13 Real Differences Between Gen Z And Millennials

There’s been a lot of lazy discourse about these two generations — mostly by people who don’t belong to either.

But one thing is clear: Gen Z isn’t just a younger Millennial. They’re a response — to us, to the world we left them. They’re calling bullsh*t on everything that doesn’t align.

These two generations grew up in completely different worlds — and it shows in how they work, shop, express themselves, and plan their lives.

Here’s what sets them apart — broken down with examples, nuance, and just the right amount of pop culture.

1. Millennials were raised on hope. Gen Z was raised in chaos.

Millennials grew up in a world that still seemed okay. There were stable jobs, affordable rent, and college was a path to security. Then: 9/11, economic collapse, student debt, climate panic.

If Millennials lost their idealism, Gen Z never had it.

Generation Z had the benefit of watching us get smashed to pieces by the recession. They watched neighbors, relatives, and sometimes their parents lose their jobs and homes in the housing crisis. People getting laid off repeatedly was a normal fixture of their childhood.

From what I’ve observed, it seems to help them adapt better.

2. Millennials are idealistic. Gen Z is cynical.

From an early age, Millennials witnessed firsthand what it takes to be agents of change — and embraced that.

They said: “We want to change the world, and we know it’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got a plan.”

Gen Z, by contrast, inherited a planet already on fire — both literally and metaphorically. School shootings, climate collapse, economic inequality, political polarisation, rising rent, and student debt have made institutional failure feel like the norm.

Instead of believing systems can be fixed, many Gen Zers are skeptical they were ever designed to work in the first place.

This has bred a kind of radical cynicism — but not apathy. Gen Z channels their disillusionment into calling things out rather than trying to fix them from within. They’re more likely to meme their despair than launch a mission statement — and that, in itself, is protest.

They may not trust institutions, but they trust each other. Their solutions are decentralised, digital, and grounded in mutual support over systemic change.

3. Millennials are job-hopping. Gen Z has multiple income streams.

75% percent of Gen Z would be interested in a situation where they could have multiple roles within one employer.

They like having the option to quit a job, change careers, launch a business, take spontaneous time off, or even pack up and start fresh in another country.

Doing it all — aka slashing — isn’t about busyness or hustle for the sake of it.

It’s about agency.

We’re living in unpredictable times: layoffs, sudden industry shifts, market wobbles — it’s all happening right now.

Gen Z has made slash careers mainstream.

Millennials, on the other hand, are more traditional job-hoppers.

4. Millennials choose trades. Gen Z wants to be digital creators.

Millennials were told that a degree or learning a trade equals success. That philosophy degree someone got just because they felt like it still enabled them to get a decent job — as long as they weren’t choosy about careers and weren’t complete human train wrecks.

Gen Z is showing less and less interest in learning trades like construction, electrical work, plumbing, etc.

Why? Because Instagram shows money can be made with a phone and a good edit.

But Gen Z isn’t naive — they know most people don’t make it big. That’s why they value a backup plan. They might post a viral TikTok, but they also want something solid to fall back on.

As of 2020, Gen Z influencers made up 34% of all influencers worldwide.

Becoming a digital creator or influencer is an attractive career path. Different research shows that anywhere from 25%–56% of Gen Z would like to be influencers and consider it a reputable career choice.

Creator culture continues to flourish, as more people transform hobbies into economically viable full-time roles.

5. Millennials are digital bilinguals. Gen Z are digital natives.

Millennials are digital bilinguals — analog childhoods, digital adulthoods.

We remember when phones had buttons. Gen Z doesn’t remember a world without screens.

They expect seamless UX. If your site’s slow, they bounce. If your message is off, they swipe.

6. Millennials are collaborative. Gen Z is individualistic.

When given the option to arrange a group of desks, Millennials would opt for a collaborative setup and assemble them into a circle. Gen Z is more competitive with their colleagues and embraces a do-it-yourself mentality at work.

Gen Z is more individualistic, with a stronger sense of personal expression than previous generations.

They prefer individual tasks over team-based activities.

71% of Gen Z said they believe in the phrase: “If you want it done right, then do it yourself.”

Millennials tend to be more people-oriented in their working style, establishing close relationships in the workplace — the opposite of how Gen Z wants to work.

Gen Z prefers egalitarian leadership, not hierarchies.

After many years of collaborating in schools, sports teams, and peer-to-peer networks, most Millennials enjoy working in groups.

Teamwork is something Millennials actually enjoy because working together is often more effective than going solo.

Their attraction to teamwork could be — and arguably already is — a big factor in strengthening civil and political engagement.

7. Millennials want meaningful careers. Gen Z wants stable income and financial security.

Having witnessed economic downturns, Gen Z values job security and is more pragmatic about career choices compared to Millennials.

They have a strong preference for regular employment over freelance or part-time work, which may come as a surprise compared to the Millennial mindset.

Their preference for “secure” degrees means that members of Gen Z are opting for STEM careers.

Since 2011, there has been an unprecedented rise in students choosing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects. This includes a 400% increase in acceptances to Artificial Intelligence courses at university.

Acceptances into computer science courses rose by almost 50% (from 20,420 in 2011 to 30,090 in 2020), and acceptances to engineering courses rose 21% (from 25,995 in 2011 to 31,545 in 2020), driven by increased demand from UK 18-year-olds (UK Government).

56% of Gen Z teens believe a skills-based education (e.g. trade skills, nursing, STEM, etc.) makes sense in today’s world. Rather than wait for a four-year degree to start earning, they can train in a 2–12 month program, get a paying job, and work for a company offering tuition reimbursement and opportunities for promotion.

8. Millennials reject labels. Gen Z is hyper-fixated on them.

Millennials grew up in a world just beginning to challenge societal norms around identity, work, and relationships.

As digital pioneers, they pushed back against the rigid structures they inherited — choosing fluidity over definition. Labels felt limiting, reductive, even oppressive. “Don’t put me in a box” was practically a Millennial motto.

Whether it was about gender, career paths, or lifestyle choices, Millennials often preferred ambiguity.

Gen Z, on the other hand, leans into labels — but on their own terms. They’ve taken the tools of categorisation and turned them into forms of empowerment and visibility.

For Gen Z, labels aren’t about conforming — they’re about clarity, self-definition, and finding community.

From nuanced sexual orientations (e.g. demisexual, grey-romantic) to niche aesthetics (e.g. cottagecore, goblincore) to mental health and neurodivergence (e.g. ADHD, highly sensitive person), Gen Z uses language to name their experience — and in doing so, normalises it.

Where Millennials saw labels as restrictive, Gen Z sees them as liberating. It’s not about being boxed in — it’s about being seen. Gen Z’s hyper-specificity isn’t a cry for attention; it’s a desire for authenticity, belonging, and precision.

9. Millennials are aspirational. Gen Z is relatable.

I’m 36 and I like selfies and taking good photos for social media, but Gen Z has a relationship with documenting their lives that makes no sense to me. It’s not bad — just different.

Millennials polished their feeds. We invented the curated highlight reel.

Gen Z ripped the filters off. They post blurry screenshots, deadpan captions, and live breakdowns on TikTok. What we edited, they document. Gen Z is desperate to be witnessed.

It’s not that they don’t care — they care about realness. That’s why brands pretending to be cool fall flat. Authenticity isn’t a strategy. It’s the baseline.

Millennials want to look good. Gen Z wants to keep it real. If your brand isn’t authentic, Gen Z will scroll past in milliseconds.

10. Millennials still buy into influencers. Gen Z reads peer reviews.

Millennials still buy into influencers. We grew up in the golden age of blogging and brand partnerships. If you had a promo code, we listened.

Gen Z does their homework before buying. They rely heavily on peer reviews and online content. They screenshot Reddit threads and TikTok recs.

Gen Z trusts what others say about you — not what you say about yourself.

Want to sell to Gen Z? Don’t start with ads. Start with credibility.

11. Millennials had real subcultures. Gen Z has aesthetic subcultures.

Traditionally, subcultures were communities within society that rejected mainstream norms and values.

When Millennials picked a subculture (emo, indie, etc.), they stuck with it for years. Gen Z engages in fluid, fragmented online subcultures — often centered around aesthetics and irony.

They might experiment with “dark academia” to give off Ivy League vibes without actually going to college.

Cottagecore became a defining aesthetic subculture for Gen Z during COVID lockdowns — a form of escapism and aspirational nostalgia.

Gen Z finds its subcultures online, often laced with irony and self-consciousness due to constant peer surveillance.

12. Millennials struggle privately. Gen Z struggles publicly.

Gen Z is open about mental health and anxiety.

Mental health has become a major focus for Gen Z, more openly discussed and accepted than in previous generations.

In 2021, 13% of 10–19-year-olds globally had been diagnosed with mental health disorders (World Health Organization).

Gen Z talks about it. They seek help. They advocate for awareness and policy change. Digital detoxing, mindfulness, and prioritising mental health in work and life are now mainstream — reflecting their holistic approach to well-being.

13. Millennials splurge on experiences. Gen Z is better at saving.

Gen Z is more likely to save money and be financially cautious than Millennials (World Economic Forum). Inflation and the rising cost of living reinforce this mindset.

They’re price-conscious shoppers who care about deals, quality, and value. They’re less likely to make impulse purchases. Around two-thirds of Gen Z say they’re willing to wait for a sale before buying — demonstrating patience (Statista).

Millennials dropped £300 on a festival ticket and called it self-care.

Gen Z says: “Can I thrift this or get it cheaper secondhand?”

When Gen Z splurges, it’s on alignment — values, ethics, and mental wellness.

They spend less money, period.