Why People in Their 40s, 50s, and 60s Are Secretly Fascinated by Gen Z—And What It Reveals About Us All
Ever wonder what Generation Z is actually nailing while everyone else seems busy writing them off? Spoiler alert: it’s not just their uncanny ability to rock mismatched socks with a straight face or their mysterious survival skills in the wilds of TikTok. Despite getting the usual flak for having different priorities, these Zoomers are quietly revolutionizing how we think about respect, work boundaries, and even shoe comfort at parties. From standing up for mental health like pros to rewriting the playbook on family drama, Gen Z’s got some seriously impressive moves—moves that even their parents’ generation can’t help but applaud. So, before you roll your eyes at the next “kids these days” complaint, maybe it’s time to peek behind the Snapchat filters and see what all the fuss is really about. Curious to know what makes Gen Z shine through older generations’ eyes?
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.
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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.
Meanwhile, those born after Gen Z are referred to as Generation Alpha or Gen A (anyone born between 2010 and 2025).
The older members of Gen Z are finishing college, entering the job market, and skilling up, while the youngest ones are still in school. That’s a pretty big difference to wrap your head around.
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.
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”.
In the meantime, some members of older generations are so stuck in their ways that they call anyone young ‘millennials,’ no matter when they were actually born.
There are slight overlaps between each generation, and the exact range of years might change depending on who’s doing the research. To paraphrase Captain Barbossa from The Pirates of the Caribbean, generational time frames are more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.
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
Treating consent like a normal component of dating. As important to learn as how to pay for dinner, how to dance, how to dress.
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