11 Things Most Gen Z People Hate That Older Generations Love
The difference between the way Gen Z and older generations feel about these things is all about differing values and routines.
Andrii Iemelianenko / Shutterstock While generational differences and tensions have been used as a scapegoat for issues in multiple avenues of life, from workplace dilemmas to family relationships, and shifting societal norms, research, like one study from the Journal of Business and Psychology, argues there’s more nuance to conversations about differences between these age demographics. Especially between age groups that have grown up and experienced life in completely different times, like Gen Z and baby boomers, things like values, childhood experiences, and socioeconomic culture play a strong role in influencing the things they appreciate and dislike.
Many of the things most Gen Z people hate that older generations love are rooted in these differences of values — they appreciate different complexities of life, have grown up in cultural environments with different expectations, and even have different tools and routines for navigating everyday life. From entertainment preferences to social media and even preferred status symbols, acknowledging the “why” behind generational differences is key to avoiding tension, resentment, and disrespect.
Here are 11 things most Gen Z people hate that older generations love
1. Phone calls
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While Gen Z despises hearing their phone ring and being pressured into picking up their phone, rather than just texting someone, it’s one of the things that older generations can’t help but love.
Whether it’s a physical limitation that makes texting harder, the ease of a phone call for clarity, or simply different values, as baby boomers tend to view phone calls as more sentimental, connecting, and respectful, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the things most Gen Z people hate that older generations regularly indulge.
2. Cable TV
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According to a survey from Statista, more than 40% of baby boomers still regularly use cable TV. At the same time, younger generations like Gen Z rely exclusively on streaming services, social media, and the internet for their daily entertainment. Even though it may generally be more expensive than other entertainment alternatives, cable TV is a matter of familiarity and comfort for older generations. They love it because they know how to use it, and there’s little to no learning curve.
As some of the only demographics still using cable TV, it’s a luxury for baby boomers to know their channels and have access to their favorite shows at home. Even if it seems like an outdated practice or an old-school means for entertainment to Gen Zers, it’s a luxury for many baby boomers and older generations.
3. Family heirlooms
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Despite preferring maximalism and radical self-expression in their living spaces, many Gen Zers are uninterested in adopting the family heirloom pieces their parents and grandparents continue to pass down. Whether it’s a fine china cabinet or old furniture, they prefer to fill their spaces with things that speak to their personal lives and identities, rather than purely sentimental things that take up space.
However, these family heirlooms are one of the things older generations, specifically baby boomers, who have strong family values, love and put a lot of effort into maintaining in their own lives. They’re personal and emotional, which is part of the reason why younger generations’ indifference to them sparks resentment and tension.
4. Traditional dress codes
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For baby boomers and other older generations, traditional dress codes — things like suits and ties, high heels, and modest clothing — were status symbols and vehicles for gaining respect in prestigious workplace environments. Especially for women, whose mere presence and faces were radical in their own sense within the workplace, falling in line with dress codes was a means of survival, making 9-to-5 corporate jobs attainable.
However, today, it’s one of the things most Gen Z people hate that older generations still love. Gen Z is more interested in protecting their personal lives, identity, style, and mental health than in feeding into rigid and uncomfortable dress codes. They want to make officewear and general dress codes more casual, so they feel more comfortable and find their place in the professional world in the same way their boomer counterparts did at the same age.
Especially entering the corporate world in a time when most workers were remote or working from home, it’s not surprising that Gen Zers have grown accustomed to habits, like hybrid work schedules and casual dress codes, that make strenuous work environments more approachable.
5. Facebook
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Facebook is one of the social media platforms that Gen Z people hate, that older people love. Growing up almost exclusively amid the digital landscape, with new social media platforms and technology at every corner, Gen Z people have grown accustomed to experimenting and trying new modes of communication and community, but for boomers, Facebook was the first, and remains their only.
According to a Heliyon study, baby boomers' usage of Facebook isn’t just out of familiarity. It’s tied to their sense of self and community. They use it as a form of communication with friends and family, but it also helps to alleviate the consequences of social isolation, lacking face-to-face interaction, and loneliness many people struggle with as they get older.
6. Using cash
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According to a study from Empower, baby boomers are nearly 50% more likely to carry cash on them every day, “leading the pack” when it comes to cash-made purchases. While Apple Pay and other credit cards may provide convenience for Gen Zers, especially with online shopping, it’s a habit for many older generations, and even a frugal habit to ensure they’re not overspending.
It’s also part of the reason why baby boomers tend to visit in-person bank branches more than their Gen Z counterparts. They’re pulling out a very specific amount of money for their daily expenses, rather than putting everything on a credit card or using their phone to pay in stores.
7. Golf
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While there are certainly Gen Zers and other younger generations reimagining the traditions and future of golf, from changing the aura of country clubs to starting teams centered around community and inclusivity, it’s largely one of the things most Gen Z people hate that older generations love.
Even when it comes to watching sports and investing in golf as a viewer, Gen Zers are twice as likely to “never” watch sports online or on TV compared to older generations. In some cases, it’s a matter of convenience, as social media and streaming make other entertainment options much more accessible than sports. But at other times, it's societal norms, stereotypes around sports like golf, and even financial barriers that keep them from investing in it.
8. Corporate lingo
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Just like any other facet of life, every generation has its own set of language, lingo, and slang that may not make sense or resonate with people from other age groups. While corporate lingo was a status symbol for many baby boomers growing up, crafted in prestigious and highly exclusive corporate environments, it’s largely an annoyance for Gen Zers.
Not only are they more aware of the ways it excludes certain demographics and individuals from succeeding in the workplace, but it’s unclear, making life harder than it needs to be for new cohorts of workers across industries.
9. The ‘customer is always right’ mindset
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Many people are rude to service workers to cope with their own internal feelings of insecurity, shame, or stress, according to psychologist Reena B Patel, trying to find “a scapegoat” for the feelings they can’t acknowledge or deal with in healthier ways. For baby boomers, who generally lean into social norms and stigmas around mental health that urge them to suppress their emotions, it’s not surprising that a mentality like “the customer is always right” or rudeness toward service workers is the norm.
Patel also argues that when things don’t go in the way we expect them to, it can cause defensiveness and frustration, which is why older generations who believe they’re always right as the customer can struggle with autonomous and strong-willed service workers.
It’s also one of the things most Gen Z people hate that older generations love because of differences in values around work ethic. According to a study conducted by Talker Research, baby boomers believe they’re the most reliable generation, valuing their personal ideas about hard work and hustle culture that can sometimes spark entitlement in these situations.
10. Meetings that could’ve been emails
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Considering “meeting overload” in a workday can lead to employees working longer hours and taking work home, in ways that prompt burnout and chronic stress, according to a 2022 study, it’s not surprising that Gen Zers can’t stand meetings that could’ve been emails.
Not only do they disrupt their routines, harm productivity, and occasionally stress out young people who prefer offline communication, but they also sabotage the work-life balance they highly prioritize at work. That’s why they’re one of the things Gen Z people hate that older generations love.
Baby boomers and Gen Xers appreciate face-to-face communication much more and may even struggle with navigating online professional platforms and email lingo, which means a meeting is always more favorable in their routines than an email chain.
11. Physical menus
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Considering Gen Zers often have a level of digital literacy and technological skill that supports their endeavors in daily life, from the workplace to communicating with friends online and even pulling up a menu at a restaurant, it’s not surprising that physical menus are one of the things Gen Z people hate that older generations love.
Many baby boomers don’t even carry their phones into public places with them or travel with them charged in their bags, so it’s not surprising that they’d prefer a physical menu they don’t need them for at a restaurant.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
