The fact of the matter is that different generations have varying outlooks and values in life. Some broader trends remain true, even if, as an individual, your philosophy doesn’t precisely align with that of your peers.
Generation Z receives a lot of unnecessary criticism for having different priorities from those of previous generations.
The truth is that members of Gen Z excel in many areas. So much so that the r/AskReddit online community came together to praise them for it, inspired by user u/jarbid16. Read on to see what Zoomers are doing right according to older generations.
We got in touch with the author of the fascinating thread, u/jarbid16. They shared their perspective on how Gen Z is perceived, its pros and cons, and the friction between different generations. You’ll find Bored Panda’s full interview with the author below.
#1
They treat people with disabilities with respect. My daughter, who is 23 with Down syndrome, has never been bullied ever at school or as an adult. Her peers treated her with respect and genuinely cared about her.
Image source: 30minfromtown, Cliff Booth
#2
48yr old Gen Xer here. I am so impressed that Gen Z and some Millennials have stopped putting up with family abuse and drama and cut people off. Generally speaking of course, my generation and my parents generation (Boomers) have put up with familial drama and toxicity for generations because “They’re family” and “you only have one family.” WRONG.
You’re going to chastise me for being gay or having gay friends, etc etc? Fine. I’m not coming home for Thanksgiving and going to do Friendsgiving instead. You’re going to constantly give me s**t for X? Fine, goodbye and good luck in life.
I watched my Boomer parents put up with so much abuse from their Greatest or Silent Generation parents. And it’s not like they stuck around for fear of being cut out of the will. There was no money.
Every generation has its flaws but I sincerely applaud Gen Z and Millennials for this. In addition to tolerance for others.
Image source: OlFlirtyBastard, SHVETS production
#3
Wearing comfortable shoes when going out. This is low stakes compared to the other comments but whenever I see a Gen Z girl in a party dress and sneakers heading out to the bar I think “they’ve got it figured out”.
Image source: graphgiraffe, Thegiansepillo
#4
They are nicer than we were growing up. I remember watching a kid happily dancing around a playground in a Harry Potter robe and a wand, casting spells, and realized that if he’d been doing that in the places I grew up, he would have been beaten up. Everyone else would have agreed that the kid was asking for it. Jocks beating up on nerds was seen as the natural order of things. There was a tacit understanding that some people had the right to attack others physically. Kids are smarter, more empathetic, and less judgemental these days, and I love them for it
Image source: rks404, Norma Mortenson
#5
Treating consent like a normal component of dating. As important to learn as how to pay for dinner, how to dance, how to dress.
Image source: colomommy, cottonbro studio
#6
Wanting a 4 day work week. Everyone I know in their 40s is burnt out.
Image source: CompetitionFalse3620, fauxels
#7
They’re so open about mental health and feelings, which I admire the hell out of. Their generation is willing to talk about it freely, rather than older generations who’ve pretty much kept mental illness (diagnosed or suspected, it doesn’t matter) hidden away or never taken seriously. It’s one of the few good things to come out of social media: There can be such support and understanding from complete strangers when someone shares their suffering
Image source: QueenMoogle, Oleksandr P
#8
They’re willing to leave jobs for better pay. When Gen X did it, it was branded as ‘job hopping’ and heavily frowned upon by companies. I’m happy that younger generations figured out that if you want to climb the ladder, you often have to jump over to a different one.
Image source: blaspheminCapn, Andrea Piacquadio
#9
I admire their general disinterest in alcohol. Its consumption is so woven into our social fabric that it becomes hard to face how damaging it is to our long-term health. Whether Gen Z seems to acknowledge this truly, or they are just contrarian for the sake of being different, I think it’s a positive thing, and I hope it sticks.
Image source: gardenfiendla8, Keira Burton
#10
– Way less religious.
– Open minded.
– Less judgmental.
– Less money driven/more experience driven.
– A surprising amount of them are into rock and metal.
– Very creative.
– Less d**g abuse.
– Less violent.
– More into science.
– More aware of b******t.
Source: I’ve been teaching middle school for 9 years.
I know that they might look like morons, but the morons have ALWAYS been around in every generation. These morons are just a lot more visible because of social media.
Image source: anon, Helena Lopes
#11
Being more humanist. Some of it is inherited from what’s taught/programmed at school etc, but some of it is also a choice they’ve made independently.
Boomer generation were utterly focused on career progression and productivity at all costs. That was a byproduct of the generation that raised them, who were coming out of major world wars and the peak of the age of industrialization.
Gen X inherited a certain degree of that by virtue of the fact they were raised by Boomers, but started to also think about food inequality, world peace and the environment (aka: save the trees).
Gen Y picked up more of the social equality mindset but I think got a bit lost figuring out their identity because they were at the beginning of social media and the idea of “personal branding”.
Gen Z are far enough distanced from the age of industrialization now that their mindset is more centered around humanity. Healthy work/life balance, more tolerance for people with disabilities, varying sexual orientations and races/religions, more compassion and consideration of mental health.
Somewhat ironically, there’s a theory that society goes through four phases that align to each generation, with the final phase being enlightenment, before going back to the start of the cycle which is essentially “war”. Given the deteriorating state of the world, the generation after Gen Z may possibly end up looking more like the silent generation.
Image source: lordgoofus1
#12
Gen Z is a lot less casually racist, sexist and lgbtq hating than the people I grew up with, which is something I appreciate.
Image source: jessek, Anna Shvets
#13
I love seeing that many gen z women carry *weight* on their bodies. The 1990s and 2000s encouraged girls and women to make themselves as small as possible, i.e. to physically disappear. After that cultural horror, seeing so many teens and 20-somethings proudly baring real muscle and fat damn near makes me cry.
I also love the wildness of self-presentation – the ill-fitting clothes, surprising pairings, and bonkers haircuts. Keep it up gen z!
Image source: clover_heron, Andres Ayrton
#14
Drawing boundaries in relationships and at work. Both are necessary.
Image source: rebeccahubard, Tima Miroshnichenko
#15
I feel like fewer of them are smoking. And they have made being embarrassed of mental disorders pretty non existent.
Image source: _Goose_, Pixabay
#16
Gen Z includes some of the most compassionate, caring, and accepting people I’ve ever seen.
Theyre depressed and poor, but they all are so empathetic. I’ve seen them champion for one another so quickly. I’ve seen them immediately supporting their friends going through emotional struggle and it seems like they’re all well versed in therapy work.
Perhaps it’s because they’ve been through METOO, Covid, BLM, and now LGBTQ, but it’s like as a whole they’re just way more empathetic.
Image source: GeneralZaroff1
#17
Make boomers cry because “nobody want to work anymore”
No moron, nobody want to be a slave anymore.
Image source: Glup-Shitto69
#18
They are far more accepting of people. My kids have relatives in the Midwest and the South who are white gun-toting conservatives. And they have friends who are gay, Black, Brown, Asian — you name it. They view people as people and love all of them.
Image source: heliumhat, cottonbro studio
#19
**Spending money on experience instead of things.** My niece went to Paris to see a concert, she doesn’t own a couch.
Good move, kid.
Image source: The_Patriot, picjumbo.com
#20
Rejecting and questioning tradition. I think each generation has played a part in disturbing the status quo, and Gen Z is a culmination of those efforts. The rift began with the counterculture of the Boomer era and has traveled through each subsequent generation, gaining momentum with every passing decade. Now we are beginning to see results in the real world. As a millennial born in ’90, I see Gen Z reaching voting age as The Last Great Hope for America. If they can’t turn the tide against Christian fascism, I don’t know what will.
Image source: PriestessOfMars_
#21
Voting. They are voting at historic rates and making their voices heard.
Image source: KingoreP99
#22
How did they get so good at maintaining houseplants at such a young age? All my younger coworkers have had desks overflowing with lush plants. I couldn’t keep a houseplant alive until I turned 30.
Image source: kobayashi_maru_fail, Huy Phan
#23
Making secondhand clothing cool. I love how the Gen Zs I know create their own style and care about the environmental impact of their choices.
Image source: queenie_sabrina, cottonbro studio
#24
Their generation doesn’t seem to give a s**t about who is gay and who isn’t. I’m straight but I cringed as a teen when friends openly talked bad s**t regarding gay people.
Image source: [deleted], Brett Sayles
#25
My kids are all in their early/mid-twenties, and I love how they easily form platonic friendships across genders. I, a male, had no female friends growing up, maybe due to the heavily conservative Midwest environment.
Image source: heliumhat, Askar Abayev
#26
Like others said: basically telling businesses to get bent if they’re not paying well or offering competitive benefits.
Image source: Craumas, Yan Krukau
#27
Try their best to put a stop to family and domestic abuse.
Image source: imjerusalem, Odonata Wellnesscenter
#28
They clearly don’t give a s**t what people think about how they dress and present themselves. There’s LOTS of confidence there.
Image source: Cats_Dont_Dance
#29
Not having lots of kids.
Image source: exotics
#30
In general, they are more accepting and tolerant of people who are different. Good on you Gen Z.
Image source: zerbey, PNW Production
#31
“Quiet quitting”
You mean, working your established hours?
Image source: KaiJonez, Christina Morillo
#32
They seem to have a proper awareness of the realities of capitalism and what they really deserve in the job market.
Image source: LastStand4000, Andrea Piacquadio
#33
Fleeing religion.
Image source: Fart_In_Your_Face
#34
I love GenZ. They are everything us Boomers failed to be. GenZ are forward thinkers, they take a stand for what they believe in. They are courageous and for the most part they speak respectfully to the boomers even when provoked. Okay calling us “okay Boomer” not so much but sometimes it’s warranted. ❤️ zoomers!
Image source: Nena902
#35
A lot of the younger members of Gen Z are very open about themselves and give less of a s**t about judgement. Love seeing it.
Image source: UsualMorning98, Andrea Piacquadio
#36
I think they stopped eating those tidepods.
Image source: Signal-Homework1549, TakeshisApprentice
#37
Voting.
Image source: m-charles-cahill, Edmond Dantès
#38
They’re not gonna be slaves in the corporate world, like us. It may sound too much at times but they know their worth and mental health.
Image source: zunashi
#39
Breaking generational trauma.
Image source: ducklune
#40
Unionizing.
Image source: mightandmagic88
#41
Less tobacco, d***s & alcohol.
Image source: JazzRider
#42
Not trusting companies.
Image source: Joshuaedwardk
#43
They harness the power of social media to raise awareness, organize protests, and make a difference.
Image source: Carol-Willis324
#44
Gen Z’s confidence and ability to wear anything is confusing, and I admire that.
Image source: superunleaded
#45
Basically everything.
Their music sucks though.
Image source: skibbin
#46
Skin care / self care. Growing up in the late 70’s early 80’s we never even thought about using sunscreen. Now my 12yo daughter has a 30 minute regimen every night for skin care. Good for you, sis! Take care of yourself!
Image source: portablebiscuit
#47
Not relying on CNN/Fox/MSNBC/NYT/etc. for the news.
Image source: Jaway66
#48
They don’t experience an awkward stage. It seems like they all skipped this part of life. It’s like all Gen Z’ers came out of elementary school knowing how to coordinate outfits and drink Starbucks.
Image source: mercipourleslivres
#49
They put themselves first.
Image source: Redfeeted
#50
I feel like the gym and lifting are becoming a trend amongst us Gen z ppl. a lot of young teens are lifting more and getting into that mindset, and along with that comes meal prep, stoicism, reading, studying, eating cleaner, and living with a clear healthy mind. just some things that stem from getting into the gym culture bc those things are highly endorsed.
Image source: chasnthepump
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