourite influencers/idols etc are millennials? It’s just all really baffling to me.

Edit to clarify: hate is a strong word, it's more like mock instead? And of course I don't mean all GenZs. I've only seen it coming from younger GenZs, and I've even seen older GenZs being age-shamed by younger ones.

[u/DudeCanNotAbide → u/starrypolygon]

They grew up witnessing the constant scapegoating of Millennials by the media. I remember some general Gen-X angst and pearl clutching over latchkey kids back in the day, but it was nothing like the dog piling Millennials received. Boomer projection, which I hope we don't duplicate.

[u/leopip12]

No reply’s

They would rather ignore your text. “Hey we still doing that thing today?” If they know they are gonna flake they just don’t reply. And now I’m over here, having to wait on your response to replan my day. It’s inconsiderate. Just communicate.

I’ve been told by many Gen-Z that it’s social suicide to double text someone or to be the last one to send a text. You always want the other person to text you last, so you can ignore them and feel cool.

[u/Rattlehead96 → u/leopip12]

As a Gen Z, this infuriates me. Everyone my age does this. I don't give a fuck if you decide to flake but fucking communicate and stop being disrespectful of my time.

[u/MenaceMinded → u/leopip12]

My husband and I have trained our gen z 14 year old out of this one. 🤣

He is used to getting both calls and texts from us both. He used to not acknowledge that he read or heard what you said and didn't reply/would hang up.

We got onto him about that a few times.

Which is also hilarious because he will send five texts back to back saying mom over and over if he wants something like to buy mine coins for Minecraft.

[u/CongealedBeanKingdom → u/leopip12]

it’s social suicide to double text someone or to be the last one to send a text.

What a shit rule

[u/LazagnaAmpersand]

Being weirdly puritanical while wearing hideous mullets and porn mustaches

[u/Peemster99 → u/LazagnaAmpersand]

As somebody who came of age in the 80s, I'm not thrilled that my least favorite looks from my childhood are coming back.

[u/Ziggyork → u/Peemster99]

I was having this conversation yesterday. Why the fuck are mullets coming back?? And a lot of these cuts they’re calling a mullet isn’t a fucking mullet!!

[u/Correct_Turn_6304 → u/Ziggyork]

Yes I saw someone with a rat tail and not a mullet claiming it was a mullet?

[u/i_steal_your_lemons → u/LazagnaAmpersand]

High school teacher here. I’ve been noticing the “Weirdly Puritanical” part when it comes to dating age-gaps. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see an increased awareness of the predator type age-gaps like 20 year old dating a 15 or 16 year old or something. But on more than one occasion this year I’ve seriously had kids call someone a pervert or predator for one year differences. 16 dating a 15 year old? Creepy predator! Junior dating a sophomore? Perverted creep!

Again. The awareness is good, but it seems to have swung a bit too far. But maybe that’s just in my community.

[u/Jazzymousee]

Very awkward social skills. When you try to be friendly or bubbly to them, they often look horrified or very confused

Edit : to clarify, I mean this in a very basic interaction scenario. For example, if you’re ordering a coffee and just smiling or making a small friendly comment, it’s often met with no response or a blank expression. I am very introverted , so this is definitely not an over the top extrovert thing.

[u/ruinrunner]

They are so restricted by social rules it’s better to do nothing than to do something lame. There’s a strict code of conduct, a strict code of dress, and if anything is deemed cringe, they get shunned, which has resulted in their overall inaction. I think this is the reason for them drinking less, having less sex, the gen z stare, not caring about work, etc.

[u/Skylarking77 → u/ruinrunner]

So we've become Japan basically.

[u/entitledfanman → u/Skylarking77]

I love the horseshoe theory idea of us going so far that we've circled back to an honor/shame culture with different wording. An aura/cringe culture, if you will. 

[u/resisting_a_rest → u/ruinrunner]

Probably because of social media. Anything you do could be immortalized forever on TikTok.

[u/monsterosity → u/ruinrunner]

What's worse is that trying hard at anything is deemed "cringe". The only way to succeed is to act like you didn't even have to try.

[u/meatguyf]

Constantly track each other while in a relationship through cell phones. That's just insane to me and feels like tech based borderline personality disorder.

[u/hiiexist4444 → u/meatguyf]

I actually agree with this. I’m gen-z and am in my first serious long-term relationship, and the NUMBER ONE difference I’ve noticed is that I’m not being tracked or monitored all the time like in my short-term relationships. I think it’s an anxiety thing

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/hiiexist4444]

My daughter was asked to share her location with a guy she was seeing. She shot that down quick.

[u/Visions_of_Gideon → u/meatguyf]

Not even just in a relationship, but tracking friends’ locations constantly! It’s so strange to me

[u/IDontWannaGetOutOfBe → u/Visions_of_Gideon]

For real. I don't even need to know where my wife is second by second when she's out. Some vague idea is enough. She's a big girl she'll make it home fine. Is it a trust thing? Or more accurate a lack of trust thing?

Cause no relationship is gonna work when based on that kind of paranoid, short or long-term.

Edit: Some good counter-examples below. Hey we all make relationships work differently huh.

[u/RednBlackSalamander → u/meatguyf]

Yeah, fuck everything about this. Some of the stuff in this thread is just old people whining about "the kids these days" but the normalization of constant surveillance is absolutely horrific. If you time traveled back to the post-9/11 days and told me that real time GPS tracking would become a standard part of dating, I'd have gone to live in a Unabomber shack in the mountains.

[u/HookerActivities]

The older generations don’t get that some of us are pushing 30 (oldest Gen Z is 29) and we are not all 14 year olds. I’m 25, I grew up with older parents and my siblings are way older than me. I like to think I got lucky and got a good mix of a millennial/gen z childhood. We are not all stupid and brainrotted, I promise.

[u/Agnes327 → u/HookerActivities]

lol this is how us elder millennials felt. Welcome to the “elder” club

[u/Vargasm19 → u/HookerActivities]

dude I felt that, I'm 24 and I swear reading these comments all I can think is like wow it feels like I grabbed the last chopper out of Nam in terms of all this weird shit not applying to me or my friend group

[u/Neuroticaine → u/HookerActivities]

Dude, boomers still think we millennials are kids, and our oldest are pushing 45.

[u/TeaManTom]

Gen Z plays with the English language in really unique way.

In the past, more extreme slang expressions were more the domain of specific region or cultural group, but with the connectivity of gen z's social media culture, their slang has become widespread, ubiquitous and immediate to a degree we've not seen in prior generations.

I find that fascinating.

[u/Intelligant_Pie4382 → u/TeaManTom]

The new slang appears to be less contained to unique subcultural groups. It seems to be adopted wholesale just as it breaks out. 

[u/TeaManTom → u/Intelligant_Pie4382]

Exactly.

Previous generations never had this level of connectivity, so by the time slang found widespead usage ourside the subcultural groups, it was toned down versions and the 'vanguard' had moved on.

Gen Z slang has unprecedented reach and immediacy.

Going to be very interesting to see how it impacts language long term.

[u/Intelligant_Pie4382 → u/TeaManTom]

Maybe the subcultures have been flattened to some degree. Almost nobody 16-25 is doing something cool that they aren't publicising immediately. This means little subcultures aren't growing and building in isolation like they did 20 years ago. Like when skateboarding or hiphop or rock climbing went mainstream they had decades of mysterious evolution and lingo development already established.

[u/Suspicious-Rich-2681]

I saw a video where someone was shocked that a kid went on his phone and just purchased multiple hundred dollar flights through there.

Purchases over $100 are a laptop level decision.

[u/Logridos → u/Suspicious-Rich-2681]

It's me, I'm the shocked person. It's not that I'm afraid the phone will do something wrong, it's that mobile websites are all fucking garbage. Why would I choose to do something important like that on a teeny tiny screen when I could do it on my PC instead and have a MUCH better experience?

Phones are for texting and doomscrolling while out and about, nothing else.

[u/bickdiggles]

Deadpan stare at someone in a job where they interact with customers. I.e. As a barista just staring at the person to place an order without saying hi what would you like. It’s weird because I’m used to waiting for them to greet you as a sign that they’re finished with their other task (the previous persons order) and ready to take my order so as to not be rude

[u/tnemevaP → u/bickdiggles]

People keep mentioning this and I still have never encountered this in the wild. Vast majority of gen z service workers just seem to act normal.

[u/Ssoliloquy]

Record complete strangers for entertainment and shame them on the internet

[u/buttgers]

Awkward conflict avoidance and ghosting.

Job interview, but changed your mind. Ghost the potential employer instead of calling to cancel.

Not feeling the date you're on. Ghost the other person instead of being upfront so they get closure.

It's such a waste of everyone's time to be so inconsiderate. I run a small business and had tens of potential interviews no-show with no answer. We confirmed the day before, and I blocked out my schedule to set these up, and people just decide my time is worthless. I reach out after 10-15 minutes of not seeing them with no response. Maybe I'm old school, but I actually try to make my employees and future employees feel appreciated and valued. I set aside this time to interview you and give you the attention you deserve cause I feel you're also interviewing me and my practice the same.

Then, I see so many dating people scratching their heads wondering what they did wrong on their date to be ghosted. What's the issue with their own self that made them incompatible with the other person? It would be nice for these people to learn whether they did something wrong or not. I'm sure these youngans don't like being left in the dark with no rhyme or reason, so why are they straight being so awkward in avoiding being upfront with the other party?

Why is ghosting such a normal way to deal with uncomfortable discussions?

[u/DiamondL0st → u/buttgers]

The problem is that "look after your mental health" has become acceptable to use as an excuse for avoiding any difficult scenario that comes up in life.

People then think it's okay to just totally disregard their basic responsibilities like letting someone know they're not showing up, because they think they're looking after their mental health by just staying at home instead, just because they felt nervous or anxious before hand.

It's a shame, because you should look after your mental health, but you should also have the courtesy and decency to be able to send a text saying "I'm not coming.". You also have to push yourself at some point in life.

[u/papierrose → u/DiamondL0st]

I’d argue it’s not even helpful for mental health. Avoidance is the biggest perpetuating factor for anxiety. It might be a relief in the short term but you never learn how capable you are if you keep yourself manacled in a bubble. Not everything uncomfortable is unsafe.

[u/team-pup-n-suds → u/DiamondL0st]

Totally agree. I have a gen z friend who cannot navigate through any difficult or new situation. They have gone through years of having probably 6+ jobs because they will quit when they get constructive feedback, their boss becomes more hands on and wants to meet with them more. It's ridiculous. I actually dont know how they keep getting jobs because I would be wary of even interviewing someone with that kind of job history

[u/DiamondL0st → u/team-pup-n-suds]

Building resilience is an underrated skill to learn to be honest.

I don't mean to sound all corporate but genuinely you gotta figure out how to bounce back from things and not take everything personally. It sounds like your friend is someone who hasn't done this.

[u/lrs888]

Gonna be honest I don't know where you guys live but this comment section is not sounding like my experience of gen Z at all

[u/mirrorpixels]

Think they're all still children... the oldest gen Zs are pushing 30

[u/PM_me_ur_navel_girl → u/mirrorpixels]

They were saying the same thing about millennials ten years ago.

[u/The_Final_Barse]

The Gen Z stare.

Like they are just currently disengaged. You'll be asking them a question and have to prompt then further for any human like response.

It's bizarre.

[u/Bigballsu → u/The_Final_Barse]

I asked for help from a guy maybe 18-20 years old stacking shelves at a hardware store a couple years ago. The guy went with me to where I was looking for a product, said he needed to talk to someone about getting more of it from their storage, and told me to stay there. I did. For 10 minutes. No one came. Right at the 10 minute mark, I left to go find someone else for help, and saw him two aisles down stacking shelves again. Not the same aisle he was at before either, a different one. Thinking he must have asked someone else to help me and then went back to his task, I asked him what was happening. He stared at me like he had never seen me before, and it took about 10 seconds of me explaining what happened 10 minutes ago for him to realise who I was. Bear in mind I'm a fat dude with red hair. He said oh yeah, I was supposed to do that, then he looked down and said he needed to go talk to someone else but looked confused, like the gears in his mind were churning. He did not look high or tired. I just told him don't worry, I'll go to a different store, and he was so fucking relieved I said that. Weirdest interaction I've had, absolute space cadet.

[u/toiletsurprise → u/The_Final_Barse]

My coworker is like this, it'd odd. I'll tell him something, he is listening to me, then just kind of stares like "did you get that? what's going on up there?". When I mention what we talked about it not even 5 minutes later he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

[u/Either-Tank6721]

For me it’s the total lack of shame in taking selfies at the gym. They’ll be in the locker room posing to get the perfect ass pic without a care who’s around to see. The millenial in me just could never, like I’d have to wait until I’m at home or there’s nobody around at least.

[u/Significant_Run_2607]

Watching Gen Z use voice notes for conversations that would've been three texts still throws me a little. my niece sent a 2 minute update about what cereal she bought, and somehow her friend replied with an even longer one while walking through Target. isn't it basically a phone call with extra steps?

[u/ramenoodz]

I’d like to add something positive to this thread that Gen Z does that older generations don’t get. The conversations around mental health is a big one. The boomers in my life think I’m a special snowflake for going to therapy, reading books about psychology, etc… When actually, I’m the first one breaking the cycle of dysfunction in my family.

[u/Lespaul42]

Complain about sex and swearing in adult media.

[u/Imatros → u/Lespaul42]

You mean f*cking s*x... /s

[u/DangerousPuhson → u/Imatros]

The Tik-Tok self-censorship stuff really irks me, especially when I see it where it's not needed (like Reddit); "unalived", "graped", "self-deleted" and all that. Just say the fucking word, we already know the word.

[u/IveKnownItAll → u/DangerousPuhson]

They are more concerned with monetizing and losing that, than getting an actual message out

[u/Vandergrif → u/IveKnownItAll]

As the Gen Xers would have said, they're all a bunch of sell-outs.

I miss when that was considered a negative thing instead of greed being so pervasively encouraged.

[u/Sudo-Fed → u/Imatros]

S*ggs