Why Gen-X And Gen-Z Saw Right Through Zuckerberg's Social Experiment — But Millennials Fell For It
One generation escaped Facebook, and the other turned it into a meme. But why did Millennials buy in?
Austin Distel | Unsplash What happens when a tech millionaire spends two decades trying to control how we behave online? For Millennials — it mostly worked. For Gen-X and Gen-Z? Not so much.
They see the game. They’re not playing. Here’s why Zuckerberg‘s ultimate social experiment fails with the two generations that refuse to be manipulated.
Whenever I see a picture of Zuckerberg online, I get this weird, eerie feeling — like he’s trying hard to act human but hasn’t quite nailed it. I’m not saying he’s an alien. But if you told me he was a bot sent back from the future to make us dependent on digital dopamine hits, I wouldn’t argue.
Maybe it’s the way he doesn’t blink. Maybe it’s the way he drinks water like he just learned how. Or maybe it’s the fact that he’s spent two decades running the world’s biggest social experiment with a straight face.
I’ve grown up with this guy plastered everywhere. I’ve watched him spend the better part of two decades trying to pull off the ultimate social experiment: Turning the internet into a giant dopamine casino where everyone willingly feeds their data into the machine.
I’ve done it, too. Without batting an eye. He’s had plenty of success with Millennials. They devoured Facebook in its prime, branded themselves on Instagram, and tried (painfully) to make the Metaverse happen. But he will never, ever fully capture Gen-X or Gen-Z.
Why? Because despite their differences, both generations have an instinctive distrust of authority. Manipulation hits these two like a fart in a lift. So, it’s inevitable they have a deep resistance to giving Zuckerberg exactly what he wants.
Gen-X and Gen-Z don’t trust institutions, especially not tech giants like Facebook.
Yuri A / Shutterstock
Gen-X was raised to be skeptical of everything: Big business, governments, and any authority figure trying to tell them what to do. They saw greed up close and lived through economic crashes. They learned fast. Trust the system, and you’ll get burned.
Gen-Z, meanwhile, grew up in the rubble of all that. They never saw corporations as benevolent forces. Just exploitative machines designed to extract as much from them as possible.
Gen-Z won’t be caught dead on Facebook. Unless they want to message their parents. The fake-feels of Instagram? That’s for wannabe influencers clinging to relevance. And Meta? They know a desperate cash grab when they see one.
They know these platforms aren’t here for their well-being. They exist to sell data, keep users addicted, and push whatever content generates the most revenue. Gen-X learned to distrust corporations. Gen-Z never trusted them to begin with.
Gen-X and Gen-Z know when they’re being manipulated.
Zuckerberg’s entire empire is built on a simple premise: keep people engaged long enough to monetize them. Millennials, who grew up in the explosive rise of social media, swallowed the dream whole. They latched onto the “sharing economy” because it dangled promises of connection, community, and self-branding.
Gen-X and Gen-Z? They didn’t take the bait.
Gen-X spent their youth drowning in infomercials and glossy magazine spreads. All trying (and failing) to shove unnecessary junk down their throats. They learned early to side-eye authority. That applied to politicians, corporations, and their own parents.
Gen-Z, meanwhile, was born into the most aggressive marketing war zone in history. From the moment they could hold an iPad, they were ambushed by hyper-personalized ads. Let’s not even talk about algorithm-driven rabbit holes and endless dopamine traps.
But instead of rolling over, they fought back. Ad blockers, burner accounts, and digital detoxes aren’t rebellion for Gen-Z. They’re survival tactics. Gen-X ignores corporate nonsense. Gen-Z sabotages it.
Meta’s Metaverse? No, thanks.
Zuckerberg’s biggest mistake? Thinking every generation would chase social media like Millennials chasing clout. Then came the Metaverse. An expensive, overhyped fever dream that was supposed to change the way people lived, worked, and breathed online.
Gen-X took one look and said, “Nope. Already lived through Second Life. That was enough.” They were there for the internet’s Wild West — MySpace and the first social media boom. They never bought in the way Millennials did. And they sure as heck weren’t about to strap on a VR headset just because Zuckerberg told them to.
Gen-Z, however, runs the digital world. But on their terms. They don’t want to be trapped in a corporate-controlled sandbox, where every interaction is tracked. They’d rather hang out on Discord, make niche TikToks, and game in ecosystems they control. Gen-X has been there, and done that. Gen-Z just doesn’t care.
The more Zuckerberg tries, the more he fails.
insta_photos / Shutterstock
If there’s one thing Gen-X and Gen-Z can’t stand, it’s being forced into something. The moment a social platform feels like a chore, a “new” 9–5, or an obvious attempt at manipulation, they check out.
Gen-X left Facebook the second it became a virtual retirement home for unhinged political rants. Gen-Z only visits when they need to send a “K” text to their parents.
Gen-X still uses Instagram, but only because they haven’t found a better time-killer. Gen-Z treats Instagram like a Millennial at Coachella — trying way too hard to be relevant.
Instead, they keep moving to whatever new platform feels authentic. Every time Zuckerberg pivots, rebrands, or tries to force engagement, both generations give a collective “meh” and go do something else.
If it feels forced, it’s already dead.
You can’t control people built to resist control.
The reason Zuckerberg will never successfully capture Gen-X or Gen-Z is simple. These generations were shaped by different worlds. Both were raised with an instinctive rejection of precisely what he’s trying to sell.
Gen-X doesn’t care enough about social media to bother. Gen-Z cares too much about protecting themselves to play along.
So, while Millennials are still trying to decode whatever sorcery is happening with the algorithm this week, Gen-X is off-grid in the woods with no signal. And Gen-Z is making TikToks about how social media is dead — on social media.
Zuck can keep tweaking his algorithms and selling the dream of an immersive digital utopia, but Gen-X won’t see the notification, and Gen-Z will just make a meme out of it.
Victoria Muggridge is a writer and ghostwriter specializing in journaling, post-traumatic growth, and self-publishing. Her work has been featured on Medium and various social media platforms, where she explores the power of writing to heal through words, release emotions, and bring your story to life.
