Gen Z Explained: by a Gen Z Facilitator!

Hi! I’m Weng…

…one of Friendzone’s Gen Z facilitators!

We’ve recently wrapped up our first series of intergenerational neighbourhood events, “Ok Boomer…but Wait”. I facilitated loads of conversations at these events, and here are the common impressions (or, let’s be real, misconceptions 👀) Millennials have about Gen Zs. I’m here to clear things up, so continue scrolling!

A photo of me and my group at one of our recent Friendzone events

Myth #1: Gen Zs Give Up/Job Hop Too Easily

This is the one I hear all the time: “Why do you guys have no staying power? Job hop so easily…” I get it; it can seem like we’re less ‘perseverant’ at work. But hey, I prefer to look at it as we have a lower tolerance for unfulfilling work!

We saw the previous generations working themselves to the bone, and we don’t want that lifestyle.

Many of us witnessed older people slaving away at work, often OT-ing at night and even on weekends (health and personal life? What are thoseee). It made us realise that this kind of lifestyle isn’t something we want to emulate. Burnout is real, and finding a good work-life balance is the key in preventing it.

Photo of Homestay Stay by Q. Hưng Phạm from Pexels

As the world progresses, we are exposed to more ideas, mindsets, and interests to explore.

Have y’all ever heard of couchsurfing? It’s basically homestays, except that you literally just crash on the person’s couch / spare bedroom for free, and eat, sleep and live with the family living there. It's just one example of how the world is constantly changing. There are so many new opportunities and adventures out there, beyond the traditional career paths!

We want to know our purpose in life rather than just believing that “work is life.”

For us, work is just about earning a paycheck to fund the fun stuff—like hanging out with friends, exploring new hobbies, and diving into our side projects. It’s not just getting by with a job; it’s about truly ✨ thriving ✨ outside of work and living life to the fullest!

Myth #2: Gen Zs Don’t Want Children

TBH, this one’s kind of true for me—I don’t want kids! We’ve just got different priorities. For example:

Photo of sign with globe and "One World" text by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Gen Zs are clued into many social issues like climate change, politics, and the economy. The world's instability makes many of us hesitant to bring children into it.

We’re growing up amidst significant global challenges. Because of global warming, I can’t even walk to the bus stop below my house without breaking into a sweat. And let’s not even mention the cost of living—HDBs are selling for a million now. What would the prices be like by the time my children grow up?

Many of us are concerned about what kind of world we’d be bringing children into and whether it’s fair to do so.

Also…

To be blunt, us Gen Zs tend to be more self-centred.

Many of us, at this life stage, don’t know whether we can take care of ourselves. Bringing a child into the mix feels like a huge responsibility that we’re not ready to take on just yet 😅

Myth #3: Gen Zs Overcomplicate Relationships

Photo of phone displaying Tinder loading screen by cottonbro studio from Pexels

Situationship, talking phase, beige flag — all these buzzwords are common when we Gen Zs discuss our relationships — platonic, romantic, or otherwise. I get it; it can be confusing to keep track of these terms, but:

Such words are just our way of making sense of the world and identifying what we’re feeling.

These terms help us to communicate more effectively about where we stand with others. It’s not about complicating things; it’s about clarity and honesty. For example, the talking phase is just to put a name to that period when I matched with this cute guy on a dating app…I don’t know whether it’s “pookie I wanna be with you forever!!!” yet, but I’m definitely interested 😏

Every generation has its own vocabulary to reflect their experiences, and we’re no different!

Every generation has its own vocabulary to reflect its experiences, and we’re no different! We agree with you that communication and effort are still key points to any social relationship.

Myth #4: Gen Zs Don’t Take Things Seriously

Many Millennials say that we Gen Zs are incapable of being serious or professional. But hol’ up! Before judging us, consider this:

We live in a world of information overload and constant overstimulation, but that’s exactly why we care about keeping it real! We don't want perfection; we want to be engaged and authentic.

We crave genuine connections, not just following old-school rules. We’d rather be in spaces where we can be ourselves and get creative than stick to outdated norms.

It’s not that we’re not committed to our jobs, we just want a workplace where we are heard.

We’re all about making a meaningful impact. We’re ready to give our best when we feel respected and valued!

Myth #5: Gen Zs Love Random Memes

Ok, I’m 100% a Millennial on this.

“It’s giving.”
What’s giving???

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Gen Z post without a quote from Chatgpt.

“No matter how you view us or how well you vibe with us, every generation brings something new and valuable to the table.“ (ChatGPT, 2024),

We all have our own unique ✨ personality ✨!

Let's embrace them, frfr.