Woman Perfectly Explains Why The Younger Generations Don’t Want To Work Anymore
Interview With Author
Ah, the never-ending battle of the generations. Which generation is the most entitled, and which is the most hard-working? This is one of the hottest topics on the internet right now. Are the boomers right? Has Gen Z no respect for boundaries and authority? Or are the Zoomers revolutionizing the way we understand work?
To put this debate to rest, a woman made a TikTok about the misconception that the younger generations are lazy. She explained the controversial “Millennials and Gen Z don’t want to work anymore” idea. It’s not just about laziness – the rising cost of living and stagnant wages are also to blame.
Bored Panda reached out to Mik (aka thatginger4567) about her video and she was kind enough to answer a few questions. Scroll down to find our interview with her below!
Different generations disagree on most things, and what role work should play in our lives is one of them
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
This TikToker explained what Gen Z and Millennials mean when they say they “don’t want to work anymore”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“I don’t want to work anymore. And now everyone who’s not going to watch the full video can go comment about how lazy I am, how lazy my generation is, and how we ‘just don’t want to work anymore.’ And now for those that are still here, I will explain what we mean by that.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“I do want to work. If I didn’t work, I think I would honestly probably get so bored that I would just want to off myself. Most of us want to work. It helps give you purpose, it helps give you something to do. Hopefully, you do something you’re passionate about. Luckily for me, I do do something I’m passionate about. So I genuinely like my job.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“But the problem is, the purpose of a job is supposed to pay for you to be able to afford to live. And that’s just not the case anymore. People in my generation who went to college, who did everything they were supposed to do – worked hard in school, went to a good college, graduated with their degree, yada yada, got their first job, and they can’t afford to live. And we’re working 40 to 60 hours a week, on average. And we cannot afford to live. We just do not make enough to pay rent, to pay for food. Everything is so expensive right now. And wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. So we are working full-time, giving up a huge portion of our lives to work, and we can’t even afford to live.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“That is why my generation is frustrated. That is why we don’t want to work anymore. Because we work really hard, and we still can’t afford to even get by. So what’s the point? We can’t afford to save. We can’t afford to buy things we want. We can’t afford to go out and do fun things. We can barely afford to pay our rent, and buy food.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“A lot of us have two or three jobs or work a full-time job and have several side hustles. That is the case for me. And then older generations just look at us and they’re like, ‘You’re not working hard enough. This is your fault. You’re not working hard enough.’”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“The reason we can’t get by is because the cost of living since the ’90s has gone up 67%, while the wages have only gone up 18%. So wages have not kept up with the cost of living. That is why we can’t afford to live. Not because we’re lazy, not because we don’t work, not because we don’t want to work anymore. That is why. That is all.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
“We’re also in extreme debt because everything is so much more expensive than it used to be. College is way more expensive than it used to be. Cars are way more expensive than they used to be. Housing – way more expensive than it used to be. And on top of all that, politicians and older generations are destroying our environment, not doing anything to protect it. So we don’t even know that there’ll be a habitable earth when we’re older, to live in. So yeah, that makes us pretty pessimistic and nihilistic and not want to work.”
Image credits: thatginger4567
The woman’s video was relatable to many — it went viral and got over 2 million views
@thatginger4567 Why my generation is so “lazy” #costoflivingcrisis #inflation #genz #millenials #postgrad #recession ♬ original sound – Mik
The creator of the video says she feels frustrated because of the financial crisis and the attitudes of the older generations
The motivation behind making this video for Mik is the situation many young people currently find themselves in. “I made this video because as a young person in the workforce, I have become very frustrated by how little wages have kept up with the cost of living,” she tells Bored Panda.
“The cost of living has gone up almost 67% since the ‘90s whereas wages have only gone up 18%. As a result, workers cannot afford to pay their bills and make a living on their current salary.”
And she’s not wrong. Self Financial did a report in 2023 that found the annual salary for U.S. college graduates decreased by over 10%. After adjusting for inflation, graduates earned $68,342 in 1984, $7,254 more than graduates in 2023.
Mik also feels frustrated because of the older generation’s attitude towards her peers. “To make matters worse, older generations blame younger generations for not being able to make it in today’s economy.”
“They label us as ‘lazy’ and entitled for not being able to make enough to live even though most of us work very hard and have multiple jobs. The reason we cannot make it in today’s economy is because we don’t make enough to keep up with the cost of living, not because we are lazy,” the woman explains.
Image credits: charlesdeluvio (not the actual photo)
The reactions to the video highlight the generational divide between Gen Z/Millennials and Boomers
We asked Mik how she feels about the feedback she got from people on TikTok. “I didn’t really expect a particular response,” the creator says. “I guess I thought younger generations would agree with me while older generations wouldn’t and that is basically the response I got.”
This is still the most-watched video on her page with 2.2 million views and over 300k likes. Although the amount of comments is massive, the overall reactions are what Mik more or less expected.
“Most Gen Z and Millennial commenters seemed to agree with the sentiments I shared,” the TikToker admits. “Whereas older generations continued to comment that my generation was lazy and entitled.”
Like many people in her generation, Mik doesn’t have any delusions about how the world works. “Honestly, I think a lot of people in my generation struggle to cope with feelings of uncertainty about the future. Many of us have pessimistic and nihilistic outlooks.”
How does one cope with these feelings of uncertainty about the future? “I feel like we just try to live in the moment instead of focusing so much on the future since it is so uncertain,” the creator says. “We focus on living in the now instead of living for a future that isn’t promised.”
Image credits: Ibrahim Rifath (not the actual photo)
Gen Z approaches work differently, but does different mean worse?
Resume Builder published a survey on May 15, 2023. In it, 74% of people in managerial positions said they find Gen Z difficult to work with. Young employees clash with their older colleagues because of their different approach to work.
One young worker told the New Zealand 1News the essence of the Gen Z and Millennial work ethic. “I should be providing value for you, and I should only want to work for you if you can provide me the value as well. It should go both ways.”
The things that the younger generations are demanding are not astronomical changes. 3 out of 4 boomers and Gen Xers also say they care more about who they are outside of work. The difference is that Gen Z and Millennials voice their demands to achieve that work and life balance.
The younger generations want to know that their boss values the time and effort they put into their work. What’s the point of being an invisible cog in a giant corporate machine if you can’t even pay for your apartment? That’s the question the younger generations are asking.
Image credits: Marten Bjork (not the actual photo)
People flocked to the comments to share why they also don’t see the point in working
“We want to contribute but we don’t want to be exploited” This is the only thing I am willing to say or hear about this topic.
You've hit the nail on the head. There's enough money around, it's just that it's all getting hoarded by handful of people.
Load More Replies... Boomer here ... I'm 65 and still working 50- hour weeks. I rent, don't own a car and if I want to maintain any sort of lifestyle I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other until ... I don't know when. I agree that there has to be a better way and I have no idea what that is. Half of me wants to tell young people to harden up, but the other half agrees that the way I've worked for the last 45 years just can't be right. The thing I have going for me is that I'm used to this. One commenter said they don't want to get up every day at 7am. I'm on public transport on my way to work 5 days/ week at 6 45am. There's something seriously wrong about that, but I don't know a way out. I'm not unhappy, just tired.
I, 50m, want to say ... Thank You. For being willing to call it like it is. You were on the leading edge of the WTF Time. Those who came before you rode the wave of bulllshit and we had to eat it. And these who came after me... the poor souls are being tried to made to eat it. Many folks after *~middle Boomer* got gaslighted by the ones who came before, exploited the system, were still full of unrest in a society that wouldn't acknowledge struggles, and, knowingly or not, have just blamed the ones who struggle openly. I want to feel sad that they may have had even less hope than us, but unfortunately I still am hung up on this: many of them may have been "tough" on the outside but you were bitter spineless pussies on the inside. Sorry. Jack Welch and Ronald Reagan, you sold out and F*CKED EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE OVER . And to those controlling their strings (even to this day): F*CK YOU
Load More Replies...
The system is broken. This generation is the first to experience it fully, even if the previous ones also experienced it, but to a lesser extent. As a Boomer, I am happy to see that they are revolted, refusing to let themselves be exploited to the core by greedy employers and useless politicians, and wanting a minimum quality of life. Few chances I'll be there to witness it, but I hope you'll be able to build something new.
Xer here. Been a watcher, trying to see what's *really* going on (and horrified to realize). Thank you for your support for those coming after us who may finally realign things.
Load More Replies...
I (49m) fully support the youths in this struggle. The bosses are creaming off too much profit for themselves. And anyway capitalism depends on the "growth" that's killing the planet so we need to stop doing it.
It's not just USA, that is everywhere! Working normal or longer hours just to feel you will get heart attack if something in your home gets broken and you know you can't afford to repair it or buy new one. Even buying new shoes requires saving money for months! It's sad that we come to that point.
Unpopular opinion: Both sides of this debate are true. 1. GenZ IS lazier than previous generations ... but EVERY generation is lazier than the ones that came before. As society progresses, as fewer people have physically demanding lives like farmers and more people have physically easier lives like software developers, we naturally become more sedentary, and less motivated. 2. Things are FAR more difficult, financially, for GenZ. Their costs are WAY out of proportion to their income, compared to previous generations. They have every right to be bitching. Because of social media, the millenials and GenZ are the most informed generations ever. They're not buying the b******t that's been handed down to them, and I'm glad to see it. I can't wait for more young people to be elected to Congress and start changing some of this.
they are not lazier. That word is the issue. They want to suffer less to enjoy life more. that is the goal of every previous generation, to make the future easier for everyone. at least it used to be the goal.
Load More Replies...
I feel for the generations coming up, it's not easy at all these days😔. Now this isn't the point, and I do understand that, but what I don't understand is when people say they'd be bored pandas if they didn't work - seriously?!?!! there's soooo much I'd want to do if I didn't work!
I am retired(?), disabled(?) its complicated. Bored - Not at all - due to circumstances I finally have the free time to do what I want ( lucky most of it does not cost anything). I am busy with free classes and volunteering, plus gardening and I am trying to fit in my hobbies... LOL. I guess this is what I worked so hard for for all those years.
Load More Replies...
Just be glad we have leaders who are working around the clock to fix this problem — you know, things like sending $10 billion to fight wars we have nothing to do with.
It’s not just Gen Z and millennials. I’m Gen X, working my dear end off and barely scraping by. It’s horrible for the working class, no matter what your age.
I'd love to say "I won't be exploited," but that's EXACTLY what's happening and everyone needs food, basic clothes and shelter. I guess I'm a Xennial or elder millennial,, I got a bachelor's degree, I worked my way up to management at Starbucks just to get literally burned out and wreck my health to make all of $53k. Now I'm "following my dreams" --WORST ADVICE EVER FOR A YOUNG PERSON-- working with horses and I GUESS using my degree now with it's negative returns. I've always lived below or at least within my means, but that's becoming nearly impossible for basic survival. I now make the same pay as I did in college in 2005, for hard physical work, outdoors in all weather over rough terrain. My health is still trash and though the job is marginally better for my mental health, I'm stuck only being able to work part time for little money so I don't lose social security disability and Medicare insurance-a requirement for the doctors and meds I need to function. Without that, suicide.
I couldn't agree more! I graduated college at the top of my class with a Bachelor's degree. I work a full time job during the day and at night I waitress and bartend 5 or 6 nights a week just to get by. I live paycheck to paycheck, I never have any money left over and if something happens like having a big vet bill or my car breaks I spend months trying to catch up after making a big payment like that. I haven't been to a doctor in years because my health insurance is trash even though I pay a lot monthly for it. I work 65-75 hours a week, and I literally have nothing to show for it. My dad worked in a factory 40 hours a week and bought a house, he never struggled. I don't understand how we're expected to survive like this! Something has to change
She is right. I'm 46 and earning the highest I have ever earned by a long way and yet I am barely any more better off with my disposable income than I was 20 years ago. It's mental. Thankfully, I have had a lot more time in the working world so have at least managed to buy myself a little flat (after saving for almost 20 years) but I can't see how this generation of young people will ever manage that.
When i was 11 way back in 1994, i discovered Computer animation and CAD. I was hooked, instantly and i was POSITIVE that i found my purpose in life. It was my singular focus and passion. I got my hands on every single piece of animation/CAD software i could and spent the better part of a decade mastering all of them. Life got in the way for a bit, by the time i was 19 i was ready to start applying, having spent a couple years working as a programmer and putting money aside. I'd already picked out my top schools a few years before. Tuition even back then was $30-$40k per year. I had my applications filled out, and it occurred to me that i never, in all these years bothered to look into what the potential job landscape would look like after getting a degree. So....i did that. After spending $120-$160K getting the degree, starting salaries were $35-$40K, with the upper end topping out around $70K on average. Continued...
Zero job stability, months or years of 70/80/90 hour weeks during what would later be called "crunch" while trying to meet deadlines. All while all but requiring you to live in some of the highest cost of living area's. I actually sought out people in game design/VFX, which was my end goal, to find out what life was like for people with those careers. Most said "don't do it, but if you do you have to accept that you will spend weeks/months/years putting in 12 hour days 6/7 days a week on work that will never see the light of day" So....i didn't do that. I spent the next 10 years continuing to work as a programmer, and have spent the last 12 living in Europe running a successful business with my wife. It's not that you "can't make a good living" it's that far too many people are lulled into believing that the only thing that matters is "passion and determination" It's not. It doesn't matter how passionate or determined you are if even the best circumstances are somewhat disappointing.
Load More Replies...
Work to live, don't live to work. There are too many people on the wrong side of that equation.
Anyone who disagrees with this is wilfully ignorant. I'm very lucky to live in a place with a decent cost of living, until recently we were a one income family of 6 on one income and managed ok - now kids are older and I'm working full time too it's much better but everyone should be able to live a decent life on one income
I don't disagree that wages are low, housing is expensive, the health care system (at least in the US) is dumb, and the rich people want everything. But stop acting like any of this is new or that you're being targeted.
its become far worse in the past 20 years. exponentially if you do the math
Load More Replies...
I worked two jobs until I was 40 years old. We live in a house that had a squatter in it at closing and had to be cleaned with shovels upon occupancy! DIY for the never ending list of rehab projects, because contractors, what are those expensive things? Tent camping for most vacations, in our well managed used cars. Or big trips when we can stay with friends somewhere, because hotels, what are those expensive things? With our “less than” extravagant life style choices we live debt-free, paid off student loans, the house is paid for 7 years early on our mortgage. Our run down neighborhood is turning itself around, it is down right respectable! It took 20 years to get here, and we worked so hard. There have been back-slides & emergencies & pandemics & chaos, but we just fricking persevered. We even rented a bedroom for years to keep the cash flow coming in. Just focus on your next step not the whole picture. Everyone felt used and exploited at 24 years old, EVERYONE.
"Everyone felt used and exploited at 24 years old, EVERYONE." Let's say you were 24 years old in 2000 (plausible from your post). Since 2000, US house prices have seen an increase of around 260%, from 119k to 430k. Since 2000, average salaries have seen an increase of around 68%, from 35k to 59k. You might have felt exploited at 24, but just imagine how exploited you'd feel today. It took you "20 years to get here", how long do you think it would take if you were starting now? Everyone feels used and exploited at 24, but if someone's 24 now, they've got it worse than you had it when you were 24.
Load More Replies... Okay - this same type of thing is posted here at least once a week - always with a tiktokker shoving their entire camera in their face as they whine online for attention. I don't understand the appeal of these posts, but for the 100th time, please stop posting tiktoks.
Don’t you know? The solution to the wage/cost of living situation can only be resolved by TikToks😉
Load More Replies...
Yes and no. I wish they would discuss more about their decisions such as what did you study at college, where do you live etc. If you studied for a women's studies degree and live in NYC , sorry but your life will be a struggle. If you went to trade school and live in Nebraska your life will probably be OK. I graduated in 1977 right smack in a huge recession. Could only find a part time job but that lead to another opportunity in a different city. Many told me not to move but I did and best decision I made.
"I wish they would discuss more about their decisions" - so is this a "this generation makes poor decisions" argument? They've been making that one going back to Aristotle, probably before. Would a better decision be going to Harvard? If they went when you went to college, that'd cost them 5k. Today that's increased to 50k. Do you think wages have increased at the same rate? Gen Z are making the same number of good or poor decisions as your generation did - but for them, both decisions cost them more.
Load More Replies... Sad to say but I love being employed. I've been working since 16 and as bad as it sucks to drag you a*s to work every day, being broke is so much worse. Sure I'm unhappy with my income but I'm not starving thankfully, I'm with BrownTabby on this, I just want to feel fairly compensated for my work. I would lose my mind if I was unemployed.
youre missing the point. its not about working versus not working, its about being paid what you are worth for what you know how to do. i suspect you are not paid what you are worth regardless of how much you like your job. i like my job but i am not paid enough.
Load More Replies...
I'm just so grateful I grew up with parents and grandparents who see exactly whats happening and don't blame me for not being some successful and rich something or other at 23. I hear so many people say "back in my day, kids weren't lazy blah blah blah" and all I ever hear from my grandma is "back in my day, you could work a part time job and still have a house and car and 4 kids. Today, you can't even rent on a part time." She gets it.
It's not just millennials. Busy time for my wife is January through May and she needs an extra to answer phones, take a few payments and files a few things. Easy work, good pay and has never had trouble finding a retired person who wants to make a little extra. Last 2 years even the retirees don't want to work. It's younger people who've stepped up wanting the job.
people of these generations (and also mine, zennials) see and experience all this hardship and then still go and have a kid. It's gonna be like this forever. No revolution is coming.
people in these generations see and experience all this hardship and then still go and have a kid. It's gonna be like this forever. No revolution is coming.
She gonna find it hard in a generation of men who don't wanna spend...just sayin...
The only reason my husband and I have a house and money is because his parents are elderly and started giving him some of their assets after we got married. They're well off because they're in their 80s and didn't adopt him until they were in their 40s. When they were our age you could actually live and save with one income.
My name is Jennifer Nolan I live in the United kingdom, Manchester and am I a happy woman today? I told myself that any loan lender who could change my life and that of my family would recommend them to anyone looking for a loan. If you need a loan , contact them via email: barrymoreloans12 @ gmail.com
It’s not just these generations. It’s anyone who is trying to work. It’s just finally hitting middle class folks who have the internet to talk about it. People who were poor a hundred years ago knew and got unions. But rich people take and take. We don’t see an end to this. Everyone who insisted on having kids without a plan and stopped asking questions of our government, employers, companies who grow our food and alter our landscape and climates. We are so easily appeased and distracted. by stuff we don’t need. Prices did not have to keep going up just because the years passed. Those at the top have always been greedy. Those at the bottom did what they could. But it’s astronomical now. Poor and middle class hackers need to redistribute the wealth. A$$assins need to take0ut the wealthy that are not community minded. Viva la yadda yadda.
A lot of jobs just don't require working 8-5 but employers demand this because they want what they pay for and they pay for time. If the same days tasks can be completed in less time, why shouldn't the worker be able to work fewer hours and enjoy life outside of work. Or jobs that can be done from home, should be done at home. Employers/companies can sell their huge office buildings that aren't in full use (cough cough Seattle) to be repurposed to housing. I grew up believing that previous generations want things to be better for the future, now I see they are bitter and have the mentality that "I suffered and survived, so should you and you should be grateful."
My sweet summer child, the period where someone was able to live independently on one wage was about thirty years, less than that for women. One male wage earner supporting a family and owning a house was less than that and never a reality for most people of color. Your middle class existence provided by your parents was not as common as you think and only possible for a short time in history. Even back in the 90s, I had two jobs and no car to be able to afford a one bedroom basement apartment for the first three years I worked. Prior to WWII, things were much worse - in 1900, 50% of wages were spent on food and sixty hour weeks were the norm. Yes, wages are stagnant compared to expenses but being able to live the lifestyle she wants on one wage is a historical rarity. As well, too much wealth is being siphoned off by billionaires.
It all sounds exactly like my life. They expect us to work and work and work and then are like, "here's two bucks." :/
As a well-known boomer once said " I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day. "
I understand, and hope they can do something about it ... but guess what - I HATED getting up every morning and LEAVING the house to go to work - if I was sick I went, if I was tired I went - why - because you need to work to earn money and you need money to live - 2 income and we barely made it - more than once only rice for 2 weeks. I wished for the day that people could work from home. I know you don't want to work - but that is life. And IMHO if things keep moving politically the way the right is trying - your jobs are going to be A LOT worse. I AM going to say this LOUD - VOTE for the party who cares about unions and it's people!
I worked in pubs and restaurants starting out when I was 13 landing a job washing up in a hotel near my home time (admittedly a long time ago) Pay was rubbish, work was hard. I didn't moan about it. I took all work I could find. Things area bit better today but in 25 years I have never once leant on the government for help. I honestly dont think I had it any better than todays younger people. My 14 year old son has held down a paper round for a year, 7 days a week 6 am start for £28 a week.
It's really sad that at 13 you had to work so hard when you should have been focused on learning in school. Wages should pay a couple enough that they don't have to worry about using their children to pay bills. And somehow they made you complicit to the abuse and exploitation, which is even more sad. The fact that you agree it's still happening and it's still bad is making me want to start a revolt.
Load More Replies... Actual quotes from Self Financial which is where BP is pulling it’s statistics “Since 1984, graduate salaries have decreased by 10.6% after considering inflation, falling from the equivalent of $68,342 in 1984 to $64,840 for the class of 2022. When accounting for inflation, the cost of living for a typical graduate (an adult aged under 25) has increased by 0.8% since 1984, rising from $12,637 in 1984 to $12,740 in 2022”. While this is not equal or fair an 0.8% increase in cost of living and a 4k per year decrease in relative earnings is not breaking the bank. Sorry, this isn’t the best result but I don’t think it’s time for the revolution yet and saying you don’t want to work is not bringing the revolution any closer.
I'd rather be working. I met a man who needed a certain education regarding a requirement for the job he wanted; he knew he couldn't afford to go to school and lose the job he had, so he learned everything he needed to know off of YouTube, reapplied, and got the job. His pay went from 42k up to 260k. He bought a new car and a house. I understand that it's hard, but so many people have more excuses than they do solutions. Imagine being an immigrant who has a family and try to sell that excuse to them.
“... the purpose of a job is supposed to pay for you to be able to afford to live. ...." Yeah, us Gen X'rs have the same problem. And we don't get paid to live. We get paid to do a job. How you live is up to you. If you are buying above your means, that's a you problem not an employer's problem. And MANY Gen Z'rs and Millennials are trying to live above their means.
So you're saying that in a modern technologically advanced society, there must be an oppressed underclass barely able to afford basic expenses who labor to uphold the lifestyles of the obscenely wealthy? Lets take overdraft fees as an example. Every year banks suck BILLIONS of dollars out of the very poorest people, funding lavish payouts to their stockholders. What we want is a more equitable society. If you don't believe that society should be more equitable, you are a part of the problem. Sooner or later my generation is going to start mincing billionaries and feeding them to pigs.
Load More Replies...
I don't understand how people look at actual statistical numerical facts and still make this argument. No. The difference between 1910 and 1960 is NOT equal to the difference between 1960 and today. The cost if homes in the past decade alone is anomalous. The cost of college since the 90s is anomalous. You are the kind of person to say "facts dont care about your feelings". Buddy. You're just actually incorrect. Do some research. A family can't live on a single paycheck anymore.
Load More Replies...
“We want to contribute but we don’t want to be exploited” This is the only thing I am willing to say or hear about this topic.
You've hit the nail on the head. There's enough money around, it's just that it's all getting hoarded by handful of people.
Load More Replies... Boomer here ... I'm 65 and still working 50- hour weeks. I rent, don't own a car and if I want to maintain any sort of lifestyle I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other until ... I don't know when. I agree that there has to be a better way and I have no idea what that is. Half of me wants to tell young people to harden up, but the other half agrees that the way I've worked for the last 45 years just can't be right. The thing I have going for me is that I'm used to this. One commenter said they don't want to get up every day at 7am. I'm on public transport on my way to work 5 days/ week at 6 45am. There's something seriously wrong about that, but I don't know a way out. I'm not unhappy, just tired.
I, 50m, want to say ... Thank You. For being willing to call it like it is. You were on the leading edge of the WTF Time. Those who came before you rode the wave of bulllshit and we had to eat it. And these who came after me... the poor souls are being tried to made to eat it. Many folks after *~middle Boomer* got gaslighted by the ones who came before, exploited the system, were still full of unrest in a society that wouldn't acknowledge struggles, and, knowingly or not, have just blamed the ones who struggle openly. I want to feel sad that they may have had even less hope than us, but unfortunately I still am hung up on this: many of them may have been "tough" on the outside but you were bitter spineless pussies on the inside. Sorry. Jack Welch and Ronald Reagan, you sold out and F*CKED EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE OVER . And to those controlling their strings (even to this day): F*CK YOU
Load More Replies... The system is broken. This generation is the first to experience it fully, even if the previous ones also experienced it, but to a lesser extent. As a Boomer, I am happy to see that they are revolted, refusing to let themselves be exploited to the core by greedy employers and useless politicians, and wanting a minimum quality of life. Few chances I'll be there to witness it, but I hope you'll be able to build something new.
Xer here. Been a watcher, trying to see what's *really* going on (and horrified to realize). Thank you for your support for those coming after us who may finally realign things.
Load More Replies... I (49m) fully support the youths in this struggle. The bosses are creaming off too much profit for themselves. And anyway capitalism depends on the "growth" that's killing the planet so we need to stop doing it.
It's not just USA, that is everywhere! Working normal or longer hours just to feel you will get heart attack if something in your home gets broken and you know you can't afford to repair it or buy new one. Even buying new shoes requires saving money for months! It's sad that we come to that point.
Unpopular opinion: Both sides of this debate are true. 1. GenZ IS lazier than previous generations ... but EVERY generation is lazier than the ones that came before. As society progresses, as fewer people have physically demanding lives like farmers and more people have physically easier lives like software developers, we naturally become more sedentary, and less motivated. 2. Things are FAR more difficult, financially, for GenZ. Their costs are WAY out of proportion to their income, compared to previous generations. They have every right to be bitching. Because of social media, the millenials and GenZ are the most informed generations ever. They're not buying the b******t that's been handed down to them, and I'm glad to see it. I can't wait for more young people to be elected to Congress and start changing some of this.
they are not lazier. That word is the issue. They want to suffer less to enjoy life more. that is the goal of every previous generation, to make the future easier for everyone. at least it used to be the goal.
Load More Replies... I feel for the generations coming up, it's not easy at all these days😔. Now this isn't the point, and I do understand that, but what I don't understand is when people say they'd be bored pandas if they didn't work - seriously?!?!! there's soooo much I'd want to do if I didn't work!
I am retired(?), disabled(?) its complicated. Bored - Not at all - due to circumstances I finally have the free time to do what I want ( lucky most of it does not cost anything). I am busy with free classes and volunteering, plus gardening and I am trying to fit in my hobbies... LOL. I guess this is what I worked so hard for for all those years.
Load More Replies... Just be glad we have leaders who are working around the clock to fix this problem — you know, things like sending $10 billion to fight wars we have nothing to do with.
It’s not just Gen Z and millennials. I’m Gen X, working my dear end off and barely scraping by. It’s horrible for the working class, no matter what your age.
I'd love to say "I won't be exploited," but that's EXACTLY what's happening and everyone needs food, basic clothes and shelter. I guess I'm a Xennial or elder millennial,, I got a bachelor's degree, I worked my way up to management at Starbucks just to get literally burned out and wreck my health to make all of $53k. Now I'm "following my dreams" --WORST ADVICE EVER FOR A YOUNG PERSON-- working with horses and I GUESS using my degree now with it's negative returns. I've always lived below or at least within my means, but that's becoming nearly impossible for basic survival. I now make the same pay as I did in college in 2005, for hard physical work, outdoors in all weather over rough terrain. My health is still trash and though the job is marginally better for my mental health, I'm stuck only being able to work part time for little money so I don't lose social security disability and Medicare insurance-a requirement for the doctors and meds I need to function. Without that, suicide.
I couldn't agree more! I graduated college at the top of my class with a Bachelor's degree. I work a full time job during the day and at night I waitress and bartend 5 or 6 nights a week just to get by. I live paycheck to paycheck, I never have any money left over and if something happens like having a big vet bill or my car breaks I spend months trying to catch up after making a big payment like that. I haven't been to a doctor in years because my health insurance is trash even though I pay a lot monthly for it. I work 65-75 hours a week, and I literally have nothing to show for it. My dad worked in a factory 40 hours a week and bought a house, he never struggled. I don't understand how we're expected to survive like this! Something has to change
She is right. I'm 46 and earning the highest I have ever earned by a long way and yet I am barely any more better off with my disposable income than I was 20 years ago. It's mental. Thankfully, I have had a lot more time in the working world so have at least managed to buy myself a little flat (after saving for almost 20 years) but I can't see how this generation of young people will ever manage that.
When i was 11 way back in 1994, i discovered Computer animation and CAD. I was hooked, instantly and i was POSITIVE that i found my purpose in life. It was my singular focus and passion. I got my hands on every single piece of animation/CAD software i could and spent the better part of a decade mastering all of them. Life got in the way for a bit, by the time i was 19 i was ready to start applying, having spent a couple years working as a programmer and putting money aside. I'd already picked out my top schools a few years before. Tuition even back then was $30-$40k per year. I had my applications filled out, and it occurred to me that i never, in all these years bothered to look into what the potential job landscape would look like after getting a degree. So....i did that. After spending $120-$160K getting the degree, starting salaries were $35-$40K, with the upper end topping out around $70K on average. Continued...
Zero job stability, months or years of 70/80/90 hour weeks during what would later be called "crunch" while trying to meet deadlines. All while all but requiring you to live in some of the highest cost of living area's. I actually sought out people in game design/VFX, which was my end goal, to find out what life was like for people with those careers. Most said "don't do it, but if you do you have to accept that you will spend weeks/months/years putting in 12 hour days 6/7 days a week on work that will never see the light of day" So....i didn't do that. I spent the next 10 years continuing to work as a programmer, and have spent the last 12 living in Europe running a successful business with my wife. It's not that you "can't make a good living" it's that far too many people are lulled into believing that the only thing that matters is "passion and determination" It's not. It doesn't matter how passionate or determined you are if even the best circumstances are somewhat disappointing.
Load More Replies... Work to live, don't live to work. There are too many people on the wrong side of that equation.
Anyone who disagrees with this is wilfully ignorant. I'm very lucky to live in a place with a decent cost of living, until recently we were a one income family of 6 on one income and managed ok - now kids are older and I'm working full time too it's much better but everyone should be able to live a decent life on one income
I don't disagree that wages are low, housing is expensive, the health care system (at least in the US) is dumb, and the rich people want everything. But stop acting like any of this is new or that you're being targeted.
its become far worse in the past 20 years. exponentially if you do the math
Load More Replies... I worked two jobs until I was 40 years old. We live in a house that had a squatter in it at closing and had to be cleaned with shovels upon occupancy! DIY for the never ending list of rehab projects, because contractors, what are those expensive things? Tent camping for most vacations, in our well managed used cars. Or big trips when we can stay with friends somewhere, because hotels, what are those expensive things? With our “less than” extravagant life style choices we live debt-free, paid off student loans, the house is paid for 7 years early on our mortgage. Our run down neighborhood is turning itself around, it is down right respectable! It took 20 years to get here, and we worked so hard. There have been back-slides & emergencies & pandemics & chaos, but we just fricking persevered. We even rented a bedroom for years to keep the cash flow coming in. Just focus on your next step not the whole picture. Everyone felt used and exploited at 24 years old, EVERYONE.
"Everyone felt used and exploited at 24 years old, EVERYONE." Let's say you were 24 years old in 2000 (plausible from your post). Since 2000, US house prices have seen an increase of around 260%, from 119k to 430k. Since 2000, average salaries have seen an increase of around 68%, from 35k to 59k. You might have felt exploited at 24, but just imagine how exploited you'd feel today. It took you "20 years to get here", how long do you think it would take if you were starting now? Everyone feels used and exploited at 24, but if someone's 24 now, they've got it worse than you had it when you were 24.
Load More Replies... Okay - this same type of thing is posted here at least once a week - always with a tiktokker shoving their entire camera in their face as they whine online for attention. I don't understand the appeal of these posts, but for the 100th time, please stop posting tiktoks.
Don’t you know? The solution to the wage/cost of living situation can only be resolved by TikToks😉
Load More Replies... Yes and no. I wish they would discuss more about their decisions such as what did you study at college, where do you live etc. If you studied for a women's studies degree and live in NYC , sorry but your life will be a struggle. If you went to trade school and live in Nebraska your life will probably be OK. I graduated in 1977 right smack in a huge recession. Could only find a part time job but that lead to another opportunity in a different city. Many told me not to move but I did and best decision I made.
"I wish they would discuss more about their decisions" - so is this a "this generation makes poor decisions" argument? They've been making that one going back to Aristotle, probably before. Would a better decision be going to Harvard? If they went when you went to college, that'd cost them 5k. Today that's increased to 50k. Do you think wages have increased at the same rate? Gen Z are making the same number of good or poor decisions as your generation did - but for them, both decisions cost them more.
Load More Replies... Sad to say but I love being employed. I've been working since 16 and as bad as it sucks to drag you a*s to work every day, being broke is so much worse. Sure I'm unhappy with my income but I'm not starving thankfully, I'm with BrownTabby on this, I just want to feel fairly compensated for my work. I would lose my mind if I was unemployed.
youre missing the point. its not about working versus not working, its about being paid what you are worth for what you know how to do. i suspect you are not paid what you are worth regardless of how much you like your job. i like my job but i am not paid enough.
Load More Replies... I'm just so grateful I grew up with parents and grandparents who see exactly whats happening and don't blame me for not being some successful and rich something or other at 23. I hear so many people say "back in my day, kids weren't lazy blah blah blah" and all I ever hear from my grandma is "back in my day, you could work a part time job and still have a house and car and 4 kids. Today, you can't even rent on a part time." She gets it.
It's not just millennials. Busy time for my wife is January through May and she needs an extra to answer phones, take a few payments and files a few things. Easy work, good pay and has never had trouble finding a retired person who wants to make a little extra. Last 2 years even the retirees don't want to work. It's younger people who've stepped up wanting the job.
people of these generations (and also mine, zennials) see and experience all this hardship and then still go and have a kid. It's gonna be like this forever. No revolution is coming.
people in these generations see and experience all this hardship and then still go and have a kid. It's gonna be like this forever. No revolution is coming.
She gonna find it hard in a generation of men who don't wanna spend...just sayin...
The only reason my husband and I have a house and money is because his parents are elderly and started giving him some of their assets after we got married. They're well off because they're in their 80s and didn't adopt him until they were in their 40s. When they were our age you could actually live and save with one income.
My name is Jennifer Nolan I live in the United kingdom, Manchester and am I a happy woman today? I told myself that any loan lender who could change my life and that of my family would recommend them to anyone looking for a loan. If you need a loan , contact them via email: barrymoreloans12 @ gmail.com
It’s not just these generations. It’s anyone who is trying to work. It’s just finally hitting middle class folks who have the internet to talk about it. People who were poor a hundred years ago knew and got unions. But rich people take and take. We don’t see an end to this. Everyone who insisted on having kids without a plan and stopped asking questions of our government, employers, companies who grow our food and alter our landscape and climates. We are so easily appeased and distracted. by stuff we don’t need. Prices did not have to keep going up just because the years passed. Those at the top have always been greedy. Those at the bottom did what they could. But it’s astronomical now. Poor and middle class hackers need to redistribute the wealth. A$$assins need to take0ut the wealthy that are not community minded. Viva la yadda yadda.
A lot of jobs just don't require working 8-5 but employers demand this because they want what they pay for and they pay for time. If the same days tasks can be completed in less time, why shouldn't the worker be able to work fewer hours and enjoy life outside of work. Or jobs that can be done from home, should be done at home. Employers/companies can sell their huge office buildings that aren't in full use (cough cough Seattle) to be repurposed to housing. I grew up believing that previous generations want things to be better for the future, now I see they are bitter and have the mentality that "I suffered and survived, so should you and you should be grateful."
My sweet summer child, the period where someone was able to live independently on one wage was about thirty years, less than that for women. One male wage earner supporting a family and owning a house was less than that and never a reality for most people of color. Your middle class existence provided by your parents was not as common as you think and only possible for a short time in history. Even back in the 90s, I had two jobs and no car to be able to afford a one bedroom basement apartment for the first three years I worked. Prior to WWII, things were much worse - in 1900, 50% of wages were spent on food and sixty hour weeks were the norm. Yes, wages are stagnant compared to expenses but being able to live the lifestyle she wants on one wage is a historical rarity. As well, too much wealth is being siphoned off by billionaires.
It all sounds exactly like my life. They expect us to work and work and work and then are like, "here's two bucks." :/
As a well-known boomer once said " I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day. "
I understand, and hope they can do something about it ... but guess what - I HATED getting up every morning and LEAVING the house to go to work - if I was sick I went, if I was tired I went - why - because you need to work to earn money and you need money to live - 2 income and we barely made it - more than once only rice for 2 weeks. I wished for the day that people could work from home. I know you don't want to work - but that is life. And IMHO if things keep moving politically the way the right is trying - your jobs are going to be A LOT worse. I AM going to say this LOUD - VOTE for the party who cares about unions and it's people!
I worked in pubs and restaurants starting out when I was 13 landing a job washing up in a hotel near my home time (admittedly a long time ago) Pay was rubbish, work was hard. I didn't moan about it. I took all work I could find. Things area bit better today but in 25 years I have never once leant on the government for help. I honestly dont think I had it any better than todays younger people. My 14 year old son has held down a paper round for a year, 7 days a week 6 am start for £28 a week.
It's really sad that at 13 you had to work so hard when you should have been focused on learning in school. Wages should pay a couple enough that they don't have to worry about using their children to pay bills. And somehow they made you complicit to the abuse and exploitation, which is even more sad. The fact that you agree it's still happening and it's still bad is making me want to start a revolt.
Load More Replies... Actual quotes from Self Financial which is where BP is pulling it’s statistics “Since 1984, graduate salaries have decreased by 10.6% after considering inflation, falling from the equivalent of $68,342 in 1984 to $64,840 for the class of 2022. When accounting for inflation, the cost of living for a typical graduate (an adult aged under 25) has increased by 0.8% since 1984, rising from $12,637 in 1984 to $12,740 in 2022”. While this is not equal or fair an 0.8% increase in cost of living and a 4k per year decrease in relative earnings is not breaking the bank. Sorry, this isn’t the best result but I don’t think it’s time for the revolution yet and saying you don’t want to work is not bringing the revolution any closer.
I'd rather be working. I met a man who needed a certain education regarding a requirement for the job he wanted; he knew he couldn't afford to go to school and lose the job he had, so he learned everything he needed to know off of YouTube, reapplied, and got the job. His pay went from 42k up to 260k. He bought a new car and a house. I understand that it's hard, but so many people have more excuses than they do solutions. Imagine being an immigrant who has a family and try to sell that excuse to them.
“... the purpose of a job is supposed to pay for you to be able to afford to live. ...." Yeah, us Gen X'rs have the same problem. And we don't get paid to live. We get paid to do a job. How you live is up to you. If you are buying above your means, that's a you problem not an employer's problem. And MANY Gen Z'rs and Millennials are trying to live above their means.
So you're saying that in a modern technologically advanced society, there must be an oppressed underclass barely able to afford basic expenses who labor to uphold the lifestyles of the obscenely wealthy? Lets take overdraft fees as an example. Every year banks suck BILLIONS of dollars out of the very poorest people, funding lavish payouts to their stockholders. What we want is a more equitable society. If you don't believe that society should be more equitable, you are a part of the problem. Sooner or later my generation is going to start mincing billionaries and feeding them to pigs.
Load More Replies... I don't understand how people look at actual statistical numerical facts and still make this argument. No. The difference between 1910 and 1960 is NOT equal to the difference between 1960 and today. The cost if homes in the past decade alone is anomalous. The cost of college since the 90s is anomalous. You are the kind of person to say "facts dont care about your feelings". Buddy. You're just actually incorrect. Do some research. A family can't live on a single paycheck anymore.
Load More Replies...
19
111