Zoomers and Millennials are very much alike. For example, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, and they are on track to becoming the most well-educated ones too.

But in many ways, these digital natives, who have little or no memory of the world that existed before smartphones, are quite special. To the point that sometimes even their closest associates have problems understanding them.

So when Reddit user Dramatic-Anywhere-50 posted a question on the platform, asking: "Millennials, what confuses you about Gen Z?" many of them delivered. Here are some of the most upvoted answers.

#1

Why do all of you claim to be shy, antisocial, and don't wanna be the center of attention, all while posting every single selfie, dance video, etc of yourself online constantly.

Image credits: PhysicianTradition

#2

Do none of you realize putting your entire lives on the Internet is going to come back to bite you in the a*s someday?

Image credits: PM_ME_HUGE_CRITS

#3

It may sound ignorant, so I apologize, but when I was in HS, we hated being labeled- now it seems people want their labels on display- whether it’s sexuality or learning differences, etc (ace, neurodivergent, etc). I respect it, I just remember not wanting to be boxed into labels.

#4

Cancel culture. Many Gen Z'ers act like people are completely incapable of learning to be better, and instead only focus on one bad thing someone said a million years ago or something that was taken out of context.

Image credits: Mama Moo

#5

"Wow, you're over 30 and know what videogames are?"

You little s**t brain thinks that videogames fall out of trees? Who do you think is making them, the Fortnite fairy?

#6

Where are all the Gen Z celebrities? Apart from Tom Holland and Zendaya, I cannot think of a leading man or woman in Hollywood in their 20s. Ryan Gosling is playing Ken in the Barbie movie and he's 41.

Image credits: tomholland2013

#7

Why is the mullet coming back? Like, really?

#8

They don't drink alcohol.

I went to a college football game recently and I was really surprised by what I saw... Back in the 2000s/2010s you would see what seem liked everyone getting HAMMERED in the AM. I'm talking shots at any bar you went to, doing pulls off liquor bottles on the street, whatever. It was routine to see people passed out places, getting loaded into ambulances, etc.

Obviously none of this is good and I'm not encouraging any of it but in my experience that's just what college football game day is like.

Fast forward to the game I went to recently and my group were the most drunk (number of people and drunk level) I think I saw all weekend. I'm not bragging, just saying it's really strange to go in to a college bar before the game and do a couple of shots while "the kids these days" look at you like you're crazy.

We followed up with some research and apparently all of the stats back it up. With Gen Z it's official - alcohol isn't "cool" anymore - which is a good thing because it is absolutely terrible for a variety of reasons.

Image credits: kkchangisin

#9

Why does it seem like they all skipped the awkward phase? It’s like they came out of elementary school knowing how to coordinate outfits and drink Starbucks.

Image credits: mercipourleslivres

#10

Millennial style was catered to looking slim - if you look skinnier, it's flattering!

Gen Z's confidence and ability to wear anything is confusing and I admire that.

Image credits: superunleaded

#11

The hypocrisy. They will go on a shopping spree on Shein every two weeks. Meanwhile, the same people are probably 'worried' about climate change.

Image credits: CinnnamoNeko

#12

Do you actually fact check anything or just read the headlines/memes?

Image credits: robzillerrrsss

#13

The fashion.

Listen, I'll be the first to admit I'm old, out of touch, probably look like a f*****g dork to young people. I'm fine with not understanding and letting fashion be the domain of the youth. Teens set trends. That's how it's always been. I don't need to try to cling on.

That being said, since we're being honest here,

The baggy pants. The chunky shoes and dad style white sneakers. The mullets. The serial killer glasses. Bucket hats. Crocs.

It's all so...Frumpy. Sexless. I don't get it.

BUT I will say, props to Gen Z though for being cool and forward thinking and giving a s**t about one another and the planet and being so open minded and rejecting old social constructs and binaries around identity. The kids are alright.

Image credits: BastaniUsername

#14

One of my students said, "LMAO" in front of my yesterday and she asked me if I knew what it meant. I had to tell her that those kinds of acronyms are at least 20 years old and my generation popularized them. She was shocked.

Image credits: Dorothy-Snarker

#15

I had very nice conversation with a young man about high school age a few weeks ago at the gas station. He was wearing an anime t-shirt, immaculate clothes, fit, polite and respectful. He had very nerdy interests but also was raising money for his school team.

I'm a bit taken aback and jealous at how Gen Zs have seemed to blend social groups together in a way that we never could.

Image credits: Raxtenko

#16

Why are all the sneakers so bulky?

Image credits: lahwhozahher

#17

I'm only 26 so I guess I'm at the tail end of the millennial range and near the start of Gen Z. I've never understood the desire to copy those TikTok challenge trends.

Image credits: What_u_say

#18

They have a very weird and strange sense of humour... like it's hard articulate what it. is exactly... but it's quite precise?

Image credits: pinkpeonies334

#19

How incredibly tolerant they are of ads and being tracked constantly.

Image credits: Mandatory_Pie

#20

How much Gen Z reveals about themselves on the internet. I've seen TikToks where kids are showing videos of their street, their house, their school...pretty much everything anyone would ever need to follow you and/or potentially do bad things to you. If you want to document your life online that's fine, but be careful. People can do a whole lot with a little bit of information, and the internet can be a really dangerous place if you're not careful.

Image credits: marisak4212bc09f

#21

I found out the other day that they think gifs are for boomers which shook me. It was the first time I could truly relate to the Abe Simpson line:

“I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”

Image credits: Timespacecomplex

#22

How do all these young guys get their hair to look that way that's super in right now, are they out getting perms?

Image credits: CXXXS

#23

The fact they might think about the 90s the same way i thought about the 80s or 70s when i was a child of the 90s, a long time ago

Image credits: Calm-Internet6926

#24

Why do they go to events like concerts and sports games but watch through their phones as they take video? They're denying themselves the whole experience! Put down the phone and fully enjoy being present

Image credits: lanky_planky

#25

I’m 24 so what confuses me most is which generation I belong to

#26

Why do y’all vape? Like seriously. We were so close to just completely obliterating smoking and then comes along vaping… and so many of y’all 15 year olds think it doesn’t have negative effects?? when y’all all get cancer at 40, don’t say we didn’t warn you

Image credits: ragingamethyst

#27

I am surprised at how many Gen Z'ers use Snapchat for normal communication. Seriously, the actual messaging functionality seems completely terrible.

Image credits: EconMan

#28

Truth be told, nothing.

Yeah what they do "confuses" me, but I know I acted in the exact same manner when I was their age, or knew somebody that did. They're still developing and trying to navigate a world where technology is moving fast. They also haven't been knocked around by life enough to get it together.

#29

Why don’t you ask older people when you don’t know something? I work with a lot of Gen Z and I see a lot of the blind leading the blind for no reason at all. Get some outside opinions.

Image credits: dinoroo

#30

Why some of them act like they pioneered the social media/influencer boom or look at me surprised because I have Snapchat, etc, even though many of these came out when millennials like me were in our early 20s and the core demographic

Image credits: drifting_drifblim

#31

I coach lots of gen z-ers. What the f**k are their emails? I was working with a few to get something done and instead of sending ONE email with the information. Three separate people emailed one person random piecemeal information with ZERO context.

I had to remind them that email is not text message and have all your ducks in a row before hitting send. For the love of God.

Otherwise, nothing confuses me about them. Like all generations...they are one.

Image credits: mousemarie94

#32

I'm Gen x and I want to know why Gen z wears those hot hoodies in the summer

Image credits: lostinthecrowd4now

#33

Seems like as a whole they’re the most political left generation, like, ever. But at the same time, many of them live such boring, restrictive, conservative lives.

Also 2000s nostalgia I guess. That still doesn’t feel real

Image credits: shadow_dk92

#34

Why are mom jeans trending. Damnit gen z, don't you dare bring back bell bottoms jeans

Image credits: Wondercatmeow

#35

When Gen Z'ers are playing a song and I'll start singing along and they get all surprised even though the song came out 20–30 years ago or it's a song that blew up when I was in high school. A lot of old Drake songs, for example. That guy blew up when I was in high school. I know a lot of his old music, but they don't understand.

#36

Why so many of them don’t know how to properly Google something. You’d think people that grew up with Google would now the basics

Image credits: Starbourne8

#37

My niece (now 21) doesn’t know how to properly type using a keyboard. She’s written all of her school papers on her phone.

#38

Are you… okay? Anywhere I go to shop y’all look miserable. (I mean this in a genuine way lol)

#39

What have you all got against us liking Harry Potter?

#40

TikTok trends where they all go out to buy a particular item then toss it and move on to the next thing. All generations had trends but with social media, the turnover is a lot quicker. It's almost herd mentality.

#41

Why aren’t they going apes**t and destroying stuff all the time in protest/revolution.