3 ways how Millennials walked so Gen Z could run

A fun debate that has lately been the subject of many many memes, reels, office gossip, and living room discussions is a war between the generations- Millennials vs Gen Z, the overthinkers vs the ‘know-it-alls’. A generation in transition vs the one taking over the problems. The smart ones vs the smarter ones?

Well cards on the table, I am a millennial who is guilty of being fascinated and in complete awe of the gen Z. Sure, they are know-it-alls with way too much intellectual capacity for way too many topics than we ever had. But this is also a generation that was born in the information age, quite overloaded with it, even comfortable with too much of it, and thus they are the ones best at making sense of all the information. They rarely get overwhelmed or anxious due to excess data. Rather this particular group cannot function without enough data being available to them about any situation, and they are certainly not afraid to ask for it! The only thing that they may be lacking of course is the spontaneity that we had to have and the habit of putting too much effort into everything, without any expectations or reference data of whether the hard work would actually help a situation or make it worse.

But what has filled this new generation with so much confidence? How did they inherit our smartness but not our anxieties? How did they become so comfortable with calling out the wrongs and giving the world their opinions without overthinking the consequences? How did they become so involved in everything and still be detached enough? The answer may just be that it is we millennials who made it all possible for them.

So here’s my take on how millennials may have paved the path for gen Z to be just the way they are.

1. A generation in transition: Come to think of it, our generation has completely dedicated our lives to carefully managing our traditional roles in society, and at the same time trying to refute those roles. We have been in transition all our lives, handling the expectations of families, moving to an era of evolving gender roles, becoming more empowered, and realizing the importance of mental health while still pushing ourselves to do it all. An example is the traditional gender role. So many millennial women navigate the old-school roles at home and with their kids, while constantly working hard to prove they are as good as any man in their roles at the workplace.
   We have been managing this transition, so that the next generation doesn’t have to!
2. Initiation into the Information era: The availability of information that the gen Z takes for granted, was something that we inculcated into our lives so smoothly. We have done it all, from searching entire libraries, just to get a small amount of information, to being able to get even the minutest of details on Google. We became obsessed with this new and super easy way of getting details about anyone or anything. By the time gen Z came into the picture, millennials were already experts at mining data, a skill that we handed over to them on a platter.
3. The Millennial Multitasking: Well there’s multitasking, and then there’s the multitasking that millennials have to do. Care about the environment — earn money to afford everything — be vocal about beliefs and values — travel — take care of family — look good and practice self-care — chase professional success and ambitions, yes to all! Gen Z has witnessed this crazy ride that we, millennials are on every day of our lives, and perhaps that is the reason, that even while battling their own anxieties, they are much smarter at prioritization (this one is more of my hope than a fact).

At last, I would say though, that not everything that the gen Z is doing is so clear-headed. Like everything else that evolves from one generation to the next, they will probably come up with their own new set of problems and craziness. But one thing that is really less likely to happen is that they will someday accept that Millennials are better than them in any aspect. After all, how else will this debate continue, and also because where’s the fun in that?