Let’s Leave the World to the Younger Ones!

I often feel that the relationship between Generation Z and Generation X most closely resembles a couple that genuinely loves each other—but keeps getting stuck on trivial things: one watches Netflix with subtitles, the other without; one wants avocado brunch, the other a pâté sandwich. And everything would be fine if they didn’t have to share the same table, the same workplace, and the same family WhatsApp group.

Gen Z are kids in hoodies who “literally can’t” function if their battery drops below 20%. Gen X are people who still believe the best social network is a café terrace with a coffee and a long stare into the distance. And in between? Millennials—Generation Y—are already on the edge of their nerves, with chronic burnout, fond memories of ICQ, and a full-blown allergy to Zoom.

Have you ever argued over… punctuation?

Gen Z communicates as if everyone has a degree in digital semiotics. “Lowkey dead, no cap.” Crystal clear, right? Not to me either—at first. But once you realise it actually means “I’m dying of laughter, I’m serious,” you adapt. On the other hand, Gen X still uses words like “vibe” and “cool,” and when they sign a message with “Best,” a Gen Z kid assumes something is missing—like the entire message between the greeting and the sign-off.

And yes, worst of all—the period at the end of a message. Gen X uses it out of respect for grammar. Gen Z reads it as a passive-aggressive slap. The message “See you later.” actually means “See you later—but be careful.” Because in 2024, punctuation equals emotion.

Technology? More light-years than a generation gap

A Gen Z kid watches a series, edits a selfie, orders a poke bowl, and writes homework—simultaneously. A Gen Xer looks at the printer, remembers the sound of a fax machine, drinks a coffee, and only then asks: “Why isn’t my document working?”

Generation Y sits somewhere in the middle—they know how to install an app, but will first yell at the router and only then call a Gen Z child to “take a look because I really can’t deal with this anymore.”

But Gen X has instincts. When a Gen Z kid Googles “is it suspicious if someone doesn’t reply for two days,” a Gen Xer will say: “Yes. And stay away.” Because nothing replaces instincts trained on lunch breaks, rock music, and a life without phone location tracking.

Emotions, feedback, and different styles of ‘living life’

Gen Z is open, emotional, analyzes everything (and retells it on TikTok). Gen X shuts down, stays silent, endures—until they explode. Millennials know they should go to therapy, but can’t, because they’re working three jobs and also running their dog’s TikTok account for the algorithm.

A Gen Z kid wants real-time feedback. “Hey, was it okay that I expressed myself like that in the meeting?” A Gen Xer wonders: “Why is he even discussing this? Nobody said anything.” A Millennial checks a heart-rate app to see if they’re stressed—then decides whether everything was okay.

Gen Alpha is coming… and no one is ready

And while we’re all arguing, Gen Alpha is arriving. Kids born with a tablet under their pillow, who can swipe before they can speak, and who see YouTube cartoons as a more natural habitat than a playground. They won’t ask “where do you turn on the computer”—they’ll just say, “Hey AI, do my homework.” When they start taking over society, everything we now call “modern” will seem as boring to them as VHS tapes did to Gen X.

So who should lead this world?

Honestly? The younger ones. Seriously.

Because they understand where the world is going. They don’t need a manual to grasp change—they were born into it. While Gen X says, “That won’t work,” and Gen Y says, “Maybe, but I don’t have the capacity right now,” Gen Z simply says, “Let’s change it.”

And that’s okay.

It’s time to hand the wheel to those who aren’t afraid to step on the gas—but still know where the brakes are. Let Gen X be the co-pilot, Gen Y handle navigation, and Gen Z drive.

And all of us—let’s laugh and be grateful that we’re still in the car, with a playlist no one can agree on, but which somehow plays exactly what’s needed: a bit of new, a bit of old, and all of us singing the chorus together.