With Gen Z reaching an age of independence and personal finances, a shift in behavioral patterns is starting to emerge, with traditional habits taking a backseat. This has provoked changes, for better and for worse, such as these 20 things that Gen Z is killing off, according to Gen X.
Cursive Handwriting
Today, Generation Z won’t pick up a pen on a daily basis, let alone write in cursive. The flamboyant, elegant style of writing is on its way out, with some younger people not even able to read it. To be fair, it’s just not necessary anymore!
Printers
Nowadays, Gen Zers do not need to use printers, as all of their important documents are digital. Even their educational documents are written, edited, and submitted online, so there is no need for actual paper and ink. That’s a relief because printers are always breaking down!
Facebook was once the coolest website on the internet, and almost everyone used it on a daily basis. However, the pendulum has shifted, with Gen Z no longer seeming interested. At one point, as reported by The Guardian, Facebook’s shares dropped by 25%, but they’re now making an effort to stay alive.
Cash
Gen Z has grown up in a generation where cash is on the decline, with the rise of contactless payments proving to be its biggest downfall. Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone under the age of 28 using a chip-and-pin card, let alone with notes in their wallets!
Traditional Television
The rise of streaming sites such as Netflix and Disney+ has signaled the decline of television as we know it. Gen Z, along with Gen X, has ditched advert-filled, schedule-operated television for the freedom that streaming sites offer: being able to watch whatever they want when they want to.
Meat Products
With more people understanding the meat industry and its negative effects on the planet, there are more vegans and vegetarians than ever before. This number is likely to continue rising over the coming years as meat substitutes improve. If they get good enough, everyone will likely be interested in making the switch!
Long-Form Content
TikTok has an inescapable grip on young people these days, getting them addicted to constant scrolling through monotonous content. People want their entertainment to be short and snappy, regardless of whether it is mindless or forgettable. Quality comes second with Gen Z, which frustrated Gen X.
Phone Calls
In many cases, Gen Z would rather fill out a form that takes them half an hour to complete than hop on a five-minute phone call with a customer service operator. Doing everything digitally has made analog tasks seem daunting, not to mention the anxiety of talking to a real human!
Print Media
It’s rare that Gen Z will purchase a physical copy of a magazine or newspaper, and for obvious reasons, as they have access to the same stories online and for free. Frankly, we have to take Gen Z’s side here; printed newspapers were so frustrating to shake into order!
Working in the Office
The pandemic had a seismic impact on the way we work, moving people from the office to their spare rooms at home, all while proving that people didn’t need to be in-house to be productive. Now, 35% of workers who are able to work from home do so, as highlighted by Pew Research Center.
Bank Branches
Why would anyone take the trip to their local bank branch when they can complete every transaction they need to on their phones? This is why a whole host of brick-and-mortar bank branches are disappearing from towns and cities, and there’s nothing that can stop it, no matter how hard Gen X tries!
Paper Tickets
Whether it be a train ticket, a boarding pass, or a concert ticket, QR code scanning technology is installed almost everywhere these days, making the paper ticket obsolete. Gen Z has become used to scanning their way into events, which is far more convenient than traditional methods. However, Gen X has struggled to adapt.
Retail Shopping
Next-day delivery and almost every shop having an online store have all but killed traditional retail stores. Nowadays, it seems that shopping malls and commercial districts are being filled with restaurants and barber shops as traditional stores move into full-time online retail. It’s sad, but true.
Manual Cars
As automatic vehicles have begun to dominate the roads, fewer members of Generation Z are learning to drive traditional manual cars. They see little need to learn how to use a stick-shift vehicle, which is considered old-fashioned in today’s society. Personally, we think stick-shift is all part of the driving experience!
Alcohol
Greater awareness of the danger of excessive alcohol consumption has led to a decline in young drinkers across the globe. A report by the BBC states that the number of teetotal college-age Americans has risen by 8% over the past decade! Honestly, we think this is a positive change, but Gen X disagrees.
Fast Fashion
Environmental awareness and the moral judgment of avoiding companies that don’t pay their workers adequate wages have seen the appeal of cheap fast fashion spiral downward. Young people would now rather pay more for their clothes under the impression they will last longer, which can only be a good thing.
Email was once the height of technology, allowing people to connect almost instantly from wherever they were in the world. It seemed hard to imagine it would ever fall out of favor, but it has done exactly that, as instant messaging apps have taken over. These days, emails are only for the business world.
Mental Health Stigma
One of the best things that Gen Z has pushed for is the destigmatization of mental health struggles, allowing people to be open about their emotions without feeling embarrassed. The American Psychological Association agrees that Gen Z are the most likely to open up about their struggles, which is admirable.
Traditional Romance
Whereas their parents and grandparents would have met each other by catching eyes across a crowded dance floor, Gen Z has adopted a more shallow way of finding love. They are flocking to online dating apps, swiping right, and seeing where things go from there. It’s kind of unavoidable, though.
Chain Restaurants
Last but not least, Gen Z is now more focused on food quality and helping out independent brands than they have ever been, signaling a decline in sales for chain restaurants. People now want to be the first to find a viral eating spot, putting more cash in the hands of the ‘little man,’ which is pretty positive.
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