TikTok is flooded with videos in which generations compare, celebrate and make fun of each other – but I keep thinking: “That’s not me!” Millennial? Gen Z? Both rather yes – I’m somewhere in between, but why?
In the 2000s, when I was in elementary school, high school, and through junior and middle school, the Tamagotchi experienced a revival and we loved it as much as collecting and trading “Diddl” sheets. In the afternoon at friends’ houses we created great works of art with ironing beads or “window color” that our parents surely loved and had to hang up. I felt cool in my flared jeans, which couldn’t go higher than my hips. Popcorn shirts were a huge eye-catcher and of course had to be worn, even if they were scratchy and uncomfortable. Metallic blue was the most beautiful nail polish color for me and my cousin was the coolest for me because she had a polish like that and I was allowed to apply it too. We braided “Scoubidou” tapes, watched Nickelodeon up and down and played Snake on our cell phones.
My youth as a Millennial – or not?
As a teenager, I rocked the side part – which turned the slightest breeze into a huge disaster – wearing black skinny jeans and a tie with a t-shirt for a touch of “punk rock” à la Avril Lavigne, which I loved. I collected everything from Tokio Hotel, “shouted” at StudentVZ, chatted late into the night on MSN Messenger or ICQ. I loved “VIVA Live!” in the afternoon and the music program “Get the Clip”, in which viewers could help decide which music video should be played next by voting via SMS for a fee.
Millennials think: YOU are not a Millennial!
From that fabulous youth, I always assumed I was a Millennial. But when I listen to those who were born in the 1980s, I sometimes wonder how they experienced their childhood and youth. The “real” Millennials report things I’m too young for. They loved “Ed von Schleck,” which I don’t know. Each of them had a flashing yo-yo, which was only occasionally found in my schoolyard, came from older siblings and was more of a discarded toy. I have less fun at ’90s parties than I initially expect – the songs I like tend to be from the last four years of the decade.
Now, as a 30-year-old, I often can’t find myself. I scroll through social media, watch TikTok videos that play on clichés about generations like “I’m a Millennial, of course my mom still pays for my gym membership.” The “Of course” challenge penetrates many areas of life, for example professional fields, choice of partner or even generations and makes fun of them. I like the videos, but I always have doubts about the Millennial videos.
Where do I belong?
However, I had a small epiphany when I heard the term “Zillennial.” I was swiping through TikTok again when I suddenly stopped and listened intently to someone, illuminated by their ring light, talking about something that I felt exactly the same way. He got to the point! He rarely feels addressed by the typical TikTok videos about exaggerated generational clichés. Or rather, he watched the videos of the Millennials, sometimes amused to the point of being caught, as well as those of Gen Z. Well, finally, I’m not alone! He talked about a word fusion between the two generations: “Zillennial.” In his experience, he explained, those born between 1990 and 2000 often feel like they belong neither here nor there – in fact, they are Zillennials.
Am I a “Zillennial”?
Probably yes! The term is not an official name, but it combines both generations perfectly. We are the generation that has experienced many crucial changes between the reality of life of Millennials and that of Gen Z. We are too young to actively remember 9/11 or the introduction of the euro, but we have already experienced it. We were the last with flip phones and the first with smartphones. We still know cassettes very well, collected CDs, but later also got the first MP3 player and were the first subscribers to music streaming services. We’re a little too old for TikTok, but also too young for MySpace. We have already streamed series and films online when this was only possible illegally. We experienced the beginnings of Instagram and recognized the platform’s potential when Millennials still doubted the point of a pure photo platform and Gen Z was too young to hold a smartphone in their hand.
We like to wear baggy pants like Gen Z, value skincare and a more natural look, but of course we also LOVE Harry Potter – which is the number one millennial cliché. Also: Yes, my path into professional life was a little longer because I wanted to find THE right thing and knew that I would still work long enough anyway. And yes, I get scared when my cell phone rings, I don’t answer it – if I don’t know the number – but I google it to make sure I don’t miss anything. On the other hand, I find avocado toast – THE Millennial trend food that has been photographed countless times and posted on Instagram – super boring. I am changing gender, expect more environmental protection and sustainability from society and take to the streets for more tolerance. I am a perfect mix!
Best of both worlds
I think I’m the prototype of a “Zillennial” – that unofficial sub-generation – and I love it. We “Zillennials” can identify with Millennials and Gen Z and make fun of both just as much – best of both worlds!
Sources: https://www.adigiconsult.ch/glossar/generation-silent-baby-boomer-xy-me-millennials-z-alpha/
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/mythos-generationenkrieg-100.html