Baffled: 20 Things That Leave Millennials Very Confused

Oh, Gen Z, the children born in the 2010s when Katy Perry was all the rage, the Twilight Movies were in theaters (and killin’ it), and Lady Gaga wore a dress covered in meant. However, millennials were graduating college or have already graduated and working on their careers.

They still remember and enjoy some of these memories. However, Gen Z and millennials still seem like they’re lightyears apart, and many things still confuse the older generation about the younger one. Recently, someone asked,” Millennials, what confuses you about Gen Z?” The answers were honest, hysterical, and 100% straight to the point. 

Hoodies ALL THE TIME

One Redditor wrote, “I always see them wearing shorts and a hoodie. I don’t understand. If I feel cold enough to put on a hoodie, I’m not wearing shorts.”

Another Redditor added, “gen z here. I really enjoy being warm. I put a sweater on in the 4th grade, and I’ve been wearing one daily for the last ~2000 days. Also a little insecure.”

Gen Z Celebrities?

A popular comment was, “Where are all the Gen Z celebrities? Apart from Tom Holland and Zendaya, I cannot think of a leading man or woman in Hollywood in their 20s. Ryan Gosling is playing Ken in the Barbie movie, and he’s 41.”

A second comment read, “The stranger things cast are probably the biggest gen z celebs rn. Millie Bobby Brown especially has become a massive celeb.”

A third user replied, “On Tiktok, I would guess. Gen Z’s celebrities are not from movies etc. but from Social Media.”

Can’t Send Emails

One user replied, “I coach lots of gen z-ers. What the **** are their emails? I was working with a few to get something done instead of sending ONE email with the information. Three separate people emailed one person random piecemeal information with ZERO context. I had to remind them that email is not text messages and to have all their ducks in a row before hitting send. For the love of God.”

A second user added, “As Gen Z, I never sent emails before I got a job. I still use more time than I should be formatting emails.”

The “IN” Hairstyle 

A Redditor wrote, How do all these young guys get their hair to look that way that’s super in right now, are they out getting perms?”

Another Redditor replied, ‘My son has naturally curly hair, so he is living his best life right now, but a number of his classmates have actually gone out and got perms.”

A third simply wrote, “Lol, the broccoli cut?”

Slang

One confused user wrote, “What does based mean?”

A helpful person responded, “It means the opposite of cringe.”

Their Humor 

A popular comment was, “They have a very weird and strange sense of humor… like it’s hard to articulate what it is exactly… but it’s quite precise?”

Another comment was, “It’s chaotic and can’t be explained. Every time I see Zoomer stuff, I feel like an old man who knows about typewriters being taught StarCraft.”

The “Pioneer” Attitude 

One Redditor added, “Why do some of them act like they pioneered the social media/influencer boom or look at me surprised because I have Snapchat, etc., even though many of these came out when millennials like me were in our early 20s and the core demographic.”

A second Redditor replied, “Seconding to add Gen Zers surprised when they come across a 30+-year-old in a video game. Like, we were literally playing video games before you were born.”

Challenge Trends

A slightly confused user added, “I’m only 26, so I guess I’m at the tail end of the millennial range and near the start of Gen Z. I’ve never understood the desire to copy those TikTok challenge trends.”

Another user replied, “Cinnamon challenge, every Generation Is a lil stupid.”

Life On The Internet

A Redditor replied, “Do none of you realize putting your entire lives on the Internet is going to come back to bite you in the ass someday?”

A second Redditor wrote, “I did, so I changed and deleted everything and now keep a normal profile on social media. I know about how I could get into danger or be denied a job.”

Miserable

One concerned user added, “Are you… okay? Anywhere I go to shop y’all look miserable. (I mean this in a genuine way, lol).”

Another user wrote, “I’m just mad that I had to leave my bedroom.”

Not Tech Savvy 

One Redditor replied, “For a generation that grew up with Internet 2.0 and was handed an iPad at age 5, I’m baffled by how unsavvy they are with very basic/useful tech functions. Ex: how to effectively google something and navigate the search results, how to troubleshoot internet/connection issues, how to not believe 100% of what you see online, etc.”

Another Redditor added, “Because “everything just works.” Many young people don’t understand how folders work in a pc or don’t know how to use Excel.” 

Obsessed With Labels

One person wrote, “It may sound ignorant, so I apologize, but when I was in HS, we hated being labeled- now it seems people want their labels on display- whether it’s sexuality or learning differences, etc. (ace, neurodivergent, etc.). I respect it. I just remember not wanting to be boxed into labels.”

Another Redditor replied, “Wow, I never realized it, but this is maybe why I’m slightly bothered by all the labeling. I never wanted to be labeled anything (and still don’t). I just wanted to be myself, an individual.”

Unknown Cultural History

One Redditor added, “They don’t seem to know much of any recent cultural history. I think that’s why they think they “discovered” some of the biggest bands to ever exist. It’s like before they were born, everything must have been horse and buggy.”

A second Redditor wrote, “I also recently came to this realization. They have no knowledge of media, where we’ve already been, and what has already been done in media and entertainment.”

Don’t Ask For Help

One user added, “Why don’t you ask older people when you don’t know something? I work with a lot of Gen Z, and I see a lot of the blind leading the blind for no reason at all. Get some outside opinions.”

Another user replied, “I’m a millennial and Gen X and Boomers have all talked down to me when I’ve asked questions. But I got the answers. It seems to happen with all generations. The ones above don’t offer any respect.”

Great at Houseplants

A person wrote, “How they got so good at maintaining houseplants so young. Almost every younger team member I’ve ever worked with had these overflowing lush desks and would chuckle when you admire them and say something like oof; it’s a bit of an addiction; you should see my ADU. Hey, looks like you need some African violet food for your buddy. You can borrow mine”. I couldn’t keep a houseplant alive until I was almost 30!”

Another person added, “Google and interest. Houseplants are like pets that don’t bark at 1 am. One of my friends travels between a work program and school between multiple states and she’s still got houseplants that survive the trip every year.”

Fashion

One Redditor replied, ” The fashion. Listen, I’ll be the first to admit I’m old, out of touch, and probably look like a dork to young people. I’m fine with not understanding and letting fashion be the domain of the youth. Teens set trends. That’s how it’s always been. I don’t need to try to cling on.”

Another Redditor said, “They seem to have cherry picked a few terrible fashion trends from each decade and brought them back. Mullets, mom jeans (once the subject of an SNL skit highlighting how ugly they are), crocs.”

Life Hacks

One user added, “Why do they call everything a hack? Seriously, some of the things they think are extraordinary hacks are things most of us have been doing for decades.”

Disregard For Words

A Redditor replied, “Why do they call everything a hack, seriously, some of the things some if them think are extraordinary hacks are things most of us have been doing for decades.”

A second Redditor added, “Especially words that are more heavy, like gaslighting or trauma. I hate hearing kids misuse words like that to the point where they grind them down to nothing.”

Give Up The Information

One user wrote, “GenZ, I’m begging you… when you call a customer service line, remember that the rep you’re talking to doesn’t know anything about you, so when we ask for your info, we actually NEED YOUR INFO. All of it. Please don’t make us ask for every single tidbit of it….”

Cancel Culture

A most liked comment read, “Why they find the need to have to cancel everybody and everything that doesn’t agree with them. Like, guys, not everything has to be a battle. You need to be more tolerant of others the way you want others to be of you. Because then, you’re becoming what you fight against; just small minded and loud.”
Redditors gave some great answers to the question what confuses millennials about gen z. More from Motherhood Life Balance:

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