I am the Uncle Tom, the Clayton Bigsby, the Uncle Ruckus of zoomers. Which is to say, a self-hating zoomer, one who agrees with other generations’ criticisms of us in lots of cases.
I agree with a lot of the criticisms. I’m not just saying this to ingratiate myself with “unc”, or the “boomers”, and get myself a pat on the head. It’s the sincere worldview of mine I acquired simply from growing up as one of the older zoomers and being largely surrounded by zoomers up through college. I genuinely both feel bad for and variously get angry at many parts of the zoomer generation.
Not ALL of us - some are good, but when we’re any combination of vapid, arrogant, annoying, lazy, and/or talentless, we’re often VERY much so.
I hate most of the slang, the social media addiction (the TikTokification, Snapchatification, Instagramization of practically one’s entire life and consciousness), the shallow attitude towards life. Dismissing people as “unc”, “incel”, “chud”, or even “goofy ahh”, or whatever the fuck they say. Talking about songs being a “bop”, referring to sex as “clapping those cheeks”, or (of pot), “Yo, let’s go smoke a J.”
The worst of the politics of Gen Z also seems especially centered around being an asshole much of the time, hating, mocking, irritating or arguing with others, whether it’s as a socially progressive ultra-leftist criticizing anyone right of Mao, or even anyone who holds to any significant conspiracy theories against establishment narratives, as “OMG what a fucking incel chud weirdo; PLEASE don’t shoot up a school, weirdo”; or whether it’s the most deranged /pol/ types. Fucking wojak and Chad memes being popularized:
But again, in another sense, I also pity some of our generation, as some of us were practically licked before we even started. Some of the younger ones of this generation especially being raised as iPad babies, or at least getting an iPhone very young, often from their parents as a gift, let’s say in middle school. Vaped weed and nicotine being relatively easy to get, at least in the U.S. among many parts of the country, and potentially fucking up the dopaminergic system of the little kids or teens getting hooked on them. The fucking toxic shit in the food (especially ultraprocessed foods), air, water and whatnot, cumulatively passing down to new generations, affecting people in the womb, falling sperm counts, xenoestrogens, endocrine disrupters, even possibly subtle brain damage, the whole works.
That’s my fucking zoomer rant. Some are great and wonderful people though and I wish them the best. I have smart and hardworking younger cousins, for example, whom I love and think and hope will be successful. There’s always exceptions. I guess this post is probably “cringe” though, according to zoomers.
