It all started with an online flamewar between two generations...
In 2021, Gen Z Tiktokers started throwing around the word cheugyto describe Millennials for their cringe-worthy, out-of-date styles and habits like wearing skinny jeans, having side-part hairdos, and overusing the 😂 emoji.
So Millennials clapped back (that means "responded to criticism" for those of you who don't speak cheugy)...
...and of course, they just made themselves look more cheugy.
When you see someone insulting your peers, it's easy to get offended. But before you feel the need to defend your generation and attack another...
Have you ever wondered what you both might have in common?
Generational Resentment
As they come of age, young adults will always set themselves apart from previous generations, leading to all kinds of tension and resentment. Even Millennials feel that way about Boomers — their parents' generation.
Many Millennials believe Boomers built a system to protect their wealth and lifestyle while Millennials hustled to survive (and taught their parents how to send emails).
When Millennials questioned this state of affairs, Boomers called them "lazy" and entitled". It was a bitter piece of avocado toast to swallow!
But guess what? The parents of Boomers resented them too for their hippie lifestyle that questioned authority through sexuality, rock music, and drug use.
Quiz
How might younger generations describe older generations?
Hard Lessons
Gen Z lost more than a year of their young lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But guess who else had their lives turned upside down by catastrophic events?
That's right, Millennials had it rough too!
2001-2007: The 9/11 attacks triggered a "global war on terror" that made the world more dangerous .
2008-2013: The Great Recession and its "jobless recovery" came just in time for Millennials to enter the workforce!
What did both generations learn from these crises?
The world isn't as safe, secure, and predictable as you were told as a child.
World events will have huge impacts on your mental and economic well-being.
People need to band together to make a better world.
A Shared Future
Climate change is coming for all of us!
Climate change will have a major impact on the lives, careers, health, and families of both Gen Z and Millennials. So what's the point in having flame wars online while the world burns?
Let's set aside our differences so we can fix things for future generations.
Take Action
Generational labels can help people identify with their peers. But these labels also bring out crude and divisive stereotypes.
So while we fight over differences in pant styles and where to part our hair, we waste precious time and energy we could be devoting to solving the major issues of our time.
The next time you're in an argument with someone from another generation:
Your feedback matters to us.
This Byte helped me better understand the topic.