The generation gap is a common knowledge now. Gen (generation) X, which consists of people born between 1960-70, Gen Y, which includes people born between 1980-2000, and Gen Z, people born form 2000 till date.
People have different opinions on which ages are born in which generation, but it is an indisputable fact that people born between 2000 till 2010 are known as Gen Z.
As of now, following the definition above, the oldest member of Gen Z cannot be more than 21 years old. Meaning Gen Z comprises mainly of young adults, teenagers, tertiary, secondary and primary school students.
Here are five things most millennials and grown adults don’t know about Generation Z
- We just want to be happy
The highest number of marijuana and hard drug users in Nigeria are Gen Z members. We also are the highest number of people desperate for money, adrenaline and excitement, which is why we bet the most, smoke the most, have sex the most. Why? Every one is looking for a way out of emptiness and sadness. The highest percentage of depressed people in Nigeria is Gen Z. The cause of our sadness comes from many areas. We are becoming more and more insignificant in an ever growing population, jobs are harder for us to get, schools are harder for us to get into because, plainly put, we are just too much.
- We prefer to be selfish, thank you very much
Unlike the 70s, 80s and 90s when women took all sort of abuse and neglect in order to keep balance in society, letting the men take over politics and leading positions in communities, Gen Z girls prefer to put themselves first now, because they’ve realized that it’s better to be rich and single, than to be married and irrelevant. Gen Z girls want to matter. They dare to dream, whilst refusing harassment or discrimination from others.
- We are not as violent as you think
Who are the people that fight at BRT terminals? Which people open curse out others in marketplaces? Which generation is known for abusing children, verbally and sexually? Gens X and Y, 90% of the time. Now I’m not saying there are no Generation Z members that aren’t violent, in fact there are a lot of us. But what I’m saying is that a higher percentage of us are non-violent. When people step on us on the road, we mostly ignore the offence, or the highest thing we do is complain loudly. Rarely do we ever throw a punch or slap except when defending ourselves. Sure, we wear leather, and have nose piercings, but there is a higher chance of a 40-year-old man molesting a child than an 18-year-old undergraduate.
- We love sex, give us a break
It is a true thing that Gen Z members are sex-positive. The openly express their sexualities and endeavor to not body shame others. Mostly body shaming comes for Gen X and Y members. Take me for example, I am chubby, and I like that I’m chubby, I always have. But most of the criticism I’ve ever received about what I look like came from adults over 25. Also, there are more openly gay and gender non-binary people in Gen Z than any other generation.
- We see things too, we’re not blind:
We know when times are difficult. We know when petrol is expensive. We know when the gas cylinder is empty. We know you’re doing your best to take care of us, just don’t treat us like we’re inconsiderate. Actually, we worry even more than our parents concerning money issues.
The average Gen Z member worries about making money at least 5 times a day.
I could go on and on about how much people don’t know about Gen Z. We’d just prefer that all the unnecessary ageism to stop.
Written by Afolabi Boluwatife