Gen Z Kids Naturally Mastered 5 Concepts Most Older Generations Needed Therapy To Figure Out
Josh Hild | Unsplash Mental health has become more of a priority over the past few years, which explains why Gen Z kids seem to naturally master certain things that took going to therapy for older generations to figure out.
While it used to be a much bigger deal to tell your friends you had depression or anxiety, it's more normal these days for most young adults to admit when they're struggling. As someone in Gen Z myself, I can say most of my generation heavily prioritizes our mental health. That's why we’ve learned skills that Gen X, boomers, and even some millennials only learned in therapy.
Gen Z kids naturally mastered a few concepts older generations needed therapy to learn:
1. Stress management
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With so many Gen Zers in therapy, they understand the impact of stress. They know that if you let it fester, it can cause burnout. It'll end up causing greater mental health issues that can really harm someone's well-being. Because of this, Gen Z has grown up learning techniques to manage their stress.
Most people in older generations, on the other hand, probably didn't have friends learning about those techniques and passing them on. They also didn't have so many experts on social media giving out advice for free. They had to go to therapy to learn ways to deal with their stress.
2. Generational trauma
Generational trauma is the effect that the really difficult situations someone's grandparents and even older ancestors went through have on younger members of their family. Though the concept itself has always been around, people only started talking about it more casually very recently, so older generations likely aren't as familiar with it as Gen Z is.
3. Relying on others
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Older generations were raised with a lot more independence than kids have today. Those generations learned to handle things by themselves at an early age. While my generation could turn to their parents for help, not everyone in the older generations could. They were taught to handle their problems on their own instead of turning to an adult to fix it.
That kind of independence is great in a lot of ways, but it can also cause problems when people stick to that rule a little too rigidly in their adult lives. They might not be able to open up to their friends or partner easily. Sometimes it takes going to therapy for older generations to learn that it’s okay if you're not perfect and that you shouldn't try to do everything alone. My generation takes the opposite view. Because we were taught to ask for help when we need it, a lot of us don’t feel as bad turning to our friends for advice.
4. Self-compassion
Everybody has bad days, and Gen Z generally tries not to blame themselves for that. We were taught to accept mistakes and move on, not internalize them. Older generations don’t always have the same self-compassion. They often use guilt as a motivator that helps them learn to do better in the future.
But again, everybody makes mistakes. Gen Z almost intuitively knows that tying self-worth to such mistakes instead of seeing them for what they are isn't a healthy way to live life, which is something people in older generations often need years of therapy to understand.
5. Conflict resolution skills
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Older generations weren't always as good at handling arguments calmly because they didn’t have the tools that Gen Z does. Gen Z was taught at an early age to recognize and reflect on our emotions. It's helped us be good communicators and work through fights in a healthier way.
Older generations prioritized keeping the peace more than kids do now. They didn’t want to stir the pot and risk creating problems. Some people responded by avoiding conflict altogether, while others became more aggressive. Neither approach is healthy, though, and they rarely leave both people happy with the outcome.
Gen Z doesn’t feel the same pressure to push down their emotions or hide problems going on at home. By accepting and acknowledging their emotions, Gen Z naturally developed strong conflict-resolution skills, which older generations could learn from.
Lily Bell is a college student studying English and Publications who covers relationships, mental health, and personal narratives surrounding the human experience.
