25 Millennials share what they think is the 'most confusing thing' about Gen Z

Not a day goes by when we don't hear millennials and Gen Z perpetually competing to outshine each other. From 'who's better at the fashion game' to 'who's more tech-savvy,' the battle seems to have no end. When u/dramatic-anywhere-50 asked Millennials on Reddit about things that confuse them about Gen Z, the response was just unreal.

1. 'Clumpy' fashion choices

"I’m a Gen X and I live in a student area. I’m confused by the current fashions (I guess I should be at my age), but I can only describe them as 'clumpy' — just the worst bits of 90s fashion all at once, with no discernible countercultures, just all going full on for the lumpen blob silhouette." - u/mralf0nse

2. Living on socials

"Why do all of you claim to be shy and antisocial and not want to be the center of attention, all while posting every single selfie, dance video, etc., of yourself online constantly? Edit: Don't have TikTok, sorry kiddos." - u/physiciantradition

3. Rise of 'short-form' content

"I don’t understand the rise of short-form content like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. I will happily have a 4-hour video up in the background while I do things, and the short-form content annoys me. Even my preferred viewing experience when I'm actively watching is around half an hour. I can only assume the Gen Z population is part of the reason for short-form content taking over, and I just don’t see the appeal." - u/lordregal94

4. Affording luxury 

"Where on earth are you getting your money from? At your age, I had barely $100 to my name until I was 18, and every Gen Z I walk past is wearing designer gear with iPhones and Apple Watches." - u/tomthejester

5. Too many tattoos 

"Tattoos, heck, are they free now, or did I miss anything? Seems like everyone has a bunch nowadays." - u/otrsor

6. Everyone is an 'influencer'

"Thinking they're an 'influencer' because they gathered a 4-5 digit following on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram. An ex-friend of mine is convinced she’s one now because she hit 11k for cosplay stuff lmao." - u/corporatesharkbait

7. Sense of humor

"I don't get Gen Z humor. Nobody seems to understand sarcasm, and nuance seems completely lost on them. They seem incapable of satire." - u/jrockstar50

8. They can't relax

"The lack of ability to just sit and be bored. Maybe bored is the wrong word, but just to be/exist. Does that make sense? To be stimulated by some form of technology all the time would cause me more depression and anxiety. I love to detach from social media/internet/video games and just go outside to feel the breeze. To just live in real time, I guess? I think I kind of get it, and they have been through a lot of trauma, too." - u/lez_breal-gay1

9. The 'know-it-all' attitude

"If you don't know the answer to a question, don't pretend to be an expert. It's OK to not know things." - u/suvenpa

10. Faking life online

"It confuses me why they want their internet life to influence their real life. For example, viral TikTok trends. When I was younger, the internet was used to reflect your real life. You had to live an interesting life to have an online presence. It’s why I find most Gen Z unoriginal and boring."  - u/tough_register_3340

11. Know almost nothing about anything

"Honestly, and this is my limited interaction with zoomers, but I feel like they just don't know anything in the sense of history, geography, or pop culture. Just stuff where I feel that we understood, at least in our teens and 20s. I genuinely had my 19-year-old niece tell me that she thought the Vietnam War happened in the early 2000s and thought that 'Fleetwood Mac' was an indie band that 'blew up' from the Ocean Spray guy." - u/little-doctor-5262

12. No originality

"They base everything on data and don’t allow themselves room for critical thinking. In the 90s, if we didn’t know something, we had to think about it, and maybe a unique idea would be formed. Now, the ability to start with a massive amount of data cuts out the time and drive to consider the problem before getting the easiest, fastest explanation. Aren’t they bored? Isn’t it depressing to think the answer to everything is already found? How can everything be a copy of a copy? Where’s the original thought?" - u/gusmom

13. Not so tech-savvy

"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." -u/srslymrarm

14. The way they speak

"They are funny, I have to admit. But why do they speak like they do? Like, I’m really excited to see them enter the professional/adult world saying 'period' and 'it’s giving…' and things like that. I’m more excited to see how it turns out than bothered by it. I am in a hiring position, and if someone spoke like that during an interview, I would automatically be concerned. The future excites me!" - u/papabigjunks

15. Can't take others' opinions

"Why do 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." -u/kit0550

16. Main character syndrome

"Why do they all think they're the main character in everyone else's story?" - u/ziiggs0batka

17. Lack of self-awareness

"The lack of self-awareness gets me. It could be an age thing, but I don’t remember being as loud, obnoxious, and downright disrespectful when I was the age that Gen Z is today." - u/argumentspecialist53

18. Obsession with gamers

"Watching gamers play for hours on a stream instead of actually playing the game themselves." - u/smugwash

19. Video calls over everything!

"The fact that they like calling, as long as it's video calling. As a millennial, I do everything I can to avoid making phone calls or answering them. Gen Z literally video calls/sends video messages instead of texting like a normal introvert." - u/papa-hare

20. Attention of a gold fish

"The low attention span. My sister, who's 16, sent me a TikTok video these days that was divided in the middle; on the top was a guy talking about what she wanted to show me, and on the bottom was an unrelated person playing with some kind of Play-Doh. Focusing on something for 15 seconds is too much nowadays." - u/flintz08

21. Hate for millennials

"While I am a late-stage millennial, I find it odd how much some Gen Z think about the current older generation and often seem to want to reject millennial 'culture' the same way most people try to reject their parents' generational quirks, but like... we're almost the same age? I don't know if that makes sense." - u/gingeroobeer

22. Haircuts

"When the f*** did they all get together and decide that they should ALL have broccoli haircuts?" - u/astralahara

23. Lack of life skills

"Their lack of valuable skills, common sense, and/or influencer life goals. The ones I've met can't put 2 and 2 together, change a flat tire, or even drive a car.

Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm not very optimistic about the future anymore. lol." - u/greyhat88

24. Memes culture

"Why are Gen Z memes mostly just really loud, distorted audio over unfunny video clips? I respect that you have a different sense of humor, but my ears hurt." - u/girlwhoplayswithbugs

25. Dating culture

"In my experience, it's the impulsive need for love to be immediate (same with boomers). Rather than building on a relationship with patience, they want instant gratification of love and won't have a problem with ending a relationship over something that is fixable." - u/soulfrostie26

All the comments seem a tad funny given that we were around to witness the same debacle take place between Boomers and Millennials, back when the older generation thought we were in a financial crisis due to avocado toast. Oh, how the tides turn.