Understanding Gen Z and Millennials: The Crucial Differences

Generation Z (or post-millennials) and millennials (or Gen Y) are generations following one another. You may think that people born in these generations have similar beliefs, traditions, routines, and qualities of life. In reality, that is not the case.

If you use social media, you may have seen numerous posts regarding two generations: Generation Z and millennials. Although they are of similar age, there’s an enormous gap between these two generations regarding various aspects of life.

Due to these differences, members of both generations like to joke on each others’ accounts. Read ahead to understand these jokes better and see how such a little age difference can create numerous differences.

Table of Content

Gen Z Age Range

People born between the late 1990s (1997) and 2010s (2012) belong to Gen Z, so they’re between 26 and 11 years of age in 2023.

Millennials Age Range

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, which means that the members of this generation will have anywhere from 27 to 42 years in 2023.

Gen Z Characteristics

Generation Z is famous for its good spirits and inclusivity. The members of this generation are the most likely to accept every change in the world and praise other people’s beliefs and values. Boundary setting is one of the most vital characteristics differentiating this generation from others.

Gen Z members cherish their time and can create an outstanding work-life balance. They’re less likely to work after work hours and more likely to have self-care routines to take the stress off their shoulders.

Most members are adventurous and like to explore. This generation wants to travel as much as possible and see other cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles. Because they have such intense dreams, they are money-driven and ambitious — nothing can stand in their way if they have a goal in front of them.

Millennials’ Characteristics

One of the most distinctive characteristics of this generation is that they find motivation wherever they are. They’ll have no trouble helping others in need and will always put moral values over anything else, making them one of the most caring generations ever.

Millennials strive for success and titles, often working overtime. That’s their virtue — they know hard work pays off and will do whatever they can (as long as it doesn’t contradict their values) to make their dreams come true.

This generation is also adaptive to changes, but not as Gen Z. They’ll respect everyone’s opinion but won’t communicate with you if your views oppose their values. The best part about this generation is that they are passionate — they’ll always work for motivation and thrive even in unfavorable conditions.

Gen Z vs. Millennials’ Spending & Shopping Habits

Since global warming highly influences Generation Z, they’re among the most aware generations ever. They’re more likely to purchase sustainable products and packaging solutions than their older counterparts.

Most people of the iGen have grown up after the consequences of the Great Recession and have been watching their parents and caregivers struggle financially. Thus, when it comes to shopping, they are more likely to spend wisely and look for sales, only purchasing items when needed. They will save as much money as possible for more meaningful experiences and hobbies, such as travel or equipment for a new business.

On the other hand, millennials live more lavish lives, often spending their salaries on online shopping, meals, deliveries, and tech, and are influenced by social media and trends. When they see something valuable, they’ll purchase it with no second thoughts.

This generation spends less on housing, cars, and credit than all others and typically has smaller investments. Moreover, since social media platforms influence them, millennials have high expectations regarding shopping, such as packaging and item quality.

Gen Z vs. Millennials: Slang Differences

When you scroll through social media, the number of new words like “yeet,” “GOAT,” “drip,” and many others might surprise you. In most cases, Gen Z is responsible for these new dictionary entries, but we can’t say they didn’t get the idea from the previous generation.

Millennials have been exposed to movies, TV shows, and music at an early age, deriving some words from these art forms and using them in daily communication. They were among the first generations to use acronyms such as LOL and LMAO in everyday speech. Moreover, they were the first generation to use Vines, a platform for making funny videos and posting them online. This app is also responsible for new words like “yaas” and “slay.”

Similarly, Gen Z has TikTok, an app similar to Vines but with more content. Social media influencers can mispronounce a word or use it in a different context than its original meaning, creating new variations or even new words. The language of Gen Z is more popular nowadays since they currently rule the internet.

Gen Z Stress Levels Compared to Millennials

Millennials were one of the first generations with internet access, but there wasn’t as much content back then as now. Because of that, millennials weren’t as exposed to all world problems and sensitive content as Gen Z.

On the other hand, Gen Z is native to the internet and has been using it since childhood (in most cases). They had the opportunity to explore and see various news regarding the world’s situation. Thus, the available content makes Gen Z more stressed than the previous generation.

Moreover, millennials are more easygoing than Gen Z, primarily due to finances because Gen Z has seen the worst economic days. In this case, the members of Gen Z are more stressed regarding jobs and financial status than millennials.

Gen Z vs. Millennials: Technology Use

Although millennials were one of the first generations with internet access, they didn’t use it actively. Since the concept of the internet was new during their time, they had no internet exploring what the digital world had to offer (not that there were many things to explore). However, as the internet expanded, they started using it more and more and are now shoulder-to-shoulder with the next generation.

However, the main difference between Gen Z and millennials is that iGen is native to the internet and its content. They grew up with computers, phones, tablets, and other intelligent devices, leaving them with enough time to explore the virtual world. This generation currently rules the kingdom of the internet and considers it their second home.

However, since some members of Gen Z are still immature to deal with gruesome content on the internet, numerous tools for controlling their internet access exist. If you have a Gen Z member at home, consider a parental control app to track your child’s online activity.

How to keep your child safe on the internet?

One of the best tools to use is Wondershare FamiSafe — a versatile tool to help you protect your child on the internet. With this tool, you can restrict access to certain apps, such as TikTok, that may contain inappropriate content or see what your child views the most on this app.

Moreover, you can get reports about their activity and track their screen time. FamiSafe also offers location-sharing options; you’ll always know where your child is if you activate this feature on their smartphone.

The internet can be terrifying nowadays, especially regarding cyberbullying situations. Thus, keeping your child safe on the internet is essential while feeding their technological cravings and curiosity. You can use FamiSafe as the best solution to this burning problem.

Conclusion

If your kids are using the word boujee, don’t forbid it. Your only job as a parent is to make sure they understand what it means. There’s nothing wrong with being a little boujee. Admiring this lifestyle might motivate them to study hard and apply their talents.