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Louise Thomas
Editor
Have you heard the news? Millennials, the avocado-eating generation responsible for making the top-knot socially acceptable, have fallen from grace. Yes, it’s official. For more than a decade, the world marvelled at these bright young things as they sat on their throne of cool. They were Shoreditch hipsters. Lovers of side partings and indie music. Appreciators of any activity followed by the word “brunch”.
But, slowly, Gen Z have started to turn the tables on them. My generation, loosely made up of those born between 1997 and 2012, seem to have gained enough confidence to rip apart our elders – and we’ve publicly come for millennials’ socks, work habits and weird Harry Potter fixations. It might sound harsh; cruel, even. But isn’t it simply another rite of passage to lovingly tease the older generation as they age? Below, find some of the worst millennial gripes, from one Gen Zer, who is utterly surrounded by them.
Not having boundaries at work
There’s no denying that things have been tough for millennials. They entered the job market on the heels of the 2008 financial crash – their version of adulthood has been marked by economic instability, scarred by the constant fear of redundancy and job insecurity. But that experience made them adopt toxic working habits. I was slightly rattled on my first work experience placement when people said they were going to “lunch” but scurried back five minutes later clutching a Pret baguette that they chowed down while checking emails. On top of that: millennials send emails outside of working hours, and do overtime… just for the sake of it?
By comparison, my generation have much healthier boundaries at work. We know an hour’s lunch break will save us from burnout. We also know that writing a strongly worded OOO email for our annual leave is good for our mental health; so is logging off at 5pm sharp.
Complaining about being a millennial/talking about how ‘OLD’ they are
If comments from my millennial colleagues are anything to go by, when my 30th birthday strikes, I will be haggard, old and in pain. And I will never survive a hangover again. Something to look forward to, I guess?
Wearing ankle socks
If you ever wanted to decipher someone’s age, a failsafe method is looking at their socks. If they’re donning long, white socks hiked halfway to their knee, then they’re surely a Gen Z. If they’re wearing trainer socks with their ankles exposed, then they’re a millennial stuck wearing past fashion trends – and deeply uncool. I don’t make the rules.
Thinking brunch is the only worthy pastime
I don’t know exactly when breakfast and lunch were merged to scam young people into spending ludicrous sums on one meal and watered-down booze. But somewhere down the line, brunch became the ultimate millennial excursion. Now there’s cabaret brunch. Rooftop brunch. ABBA brunch. And guess who’s queuing at the door? Millennials.
Wearing chinos
Sometime in the mid-2010s, beige chinos were plucked off the legs of rich golf dads and widely adopted by millennials, across both menswear and womenswear. While some moved on and followed fashion trends, opting for a more relaxed jeans style – like a pair of boyfriend jeans – others got left behind. As a Gen Z, I find chinos – especially the cuffed style or with turned-up ankles – offensive. And they are even more criminal when they’re worn with a boat shoe and invisible sock combo.
Referencing ‘Friends’ every damn day
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Friends. I think about Ross’s fake tanning disaster on a regular basis. But millennials have this weird sixth sense to make a niche Friends reference at any opportunity mid-conversation. And it throws me off. No, I can’t remember what Joey was doing in episode 221. Make it stop.
Being obsessed with Disney
There seems to be a central question to be asked here: Why, oh why, would you let a conglomerate company typify your entire personality? Sure, it’s nice to cherish the films and books that you grew up with, but surely, there comes a time to pass it on to the next generation… to, I don’t know… children? Miriam Margolyes was onto something when she told adult Harry Potter fans to “grow up” and let go of their long-held attachments to Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses. Perhaps millennials’ Disney obsession should be given the same treatment. Ariel came out in 1990. It’s time to move on.
Owning a pug as a status symbol
Deep breath. From 2016 onwards, there was a very specific group of trendy millennials who purchased pet pugs and made it their thing. I personally find pugs inoffensive. But making a dog breed your most defining personality trait feels odd and weird.
Having a strange obsession with freshers’ culture
While I didn’t make it to university in the Noughties or 2010s, I didn’t need to be there. Millennials seem obsessed with telling me about how messy and raucous their freshers’ experience was. It’s no wonder that in 2004, alcohol consumption peaked at an all-time high of 11.6 litres per person (around double compared to 1954). The snakebites were consumed en masse. Being the most "up for it" gave you BNOC – Big Name On Campus – status. Sounds quite wild. Sure, but why can’t millennials let go?
And an obsession with 2005 landfill indie music
That millennial freshers’ experience was soundtracked by men with guitars, and don’t I know it. The Kooks’ “Jackie Big Tits”. Franz Ferdinand’s “Do You Want To”. But do we ever hear the end of it? Like, we know you love The Maccabees, OK?
