Gen Z’s biggest problem (which spawns all the other problems) is being constantly online, but it’s hardly their fault. The older generations (which I’m part of) founded the internet, molded it into digital heroin, and then went ahead and purchased the kids their devices that had mostly no restrictions or protections.
It perfectly fits the Who Killed Hannibal meme.
Internet through the 90s and smartphone adoption in the late 00s-early 2010s changed so much about how people interacted. I was part of the last generation to adopt the internet growing up and can remember not having it.
Boomers get shit on but they at least had some fulfillments of their generational ideals, they probably changed their own world more than any other generation by their own will so far. They had civil rights and strong unions which counts for something. They couldn’t escape the apparatus that sustained them and will always be defined by it, all the rock and roll in the world cant bring down the institutions, they merely adopted it for themselves.
GenX was the exact opposite, the notion of authenticity going back to the boomers reached it’s apex at the exact time economic conditions stripped away any meaning and relevance of it. They both had the dream and saw it dismantled, got the first popular reactions towards the coming climate doom, with the backdrop of impending nuclear apocalypse. At least they could ride on the coattails of the post-war economy, and benefitted from the 90s.
GenZ actually has it the worst so far, they never had the dream GenX did. With internet and smartphones they now see themselves at all times from the perspective of how other’s see them, they exist fully saturated in this hyperreal space of endless consumption. They don’t have the economic benefits of previous generations, and their GenX parents probably need their retirement money. GenZ is experiencing the strain of the empire, the degradation of social services, the weight of the impending climate catastrophe, meaningless politics and all routes for change blocked off. They have the fake world to escape to and can experience anything they want at almost any time. They are self-aware of this though, at least the smart ones are, they know it’s bullshit but they don’t think that matters, and they’re absolutely right.
Gen Z’s biggest problem (which spawns all the other problems) is being constantly online
huge citation needed…
couldn’t possibly the rigged economy, two tiered justice system, racism baked into every system, religious fundamentalism, imminent environmental collapse, no it’s the phones…
Your argument would be valid if this phenomenon was specific to USA, but it’s not. It’s happening (to my knowledge) everywhere where kids were given unrestricted access to the Internet. That’s the common denominator, not political or social issues.
That we also have political and social issues is not making the situation easier, but I don’t believe that’s the root cause for kids’ increased mental issues. The previous generations had their part of alarmism and issues as well – e.g. world wars, nukes, oil crises, cold war, smaller wars everywhere all the time (Korea and Vietnam even constituted a general draft in the US, which must have not been a great time), satanism panic/red scare/gay scare.
I think his argument is valid, just as yours is.
You’re right it’s not only the US. But he’s also right that phones are not the only reason / common denominator. Basically every country has a rigged economy and a two class justice system - some more, some less. But the ruling class secured their privileges everywhere. Our planet’s doom looming over the horizon is also a global phenomenon.
What unrestricted access to the internet is doing: it’s making everyone much more aware of those things, their global scale. Everyone gets a feeling of how bad it is because there seems to be no greener pasture anymore.
I’m a liberal progressive GenXer and my workplace is full of MAGA millenials. I thought I would be OK when the boomers started to die off from heart disease, but here we are.
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Maybe a little bit better, some of the ones most responsible for brainwashing the younger generation are people like Rupert Murdoch, Dennis Prager, etc.
But I agree, people shouldn’t be complacent. I actually found this article on the conservative site iPatriot talking about upcoming and younger influential conservatives.
Right there with ya, dude. My work is MAGA to the core, and most of them are in the 20 to 30 year old range.
Dude, that sucks. Tots and bears go out to ya.
Can confirm. Fight the power, fuck the system and all that jazz. I was told it was my “maximalism of the youth”, a phase that would pass, but I only become more and more radical in my views as I mature, so that was a fucking lie.
My views haven’t changed one bit, I just had to make some compromises in lifestyle to survive (e.g. get a job).
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I am a geriatric millenial and watching gen Z grow up has actually been incredible. It is a generation that has more compassion and self-awareness than the ones that came before them. I am proud of these kids (even though most of them aren’t even kids anymore).
What’s wrong with gen x? I remember being repeatedly told growing up that we were the first generation for which things were gonna be worse than the previous. Lo and fucking behold.
I don’t understand why this whole generation concept is so popular these days. I don’t think it helps anyone if it’s just used for sensationalistic general statements that pit one group against the other. This is the same unthinking logic that racism operates on. I cannot see that this way of thinking would in any way help to find solutions to the real problems or even to identify the actors who are responsible for today’s ills. On the contrary, it only helps irresponsible profiteers to continue their greed for profit at the expense of the general public by placing the blame on an anonymous group rather than on the individuals who are actually responsible.
That’s exactly like something a boomer would say!
Let’s get him!
/s
Get the Pitchforks!
It’s so popular because it helps irresponsible profiteers.
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We got your back. Not sure who’s saying millennials dislike gen x, but they’re not speaking for most of us.
I think its mostly focused on the older gen x, some of them are worse than the boomers.
A lot of them aren’t, though. They were named Gen X at least in part as a reference to Malcolm X due to their rebellious nature towards previous generations and their societal norms.
Millenials were the original “avocado toast” generation targeted by boomers. We’ve been conditioned to protect our young from the real babies in these older generations. But there are good ones and bad ones in every generation.
Gen X here. Full support to my Milennial and Zoomer homies.
It’s OK, GenX is used to being forgotten or misunderstood.
Lots of Millenials can’t tell the difference from a Boomer.
Idk, I would say the older half of Gen X could almost be described as “Boomer Lite”. They didnt quite have it AS nice, but still definitely way better than anyone born in the 80’s or later. Not to mention their Boomer-like attitude…
As an older Gen-Xer, who had married another older Xer far too young (because we were brought up that all we needed to do was get a job and life would be awesome) I can agree that some in my age range are definitely watered down boomers. Which is also a fair part of the reason why he’s my ex husband now.
As the mother of 3 Gen Z sons, I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing men they’re becoming, and couldn’t be more disgusted about the conditions that some of my generation and those before me have created for them.
Slightly less offensive boomers
Sorry but those broccoli haircuts are a deal breaker for me. Sucks about global warming and all though, yall got the short end of the stick
Anyone has that meme with Space-Marine-style Millienial protecting lil-Gen-Z guy with his sword, saying “they fucked us real good, no?” or something.
It was here a couple weeks ago.
I wonder if in the future, millennials and gen z will become the new boomers and gen X.
That will make me kinda sad. I just hope we don’t go down the same path…
I don’t know, I’m an X, we don’t really exist anywhere, we are transparent and ignored in societies.
My parents are (early) Gen X. In general I don’t think you are transparent or ignored. I’m not saying this isn’t your case though.
I appreciate my parents and even though they are “outdated” on some stuff, I value them immensely. For instance, if it wasn’t for my dad I likely would never have gotten into omputers. And that would’ve led me not have my current job (probably). I owe everything to them.
In fact, in my country at least (not US), I’m pretty sure Boomers + Gen X make up the majority of the voting power due to declining birth/death rates. (These stats are 100% pulled out of my ass, so they can very well be wrong.)
So, if anything you’re the ones who hold more power (again, in my country at least).
What I’m trying to say is, things aren’t as black and white as this stupid memes make them seem. We’re all collectively messed up somehow. :)
I am Gen X, and I am pretty sure that people who group other people by age are retards who desperately long to be part of a group that just has to be better than the others. 50 years from now, the same kind of people will complain how Gen Z politicians were responsible for the genocidal war.
I am Gen X
retards
Yep, your credentials check out
yeah it’s the south park generation. they were still using the F slur on reality TV in 2000
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As a millennial, I have no problem with z or x, my issue is with the generation that got theirs and made sure the following generations would never be able to. The pieces of shit who grew up preaching peace and love and then voted for Reagan. At least their kids hated them so much that we got great music out of it.
