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It all started with an online flamewar between two generations...

A Millennial asks a Gen Z girl: Why u cry so much on tiktok? She responds: Why are you so cheugy?

In 2021, Gen Z Tiktokers started throwing around the word cheugyto describe Millennials for their cringe-worthy, out-of-date styles and habits like wearing skinny jeans, having side-part hairdos, and overusing the 😂 emoji.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?

Did you know?

Gaby Rasson, a software developer in Los Angeles, coined the term "cheugy" when she was in high school to describe people who followed trends that weren't in fashion anymore (New York Times, "What Is ‘Cheugy’? You Know It When You See It.", 2021).

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.

An elderly man on a beach throwing his hands up in the air and smiling. The text reads, 'Boomer lyfe'

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!

A woman saying, 'God damn millennials'

But guess what? The parents of Boomers resented them too for their hippie lifestyle that questioned authority through sexuality, rock music, and drug use.

Old footage of hippies dancing. A subtitle reads, 'There were parties on for 15 days continuously: food, chai, and dance.'

Quiz

How might younger generations describe older generations?

Did you know?

Real incomes declined and house prices rose between the 1970's and today, depriving Millennials of the privileges their parents were lucky to have when they became adults (VisualCapitalist.com, 2020)

Hard Lessons

Gen Z lost more than a year of their young lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oliver Twist saying, 'Please sir, can I have another stimulus check'

But guess who else had their lives turned upside down by catastrophic events?

A woman crying, with the text, 'Millennials, from 2001 til the end of time'

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!

Sitting in a burning room, a globe with a face and legs says, 'This is not fine.'

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.

Joe Biden in a convertible, wearing sunglasses. He says, 'Get in loser, we have a world to win.'

The next time you're in an argument with someone from another generation:

License:

This Byte has been authored by

SB

Steve Birek

Director of Learning Content at Rumie

English

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