And… It's a wrap! Over the past 3 months, the Friendzone team wrapped up 10 fantastic events in our ‘Ok Boomer… But Wait’ series. This initiative was all about helping Gen Zs and Millennials in Singapore forge new friendships and swap perspectives. Altogether, we brought together 800 amazing participants who engaged in meaningful conversations and built connections that bridged the generational gap.

After each of our events, we gathered detailed feedback from facilitators, including their key takeaways and insights from the conversations. With so many notes, we asked ourselves, “Okay, now how the heck are we supposed to sort through all these notes to make it into a content piece?”

Then my boss had a brilliant idea: ChatGPT.

Everyone (even my bosses!) is using AI these days to make sense of things, so we thought, why not give it a shot? With ChatGPT, we turned a huge pile of feedback and insights from the facilitators into a neat summary.

Guess what? From slang to work-life balance and everything in between, we’ve got some cool insights to share. So, here it is—a summarised version of the good, the bad, and the surprising similarities between Millennials and Gen Zs, straight from 800 Singaporeans!

Vibes of Gen Zs

Work-Life Balance & Flexibility: Gen Zs value flexibility in their work and lifestyle.  They prioritise work-life balance and are vocal about setting boundaries. They respect Millennials' resilience and ability to stay in a single job despite setbacks.

Gen Z Admin’s Take: We’re here for a good time, not a long time. I respect millennials for being able to stay in a job no matter how many red flags 🚩 there are, but it couldn’t be me!

Technologically Savvy: Known as the TikTok generation, they are highly proficient with digital platforms and social media slang and trends, such as new dating styles like "situationships" and "dating but not together."

Gen Z Admin’s Take: 🤪 We’re in our brain rot era bro, fr.

Mental Health Awareness: Gen Z is more open about mental health but finds that workplace support is often superficial. They are firm on setting boundaries between work and life, prioritising personal happiness over organisational loyalty and willing to leave jobs for mental and emotional well-being.

Millennial Admin’s Take: We’ve all got issues, and modern science has helped to increase awareness and understanding of mental health, showing that it’s not just about wanting to “lie flat”—a social trend in China where people are reevaluating traditional work ethics and societal expectations by doing the bare minimum. Let’s normalise respecting mental health issues!!!

Characteristics of Millennials

Resilient and Forward-Thinking: Millennials are structured and prefer planning ahead in both professional and personal lives. They have a strong work ethic, often working overtime and enduring tough times in jobs for long periods. Millennials are also bound by responsibilities like buying a house and starting a family, and are cautious with spending, concerned about housing prices and financial strain.

Gen Z Admin’s Take: 👏 We 👏 all 👏 should 👏 learn 👏 this 👏! This is relatable—ever since I started paying for my student debts, I’ve been saving and feeling the financial strains too. It’s okay to experiment and find a job you’re comfortable with, but sometimes we need to tough it out. As the millennials say, “it’s better to save for a rainy day”!

Nostalgic Yet Curious: Millennials are nostalgic about technology and cultural elements from the early 2000s, such as flip phones and iPods. At the same time, they are curious about Gen Z's slang and trends, often expressing confusion about the rapid emergence of new trends.

Gen Z Admin’s Take: Relatable. Gen Alpha slangs like “Skibidi Toilet” just leave me like 🙃. I guess this is all just a part of adulting!

Balancing Traditional Expectations with Personal Growth: Millennials are experiencing a midlife crisis, questioning their priorities between work and life, with a focus on self-fulfilment goals like learning new skills and languages. They are also navigating the pressure from older generations to follow traditional paths while shaping their own parenting styles that emphasise different values and priorities.

Millennial Admin’s Take: Honestly? Slay. 💅 I see too many of my older friends burning out from work. Definitely all for Millennials figuring out their purpose and embracing the fun moments in life!

And now… ChatGPT’s notes on the similarities between Gen Zs & Millennials!

Common Themes:

Transition into Adulthood:

• Both generations are navigating the transition into adulthood and trying out new things in this stage of life. They share common woes of watching peers get married and have children while they are still figuring out their next steps. Both generations face challenges adapting to economic and societal changes, such as the housing market and evolving job landscapes.

Work-Life Balance:

• Both generations value work-life balance and acknowledge the importance of mental health, but approach it differently.

• Gen Z is more immediate in prioritising personal well-being, unafraid to leave jobs deemed toxic or unfulfilling, often prioritising mental and emotional well-being over career stability.

• Millennials, after experiencing burnout or a "mid-life crisis," shift focus to health and work-life balance. This reflection leads them to prioritise self-fulfilment goals, such as skill development, financial stability, and community connection.

Generational Labels: 

• Some individuals feel that generational labels do not fully capture their experiences, particularly those born in the "sandwiched" years between Gen Z and Millennials. Many participants identified more with shared memories or experiences than specific generational stereotypes.  Life stage and personal experiences often seemed more significant than generational identity. 

For example, Millennials recalled nostalgic experiences (e.g., flip phones, Bluetooth sharing, cassette players), thinking they were unique to their generation, but Gen Z participants recognised them as well, highlighting how technology and cultural markers can blur generational lines.

Cross-Generational Learning:

• There is mutual curiosity about each generation’s approach to work, life, and social interactions. Both generations admire different traits in each other and are eager to learn from each other’s experiences to navigate their careers and personal lives better.

• Gen Z participants shared insights on newer trends like "girl and boy math," while Millennials shared how socialising has evolved pre- and post-technology (e.g., planning meetups without mobile phones).

• On the flip side, Gen Zs sought advice from Millennials on navigating the workforce, while Millennials showed interest in how Gen Zs innovate and adapt in the professional environment. Similarly, both groups expressed a desire to learn about financial management and career transitions from each other.

It seems that for all of our differences, we’re all just humans looking to navigate life. If you're curious about exploring more of these generational connections, don’t miss out on our upcoming Mind The Gap series! 🌟✨ Our first few events are over, but stay tuned for more in February!

We hope that whether you identify as a Gen Z, a Millennial, or even a “Zillennial”, let’s remember—we're all in this together!