11 Things Gen Z Thinks Are Beneath Them That Are Just Part Of Normal Life
Gen Z can't seem to fathom that life requires us to do lots of things we'd rather not have to do.
MAYA LAB / Shutterstock The oldest members of Gen Z were born in 1997, on the cusp of Y2K, growing up alongside new technology’s rise in influence. By 2012, when the youngest members of Gen Z came into the world, being online all the time was totally normal.
Being constantly connected changed Gen Z’s perspective and their everyday habits. They actively reject the way older generations defined their identity, and there are many things Gen Z thinks are beneath them that are just part of normal life for boomers, millennials, and Gen X.
Here are 11 things Gen Z thinks are beneath them that are just part of normal life
1. Using the phone to make calls
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It’s not surprising that Gen Z thinks that phone calls are beneath them, when they’re just part of normal life. Gen Z was born into a digital era, which means they’ve never known a low-tech lifestyle. As the ever-present iPhone made landlines obsolete, most people shifted from making calls and embraced texts as their main form of communication.
Research shows that 90% of Gen Z get anxious about talking on the phone. Making an awkward phone call tops their list of things they want to avoid, but for older people, talking on the phone is part of normal life. The generations that came before Gen Z are well-versed in how awkward talking on the phone can be, but there was literally no other way for them to get in touch with their friends. They had to make calls, and they had to learn how to have a polite conversation with other kids’ parents. Real life interaction wasn’t always fun or easy, but it was the normal thing to do.
2. Leaving voicemails
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For Gen Z, leaving voicemails is their idea of a living nightmare. Not only are they expected to call someone and risk being forced into an actual conversation, they have to leave a message? Absolutely not. Their phone anxiety is way too overwhelming to even consider it.
According to The National Social Anxiety Center, more than 60% of Gen Z feel significant stress and social anxiety, especially when it comes to interacting with other people. Gen Z revealed how anxious they are about work, social events, and romantic relationships. Their social anxiety often leads to social avoidance, which has won them the title of “the loneliest generation."
The specific things that send Gen Z into a spiral include dealing with crowds, the general public, and their bosses and coworkers. They might think that basic communication rituals, like leaving voicemails, are beneath them, but they can’t actually avoid those things, since they’re just a part of normal life.
3. Cable TV
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Gen Z sees no reason to pay for cable when they can stream shows they actually want to watch for seven hours at a time. They think that watching commercials and paying for useless channels is beneath them, but for older generations, those things are just part of normal life.
Gen Z will never know the pains of a Gen X childhood, when kids had to wiggle a physical antenna around to watch TV. They’ll never be forced to stand up and walk for hours across their living room, just to spin a knob and change the channel, since channels don’t really exist like they used to. For Gen Z, the home entertainment experience is all about ease and speed which are the things they see as being totally normal.
4. Shopping in stores
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Going into an actual mall to shop was part of normal life for older generations, but Gen Z thinks it’s beneath them. They wouldn’t ever imagine leaving the house to go shopping, when they can swipe through social media and buy whatever they want with the comfort of their iPhone.
Gen Z thinks that shopping online is part of normal life, which means they’ll never fully understand that going shopping used to be the peak teen experience. Once upon a time, getting dropped off at the mall, and wandering around for hours while sipping an Orange Julius was the best thing ever. At the mall, there were no parents. There was no homework or after-school chores. There was only the sweet freedom of being unsupervised, getting your ears pierced, and flirting at the food court.
5. Paying with cash
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Cash might be king for older generations, but for Gen Z, paying for things with paper money is beneath them. They exist in a streamlined economy, which means they rely on tech for almost everything. According to financial reports, younger generations are way more likely to use digital tools like Apple Pay to cover their expenses.
Additionally, 79% of Gen Z reported using digital wallets on a regular basis, while only 26% of boomers do. Carrying an actual wallet that holds actual IDs and credit cards, is now an indication of aging. Gen Z uses digital wallets for all their consumption purposes.
Gen Z wants to store their drivers’ license on their phones, along with their passports and plane tickets. While older generations want things they can literally put their hands around, Gen Z wants the paying for things to be as easy as tapping their phone screen to another screen.
6. Talking to customer service
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Because Gen Z believes that talking to other people is a terrifying thing to do, they think the act of calling customer service lines is beneath them, when it’s just part of normal life. Their aversion to in-person interaction is so strong, they reject any kind of communication that requires them to use their voice or their social skills.
Gen Z would choose to interact with a company’s online chat feature over anything else. As much as they might worry about what the future of AI means for them, they don’t seem to care about the way it's taken over the customer service industry. Listening to a customer service representative talk can be boring and annoying, but it’s also just part of life.
7. Hustle culture
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Gen Z came of age right as millennials decided that being stressed was a badge of honor. They watched as their millennial elders made their jobs their whole identity, and they decided to do the opposite. Gen Z doesn’t want to be girl bosses, by any means. Millennials were taught to lean in, but Gen Z rejects hustle culture. They see hustle culture for exactly what it is: A burnout mindset and an unhealthy way to live. They want work-life balance, the real kind.
Despite their rejection of hustle culture and everything it involves, Gen Z seems to be embracing side hustles. According to Unidays’ Student Insight Report, Gen Z is more likely to have side hustles than other generations. One in three students said they have a side hustle, and most of them started their side hustle to earn extra money.
Having a side hustle is a reflection of our economic reality. Gen Z feels financially unstable, which means side hustles aren’t disappearing anytime soon.
8. Office jobs
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For every other generation, going into an office every day by 9 A.M. was a normal part of life, but Gen Z thinks office jobs are beneath them. They want jobs that actually meet their needs. Flexibility is their top priority, which is why they’d rather work remote or make passive income. o
Studies have shown that Gen Z makes up a higher percentage of the gig and freelance economies than other generations. They entered the workforce in a major downward spiral, which made finding traditional jobs even more difficult. For every member of Gen Z who wants a job with more flexibility and autonomy, there’s someone who wants way more job stability than what they have now.
Still, they want those steady jobs to fit their lifestyle. As long as Gen Z keeps questioning the status quo, workplace culture will keep shifting, until full-on remote jobs become a normal part of life.
9. Wearing formal clothes work
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Gen Z is defining a new era for office dress codes, which shows how strong their influence is. Gen Z’s go-to work outfit is about comfort and authenticity. They dress for success, according to their own definition of what success means.
Gen Z thinks that dressing up to go to work is beneath them, even though it’s been part of normal life for decades. Gone are the days of the power suit, ties, and high heels, and honestly, no one really mourns those losses all that much. Gen Z has the purchasing power to shift the tides of fashion, even in the workplace.
10. Going into an actual bank
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Gen Z truly is the digital generation, since they’ve never known a world where banking was done in an actual brick and mortar building. They see banks as relics of the past, because they can do all their banking online.
For Gen Z, digital tools are the only way to handle their finances. They pay their bills and deposit checks online, and they have no need to use pen and paper to literally balance their checkbook, their checkbook is virtual.
11. Sending thank you notes
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Gen Z thinks that sending thank you notes is beneath them. Sending actual letters in the mail to thank people used to be part of normal life, but it isn’t anymore. Writing in cursive wasn’t something Gen Z learned in school, and once again, iPhones reign supreme.
For younger adults, texting and sliding into DMs is seen as an acceptable way to express gratitude. They use emojis to represent how they feel. They think it’s totally okay to say thank you with TikToks. Being digitally fluent is their normal life.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.