17 Things Gen Z Should Know About People In Their Thirties

    Sex is better in your thirties. Fact.

    Remee Patel
    by Remee Patel

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. We listen to throwback tunes more than current songs, which is why we never know any new artists.

    Spotify

    It's because 1) those were the actual songs of our youth, and we're always reminiscing about our youth, and 2) we believe music was way better back then.

    2. Our idea of a perfect evening is doing absolutely fuck-all.

    Becky Barnicoat / BuzzFeed

    Racing from work to the sofa > racing from work to the pub.

    3. Probably because we're always busy and we're always tired.

    Loryn Brantz / BuzzFeed

    4. However, we actually enjoy telling everyone about how old and boring we are now.

    Sarah @thetigersez

    Dating in your 30s is just two people telling each other stories about how they used to be fun.

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    It makes us feel wise.

    5. Our social media feed is made up of weddings and babies.

    Becky Barnicoat / BuzzFeed

    There's the occasional thirst trap and bikini sale, but let's say your feed is vastly different in your thirties.

    6. When we choose alcohol we go by what we like first, rather than what's cheapest.

    video-player.buzzfeed.com

    Don't get me wrong, we still care about price, but we drink alcohol because we actually like it, which means taste now has become the most important factor!

    7. And we're very stubborn about getting what we want, because we believe we've earned it.

    MTV

    Yes, when I ask the bartender: "Do you have sauvignon blanc, New Zealand?" I feel like a right twat, but you know what? I only work to pay for wine so it might as well be the wine I bloody want.

    8. But our hangovers are so bad it almost makes us think twice about drinking in the first place.

    Twitter: @Home_Halfway

    Almost.

    9. We actively try to be conscious of our health, but we do it reluctantly.

    schmox @IvoryGazelle

    see you in hell you stupid fruit

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    It doesn't come naturally to us like it might do for you Gen Z'ers, because back when we were teenagers, "wellness" wasn't trendy. Getting out in nature simply meant drinking vodka in the park.

    10. Young people scare the shit out of us.

    Twitter: @natalietran

    We know you think we're old and uncool, but it actually pains us to literally see it in your eyes, so we'd rather avoid you at all costs.

    11. And we have no idea what you're all saying.

    Comedy Central

    There are too many acronyms in your vocab these days, and far too many words that are made for social media and not for real life.

    12. We still have our fair share of body image issues — we've just learned to accept them more.

    Loryn Brantz / BuzzFeed

    This is probably the best thing about being in your thirties — slowly letting go of all those small things that haunted you through your teens and twenties. It does take time to get to this point, but when you do there's no freer feeling in the world than accepting your imperfections.

    13. And feeling more comfortable with ourselves and asking for what we want is exactly why sex just keeps on getting better and better for us.

    Maritsa Patrinos / BuzzFeed

    My young readers: Lube is your friend; do not feel embarrassed to buy bucketloads of the stuff — trust me.

    14. We don't dream about being famous — we just want to lead a simple life and have lots of dogs.

    Vvvita / Getty Images

    That old cliché of escaping the rat race and opting for a simpler life starts to sound pretty damn nice when you're in your thirties and sick of being "tired and busy".

    15. We don't really read novels anymore.

    amazon.co.uk

    The further you get in to your twenties, the more you'll start to realise this shift from gripping and adventurous novels to self-help books and nonfiction in general. It's probably because with every book we read we hope to find the answer to life's questions. Let me tell you that I've yet to find all of the answers in the self-help section, but I have learned a lot about myself.

    16. No — we haven't got our shit together and we certainly don't consider ourselves to be "grown-ups".

    Becky Barnicoat / BuzzFeed

    We still have wine and crisps for dinner. We still don't know what we're quite doing at work. We still all feel like we're 22 inside. We're still all faking it.

    17. And yes, we're just as surprised by this as you are.

    Sarah Pocock /BuzzFeed

    Some of you reading this will be like, "But I plan to have it all figured out when I'm THAT old!" — let me tell you, this is a cute idea, but it's also a terrible one. Most people in their thirties will confirm that life does not turn out the way you expect by the time you hit the big 3-0. This isn't bad — far from it; it's just not what you may have had planned. Having an idea of what you want to achieve in the future is fantastic, just try not to put too much pressure on doing it all by a certain date.

    Life is much more fun when you realise that you have to do what's right for you when it's right for you, and that's the beauty of being in your thirties — you begin to learn how to really love yourself.