Generalisation would only serve to minimise the very experience of what makes us human.
When the very first caveman painted pinstripes on his hide in Africa around two million years ago, little did he know there was going to be an uphill battle amongst his descendants about whether using a thumbs-up emoji is considered making a statement. Exhibit A: Millennials, Gen Zs, and everything in between.
Now is the time for both to be placed under the microscope and subject to the proverbial scalpel. Millennials — despite being only five years older than Gen Zs — are constantly reminded of how they’ll soon become antiques by the other generation. Vice versa, Gen Zs think they’re dictating culture with their silly little quirks: no cry-laughing emoji, no skinny jeans, no full stop at the end of the sentence! Even so, I am making a general claim about one big cohort which is a no-no. Did I forget about avocado on toast?
Whilst these conversations have been contouring popular culture, it’s not exactly the golden compass we’ve been longing for. We’re not all Lyra Silvertongues either, so most of the time, its meanings — what it means to be born in a certain year or age bracket — get lost in translation. It’s often said people are afraid of what they don’t know, well wait until they find out about Gen Z’s shake. How have misconceptions about generational identities caused so much debate? Have the so-called generational identities gone too far?
Generational labels and identities help us make sense of the world. These categories have been shaped by historical events, technological advancements, economic circumstances, political movements, and social upheavals. People make use of generation as a social category that helps them navigate and fit in. But that might not be the case for all as others are unsure of their identifications.
Interests in generational differences have been on the treadmill, though it’s not always to bring us together, but to divide. However, having a closer look at the membership in a cohort of individuals gives “researchers a tool to analyse changes in views over time”, which ultimately helps predict public’ attitudes and gather behavioural insights. Drawing from studies in sociology and anthropology, researchers have “advanced the study of generations as being part of individuals’ identities”. They also identified three aspects of generational identity: cohort-based identity whereby individuals enter into an experience at the same time, age-based identity defined by birth year and incumbency-based identity where individuals define their identity based on the skills, experiences, attitudes, and knowledge that result from occupying a particular role for a certain period of time. By figuring out these characteristics, we understand how people communicate, interact, spend, and make decisions,… For example, Pew Research Center has been studying the millennial generation for more than a decade — they documented that millennials’ future earnings and entrance to adulthood have been shaped by the 2008 financial crash and economic recession in a way that may not be the case for their younger counterparts. Gen Zs (people born between 1995 and 2012) — heavily snowed under by anxiety and turmoil — are daily reminded that the Earth is burning, the wealthiest are hoarding cash for themselves, hunger, famine, and starvation run rampant and inequality is being exacerbated. They demand sustainable shopping and challenge overconsumption, capitalism, and materialism.
Creator @iamrukiat discusses how age generations or generational identities are like “time capsules”. She highlights how events like 9/11, Cartoon Network, Spice Girls are all defining moments of her generation — as someone born in the 90s — and are all the things that “we experienced together at the same time and roughly around the same age”. Therefore, there will be similarities in the way that those moments affected or “played a role in our lives” — Millennials are all about curated perfection and Gen Zs are about curated imperfections. However, she also stresses that putting people in a box (Gen X, Y, Z,..) doesn’t give a full scope of who people really are because it doesn’t take into account race, gender, or class.
Indeed, despite the advancements, generational identities are limiting when it comes to understanding individuals’ behaviours and experiences. Digesting it through a singular and linear lens would only serve to minimise the complexity of lived experiences. Let’s be honest, even if we’re born in the same year, people who are chronically online and those who aren’t are worlds apart. Babes, wake up, there’s a new hot edit of Pedro Pascal being a “cool, slutty daddy”. In the meantime:
And if we dive into the identity intersection, these generational claims are only applicable to the West, bearing in mind the West has hugely defined chunks of pop culture around the world. I didn’t grow up in the UK or the US so my childhood was very different. It did however include Disney channel, Cartoon Network, and VHS player and lots of playing catch-up with the social and political worldwide events. I’m lucky in a sense because I’m naturally drawn to and fascinated by pop culture but sometimes I still don’t get a lot of references. I could tell exactly how and why Fergie doing cartwheels at 8am on Good Morning America is iconic but I do miss out on EastEnders references. When our experiences are unique, it’s critical to consider identity intersection.
Social T&Cs — and progress — proliferating at a dizzying speed means being grouped in age brackets that normally span 15 years seems to be out-of-date. Canvas8, the world-leading insight platform, dedicates an in-depth article about Zillenials, who are born on the cusp of millennials and Gen Zs, are rejecting labels, seeking out micro-communities, and adopting their own self-imposed labels. Not me saying hello to myself but besties do I feel seen. Urban Dictionary defines Zillennials as “too young to relate to the core of millennials but too old to relate to the core of Generation Z.”
With more than 200 million views on TikTok at the time of writing, the hashtag “Zillenial” represents those who adopt characteristics of both generations but rebel against them at the same time due to “blanket associations” and “misrepresentations”. According to The Atlantic, nearly half of Britons find labels like ‘Millennial’ and ‘Gen Z’ to be ‘unacceptable’ because they do not reflect a person’s personality.
“Zillennials represent the blindspot that comes with these broad-brushstroke references to surface-level behaviours and interests because they’re able to pick and choose habits of both Gen Y and Gen Z”.
The marketing and advertising industry for so long has been obsessed with putting people into age demographics. But isn’t the very nature of humans complicated? The truth of the matter is generational identities and monoliths should be a thing of the past. By asking these communities how they wish to be addressed, we’re embracing the idea of the fluidity of identity and decentralisation of self which provides more truthful insights.
When more complex groups begin to take hold, we’re trying to gain and sharpen our understanding of the “you” you are and the “we” we are. The tide is strong and we can’t stop these waves of niche subcultures and micro-communities/micro-generations from coming forward. It feels good to remember “cultural artefacts” and witness the future already in motion simultaneously. It feels good to be reminded of how much can change and will change — one day I’m dancing to Flo Rida’s Low, the next I’m using the coffin emoji to mean it’s so funny it makes me laugh out loud. Humans have not existed and evolved for about 300,000 years pacing up and down in exasperation and excellence just for us to categorise ourselves with those little tags.
