There are many disagreements between the generations, so to find common ground we asked millennials, Gen X'ers, and Boomers in the BuzzFeed Community to share things they agree with Gen Z on, and some very valid points were made.
Here's what they said:
Some responses were also drawn from Reddit after user u/RobulousDee similarly asked: "What are some things you like and/or admire about Gen Z?"
1. "This generation seems less willing to put up with shitty circumstances...to me, it's actually a form of self-care. They enter the workforce with a mentality of holding those above them accountable, which took me years to learn."
2. "Gen X'er here: I love how most Gen Z'ers don't bat an eye when someone else has a different taste in clothes, or hairstyles, or wants more or fewer tattoos than them, or loves differently than them. They let them live how they wanna live without judgment."
3. "I admire the disinterest in alcohol. Its consumption is so woven into our social fabric that it becomes hard to face how damaging it is to our long-term health. Whether Gen Z seems to truly acknowledge this, or they are just being contrarian for the sake of being different, I think it's a positive thing and I hope it sticks."
4. "Legal abortion in all states."
5. "Gen Z is 100% right on work-life balance and not allowing employers to take advantage of them."
6. "I'm Gen X and I agree with quiet quitting. I do too many things that are above my pay grade and I'm not compensated nearly enough for what I do for as long as I've been there."
7. "When they started changing the conversation around consent, I was so proud of them and happy the conversation was finally happening. I was so glad that a new generation of women were going to feel empowered to say 'no.'"
8. "As an elder Gen Xer, another person's gender and/or pronouns have no bearing on your life. Just let people live free, healthy, and happy."
9. "I appreciate that they’re more forthcoming about mental health. I’m only a millennial, but even when I was growing up it was still a pretty taboo thing to talk about, and it discouraged a lot of people from getting the help they needed."
10. "They are trying to create the world they want to live in rather than just inheriting the crappy one we live in."
11. "I'm a millennial and I am in AWE of Gen Z girls at bars and clubs. I see so many of them all dressed up in their dresses or sexy outfits, but then on their feet... COMFORTABLE. SNEAKERS."
"I spent my 20s hobbling out of venues on swollen blistered feet, or ending up barefoot somewhere gross because I just couldn't handle the pain anymore, or bringing those STUPID rollup flats to change into (which meant I still had to carry the damn heels around in my hands all night). Practical footwear for standing and dancing. I salute you."
12. "They can actually set boundaries."
13. "They seem to be much more open minded towards people who don’t fit societal norms."
14. "They don’t view others by their job/salary, but by their values. I highly respect that and it makes the world a better place."
"They don't seem to be as focused on money. It's impressive."
15. "Not caring as much about being 'manly.'"
16. "I think it's cool that they like stuff from the 2000s. It's nice to see the things I enjoyed as a kid being seen as cool again. I know that's corny but I just think it's neat."
Now I'm curious — if you're a millennial, Gen X'er, or boomer, what do you think Gen Z gets right? Let us know in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.