11 Seemingly Normal Situations That Shouldn't Give Gen Z Anxiety, But Absolutely Do
Gen Z feels anxious about things that other generations find completely normal.
AliceCam | Shutterstock Each generation has aspects and traits that are unique to it. In addition to not knowing life without technology and coming of age in a period of political and economic turmoil, Gen Z seems to be particularly anxious. While not everyone in Gen Z suffers from anxiety, everyone does seem to be on edge and stressed.
Chelsea Dudley, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who works mainly with teens and young adults, said that this is understandable. "Some stressors are fairly common during this life transition — career decisions, finances, planning for the future — but I believe something is different about what 20- to 30-year-olds are dealing with right now," she stated. While they are naturally going to feel anxiety because of the stage they are in in life, there are certain seemingly normal situations that shouldn't give Gen Z anxiety, but absolutely do.
Here are 11 seemingly normal situations that shouldn't give Gen Z anxiety, but absolutely do
1. Driving cars
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Most would consider driving to be a necessary life skill, unless you live in a bustling big city where most people get around using public transportation. You simply have to be able to drive to get from one place to another, unless you're medically unable to do so.
Gen Z doesn't quite see it that way, though. In fact, one could argue that they wish driving was a thing of the past. While certain other factors, like ecological impacts, might be affecting Gen Z's view of driving, it is largely anxiety that is holding them back from getting behind the wheel.
Author of "Carmegeddon" and correspondent for The Economist, Daniel Knowles said, "Driving has gotten a lot more stressful in, you know, the past decade or more. It's gotten particularly worse in the last few years since the pandemic, it seems like an awful lot of people are just driving a lot worse. We see this in the rise in the number of deaths and rise in the number of car crashes."
At a time when many Gen Zers should just be entering the roadways and getting their drivers licenses, many are choosing to forego driving altogether. This normal situation is giving Gen Z a huge amount of anxiety and makes them uncomfortable taking the wheel. There's no way to tell how this will affect the future of technology, especially self-driving cars.
2. Talking on the phone
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While talking on the phone is another activity that's just a part of everyday life, it's also one of the seemingly normal situations that shouldn't give Gen Z anxiety, but absolutely do.
To be fair, however, it's not exactly normal for Gen Zers. They are a generation that grew up texting and messaging each other for almost everything. It's likely that sending a voice message would even feel more natural than a phone call to most Gen Zers.
Australian research from CommBank found up to 90% of Gen Z feel anxious during phone calls, and some even agreed that awkward phone calls is one of the top three things they would like to avoid. Mary Jane Copps, who coaches workers in communication, noted that she sees Gen Z's phone anxiety increasing as well, but she doesn't think the skill will become obsolete.
Gen Z simply isn't used to talking on the phone. It's not a skill they grew up with, as everything was turning to texting when they were younger. Now, they feel uncomfortable having phone conversations when it is sometimes necessary for work, school and just everyday life.
3. Socializing in large groups of people
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Socializing is a pretty typical part of day-to-day life. It's hard to make it through the day without having to talk to someone you don't consider to be part of your close circle. Gen Z is not a big fan of this. While making small talk may come easier to older generations, Gen Zers largely prefer to avoid it at all costs.
Professional counselor Janeé Steele, PhD says Gen Z is known as the "anxious generation" for a reason. According to a report from Harmony Healthcare IT, over 60% of Gen Z say they feel anxious, with many reporting social anxiety. The Mayo Clinic even noted, "In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance that can disrupt your life. Severe stress can affect your relationships, daily routines, work, school or other activities."
Everyone feels socially anxious at some points. It's completely normal to not feel like socializing all the time. However, having these feelings frequently means that one likely has social anxiety. Gen Z, a particularly anxious generation, feels a fair amount of social anxiety. This makes it hard for them to interact in social situations where they aren't around the people who are closest to them.
4. Going to work
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While not everyone works, many people do, and it's just a regular part of their daily lives. Work is certainly not unusual for Gen Zers, unless they haven't entered the workforce yet, of course. Still, it brings with it a level of anxiety that few other things do.
While the act of simply going to work can be stressful in itself, there are other contributing factors that make it difficult. With the current instability in the workplace and the economy, many are fearing for their jobs and livelihoods.
For Gen Z, who have just entered the workforce, or are preparing to do so, this volatility seems particularly toxic. BBC correspondent Megan Carnegie referred to this as a "permacrisis" that exists in the workforce right now. Furthermore, Cigna reported that 91% of 18- to 24-year-olds feel stressed.
Gen Z are, in many ways, watching their dreams crumble. The idyllic life that was sold to them is no longer within reach. Instead, jobs are riddled with pitfalls and issues they can't overcome. The workplace is not a safe place for Gen Z, who desperately want some stability in their lives. Instead, they have inherited a mess.
5. Paying bills
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As unfortunate as it may sound, paying bills has become one of the most common situations in the world. It's just a part of life everyone has to deal with, no matter how unpleasant it may be. For Gen Z, it's a completely different story. They have anxiety over paying bills because of the general money trauma they have.
A Deloitte survey of Gen Zers and millennials found that Gen Z's "top concern" is cost of living. Additionally, 46% "live paycheck to paycheck and worry that they won't be able to cover their expenses." Gen Z is actively worried that they won't be able to pay their bills, which is causing a great amount of anxiety for them.
As Gen Z finds themselves unsure about their ability to pay their bills, this seemingly innocuous task is now causing countless Gen Zers to have a great amount of anxiety. They can't simply pay their bills and move on with their lives. Instead, they have to spend time worrying about the money they're spending and wondering if it will be enough.
6. Using social media
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It may seem strange that Gen Z would feel anxious about using social media when they're the first generation to fully grow up with it. However, social media is one of the seemingly normal situations that shouldn't give Gen Z anxiety, but absolutely do. Because they are so accustomed to social media, they use it almost constantly and feel like it is a necessity.
A survey from McKinsey Health Institute that examined different generations' relationships with social media found that Gen Z was the most likely to have "negative feelings" towards it. This is intriguing considering they are probably the generation that most associate with it. Overall, Gen Z has not found their experience with social media to be a positive one.
While social media can be a great tool for connecting with loved ones, and even people you don't know, it can also be a way to compare yourself and your life to others'. Everyone posts their highlight reel on social media, making it feel like the life you're living just isn't good enough. Gen Z, who spends so much time on social media, understands this all too well.
7. Dating to find 'the one'
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In all fairness, dating is stressful for everyone. But Gen Z seems to be particularly anxious about the dating world. In a world where aesthetics are everything and people care about the appearance of your partner almost as much as they care about your own, there's a lot of pressure to choose the right partner. Of course, finding them can be a herculean task.
NBC News correspondent Daysia Tolentino explained that many young people are tired of the ever-present dating apps and searching for connections in-person instead. But, because of how Gen Z was raised, this is a tall order. "Recent research suggests that some [Gen Zers] grapple with social anxiety and avoid interacting with strangers," she said. "That has created a unique challenge for some Gen Zers who are seeking to find dates in person."
For Gen Z, there are so many layers to dating. The normal concerns are there, such as finding someone you click with and deciding when you're ready to take the relationship to the next level. But there's also the concern of whether they should use dating apps or try to connect in-person and how to deal with their aforementioned social anxiety. It's easy for it to feel like a mess.
8. Shopping during economic turmoil
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Gen Z is coming of age during one of the most unpredictable economic periods in the world. While it was once a staple to find young people at the mall, the same can't really be said anymore.
Now, most shopping occurs online. Even groceries can be ordered right to your doorstep. But that doesn't really make shopping anxiety-inducing. Instead, it's all about cost.
According to a Consumer Affairs study, "Generation Z has roughly 72% less purchasing power than baby boomers did in their 20s." This can make shopping an absolute nightmare. Coupled with inflation, which has been up ever since the pandemic interrupted supply and demand, Gen Zers are facing some major sticker shock on store shelves.
What was once affordable just isn't anymore, and older generations are finding it difficult to sympathize with Gen Z as the classic formula of working hard and saving money worked for them. Gen Z is seriously hurting financially, and they're struggling to make ends meet. Having to pay extra for essentials is just adding insult to injury.
9. Going to school
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Just like going to work is a concern for Gen Z, for younger members of the generation, attending school can also be anxiety-inducing. There are so many concerns about grades, extracurriculars, the future and just overall academic performance and standing. Adding to that the fact that mental health can directly affect grades is just another reason to feel stressed out.
A Gallup poll examined Gen Z's increasingly declining mental health. Education Week contributor Arianna Prothero summarized the results, noting, "This all matters for academic achievement: the middle and high school students in the survey who said their mental health is excellent were more than twice as likely to say they get excellent grades in school compared with students who rated their mental health as fair or poor."
School is causing Gen Zers to feel anxious, which in turn brings their grades down. It's all one vicious cycle. As Gen Zers struggle to keep their heads above water, they know how important getting good grades will be to their future. They simply can't catch a break.
10. Paying off debt
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Paying off debt is one of the seemingly normal situations that shouldn't give Gen Z anxiety, but absolutely do. Of course, it would be false to say that paying off debt is pleasant for anyone, but it's a normal part of life. People borrow money and have to pay it back.
For Gen Z, this process is complicated by exorbitantly high student loans that can be predatory, as well as mounting credit card debt. Basically, Gen Z has very little money to work with, so buying things on credit is the only way to get what they need.
Statista reported that the average Gen Zer had $22,950 in student loan debt in 2024. While this wasn't as much as Gen X, the generation with the highest amount of student loan debt, it's still significant, especially as something to be saddled with just as you're starting out your life. A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York also found that Gen Z was more likely to have delinquent or maxed-out credit cards.
Gen Zers are facing unprecedented times with outrageously high costs of living. Instead of having a solid economic foundation, they are entering adulthood with loans and debt. This is setting them back even farther and making life more difficult. It's no wonder that they would feel anxious about this.
11. Attending family gatherings
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For many, family is a safe space, a place to retreat and escape from the cares of the world. For Gen Z, it's not quite so simple. Family divides are strong between young people and their elders. As new political and social movements take shape, people are finding themselves more at odds than ever before, and being related by blood does not make one immune.
Psychologist Joshua Coleman and Will Johnson, CEO of The Harris Poll, wrote about the stark divisions among society. "Historically, those dividing lines were differences like religion, race and ethnicity, age and gender," they said. "Today, political affiliation is the most significant determinant of this us-them division, research shows."
Gen Z are quite frankly anxious to attend family gatherings because of what they might find there. They know that many family members have views that differ starkly from their own, and that being in the same room, even if they love that person, is not always healthy. It's part of why estrangement has become so widespread today, and why Gen Z feels less than comfortable going home to see their family.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor's degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
