The hashtag #DearGenZ has been trending since last weekend on the app X, stirring up debate. While X users such as Jack E. Smith have used the hashtag to share voting information and political views, others like X user Cocinero have critiqued Gen Z.

“#DearGenZ it seems like all your causes are just waves you don’t seem to stick with whatever you started. I love some of your wonderful, sometimes unrealistic ideas,” Cocinero said in their tweet.

The online trend brings to light the plight of Generation Z, born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s, which finds itself at the helm of an ever-evolving world fraught with complexities and challenges.

Inheriting a society grappling with environmental crises, socio-political unrest, and deep-rooted inequalities, Gen Z faces the unique and daunting task of navigating a landscape shaped by the actions of previous generations. Armed with unprecedented access to technology and information, this “hybrid generation,” as defined by a 2019 study by Crown DNA, holds the potential to wield significant influence and drive real change.

However, amidst their efforts to reshape the world, they are grappling with criticisms, stereotypes, and intergenerational misunderstandings that can make it harder for younger people to stay positive.

And it’s clear that the young generation is struggling. According to a 2019 survey by the American Psychological Association, 27% of those in Gen Z said that they have fair or poor mental health compared to 15% of millennials.

The number significantly jumped post-COVID, with 42% of Gen Z young adults (ages 19 through 24) being diagnosed with a mental health condition, according to a study by Harmony Healthcare IT.

In the trending posts, Gen Zers pointed fingers in response, like X user J4yve. “The older generations lived by saying rules for thee not for me; Exploited the system at every turn…YOU MADE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN,” J4yve said.

The hashtag is another example of how there can be misunderstandings between the different generations when trying to make the world a better place.

Breaking down Gen Z

Gen Z has been found to focus on multiple missions at once while living in a changing landscape, according to a 2019 study by Crown DNA. For example, they pursue their personal achievements but also uphold “universal values” like activism. The culture they are surrounded by can also have its own duality, such as progress in science while new spirituality arises.

Adding on their high social media usage, older generations can see Gen Z as “slackers” despite their power to make real change, Ira Rodrigues said in a 2023 Ladue Publications opinion piece.

The generation is putting in the work even though there’s problems that still need to be addressed, Gen Z storyteller and filmmaker Jason Carman said.

“As someone who is in Gen Z, we’re great. We’re gonna change the world,” Carman said. “Then on the other hand, I also have the duality of ‘Man, we are really dumb too and have a lot of problems we need to fix within our generation.”

Carmon tweeted about it under the trending term saying “Dear Gen Z, it’s time for us to build the future, today.”

Gen Z vs the world

While they may receive criticism, Gen Z has no problem firing back at older generations online. The 2019 social media trend of “OK Boomer” not only angered the “baby boomer” generation, but showed how fed up Gen Z was with older generations’ views of them and the world, Taylor Lorenz wrote in a 2019 New York Times article.

X user Cal said in a 2019 tweet for example that “there’s a duality to boomers. It’s good that they won’t talk about Starbucks or Tik Tok but they might vent about politics and real estate at any time.”

“Boomers” are seen as “power-hungry,” out of touch and intolerant by both Gen Z and millennials. While the “baby boomer” generation sees those younger than them as lazy technology addicts who stereotypically eat avocado toast all the time.

Even though they are closer in age, Gen Z and millennials’ differences are playing out on social media too. Gen Z has criticized millennials for their “outdated” slang and don’t want to be lumped into the millennial category. In defense, millennials have criticized everything from Gen Z style to making a social impact.

“Gen Z wants to be famous, but not good at anything. That’s appropriating celebrity millennial culture. Baby WE BEEN DOING THAT,” X user Jay Jurden said in a 2021 post.

Other clapbacks from Gen Z can be seen throughout the #DearGenZ hashtag, with X user Mike Reinhart stating, “‘Dear Gen Z-’ My brother in Christ, you’re the generation that made the problems.”

According to Carman, he agrees that some members of the older generations are avoiding accountability.

“Who made the Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook we’re addicted to? Millennials. Who set us up with the current socioeconomic history we are in? Boomers,” said Carman, who thinks other generations aren’t doing enough to improve things for humanity. “But I feel like at the end of the day, why are we using finding another way to divide us as people rather than by trying to figure out how we can make the world better for everyone?”

The evolution of Gen Z to millennials to boomers is “an ancient form of remonstration,” Brian Resnick wrote in a 2019 Vox article.

University of California Santa Barbara psychologist John Protzko and colleagues defined this phenomenon in their research as the “kids these days” effect or “the tendency for older people to say the youth of today are somehow worse than youth in the past.”

Protzko said that this viewpoint that kids are worse today than they were in the past is prejudiced and biased. “If people were to make the claims they currently make about young people and children, if instead, if they make the same claims about ethnic minorities, for example, people would be up in arms, saying ‘That’s ridiculous, you have no objective evidence of this,’” Protzko told Vox.

It’s not all negative

Despite the negativity, there were members of older generations offering encouraging words to Gen Z.

X user Violet said to not “listen to old crusts. We will all end up in a box quite soon, build this world at your image, not at the image of those who crave legacy while they’ve done nothing to protect people from greed, trauma & wars. We leave you a broken world, thank you for fixing it.”

Filmmaker and activist Bree Newsome wanted clarity concerning why people were focusing solely on Gen Z about politics and voting with the hashtag.

“I’m confused why the middle aged people who are responsible for the USA becoming a far right nation are lecturing first-time voters on what’s at stake Is there ever a point where we hold people over 65 years old accountable,” Newsome posted on X on Nov. 6, who had a list of questions posed for the older voters critiquing Gen Z. “Voting literally CAN’T matter so long as those in power have no principled commitment to democracy, human rights or the lives of their own citizens.”

Gen Z expert Mark Beal says a starting place though for generations to understand one another is through collaboration and connection.

“All generations need to connect and collaborate whether in the workplace, across content channels and around societal issues. There are several leading consumer brands…who are led by executives who are Gen Xers and millennials who have issued invitations to Gen Zers nationwide to connect and collaborate as part of think tanks, accelerators and incubators,” Beal said.

From the Gen Z perspective, Carman sees the need for connection as well. “It’s actually not crazy to think we can connect the other four billion people on the planet. It’s not crazy to think that we could actually change the unfair socioeconomic advantages that exist. We have the tools and the technology to do that and can build it and do really hard amazing things to make the world better for everyone,” Carman said.

There are numerous issues that Gen Z is trying to solve, from climate change to student loan debt. Nevertheless, as potentially the most diverse and educated generation yet, time will tell if change will come.