The Battle of the Gens: How generational differences haver impacted generational interactions and trends.
If you have been present on social media in the past couple years, you should be aware of Millennials and Gen Z’s ongoing feud. In fact, they have been “beefing” since the first year after the height of the pandemic. And it’s safe to say that both parties have several points to bring up about one another such as, parenting styles and fashion trends. Moreover, these internet feuds have gotten taken so much attention in the media to the point where there is a clear barrier between the two age groups.
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​One of the first most widely spread debates is nonother than jeans. As you may know, skinny jeans have been replaced by baggy, wider leg fit jeans since 2021. Even though I am biased to the baggy jeans, I can understand why some wouldn’t want to let go of their tighter jeans. Some prefer to be hugged by their denim rather than getting lost in it. However, Gen Z has severely flamed Millennials for choosing to not give into the change and that resulted in a pool of bad blood between the two.
Fig.1 Bella Hadid seen wearing baggy jeans.
Fig. 2 Lindsey Lohan rocking a messy side part in the early 2000s
As mentioned in the article for Fashion Magazine titled “Gen Z, Please Stop Shaming Millennials” written by millennial writer Annika Lautens, “For a group that claims that fashion has no rules, you are certainly imposing many on your older cohorts. What happened to fashion freedom? What happened to embracing your own unique style?” This clapback perfectly demonstrates how tense it’s been getting between Gen Z and Millennials. Additionally, the writer also adds, “Also, aren’t you the generation that values sustainability above all else? How environmentally friendly is it to expect millennials to buy a whole new wardrobe every time you come up with another fashion ick?”.
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This shows how Millennials are trying to counter argue with their younger peers by using their supposed values and beliefs against them. Basically, because of ever changing trends such as denim styles, Gen Z is trying to get Millennials to adhere to the change in more ways than one, even if that means getting a little feisty with one another.
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A second wide-spread discourse revolves around hair partition. Yes, you heard right, your side part has been thrown out the window to be replaced by the middle part! Soon after the news broke out, Millennials were quick to put up their guards since their trusted side part was of remanence from their 2000’s days. Thus said, Gen Z has officially voiced side parts as part of the characteristics of being “old”.
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Likewise, Allure writer Nicola Dall’Asen argues “In the 1990s and 2000s, before some of y’all were even born, we looked for little ways to make ourselves stand out, or, in other words, rebel, from out folks. Maybe it’s just my experience, but having big, swoopy side bangs with the part to match used to enthrall me, specifically because it wasn’t what my parents were into.”. Put differently, some Millennials feel like their attachment to their beloved side part is linked back to their own teen days where they longed to rebel and set themselves apart from their parents. This is yet another reason as to why generational differences have impacted how these different age demographics interact with each other.
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Briefly, this fiery feud between Gen Z and Millennials is far from over considering trends are coming in and out quicker than we can register. Whether it’s about keeping skinny jeans or switching to the middle part, there’s bound to be more internet roasting. Although it might sadden some to learn that even generations that are so close in age disagree so fiercely, it should come to no surprise since intergenerational disagreements are nothing new.
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Stay tuned for next week’s topic: “Why’d you have to ruin everything? How the young are trying to better their older peers’ unsustainable practices in the fashion industry.” And if you like what you’re reading, subscribe to Gen F for more!
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Sources
Gen Z, Please Stop Shaming Millennials, Fashion Magazine
https://fashionmagazine.com/style/genz-vs-millennial-style-tiktok/
Gen Z Teens on TikTok Says Side-Parts Are Ugly, But History Says Otherwise, Allure
https://www.allure.com/story/millennial-side-part-versus-gen-z-middle-part-hairstyles-tiktok