By Lily Bell
I think I can speak for my whole generation when I say we don’t want the same things our grandparents or parents wanted. As a Gen Zer myself, I’ve seen my generation develop a lot more expectations for the way we want to live our lives than people did in the past.
Our world has changed so much since Boomers and Gen X were growing up, and it’s changed people’s goals. Certain things those generations saw as luxuries, Gen Z sees as a necessity. The things Gen Z expects from life are often things the older generations were perfectly fine living without.
Gen Z typically sees these things as necessary in life, but Boomers & Gen X are fine living without them
1. WiFi
Boomers and Gen X didn’t grow up with Wi-Fi. Their technology, like landlines and TV, ran off of cables and telephone lines. When Wi-Fi was introduced, it was extremely exciting for them because of the fast and reliable connection it offered, but that doesn’t mean it became a necessity in their lives. They use technology to communicate and entertain themselves, and they know they can do both without Wi-Fi, even if Gen Z sees Wi-Fi as crucial.
Even when Wi-Fi first came out, boomers and Gen X could only use it in certain places or if they bought something else that allowed them to have Wi-Fi on the go. Gen Z has always had access to Wifi everywhere we go, so we have no idea how we’d get by without it.
2. Apps
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It’s so nice to have apps on your phone because it means you always have something to do. Many people say scrolling through TikTok is one of their favorite ways to end the day, but not all apps are as relaxing or helpful as we may want to believe.
Like any bad habit, staying glued to your phone can be a hard pattern to break. Gen Z has grown up with technology, so they see most apps as a necessity and don’t know how to cope without them, even if they wanted to.
Boomers and Gen X enjoy their phones and apps, but that doesn’t mean they see them as a necessity. They only got access to those things later in their life, so they still have other hobbies that they would be just as happy to spend their time on.
3. Sustainable living
In the past few years, people have really started to get a grasp of how much global warming is damaging the Earth. People have seen weather changes and major storms becoming increasingly frequent.
Gen Z grew up with this understanding. My generation is incredibly concerned with climate change, and they want to make sure it doesn’t get worse than it already is. They really prioritize sustainable living so they can have as little a negative impact as possible. Still, sustainable living products and practices aren’t available everywhere you go. Gen X and Boomers don’t see this as much of a problem, but a lot of Gen Z doesn’t want to live without it.
4. Mental health awareness
My generation puts more emphasis on mental health support than any other generation before us. More people in our generation have experienced it, so it makes sense that we’re interested in seeing more support. Almost everyone I know has either been in therapy or has someone close to them who’s in therapy.
We don’t want anyone’s feelings to be minimized or their mental health to get worse. We’ve seen firsthand in our friends how terrible mental health struggles can be. That’s why, for Gen Z, mental health awareness and support are a necessity.
Boomers and Gen X don’t see it the same way. While they were growing up, there was often a lot of stigma around going to therapy. While it’s gotten a lot better now, they still don’t think it’s that important for everyone to be in therapy.
5. Meaningful work
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Boomers and Gen X viewed work differently than Gen Z does. The older generations didn’t expect as much from work. They wanted to go in, do a good job, and get paid. Earning a good salary was their primary focus.
Gen Z expects more. They want to feel connected to their work too. Gen Z prioritizes meaningful work a lot more than older generations because they think it’s important for making them have a happier life. People spend a lot of time at work, and Gen Z doesn’t want that time to be unenjoyable. They want it to be fulfilling as well as profitable.
6. Personal branding
Personal branding has been a big buzzword in recent years. In past generations, company loyalty was really important. They’d stay at a company for many more years than people do in Gen Z.
While boomers or Gen X thought more about company branding, Gen Z looks at branding more personally. They know that making yourself look like the best candidate can help you get hired into a better position.
They don’t want to stay at a company for years and hope to get noticed. They want to brand themselves so a variety of companies notice them. They think personal branding is a necessity in the professional world, whereas boomers and Gen X don’t see it as that important.
7. Access to ChatGPT and other AI programs
People use ChatGPT for everything nowadays. It’s used for work. It’s used to write emails. Some people even use it to know how to text a romantic partner.
People in my generation have become reliant on ChatGPT because it is so helpful in so many different ways. We’re just navigating the adult world, and we’ve only learned to navigate it with access to ChatGPT. Boomers and Gen X grew up without these, though. They learned how to navigate the world without needing AI to help them.
But Gen Z thinks it’s a necessity to have access to ChatGPT because they don’t want to spend a lot of time doing something manually when they’re used to just how much faster it could be if done with AI.
8. Streaming services
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Boomers and Gen X grew up with only a few channels on their TV. If the TV signal was bad or the antenna broke, they couldn’t watch anything. That made the time they spent watching TV special. They couldn’t watch their favorite TV whenever they had a free moment. They had to make sure they were free at the time the show was scheduled to be on.
Gen Z, on the other hand, has grown up having access to every channel they could want. Streaming services make it so that people can watch whatever show they want whenever they want. If it’s a series, they also get to pick how many hours they can spend watching.
Feature image credit: LightField Studios / Shutterstock
