Understanding Gen Z: Their Loves, Struggles, Slang and More!

Do you have a Gen Z child or grandchild? I love this precious group, born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s. (Estimates differ, but most agree that Gen Zers were born from 1997 to 2012.) As of 2024, this would make Gen Zers roughly 12 to 27 years old.

I have a Gen Z daughter, and I think we can learn so much from her generation!

• They’re focused on mental health, with authentic and open discussions about anxiety, depression, and self-care.
• They’re all about fitness, healthy eating, and wellness products.
• They value authenticity and transparency. They appreciate people who are genuine and honest.
• They often prioritize experiences, such as travel and events, over material possessions.

This summer, I’ve been reading Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future by Jean M. Twenge, PhD. (Not exactly beach reading! 🤣🏖️) I’m reading it in order to better understand the four generations in my family and what makes them tick. Today, I’m sharing some of the things I’ve learned about Gen Z.

What Gen Z Loves

Tech, Apps, and Especially…

It’s no secret that Gen Z seamlessly integrates tech into their lives. They are all about streaming and gaming, as well as messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Discord. Memes, viral challenges, and internet humor are integral parts of their communication and entertainment. They not only use social media platforms for socializing but also for consuming content, learning new things, and staying updated on trends and news. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are popular, but also…Pinterest!

This one surprised me! Gen Z makes up over 40% of our global monthly users on Pinterest and is the most engaged generation, according to Rachel Hardy, Director of Consumer Product Marketing! Apparently, it’s because they find this a “safer” place than most image-based social media platforms. They love discovering themselves and envisioning their futures.

Fashion, and Especially…

Gen Z values authenticity, diversity, and sustainability and is more likely to support brands that are eco-friendly and socially responsible. They also appreciate feminine touches like bows, and thrifted and vintage clothing. Their favorite brands include Nike, Elf Cosmetics, Adidas, Apple, and Fenty Beauty.

The trending item of the summer for Gen Z? The flowy maxi skirt. Brands like Gen Z favorite Altar’d State and Target can’t keep them in stock! They’re often white and tiered, and Gen Z pairs them with cropped tees, cowboy boots, or chunky sandals. For summer, Gen Z favors these maxis in cool fabrics like rayon, gauze or eyelet.

These wearable skirts are an easy look to steal from your daughters (or granddaughters)! I just bought THIS eyelet maxi from Target. I’ll pair it with Talbot’s two-way tank (v-neck on one side & scoop neck on the other!) or Talbot’s lace trim ballet neck tee (with elbow-length sleeves) and my Tory Burch flip flops.

Gen Z Struggles

It’s a good thing that Gen Z is pretty open about their mental health because their concerns are significant. Putting together this list made me commit to pray for them🙏! They’re dealing with a lot.

• The constant exposure to curated social media content makes them feel inadequate and pressured to maintain a perfect online presence.
• They are worried about their economic future, which includes student loan debt, a competitive job market, our country’s economic instability, and inflation. They doubt that they will ever be able to afford a home of their own.
• They’re concerned about climate change and environmental issues and somewhat disgusted with previous generations’ perceived lack of action.
• They are navigating an extremely polarized political environment. They have strong opinions and tend toward activism.
• They’re worried about AI, especially with how it will change the job market.
• Constant exposure to digital media has affected their ability to balance the beneficial use of technology with digital addiction. It has contributed to sleep issues and also altered the dynamics of friendships and romantic relationships.
• The pressure to define their identity at a young age adds stress as they navigate complex issues like gender, sexuality, and cultural background.

Gen Z Slang

Wanna have some fun? Casually throw any of these into conversation (either verbal or text) with your favorite Gen Zer! But don’t be “cringe!” Toss a word in, and then just keep talking. If you get a reaction, just shrug it off unceremoniously. I promise it will win you some “street cred.”

Giving/Serving

Giving or Serving is a compliment used to describe when someone or something is embodying a particular mood, style or vibe. It’s usually used as or to give praise. Someone who is “giving fall” might be dressed in a cozy sweater and drinking a pumpkin spice latte. Serving is similar, but while giving has a neutral or somewhat positive connotation, serving has a very positive connotation. For example, if someone is “serving looks,” it means they are very well-dressed.

Understood the Assignment

To understand the assignment is to excel. If someone understood the assignment, they nailed a performance, a joke, a look, or whatever. Similar slang phrases for this are Cooked/Ate. The terms also mean to excel. Someone may comment on a Taylor Swift concert clip and say “she cooked” or “she ate.” 

Lives Rent-Free

If something lives rent-free, it’s stuck in your mind.

Rizz

Short for charisma, rizz refers to what we might have called “game” 10 years ago. 🤣 It usually refers to how someone flirts. Rizz can be used as a noun (he has no rizz) or a verb (he rizzed her up).

Main Character Energy

This is used to describe someone that is so interesting or attractive that in a movie or story they would be the main character. It’s usually a good thing, but can also be used to refer to someone who is narcissistic or thinks of themself as a main character.

NPC

This insult is the opposite of main character energy. An NPC is someone who is so uninteresting that it seems like they don’t matter. The term comes from non-player characters in video games, who are featured in the background or along quests but don’t serve a major role.

TikTokers have been putting “girl” in front of words for a while to feminize certain concepts. Girl dinner is an assortment of snacks that combine to make a discombobulated meal. Girl math is math that doesn’t technically add up but still makes sense in some way. 

Cringe

An adjective, cringe (or cringey) is a shortening of “cringeworthy.” It refers to something so awkward and embarrassing that someone might have a physical reaction.

Mid

Mid: Mid means only okay. My millennial kids used to say “meh” to describe something that is now referred to as “mid.”

Beige Flag

This refers to people. A red flag is a feature that is a turnoff in someone. A yellow flag is something not great that can be overlooked, and a green flag is an aspect of someone’s personality that draws you in. A beige flag refers to a neutral aspect of someone that’s worth noting but doesn’t mean anything good or bad. 

-ing

This is a suffix that is added to a noun to emphasize how that thing is performing well. For example, “the boots are bootsing” means that the boots someone is wearing are good. If “the makeup is makeuping,” someone is wearing really gorgeous makeup.

-maxxing

This is similar to “-ing.” If you are something-maxxing, you are doing something to its maximum extent. For example, someone who is looksmaxxing is improving their appearance as much as possible. Someone who is statusmaxxing is focused on boosting their personal status.

Delulu

Slang for delusional. It often has a positive connotation and is associated with being so ignorant of reality that you actually manifest something to happen. TikTok phrase “Delulu is the solulu” is essentially a timely way of articulating the power of positive thinking. Being delulu means having so much self-confidence that you completely refuse to believe anything else. It’s not really an insult, but more of a silly acknowledgment of positive behavior.

Ick

A flaw or bad feature. An ick is something that turns people away.

Left no Crumbs

This term comes from the idea of eating a whole meal and not leaving any crumbs behind. It means to really excel at something.

I hope this post helps you understand this precious generation a little better. As you talk with them, remember to listen well. Don’t talk about how it was in your day. Instead, say things like, “Tell me about that…” and “That is so interesting! Will you explain that to me?” They need your encouragement! To read my tips for having meaningful conversations with your adult kids, click HERE.

What are your thoughts on Gen Z? I’d love to know! Leave me a comment and share your thoughts with our little community, okay?

Also, let me know if you’d like to see posts about other generations! Should Millenials be next? 😊