Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guides to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guides to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Have you heard the news? Avocado-eating millennials, the generation that made the top knot socially acceptable, have fallen out of favor. Yes, it’s official. For over a decade, the world marveled at these smart young people sitting on the throne of cool. They were the Shoreditch hipsters. They were lovers of side parts and indie music. They were lovers of any activity followed by the word “brunch.”
But slowly, Gen Z is starting to turn the tide. My generation, comprised of those born between 1997 and 2012, seems to have gained enough confidence to grill their elders, openly criticizing millennials’ socks, work habits, and weird Harry Potter obsession. It may sound harsh. Cruel, even. But isn’t it just a rite of passage as we get older to lovingly poke fun at older generations? Here are some of the most egregious complaints about millennials, as told by one Gen Zer surrounded by them:
Work has no boundaries
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“Millennials are emailing outside of work hours and working overtime… just for the sake of it?” (Getty/Stock)
There’s no denying that millennials have it tough. They entered the workforce just after the 2008 financial crash, and their idea of adulthood has been dogged by economic uncertainty and the constant fear of being fired or jobless. But that experience has also given them harmful work habits. During my first work experience, I was a bit shaken to see people say they were going to “lunch” only to rush back five minutes later, devouring a ready-to-wear baguette while checking their emails. Not only that, but millennials also send emails outside of working hours and work overtime… just for the heck of it?
In comparison, my generation has much healthier boundaries in the workplace. We know that an hour-long lunch break prevents burnout, we know that writing sharply worded out-of-office emails when taking annual leave is good for our mental health, and we know that logging off at 5pm sharp is also a good idea.
Complaining about being a millennial/talking about how “old” you are
Judging by the comments of my millennial coworkers, I’ll be haggard, old and in pain by my 30th birthday, and I’ll probably never be able to escape a hangover again. Is that something to look forward to?
Wearing ankle socks
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“If you see someone wearing long white socks that go down to their knees, you can be sure they’re Gen Z.” (Getty Images)
If you want to guess someone’s age, a surefire way is to look at their socks. Someone who wears long white socks that reach halfway down their knees is definitely Gen Z. Someone who wears trainer socks that reveal their ankles is a millennial clinging to fashion trends of the past, and is super lame. I’m not the one to make the rules.
I think brunch is the only entertainment worth having.
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“Somehow, brunch has become the ultimate millennial getaway.” (Getty)
I’m not sure when breakfast and lunch became one and the same, conning young people into spending exorbitant amounts of money on a meal and some watered-down booze, but somewhere along the line, brunch became the ultimate millennial outing. Now we have cabaret brunches, rooftop brunches, ABBA brunches, and more. But guess who’s queuing up at the door? Millennials.
Wear chinos
Sometime in the mid-2010s, beige chinos were plucked off the feet of well-heeled golfing dads and widely adopted by millennials in both menswear and womenswear. Some followed the fashion trend and opted for more relaxed jean styles like boyfriend jeans, while others were left behind. As a Gen Zer, I find chinos uncomfortable, especially cuffed or rolled-up ankle chinos. And when worn with boat shoes and invisible socks, it becomes even more criminal.
He mentions “Friends” every day.
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“Millennials have an uncanny sixth sense for bringing up the niche topic of Friends at every opportunity in a conversation.” (NBC)
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Friends fan, and I think about Ross’ fake tanning disaster all the time. But millennials have this weird sixth sense for bringing up niche Friends topics at any time in the middle of a conversation, and it baffles me. And no, I can’t remember what Joey was doing in episode 221. Stop it.
Disney-obsessed
There seems to be a central question to be asked here: Why, why would you try to make a conglomerate represent your entire personality? It’s fine to cherish the movies and books you grew up with, but there comes a time when you have to pass them on to the next generation: your kids. Miriam Margolyes was right when she told adult Harry Potter fans to “grow up” and let go of their lifelong attachment to Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses. Perhaps we should give the millennial obsession with Disney the same treatment. Ariel came out in 1990. It’s time to move on.
Owning a pug as a status symbol
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“Personally I don’t find pugs offensive, but it seems weird and odd to make your breed your most defining personality trait.” (Getty/Stock)
Deep breath. Since 2016, there has been a very specific group of hipster millennials who have been buying pet pugs and making them their own. I personally have no qualms about pugs. But it feels weird and strange to make a dog breed your most defining personality trait.
Have an abnormal obsession with freshman culture
I didn’t go to college in the 2000s or 2010s, but I didn’t have to either. Millennials seem obsessed with telling me how messy and noisy their freshman experience was. No wonder alcohol consumption hit an all-time high of 11.6 liters per person in 2004 (almost double what it was in 1954). Snakebite booze was consumed in copious amounts. The most “motivated” were awarded BNOC (big names on campus) status. Sounds pretty wild. It certainly is, but why can’t millennials just let it go?
and 2005’s Landfill Indie Music Obsession.
The millennial freshman experience was set to a background of guys with guitars. We know it. “Jackie Big Tits” by The Kooks. “Do You Want To” by Franz Ferdinand. But how long will that last? I know you love The Maccabees, OK?
