Gen Z Tropes Onscreen - What’s True and What’s Wildly Off

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Gen z characters onscreen are overwhelmingly written by people from older generations. And we’re seeing countless media stories dissecting Gen z tastes, spending habits and trends, but they’re often written from a distance - like scientists studying a foreign species. Our culture has collectively decided that today’s young people are constantly online, hyper-woke, pessimistic party animals. So… how accurate are all these cliches?
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We are The Take (formerly ScreenPrism).
00:00 Do film/tv really get gen z culture right?
02:12 They're always online and hyper-woke
08:48 Partying to put off pessimisim
12:08 How do we get gen z portrayals right?

[@thetake]

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[@exexalien]

The way you shifted from Gen Z staying safe online to the sponsor plug was so smooth that I actually laughed out loud when I realized what had just happened. Well done!

[@anshulkandpal2384]

“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” - George Orwell

[@amandaredd3057]

so true

[@TopazPhoenix16]

Agree

[@jacobdenness8659]

True but I think that’s essentially true for boomers

[@Mondoshawn]

Yeah but Gen Z grew up as digital natives and had all information accessible. Other generations did not. Especially the generations that to this day struggle with technology are behind on knowledge.

[@bigsistahtips]

@@Mondoshawn devices were literally built for babies could understand how to use them. Digital era does nothing but interfere with learning process as it doesn’t result in any challenge for the brain.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I feel like it’s a little weird that some people haven’t grasped that language is fluid. Every generation and community has slang and idioms.

[@blanqui2040]

It is and languages inevitably evolve due to different factors over time. I feel like what many people don't understand is that some people don't criticize inclusive language for being inclusive or new; they criticize collective/systems trying to impose it without any notion of culture/human behavior/linguistics, and therefore with no understanding of how certain cultural elements must be changed slowly for them to work and, most importantly, to be accepted and to be lasting.

[@verszka1678]

Language changes that evolve naturally and are naturally adapted by the majority of people are different than language changes created and imposed by a small miniority of middle-class, college kids with brains marinated in Queer Theory, Critical Race Theory and PoMo intersectionality. Just saying.

[@Lunadish]

@Seven Inches of Throbbing Pink Jesus So true🤌

[@aurora6920]

I also find it funny that people haven't grasped that it's adults in the media or celebs that usually make the slang, not children or teens. Adults put it in mainstream culture and that's how children hear about it.

[@Lunadish]

@@aurora6920 Hmm there's a thought🤔

[@ritateixeira6273]

Btw it's very important to note that this is more of a representation of american gen zers and it's not exactly accurate when it comes to the rest of the world (view from an european gen zer)

[@WillTheGreatest]

Good distinction

[@meimako4631]

Totally agree! The same goes for millennials. Overall I have a feeling that the whole obsession with these generations is mostly an American thing, I didn't notice people in Europe talking about this topic as much.

[@huecosenvezdeojos]

Agree, I live in Venezuela and most of us are very different

[@ritateixeira6273]

@@meimako4631 Exactly!

[@canalretornodesaturno0594]

Exactly ! Here in Brazil the context of everyday life is Very different from the American reality. But is always like that. The EUA promote the culture. Everything that is labed as a "gen z Thing" is acttualy an "American gen z Thing".

[@hiropon2985]

As a millennial, give the kids a break. They're literally kids finding themselves, left with our often outdated destructive "norms" They're trying. Don't my fellow millennials and gen x's remember getting this scorn from our elders? Why can't we break the mold and let the kids know we have their backs? Nothing was scarier than being a teenage girl, they have all my empathy. You'll make it through this zoomers, we believe in you!

[@keishamorris5571]

I agree with you. However, the baby boomer generation are the ones who are scolding the millenials and gen-zer.

[@TravelingPhilosopher]

It was great to see a positive comment. We need to be more empathetic toward people, especially toward the younger generation instead of being having an arrogant, self-righteous attitude toward them.

[@katgreer6113]

Thank you. Hopefully genz will say these kinds if things to the next generation.

[@Ayesha_F]

Wholesome comment 👏🏻❤️

[@thelittlewateringhole5576]

As a person who can be vaguely considered as part of the "Generation Z" age groups, and "socio-economic, linguistic, and cultural" groups* (*I am usong those terms heavily loosely here, but mostly for some convenient descriptions.) I think we should give the whole idea of "generations" and age groups a break, at least in times like these; I may literally never understand the experiences of my grandparents, and my grandparents may literally never understand me, but we are humans, and to at least try to understand, at least a little bit, is just what we should and must try to do better. Thank you for the good intended and kind hearted comment though, It means something that is at least good.

[@octabodemes]

I'd say that at the very least Euphoria got the slang, hobbies and makeup/aesthetic right. The only thing me and my friends (as older Gen Zs since we are 22-24) could not relate to was just how easy it was for them hook up 24/7 without having a daily panic attack about school grades lol

[@melb6746]

Millennial here (gen Y) and in my day the kids on TV were getting laid waaaay more than real kids lol. We were not as cool or as good of dancers as the kids in the teen movies

[@riannebanzuela7099]

The thing that i realized with my friends who are really grade conscious is that they work hard and party harder, like they would start doing the work right from the get go or like have little to no sleep for 3 days and then once the weekend comes, also their benders! Straight up partying from friday till sunday! Their usual rest was the black out that comes with it...

[@payalkakade]

@@riannebanzuela7099 but that's not very healthy. That might lead to burn out

[@lilypond5158]

Nobody in highschool dresses and acts like that though Do they? People have said it should be set in college

[@riannebanzuela7099]

@@payalkakade it does suck and lead to burn outs, especially considering how majority of them are also hardcore into their extracurricular activities. You have to do a lot of stuff if you wanna get into a top university and a lot of them get into those universities too. There's a price though, like majority of us are seeing a therapist or like go to AA meetings or rehab despite being only 16 to try fixing our problems. The thing is, colleges are being more selective than ever and you also want a social life cause high school does get pretty lonely. That's why spend majority of our time and energy on both these things

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The part about substance abuse is so true. I see some people who are trapped in a bad cycle and it’s not romanticised. It’s serious.

[@vedikamishra009]

True. Also, I think we almost watch the same things on yt cuz I see you everywhere! :)

[@leilamaach5229]

Sadly it is. However, I don't see it as a generational problem, there are many sad examples like the cocaine eighties, the heroine nineties... And the glamourization of drugs that the "indie sleaze era" brought.

[@taylorfrink1182]

euphoria honestly does a good job portraying it imo because it doesnt hide the good feeling it temporarily brings but also shows the consequences

[@Chris-rg6nm]

@@leilamaach5229 Cocaine 80s and Heroine 90s? was coming from actual adults not teens.

[@remytherat2929]

@@taylorfrink1182 never understood why people say euphoria glamorizes drugs. How can you look at Rue’s story and think that it’s aspirational or cool. I think people seriously misinterpreted the show

[@KiraFriede]

I find it hard to differentiate between being Gen Z or just being young and a teenager. I mean, being more idealistic or not knowing their positions on the issues and being more activistic is just a young person thing.

[@amandaredd3057]

agreed

[@Aaron-kj8dv]

Yeah I feel you can't say "this generation acts like this" until they're young adults because all generations are self absorbed and self righteous when they're teenagers

[@aurora6920]

It's so true and I'm a millennial I spent my whole teenage and childhood online gaming, social media, using KZbin etc when I wasn't studying or working, it's the same for them.

[@kat5594]

@@Aaron-kj8dv I mean the oldest gen Zers r in our early 20s right now, so I think it is fair to start making statements about how we act

[@lilypond5158]

Exactly, tou can only tell what's unique about gen z when they're older

[@user-jj4pm2wr6o]

when ever the depression gets brought up i always wonder what exactly do people think gen Z has to not be depressed about. the world kind of feels like its ending so yeah some times that is going to get you down a little bit

[@blanqui2040]

And also there's a lot in it that explains why we are "crazy-party". Like, people my age are so hopeless about their lives overall and the global situation that the only thing they can think of is self-destructive ways of immediate pleasure and stimuli disguised as 'having fun'. Which is so, so convenient for capitalism. It is not something new but i can't stand older generations putting the blame on gen z

[@milaana4503]

“The world feels like it’s ending”. I’m sure it also felt that way during the Great Depression, WW1, WW2, the Rwandan genocide, the assassination of JFK, 9/11 etc. Our forefathers lived through much more tumultuous, violent and disaster ridden times. There was once a time when women were literally burned in some areas because they were accused of being witches. And I’m not a boomer saying this, I’m 21.

[@KT-lt4fy]

@@milaana4503 true but the biggest difference is the sheer quantity of information being poured into people’s brains nowadays. There’s a reason anxiety, depression and all kinds of mental health problems are on the rise. That’s because there’s a difference between a single newspaper in the morning and 24/7 of social media outlets spelling out the end of all days…

[@muraismybby4617]

Now, 12 you can feel sad, but be fr this is actually the most peaceful time to be alive. No fake depression it is okay to feel sad sometimes though.

[@muraismybby4617]

@@milaana4503 Literally, my ancestors literally died, so I could go to school with other kids.

[@dylana5741]

I haven't watched the video yet but as a late Gen-Z'er who is too young to be a millennial in her early 20's. I have found that my peers are hyper-focused on success and investments, on studying hard (in non-creative industries such as STEM or Business subjects), and are focused on creating businesses. People are focused on how their brand is perceived and interested in spirituality, such as Christianity and law of attraction. Even people of other faiths seem to focus on their faith and 'manifesting'. Everyone wants to better themselves and be successful. Honestly, some of the CVs of my peers are crazy impressive, to deal with the competition in the job market. That's just my observation

[@AlienAmericana.]

Yes I’m born in 95 and I don’t relate with either group tbh because I’m a mixture of both

[@gabigabigabi123]

​@@AlienAmericana. you're a millenial tho

[@KT-lt4fy]

This 100%. Gen z is very party hard work hard from my observations

[@bigsistahtips]

They sound super 90s

[@sammyvictors2603]

And I thought religion was declining or decreasing in the younger generations. Or at least that's what Wikipedia states based on statistics.

[@jady6180]

seeing gen z being represented as self-absorbed, wannabe influencers pisses me off so much. i’m 16 and i have not met one person at my school who is like that-like not even the popular kids. yes we’re online a lot, but it’s not an addiction. there are so many different types of gen z with many different interests and personalities that i’d love to see represented in media, instead of just sticking to the same stereotypes over and over again

[@johannageisel5390]

Can only agree. There is so much variety in this generation. (Has been in earlier generations too, of course.) There is such a big difference from country to country, from socio-economic milieu to socio-economic milieu, from subculture to subculture...

[@petrichor499]

@@johannageisel5390 Question. Your generation always had phones and internet. How would feel if your phone/internet/other smart tech was taken away for a few days?

[@johannageisel5390]

@@petrichor499 Ah, actually not. I was born in '84 in the GDR. We only got telephone in '93 and internet maybe around '99, I think??? I don't even own a smartphone yet, because the mobile data plans here are a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, suddenly having no phone and internet would certainly suck, because my parents live in another city. I could write them a letter/postcard to let them know I'm fine, but it wouldn't be nice. I would also have problem getting in contact with other people I know. For many of them I don't even have an address. The worst would of course be the loss of access to information and entertainment. I would probably start watching TV again. And read more books instead of listening to audiobooks and youtube video essays. But if it was only for a few days and not forever, I certainly would cope. Wouldn't be great, but I have stuff to do that I can do without internet. Though, there again the loss of access to information would be worst. I really rely on internet tutorials for my hobbies.

[@user-ooop]

@@petrichor499 I'd feel bad obviously. It's harder to get references for drawings & I have no friends rly

[@patrickagokei]

@Peppa Pig Literally. Like it would suck not having my phone because I use it for other entertainment purposes outside of social Media. But people act as if books are obsolete. I was stuck on a train ride with shitty wifi and I just read the entire 5 hours occasionally taking breaks and using my data

[@danidkg4071]

Another important thing you didn't mention is how a lot of gen z "slang" is actually AAVE and has been around for a lot longer than most gen z kids. Words like "sis", "tea", "woke", "slay", "yas" are all AAVE, yet they're seen as twitter speak.

[@cjwarrior16]

cultural appropriation coming in hot

[@perfectallycromulent]

yall are acting like that's a new thing when it's been going on for over a century, probably longer.

[@lisah8438]

That is with every generation. Groove or groovy from the 70s. The word cool from the 20s. People still say that which is cool. Most are AAVE.

[@lisah8438]

@@cjwarrior16 I see nothing wrong with white people using slang. It is just when they think they invented it. That is what bothers me. I don't care how people choose to talk. Language is learned and people take on what they hear from TV, friends, music etc.

[@chaaaargh]

@@lisah8438 i agree, the thing that irks me is when people act like it's exclusively internet slang or "gen z slang"

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I mean, every app is a dating app if you use it long enough.

[@lu-themadpillow2985]

How come?

[@jayneb6053]

KZbin twitch?

[@Kay-kg6ny]

Tbh your economic class and geographic location determines way more about your personality and views than your age. A "Gen Z kid" from Burma probably thinks and feels VERY differetly than a "Gen Z kid" from the U.S. And a Gen Z from a poor neighborhood in Oklahoma will be super different from a Gen living in NYC's upper east side.

[@WillTheGreatest]

Working with a fair number of gen z kids I'd say some of these are true to a much more lowkey extent. Like yeah some of them vape/do drugs and hookup but most of them just want to hang out with their friends and live their life. The semi nihilism and politics does kinda inform their sense of humor but that's generational too. Only annoying thing is hearing "cringe" abused as a term lol.

[@sammyvictors2603]

So, not so different from generations before them. Even boomer teens in the 60s and 70s were doing hard drugs, sex, activism and whatnot. Even youths from the 1920s, or the Roaring Twenties, were into decadence.

[@sammyvictors2603]

The semi-nihilism reminds me of gen x, who were accused of being cynical slackers.

[@abigailwolden]

I’m sorry. The what generation has not done drugs and partied?

[@chaaaargh]

cringe

[@sammyvictors2603]

@@abigailwolden I assumed the generations of the 20th century did a lot of drugs and parties. But as for generations in the 19th century and further back, not sure what they did besides making out (and avoiding getting pregnant, which caused a lot of gunshot weddings for young people at that time).

[@Houkuko]

The pessimism and drug use/party culture aspects remind me of one of my Gen X uncles and the way he talks about gay culture in the 80s. He was in his early 20s when he came out and the narrative then was so focused on the AIDS crisis that so many gay people internalized the notion that they were going to die of this disease no matter what, and there was so little social or political acceptance for them, no medical support, basically no hope at all. No one as any way of knowing the future so even though things today are better, so many people ended up addicts and/or homeless because they didn't believe they had a future (or no worthwhile one) so they partied and spent all their money, didn't pursue education, didn't plan anything long-term, because they figured why bother. That feels a lot like some of what Gen Z is dealing with as well, with the larger forces of society driving things in a really terrible direction with the climate crisis and political extremism, and them having limited means of taking action, that the next best thing is to just find ways to cope.

[@lucypreece7581]

I am an older Gen Z/Millennial cusp and honestly I am boring af. I go to work, i come home, i watch stuff on my laptop, I east pasta and I sleep. No wild rebellion or something like that. I am.just very average. But I understand the world from both the Gen Z perspective and the Millennial perspective. I have more liberal views on politics and social issues and happily speak up on topics that I am passionate about. I do use a lot of social media but aside from those things I am my own person with my own identity and I just do my own thing in life.

[@roguejester4986]

Join the club..... Though it could be worse.

[@chaaaargh]

i mean same? that would just be the average person imo. i think people over exaggerate gen z traits lol when most of us are just living our lives

[@luckyDancer100]

Meh. Every generation is labeled something. Millennials were labeled entitled, Gen Xer’s were labeled jaded, etc. Gen Z are just the latest to be defined by the previous generation.

[@kylarae367]

I teach consent education to first year university students and am always AMAZED at how switched on they generally are at what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. At least, from what they outwardly express. Of course there are always outliers, but the majority of groups I get are very aware. This is in comparison to the older generations, who tend to be significantly more ignorant regarding sexual consent.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Writers Rooms are lacking *FULL STOP* (What we need is a budgeting infrastructure that doesn’t recoil at anything new and independent)

[@eliza5059]

I feel like a huge piece missing from this conversation is how regional these attitudes can be. Most of what's represented in mainstream media doesn't account for how these attitudes can be different in say, the south or Midwest (not to mention outside the US). The whole country isn't LA lol. I think people can get the wrong idea that we're "surpassed' these issues because of that. Even the data you showed indicates that most young people still don't know someone who uses they/them pronouns, and around 35% are against racial diversity

[@GirlDo3]

I feel like these are just the gen Zers u see online💀 Most gen Z ppl don't care too much about wokeness and romanticizing addiction from Euphoria etc.

[@tajosima]

I suggest watching the video from Bookish Realm where she talks about what people call "Gen Z language" it's actually AAVE (African-American Vernacular English). Even tho launguage is a fluid thing, it's important to have an understanding of it. And call it "Gen Z language" without recognizing that it existed before Gen Z and where it comes from isn't right.

[@bloodmongerzero4431]

As someone Who is gen-Z yes, living completely without wi-fi is H E L L

[@notrius7754]

living without Wifi is boring, but it definitly makes you feel better, it makes you be more connected to actual reality and not just into some reality of people that constantly complain about everything.

[@Napoleon805]

Well we are living in 21th century we need internet for ABSOLUTELY everything. Also technology and science grow crazy fast. We need internet for catch up and research things.

[@no-one00]

No Wi-Fi is hell for me especially when I use it to escape from my controlling African parents lol. When I moved and we had no Wi-Fi for days it was hell I physically had to run away and would come late because I had no Wi-Fi to keep me busy

[@no-one00]

@@notrius7754 No Wi-Fi is hell for me especially when I use it to escape from my controlling African parents lol. When I moved and we had no Wi-Fi for days it was hell I physically had to run away and would come late because I had no Wi-Fi to keep me busy

[@notrius7754]

@@no-one00 Well i'll guess we just have different lives lol. When im using the internet life seems to have no sense and everything seems bad, but then i stop and go outside and life seem great and awesome.

[@februaryschild0216]

Two phrases I hate to hear now: "woke" and "cancel culture". Old folks should never be allowed on Black Twitter. Those phrases have become the "you go girl!" of this generation. People take a phrase that has political/social meaning to marginalized communities and endow it with negative (usually conservative) connotations. Nooooo. I'm not a gen-zer. But, I love gen-z. Y'all refuse to drink the kool-aid...THANK GOD.

[@petrichor499]

Sweetie, its old folks who own twitter

[@tessy4018]

As much as I adore this channel, they clearly need more BIPOC gen z perspectives

[@chaaaargh]

fr

[@keithkoganeislife3144]

Oh god, BIPOC? Listen, I’m indigenous myself and even I think that acronym is utter trash.

[@crowlym2530]

With the whole drugs and mental illness I really related to rue. It took until I was 15 and overdosed on purpose for my parents to notice. The drugs were me attempting to self regulate and I eventually started taking anti depressants, mood stabilises, anti psychotics ( drug induced psychosis) etc. the party culture was surprisingly relatable but I know I had a unique experience. There’s a lot of faking it around me now (I’m 17 now) and it’s embarrassing and makes me feel like shit. Not to have a god complex but I know I’m one of few to have an experience like that and I wish people didn’t aspire to that. Then again if I didn’t go through it way to early I probably would feel the same.

[@65g4]

As a melinnial i do admire you genzers as being socially aware and fight for climate change more than we did. As far being an influencer i think it is savvy trying to make a business. More than we did back in the mid 2000s.

[@elizrebezilmadommdo1662]

I think the most absurd gen z stereotype that was constantly hammered down by Hollyweird in the 2010s was this really stupid idea that our generation didn't get hit by our parents or that our parents were nice in general. Didn't matter what their race, religion, age, gender, or economic class they were, literally every person who I've met who is around the same age as me has been hit, myself included. I don't know why people in Hollywood are so insistent that we don't get hit. This is why I can't take movies like Bad Moms seriously at all. That "Kids don't get spanked anymore!" Line that Mila Kunis's character said in the movie actually annoyed me a lot, and I think it discredits the premise of the entire movie, because it's simply not relatable outside of the Hollywood fantasy world where moms complain about first world problems, half of which either aren't real or are so small that normal parents and kids who grew up around the time the movie came out would roll their eyes at how whiny, childish, and dishonest the characters are acting. Hollywood is controlled by gaslighting baby boomers and gen xers who want to push this idea that they're just the sweetest little angels towards us or that we should feel sorry for them because "they can't hit us" (even though they did and still do hit us) and we're just so ungrateful for them despite how nice they are to us. Ugh! Give me a fucking break! I'm so glad that most of us are old enough to speak the truth. That's beyond some boomer not understanding gen z slang or whatever. I don't mind that. Normally, I don't get too upset about a movie not accurately portraying my generation. "Oh no! The gen z characters in the movie are always on their phones and say weird slang that doesn't sound realistic!" Yeah, it's cringy, but I don't really have an issue with that. However, pretending that gen x consists of all good parents and that gen z kids have no trauma is just straight up gaslighting, and THAT'S what I have a problem with. I do understand that our generation isn't the first or last to have this stereotype, which is why I don't take people seriously when people have started to say this about gen alpha either. I'm surprised that not enough people talk about it, because I think it's really morally messed up, moreso than we give Hollywood credit for. Hearing parents (or people controlling the media who are old enough to be parents) who try to say, "Kids don't get hit/spanked/beaten anymore!" Just reminds me of hearing your high school bully say, "Nobody really got bullied back at our old school. Everyone was just so nice." We need to call this "(blank) generation never got hit as kids and they are all raised with kind parents because their parents' generation are all sweet little angels" stereotype out for what it is. It's propaganda. Sorry.

[@mastersnet18]

Yea the same thing was said about millennials, that we weren’t spanked. Yet I know plenty of my peers who were so yea I never got that from Hollywood. To be fair though the media often depicts only certain subcultures and social classes and usually ignores everyone else.

[@shelbyspeaks3287]

t h i s c o m m e n t ☝

[@JuleZz__z]

Yeah another thing is the whole “gen z never played outside” bullshit, i cant get into it here but i did some crazy shit when i was younger, id love to make a show about it

[@acerrubrum5749]

They are young doing what young people do, making inexperienced life choices. They will learn and mature. The real question is how has parenting and grandparenting failed.

[@healingv1sion]

I turned my phone off for 7 months. It wasnt a problem for me but other ppl in my life literally went insane because my phone was off. This constant connection to others is driving people insane and is going to be a big issue in the future.

[@elizrebezilmadommdo1662]

And it isn't just with friends. Parents are now used to constantly expecting you to answer your phone every time they call you or as soon as they text you, otherwise they go ballistic and basically call you evil if you don't, and don't even get me started with work.

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

@@elizrebezilmadommdo1662 Had to cut off my already abusive mother for this. Finally did it, and I feel so free.

[@Punmaster9001]

Gen Z got the Flanderization treatment, that is, as a whole, the generation got reduced to a handful of characteristics that looked prominent based on how frequently it was seen, and over-emphasized to the point it's considered the only true way to see them. Like the namesake, Ned Flanders started off as a well-rounded character who's kind to everyone, a husband, a father, and a guy who genuinely cares about other people and he got reduced to being ultra christain just because he's a believer. There's plenty to be said about how people miss conflate being christain and being kind, as the two are almost mutually exclusive. That fact aside, Ned's character got reduced to "he is christain, therefore he will act in this specific way," ignoring all the subtly and nuance that was established when first meeting him. In the same sense, Gen Z has been reduced to a handful of highly observable habits that don't completely or truly capture them as a whole. In truth much of media is guilty of this, spanning decades of portraying people in a monotone view based on singled-out characteristics, exaggerated to fit a social narrative whether positive or negative. I know quite a few Gen Z people, and while they do spend more time online, they are a lot more respectful, for the most part, to the needs of other people than past generations have been, caring not just about physical health, but also emotional and mental wellbeing.

[@chaaaargh]

very well said, the geralization is stupid imo

[@jeanblack1250]

agree

[@Takisan111]

Millennials got this too unfortunately. We were the scapegoats for everything from the participation trophies to the decline of certain types of businesses because they were expensive and obsolete. We are lazy and don't want to work hard for a living, we leech off our parents by living at home longer, we are so obsessed with our phones that we don't notice the world, classics like art, literature, and music are being forgotten in favor of trashy modern stuff and reality tv. You name it, we've been blamed for it. I have had several customers actually start going rants about how terrible millennials are and how we were all trained to be deviants and criminals in school (I swear to god I'm not exaggerating, several people actually believe public school teaches kids to be criminals and it's somehow the students fault for all of it). Heck, they hated us so much that, for a while, we got blamed for stuff Gen Z did because Boomer hadn't figured out yet that a whole new generation had emerged. This is why I get so protective of Gen Z. I see them dealing with the same kind of crap we did and it genuinely makes me mad that this is still happening. I also greatly admire how they have been able to find work arounds for things that crippled a large chunk of my generations progress. They have so much potential. I'm making this my hill to die on. They will have a better life than we did and I'm going to do what I can to make that happen.

[@fihv64227]

Loud minority of chronically online nerds

[@leoandersson6461]

I'm so tired of all generalizations. How about everyone is a individual with their own morals, politics, experiences and preferences for once? Of course you can overlook different groups in societies, but there's always so little nuance in all those discussions. I barely see something like: "There's a lot more out of gen z that's left leaning, but there's also been a huge rise of conservatism within the gen z or whatever.

[@jshanksffemtp]

One thing about Gen Z that I don't think a lot of people grasp is that it's not just people who are currently teenagers. There are Gen Z's who were in high school before same-sex marriage was legal in the U.S., and there are Gen Z's who haven't even entered high school yet.

[@tyriaxepheles7996]

Whenever I see a skit where a Gen Z'er uses big words to accuse an older actor of bigotry or misconduct and the older actor then replies with something completely unrelated that the Gen Z'er did wrong to make a point about Gen Z'er s blindly accusing people of discrimination, I think that writer probably did harass or discriminate someone who eloquently called them out on it and this is their petty retort

[@patrickagokei]

Another thing I was going to mention is economic crisis. Alot of people my generation face depression and mental illness also because of the future of the economy. Mounting student debt, little job opportunities, and everything from homes to food genuinely getting more and more expensive. And also. Language. Alot of TV content creators need to realize that as Gen z how we talk online is drastically different to how we talk in person. I can go full sentences and drop one word of internet slang. I'm not a constant influx of "Bestie", "slay", "period", and so on and so forth. That's where they get Gen Z portrayals wrong

[@daniellep4201]

As a Gen Z (21 y/o), I wanna add that at least for me (not sure if anyone else agrees here but) the reason me and a large amount of my friends are online so much is to stay updated and connected. Most of the time if we don’t stay connected we don’t know what anyone is talking about or what’s going on. So in my case at least it’s driven mainly by FOMO. I also agree that most of us (at least me and the Gen Z’s I’m friends with or that I know) don’t really like partying that much. We kinda look at the facts of drug use and drinking and so on and we see that it’s practically more trouble than it’s worth, like causing permanent damage or addiction all for a temporary buzz or high.

[@shalini5430]

I am a gen z myself (18) and I agree it's like half half,many people are actually as toxic and as woke as these characters while others are more career focused or just enjoying life Not all are like these characters,but yes many are just like that

[@lizfeelsfunny9949]

I feel like people just see gen z as a stereotype of self absorbed, media obsessed children- which honestly is an incredibly shallow assumption.

[@rhythmoriented]

The new film Tár nails the means by which GenZ uses social media to capture an incident and attempt to shape public opinion. Incredibly realistic take. I highly recommend The Take review this film regarding this aspect, cancel culture (a topic touched upon previously in a different way) workplace power structure .

[@terra5857]

im glad a video like this has come out. we’re often depicted as liberal, phone-addicted, sensitive, the generation that will fail and blah blah blah. though i do understand where people are coming from and agree to an extent, i feel like that just represents what people see online. yes it is very embarrassing to see people further enforce the stereotype that we’re all like this, but in real life, i don’t see many people like this. maybe it’s because i take AP and pre-IB that i am surrounded by the smarter bunch of us, but it needs to be said. im not going to say its a minority of gen z who act like what is seen on tiktok, because there is definitely a good portion of people who have some of those traits, i just hate generalizations in general and it’s good to see it being debunked. it’s contradictory to say this since i just wrote a whole essay under a youtube comment section about my point but im trying to desensitize myself from reacting to stereotypes, and getting to a point where i straight up do not care what people say. this was just a rant

[@terra5857]

jesus christ didnt realize it was this long my bad yall 😭

[@brianNJwatson]

Party crazy? Gen Z? 😂😂😂😂😂

[@OceanIgs]

More like LAN party or discord lol

[@elizrebezilmadommdo1662]

Honestly, I think most of gen z is either working or studying most of the time lmao

[@brianNJwatson]

@@elizrebezilmadommdo1662 lmao yGen Z are hard workers??? When theyre not calling out for being triggered or feel anxiety. Gtfooo

[@elizrebezilmadommdo1662]

@@brianNJwatson Yeah? Most of them are old enough to have jobs. Do the math. It's common sense. Lmao Also, I didn't say they were hard workers. My point is that most people in gen z don't seem to have time to party, like you said, not that they're all on the road to become CEOs. Chill.

[@brianNJwatson]

@@elizrebezilmadommdo1662 Just because someone is old enough to work doesnt mean they do. Theres the math. Also people who want to party, make time if they want to. Other generations have worked same times if not longer. Check the stats.

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

When I was 15, in 2005, I was so addicted to the internet, that when a storm blew the internet out for two days, I called the internet company and started screaming at them to turn it on. I'm a Black person, and I went full Karen mode. But that's when I realized I'd become addicted. So, I can see how Gen Z can become addicted to their phones. But so often what is actually missing from the topic, even books that claim they've studied this addiction, is HOW and WHY so many people are addicted. In my case, I was living in a very domestically abusive environment. My mother was the abuser and I had no other parent. My family didn't believe me, and they couldn't do much about anything because no one had enough money to take in extra children. I felt like I had no power or control over my environment. I was too afraid to talk to social workers, and even thought the abuse was my fault for being a bad child. By bad, I meant accidentally falling asleep after school, on my mother's new couches, instead of doing my chores, not answering the phone right away when my mother called, turning on the air conditioner/heat without shutting the windows, wearing an old and/or ratty outfit in front of my mother's friends, and getting all of the answers wrong on my homework assignments because I just wasn't smart and didn't get the lessons. Those were the reasons I got abused. I couldn't be myself, I had to be dressed like my mother wanted me to, and I had to behave like she wanted me to in public. So I couldn't make real friends that had anything in common with me. Online, I found communities of people who had my interests (I loved collecting dolls all the way through high school and now, loved video games, loved anime, Kpop, Jpop, stuff like that). Online, I wasn't weird or unusual. It was less common to find people interested in that stuff in the USA in the 2000s. I also felt more in control, too. I started my own online blog to vent out my frustrations, pour into my hobbies, and it was healing. I found comfort in watching shows that I missed on TV because my mother would force me to do some public engagement with her and her fake friends. The internet was addicting because it allowed me to be me and to express myself any way I liked. Yes, real life and outdoors are beautiful, if allowed that freedom and privilege. I couldn't go outside and play when my mother wasn't home, and I was obedient or I would get my ass kicked. She worked most of the day until late. My neighborhood was too dangerous to be out at night. On the weekends, my mother wouldn't let me go outside unless I was meeting one of the "friends" she approved of. This might be a reality for many children today. Until real life offers that sense of control over oneself, people, even teens, will continue to be addicted to the internet. The older generations can't complain about a situation if they don't understand the origins of the addiction. That's how you rework the addiction. As soon as I got out of the toxic environment, I became less addicted to the internet, and actually it became more annoying. I'm able to leave my house whenever I want, even if I now suffer from agoraphobia.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

This is the earliest I’ve been on the channel. Also, I love the topic chosen. SO MANY HOT TAKES TO DISH OUT 🔥

[@maxmetodiev641]

As a gen z myself there is a lot that they get wrong

[@mi-no3wk]

I don't know I think Sex Education hit the nail on the head. When I was a teenager, everyone was having sex. Like everyone. Sex education shows the nuances of that though and that it's not always sexy or even pleasurable. I think Sex Education is the only one that got it right.

[@greyLeicester]

To look after faux leather that has been neglected for a few months or years, you need to wipe the surface using a damp cloth (with hot water) and then pat it dry with a micro fibre cloth. That will moisturise it and wont crack/peel when you wear it again 👌🏼👍🏼

[@Sharenziie]

Can you guys touch on Zillenials ? like we are caught in this weird cusp of things where we get both sides but don’t really fit into either category when being defined

[@fihv64227]

I agree. I'm a 96 baby and I definitely don't feel gen z at all but not really Millennial? Like within the past few years when Gen Z became more of an identity I started to realize that I really am not able to identify with their culture at all

[@sinemaklip6336]

1995 2000 borns feel like this 2000 here 👍

[@mccod035]

How come The Take will cover Gen Z, Milennials and boomers but NEVER GEN X! We are people on this earth as well The Take!!! come on just one video on Gen X just ONE!

[@petrichor499]

You guys were normal.

[@77Amnita]

What an interesting take!

[@samf.s8786]

Honestly, they're very similar to the two generations that came before. They're just online more. In a bad way, this includes entitlement, getting attention through aggression, the feeling like they need to police everyone, the feeling that hurting others is justified because they're "right". It's a mess... Most of them have not reached their peak brain development, so I empathize with that and understand it.

[@cjwarrior16]

dont belittle the words and feelings of anyone based on age, if it is not a lie its a cry for help, listen

[@845josie]

gen z or internet slang is actually appropriated aave like most slang "pressed" "dead ass" "af" etc its aave

[@racheldavis4838]

Will you ever do a video on Gen X? I feel like they get left out of the conversation a lot.

[@mccod035]

Thank you!

[@petrichor499]

Take it as a compliment. You people are normal.

[@1nduwaraThisa]

I love how christian walker is part of this video😂

[@RoninRen]

so just something to think about for a future video essay, narratives that are all about life without the internet, whether it's about living in a world without electricity because of some disaster, or because the plot is set in a pre-internet era,

[@yumnaamjad2637]

Dennis insight on today's youth in season14 was true dissection.olease add that too in future references

[@trestonmalone5072]

Lol Gen Z doesn’t know how to party.💀 I like them though. A lot of the Gen Z’ers I know and like are awkward and it’s kinda endearing!

[@agarsrish]

Lately, this channel seems to be obsessed with Euphoria characters, it's so weird

[@elizrebezilmadommdo1662]

It's not that weird. It's a very popular show that's talked about a lot. Of course they're gonna keep talking about it. It's relevant, plus talking about shows that the general public knows about gets them more views.

[@madisonj5136]

Cuz they’re sell outs

[@Cam28394]

I don't get Gen Z as a Millennial. They praise individuality, but yet they all try for the same "perfect' photos or trends on Instagram and TikTok. This is more like conforming than being original. It's super contradicting. They seem to care the most about vanity than any other generation.

[@tobiaslawrence8928]

Just like every generation before, as usual nothing new.

[@KiraFriede]

I think, it's just being a teenager. I don't think we'll meet the real "Gen Z" until the majority of them enters their 20s.

[@vchalasani5046]

millenials pioneered that lol? y'all started it COMPLETELY and we just carried on

[@fihv64227]

They all like to label eachother but act like the anti label Generation

[@lynnevetter]

🥰 Why didn't anyone tell me you were going to mention Joe Keery?! I would have been here ages ago! 😝 I still need to see Spree though.

[@jessinicole7998]

I’m sorry but 4:48 is just hilarious and I just don’t know why😂

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

I feel like Disney's Freaky Friday 2018 is an example of other generations trying to tell a Gen Z story and missing the mark. The writers wrote from the perspective of Generation X, and it came across unrealistic. My Gen Z cousins couldn't relate to any of it. It was a far contrast from the one written in 2003. I felt they DID capture the essence of Millennials. I think back in the past, the actors were more high profile and had more agency, even the young actors, over how a character was portrayed. Lindsay Lohan was very good at reaching her generation, despite it being written by someone else from another generation. It takes a completely strong team to pull off even one effective act. Also, possibly the 2003 Freaky Friday writer wrote based on their own experiences growing up, giving the characters a timelessness, instead of even TRYING to reach Millennials. In this case, by tapping into their own inner teen, they were able to reach ALL teens, showing that teen-hood is forever. The new one didn't feel that way, and I feel that's what's the problem with all of the shows today. They are writing about a generation they don't belong to, who they assume they know and are irritated by based on that assumption, instead of writing about a modern teen based on their own personal experiences in the past when THEY were teenagers. They've lost touch with their own inner teen. Euphoria is effective because the writer clearly stated that he didn't try to make the characters modern Gen Z. He actually based the lead character off of his own personal life and struggles as a teen and young adult, which was probably in the 2000s, since he's a Millennial. Similarly, Tina Fey didn't write Mean Girls based on her perception of Millennials. She wrote it based on her own experiences in high school in the 1980s. Yet, that experience still felt very grounded in the then-modern day and it even resonates with Gen Z today. Sure we had sitcoms that depicted Millennials as moody and confusing, like George Lopez's show, but for the most part Millennials were humanized and characterized as intelligent and observant (Mara Wilson as Matilda, The Olsen Twins, Sixth Sense Haley Joel Osment, Raven Symone in Cosby Show and Cooper, Taj Mowry in Smart Guy, Lindsay Lohan in any movie she acted in, etc). Gen Z is characterized as out of touch with reality, addicted to their phones, and obsessed with online validation. They are made into isolated loners who preach to their parents about inclusion all day. Or they are recreated for "reboots" into cringey over-woke environments that don't actually say anything new.

[@queenwhite4831]

This is such BS, all of this is simply being young, 10-20 years ago the exact same things were said to describe us millenials. We were also more woke, more pessimistic etc. than the previous generation(s) - shocking right? :)

[@Steve-lz8vv]

Can you list the movies shown in this video?

[@DanielSmith-pq4yc]

Honestly without the internet I'd probably be either dead or in an asylum. I wouldn't have friends, relationships or my own home.

[@expensivepink7]

(edit to add - btw i loved the video i think ur content is amazing!}You might be giving the political opinions too much credit I think a lot of it is dependent on the current trending topic with exceptions of course

[@keishamorris5571]

People can agree or disagree with on this one but, Gen-zer's are not different from the Millenials. As a millenials myself, I think that my younger generation are constantly bombarded with current events that would be detrimental in our lives as well a sense of hope that the future is bright which is highly unlikely to say the least. However, there's plenty of optimism and reassurance to make better for ourselves, which makes me so proud of Gen-z to finish off what the Millenials have started. 'Cause let's face it, the silent generation is kicking the bucket soon, Baby Boomers caused all this mess and Gen X is well.... lackadaisal (don't care, really). So, it up to us that we change the world for the better.

[@tiamarrow6366]

I was born in 1999, and I actually didn’t grow up with the internet at all until high school……but I didn’t know how to really use it until I got to my senior year. I watched tv but I still had dolls and books, so I was more so not into tv. When Snapchat and IG started…..I had them both but never really used them, in fact when I first started my IG…..I posted a few pics of food like a salad because my school had 2 cafeterias a regular hot food one, and one for salads and I always got a salad but when I would post those pics, it was like 4 of them…..now I’ve deleted those, and post pics of myself.

[@justaname999]

As an older millennial teaching college students to code in some of my classes, I'd question the assertion that they have an "aptitude for all things tech". Most are confused by the presence of a command line interface. They're comfortable end users who have their own way of understanding the "social" bit of social media, while for instance boomers have a completely different, possibly just as arcane to all other age groups, understanding of *their* platforms. I grew up with siblings who are gen X and as a young person identified more with that generation than my own and all of this stuff applies as much to any generation, be they more or less online than gen Z.

[@muraismybby4617]

Euphoria, the people in it look old asf, Cassie looks like she's in her mid 40s, I'm not being rude and I know it's because of child labor laws. However they could've found adults who don't look like they're stressed from working 9-5s everyday. (Not that there's anything wrong with 9-5s).

[@jmouay]

i’m just glad Teenage Bounty Hunters was mentioned, they deserved some flowers -

[@ShesquatchPiney]

The self actualization of gen Z is amazing, I'm so proud of them. I meet people who are 18-19 who are more self-actualized then I was at 26. I'm an elder millennial, 33.

[@Giuli707]

elder millenials are 37-40, you're bang on millenial!

[@amandaredd3057]

@@Giuli707 i was just thinking this!

[@Takisan111]

I agree, they are good kids. They are resourceful and clever, finding solutions to things that hindered us when we reached adulthood. They also have a great sense of humor. I believe in them.

[@fihv64227]

Kind of disagree. I meet 18-19 year olds who can barely functionbmore than ones who are self actualized. But the ones who are actually smart are extremely capable. There's no medium anymore.

[@amandaredd3057]

@@fihv64227 Yeah I can see where you're coming from for sure. I actually work with kids and adolescents. You're not wrong!

[@em4672]

I'm stuck on the idea that previous generations were partying for "youthful enjoyment" and not to escape a painful reality. That can't be right.

[@zoo8985]

1:26 I agree closed toe shoes and feet shaming is rooted in racism

[@barbarina012]

Can I have yalls take on Frasier the tv show from 1990s and why he is getting a revival?

[@mewesquirrel6720]

It is that would be cool

[@ereceeme]

I feel pity for them, so conected and yet so apart. When the lights go out where are they going to live. Z, no more letters follow.

[@tam9856]

I love this channel, but lately… it seems like you guys are recycling the same topics. You’ve talked about millennials, gen z, gen alpha, generations a bunch of times… You say (at the end of your videos) to like and share what you think the next take should be, but honestly… I don’t think you guys truly listen or pay attention to suggestions from any of us. Just a loyal subscriber being honest. Try listening to your viewers more. ❤

[@Rensoku611]

5:33 what's that show?

[@deargodwhyme]

The back half of Millennials and nearly all of Gen Z grew up/are growing up in a time where every issue or news item--whether warranted or not--is hyperbolized and catastrophized. The low barrier to entry for video content makes it easier than ever to empathize with every ill of the world. Every go fund me. Every social/political cause. I think it's very important for us to remember that by nearly all metrics, the world is actually better than it ever has been for the greatest number and proportion of humans alive.

[@cleabric3706]

Thank you finally

[@solfeo8905]

"Each generation thinks it has invented sex, Nuala, and is shocked and not a little displeased to discover that its predecessors enjoyed it too." - Andrew M. Greeley, "Irish Gold"

[@miles1783]

I wanted to point out that the girl in Big Mouth that was shown when describing nonbinary is actually a trans girl. Big Mouth doesn't show nonbinary rep (so far?), but Sex Education does.

[@roguejester4986]

Hyper-Woke: Not really. Pessimistic: Some. Part-Crazy: No.

[@pizzapower3166]

They always forget that we care more about pop culture, film, and television than any other generation. While older generations were talking about the outcomes of the election, we were too focused how the Avengers were gonna defeat Thanos.

[@rejectionisprotection4448]

Trauma response. Check out Gil Scott Heron's "Whitey's on the moon". It's the same phenomenon; different situation.

[@rosellaaltman3417]

That's every generation in their teens and early twenties.

[@pizzapower3166]

@@rosellaaltman3417 I mean, you're technically not wrong there.

[@mewesquirrel6720]

Dude some girl in middle school was crying in class because her parents voted for Trump

[@pizzapower3166]

@@mewesquirrel6720 And, your gonna use one girl's experience as a monolith?

[@safiyarehman8652]

I really like how this video gets the side of us that older generations look past

[@gabrielleirbag2030]

i'm 27 and i don't understang what's going on right now

[@fihv64227]

Were millennials. We got old bro. Were no longer the focus.

[@sinemaklip6336]

So you guys are millennials and Im gen z imao (23) ?

[@AlienAmericana.]

We need more zillenial content early to mid 20’s

[@jeanblack1250]

agree

[@madisonj5136]

Right we ain’t going to be teens forever

[@fihv64227]

Zillennial is mid-late 20s. Lol nobody in their early 20's is a Zillennial.

[@sinemaklip6336]

​@@fihv64227 false lol mid late 20s is late millennials not zillennials zillennials is 23 27

[@chantalkellyman2187]

A recent study came out that Gen Z falls victim to online scamming more than their Boomer counterpart

[@OGFOOD187]

a lot of gen Z cant fist fight to save their lives which to a certain extent is kinda weird with the explosion of mma

[@Shenobioftheleaf]

70% of this " new G-Z language" is just AAVE that has been around for generations. as it becomes more popular to be in proximity to Black culture, the more you will see a shift in the language we use.

[@bakageyama222]

Honestly as a gen z it’s annoying that we are viewed like reckless kids Not every kid from every country is like this I think people think that gen z revolves around just a few popular kids provably set in America and we’re done That’s gen z! (Im not trynna stereotype Americans)

[@toyang..]

pls do fleabag

[@johnnywalker8815]

What I don't understand understand is I thought a generation was every 30 years or so but the separation between millennials and gen z is like 20years so if any one can explain this to me has the timespan for a generation changed.

[@buttyobject575]

Très cool

[@Giles29]

I'm old enough to remember most of the same complaints being made about Gen X and the Millennials too

[@inescastellano7960]

Please make a video about Cobra Kai, it's a great example of different generations clashing.

[@post-electric]

Off topic from the video, but "I never open emails from unknown senders" is nonsense. You don't get viruses etc from opening emails anymore. As long as you don't open attachments, you're not going going to get a virus.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Anyone else saw Princess Hours?

[@lynnevetter]

I was born in 82 so I have a lot in common with the gen x, but am definitely a millenial through and through. But I reconize that times change, people change, and we need to change in order to survive as a species on this planet. I get so frustrated by Baby boomers, gen x, and older millenials taking swipes at the younger generations. Like, dude, we are all the same. You were young once and picked on by the older generations. Remember and don't fall into the same pitfalls. yeeshk

[@siracastori01]

Seeing the problem of the world clearly, and often without a solution, is not in contradiction with partying or over medicating: ever heard of 'dancing on the Titanic'?