As with any generation, Gen Zs have unique traits and characteristics that set them apart from other generations. Some of these trends may seem strange or unusual to older generations, but they are perfectly normal to Gen Zs.
We found a Reddit thread; what’s a trend among Gen Zs you find weird? And 6000 people jumped on it.
1. Documenting Everything
“Documenting themselves committing crimes then posting them to social media.” shared one.
“I was at a (car) accident reconstruction engineering office this summer, and a 20-ish-year-old guy drove off the edge of the road and died and his snap story from the night was a video of his speedometer at 100+ in the dark in the rain, and he was bragging that he was going fast (and also drunk)” added another.
“They are the first generation with the capability to do that easily. They’re like the oldest siblings who make all the mistakes so the younger ones can learn from them. I salute their sacrifice,” added yet another.
2. Sharing Every Moment With Strangers
“Look what a fun life I have; I’m here in the mountains with my entire family. Nobody is home for 2 weeks; pls come rob me,” shared a user.
“Absolutely, I always post about vacations, family trips, and the like AFTER we took them. I don’t have that many people on Facebook anymore, but you never know,” shared another.
3. Lack Of Understanding Privacy
“I went out drinking with a mixed-age group. We got silly drunk and had a good time. A few months later, one of the younger girls posted a “hilarious” video of me blackout drunk and acting stupid. Nothing illegal, just embarrassing. It was horrifying. Why would you video someone that vulnerable and then publicize it? Like, what other videos did they take? She took it down but didn’t understand at all why I was so angry at her – because “she posted dumber videos and photos herself all the time!” shared a user.
“Never again. I’ll stick with my older friends who know not to film anyone doing stupid stuff,” shared yet another.
4. To Go Viral
A user shared, “The desire to “go viral.”
“One of my greatest fears is being involved in a viral video in any capacity, but for so many zoomers, that’s their number 1 goal.” shared yet another.
“I don’t think this is a new thing, though. Plenty of Gen Xers and Millenials wanted to be famous as well; they didn’t have TikTok and Instagram to do so. This is just a natural desire for the youth to be noticed and stand out.” shared another user.
5. Trying To Diagnose
“As a gen z myself, I find trying to diagnose ourselves with a mental disorder pretty weird. I’ve never done it and would never do it, but I know some people who do it just for attention and stuff. Pretty annoying for people who are suffering,” said a user.
“My younger gen z sister the other day was talking to my mom about all the mental illnesses she self-diagnosed herself with, almost talking about it like it was a badge of honor with pride. Never seen a doctor, reads up online about certain quirks, and thinks she has a bit of everything.” shared yet another.
6. Inability To Stay On Their Own
“Their absolute inability to spend even 5 minutes alone, with no stimulus, just doing nothing. But then, that might be a self-selecting sample. The ones who can do that, you don’t notice that much.” said a user.
“I’m a millennial, and I am unfortunately like this. I don’t know why and I can’t help it,” shared another.
“Right now, I’m in the dentist’s chair waiting for the doctor to come in, and I’m on Reddit because I can’t be alone with my thoughts. I find it incredibly boring,” added another.
7. Use Gaslighting
A user shared, “The misuse of the word gaslighting.”
8. Labelling
“Wear what you like. Not everything needs a label,” said one.
“Millennials fought a crusade to do away with labels. You’re a person and can do whatever you want and don’t need to be labeled. Gen-Z seems to be dead set on labeling everything. As many labels as possible, and you must abide by what your labels say.” added another.
9. Lack Of Work Ethic and Accountability.
“The lack of work ethic and accountability.” shared one.
“Well, not a boomer, by the way. And I have seen way too many gen Zs say that same crap and complain. So few actually show up for work, let alone be on time. Accountability means taking responsibility; I haven’t seen a gen z do that yet. So not talking about being a “slave,” classic gen z talk though, just contributing positively to a society that provided for you everything, and all they can seem to do is snitch.” said another.
In conclusion, the trends and behaviors of Gen Zs can be considered strange or unusual by older generations. Still, they are simply a reflection of their world and the technology they have grown up with.
We hope you liked this Reddit discussion on what’s a trend among Gen Zs you find weird. Comment and let us know what you think. Do read about 11 Things To NOT Do In The U.S.