Millennials are sorry, they misunderstood Gen Z
Gen Zs are digital natives who have been associated with being moody, prioritising mental health and, of course, bizarre internet trends. But this week, they spearheaded a movement in India which has not just garnered them attention, but a lot of praise and applause.
"We owe Gen Z an apology."
Not many would have expected those words coming out of a millennial's mouth. But this week, it did happen.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that India is in the midst of a movement, a movement that is slowly gaining traction and igniting not just one generation. It has managed to trigger an overwhelming response across age groups (and not necessarily positive repercussions). Scroll through social media — which has by now become a newsroom of its own — and you'll be flooded with clips from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and beyond, all demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
And amid all this, there's a strange mix of gratitude, an unspoken apology, and — above all — a respect that this movement and the people behind it, Gen Z, have earned.
"Whatever is the outcome of the protest, ye sab kuch ke chakkar mein Gen Z ne mera point of view poora hi badal diya hai. Hum millennials ne kaafi inka mazaak udaya, jokes banaye ki kitne sensitive hain, inse kaam nahi hota. But ab mujhe lagta hai, Gen Z hi best hai, main galat tha. Gen Z hi torchbearers hain, humse toh nahi ho raha, (Irrespective of the protest outcome, my perception of Gen Z has completely changed. I mocked them for being too sensitive, lazy but they are the best and real torchbearers. We (millennials) can never achieve this)," comedian Abhijit Ganguly said in a two-and-a-half-minute Reel that is nothing but a heartfelt appreciation of Gen Z.
Keep scrolling social media, and you'll find one Reel after another from millennials praising the very generation they once mocked.
The generation dismissed as "chronically online", "performative" and "too busy making Reels" is suddenly being celebrated by those very critics.
Wonder why?
For being unapologetically themselves.
POV: Gen Z is empathetic and responsible
If anything, this movement proved that Gen Z can be in charge and empathetic too.
At the Jantar Mantar protest site where scores of people are sending food, medical supplies, reinforcements for hydration and more, there's a good chance you instinctively frown at the heaps of garbage lining the roadside—discarded food boxes, empty bottles and wrappers scattered everywhere. However, a few seconds later, you might just see people carrying black garbage bags, arriving with jhaaddos and quietly picking up the trash.
That's exactly what the millennials are talking about.
The generation often regarded as "unserious" and accused of abandoning responsibility is, in fact, taking charge.
According to millennials, 'they are fearless.' "Thank you, Gen Z, for reminding me what courage looks like," read one post.
And these perceptions did not just change overnight. As the protest swells by the day, people have lost count of the number of protesters pouring onto Sansad Marg from across the country. Many young people joined in after the July 20 march, not just because of the CJP or Sonam Wangchuk. They came to show solidarity with the students and their demands to reform the education system. The videos of clashes between protesters and security forces that spread across social media convinced many to show up and not just scroll past.
"We are mocking them by saying they don't have ethics. They at least have a spine that we millennials lack," said another millennial on social media.
And that's not all. There are also those invisible workers whose small gestures of empathy and humanity are keeping the spirit of the protest alive.
"The random acts of kindness that I witnessed were simply heartwarming. On multiple occasions, I was offered ORS, water and lassi, all with warmth and respect. My perspective of Gen Z certainly changed after I visited Jantar Mantar," says Shalini Singh, a millennial who left with goosebumps after witnessing the energy of the crowd.
Someone is handing out food. A few feet away, another volunteer is offering sanitary pads to women in the crowd. Under Delhi's unforgiving sun, strangers took turns fanning one another while a group nearby broke out into a song. Someone is documenting every bit of it for Instagram too. (Because, ofcourse)
These moments have travelled just as widely as the speeches themselves.
Gen Z being Gen Z
Now, it's not that Gen Z is doing something revolutionary. Even at a protest, they are simply being themselves.
In the age of endless scrolling, information overload has become the norm. And when your feed is filled with breaking news, videos and updates around the clock, anxiety and emotional fatigue are almost unavoidable. What's different this time is how when you swipe through a few protest reels, one of them is bound to make you giggle.
Memes have become protest language. WhatsApp stickers have made it out of the group chat and onto placards. There are protest fit checks, people looking for "a baddie to have a protest date", some are playing Ludo even. The impromptu jam sessions and countless Reels documenting every little moment is what people are 'vibing' to.
Even videos of protesters running during clashes with security forces have been turned into real-life Subway Surfers edits. Somehow, Gen Z has found a way to bring in some comic relief without taking away from the seriousness of the moment. And well, dissent has always been creative. Every generation has found its own language of protest and millennials agree.
"Gen Z kids are unhinged. They are detained, cops are shouting at them, and they are doing 'clock it'. Here we millennials are afraid..." comedian Raunaq Rajani said, praising the spirit of the younger generation.
The generation once dismissed as "chronically online" used those very online instincts to organise, document, amplify and build community. The generation accused of caring only about aesthetics brought creativity, humour and accessibility into a space often imagined as solemn. The generation labelled entitled spent hours cleaning public spaces, looking after strangers and showing up for one another.
And in true Gen Z lingo, maybe this was the plot twist no one saw coming.
Somewhere between all these videos and posts by millennials, a Gen Zer probably watched, smiled, and thought, "Kuchu puchu... we love you too." #PookieBehaviour.
"We owe Gen Z an apology."
Not many would have expected those words coming out of a millennial's mouth. But this week, it did happen.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that India is in the midst of a movement, a movement that is slowly gaining traction and igniting not just one generation. It has managed to trigger an overwhelming response across age groups (and not necessarily positive repercussions). Scroll through social media — which has by now become a newsroom of its own — and you'll be flooded with clips from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and beyond, all demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
And amid all this, there's a strange mix of gratitude, an unspoken apology, and — above all — a respect that this movement and the people behind it, Gen Z, have earned.
"Whatever is the outcome of the protest, ye sab kuch ke chakkar mein Gen Z ne mera point of view poora hi badal diya hai. Hum millennials ne kaafi inka mazaak udaya, jokes banaye ki kitne sensitive hain, inse kaam nahi hota. But ab mujhe lagta hai, Gen Z hi best hai, main galat tha. Gen Z hi torchbearers hain, humse toh nahi ho raha, (Irrespective of the protest outcome, my perception of Gen Z has completely changed. I mocked them for being too sensitive, lazy but they are the best and real torchbearers. We (millennials) can never achieve this)," comedian Abhijit Ganguly said in a two-and-a-half-minute Reel that is nothing but a heartfelt appreciation of Gen Z.
Keep scrolling social media, and you'll find one Reel after another from millennials praising the very generation they once mocked.
The generation dismissed as "chronically online", "performative" and "too busy making Reels" is suddenly being celebrated by those very critics.
Wonder why?
For being unapologetically themselves.
POV: Gen Z is empathetic and responsible
If anything, this movement proved that Gen Z can be in charge and empathetic too.
At the Jantar Mantar protest site where scores of people are sending food, medical supplies, reinforcements for hydration and more, there's a good chance you instinctively frown at the heaps of garbage lining the roadside—discarded food boxes, empty bottles and wrappers scattered everywhere. However, a few seconds later, you might just see people carrying black garbage bags, arriving with jhaaddos and quietly picking up the trash.
That's exactly what the millennials are talking about.
The generation often regarded as "unserious" and accused of abandoning responsibility is, in fact, taking charge.
According to millennials, 'they are fearless.' "Thank you, Gen Z, for reminding me what courage looks like," read one post.
And these perceptions did not just change overnight. As the protest swells by the day, people have lost count of the number of protesters pouring onto Sansad Marg from across the country. Many young people joined in after the July 20 march, not just because of the CJP or Sonam Wangchuk. They came to show solidarity with the students and their demands to reform the education system. The videos of clashes between protesters and security forces that spread across social media convinced many to show up and not just scroll past.
"We are mocking them by saying they don't have ethics. They at least have a spine that we millennials lack," said another millennial on social media.
And that's not all. There are also those invisible workers whose small gestures of empathy and humanity are keeping the spirit of the protest alive.
"The random acts of kindness that I witnessed were simply heartwarming. On multiple occasions, I was offered ORS, water and lassi, all with warmth and respect. My perspective of Gen Z certainly changed after I visited Jantar Mantar," says Shalini Singh, a millennial who left with goosebumps after witnessing the energy of the crowd.
Someone is handing out food. A few feet away, another volunteer is offering sanitary pads to women in the crowd. Under Delhi's unforgiving sun, strangers took turns fanning one another while a group nearby broke out into a song. Someone is documenting every bit of it for Instagram too. (Because, ofcourse)
These moments have travelled just as widely as the speeches themselves.
Gen Z being Gen Z
Now, it's not that Gen Z is doing something revolutionary. Even at a protest, they are simply being themselves.
In the age of endless scrolling, information overload has become the norm. And when your feed is filled with breaking news, videos and updates around the clock, anxiety and emotional fatigue are almost unavoidable. What's different this time is how when you swipe through a few protest reels, one of them is bound to make you giggle.
Memes have become protest language. WhatsApp stickers have made it out of the group chat and onto placards. There are protest fit checks, people looking for "a baddie to have a protest date", some are playing Ludo even. The impromptu jam sessions and countless Reels documenting every little moment is what people are 'vibing' to.
Even videos of protesters running during clashes with security forces have been turned into real-life Subway Surfers edits. Somehow, Gen Z has found a way to bring in some comic relief without taking away from the seriousness of the moment. And well, dissent has always been creative. Every generation has found its own language of protest and millennials agree.
"Gen Z kids are unhinged. They are detained, cops are shouting at them, and they are doing 'clock it'. Here we millennials are afraid..." comedian Raunaq Rajani said, praising the spirit of the younger generation.
The generation once dismissed as "chronically online" used those very online instincts to organise, document, amplify and build community. The generation accused of caring only about aesthetics brought creativity, humour and accessibility into a space often imagined as solemn. The generation labelled entitled spent hours cleaning public spaces, looking after strangers and showing up for one another.
And in true Gen Z lingo, maybe this was the plot twist no one saw coming.
Somewhere between all these videos and posts by millennials, a Gen Zer probably watched, smiled, and thought, "Kuchu puchu... we love you too." #PookieBehaviour.
"We owe Gen Z an apology."
Not many would have expected those words coming out of a millennial's mouth. But this week, it did happen.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that India is in the midst of a movement, a movement that is slowly gaining traction and igniting not just one generation. It has managed to trigger an overwhelming response across age groups (and not necessarily positive repercussions). Scroll through social media — which has by now become a newsroom of its own — and you'll be flooded with clips from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and beyond, all demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
And amid all this, there's a strange mix of gratitude, an unspoken apology, and — above all — a respect that this movement and the people behind it, Gen Z, have earned.
"Whatever is the outcome of the protest, ye sab kuch ke chakkar mein Gen Z ne mera point of view poora hi badal diya hai. Hum millennials ne kaafi inka mazaak udaya, jokes banaye ki kitne sensitive hain, inse kaam nahi hota. But ab mujhe lagta hai, Gen Z hi best hai, main galat tha. Gen Z hi torchbearers hain, humse toh nahi ho raha, (Irrespective of the protest outcome, my perception of Gen Z has completely changed. I mocked them for being too sensitive, lazy but they are the best and real torchbearers. We (millennials) can never achieve this)," comedian Abhijit Ganguly said in a two-and-a-half-minute Reel that is nothing but a heartfelt appreciation of Gen Z.
Keep scrolling social media, and you'll find one Reel after another from millennials praising the very generation they once mocked.
The generation dismissed as "chronically online", "performative" and "too busy making Reels" is suddenly being celebrated by those very critics.
Wonder why?
For being unapologetically themselves.
POV: Gen Z is empathetic and responsible
If anything, this movement proved that Gen Z can be in charge and empathetic too.
At the Jantar Mantar protest site where scores of people are sending food, medical supplies, reinforcements for hydration and more, there's a good chance you instinctively frown at the heaps of garbage lining the roadside—discarded food boxes, empty bottles and wrappers scattered everywhere. However, a few seconds later, you might just see people carrying black garbage bags, arriving with jhaaddos and quietly picking up the trash.
That's exactly what the millennials are talking about.
The generation often regarded as "unserious" and accused of abandoning responsibility is, in fact, taking charge.
According to millennials, 'they are fearless.' "Thank you, Gen Z, for reminding me what courage looks like," read one post.
And these perceptions did not just change overnight. As the protest swells by the day, people have lost count of the number of protesters pouring onto Sansad Marg from across the country. Many young people joined in after the July 20 march, not just because of the CJP or Sonam Wangchuk. They came to show solidarity with the students and their demands to reform the education system. The videos of clashes between protesters and security forces that spread across social media convinced many to show up and not just scroll past.
"We are mocking them by saying they don't have ethics. They at least have a spine that we millennials lack," said another millennial on social media.
And that's not all. There are also those invisible workers whose small gestures of empathy and humanity are keeping the spirit of the protest alive.
"The random acts of kindness that I witnessed were simply heartwarming. On multiple occasions, I was offered ORS, water and lassi, all with warmth and respect. My perspective of Gen Z certainly changed after I visited Jantar Mantar," says Shalini Singh, a millennial who left with goosebumps after witnessing the energy of the crowd.
Someone is handing out food. A few feet away, another volunteer is offering sanitary pads to women in the crowd. Under Delhi's unforgiving sun, strangers took turns fanning one another while a group nearby broke out into a song. Someone is documenting every bit of it for Instagram too. (Because, ofcourse)
These moments have travelled just as widely as the speeches themselves.
Gen Z being Gen Z
Now, it's not that Gen Z is doing something revolutionary. Even at a protest, they are simply being themselves.
In the age of endless scrolling, information overload has become the norm. And when your feed is filled with breaking news, videos and updates around the clock, anxiety and emotional fatigue are almost unavoidable. What's different this time is how when you swipe through a few protest reels, one of them is bound to make you giggle.
Memes have become protest language. WhatsApp stickers have made it out of the group chat and onto placards. There are protest fit checks, people looking for "a baddie to have a protest date", some are playing Ludo even. The impromptu jam sessions and countless Reels documenting every little moment is what people are 'vibing' to.
Even videos of protesters running during clashes with security forces have been turned into real-life Subway Surfers edits. Somehow, Gen Z has found a way to bring in some comic relief without taking away from the seriousness of the moment. And well, dissent has always been creative. Every generation has found its own language of protest and millennials agree.
"Gen Z kids are unhinged. They are detained, cops are shouting at them, and they are doing 'clock it'. Here we millennials are afraid..." comedian Raunaq Rajani said, praising the spirit of the younger generation.
The generation once dismissed as "chronically online" used those very online instincts to organise, document, amplify and build community. The generation accused of caring only about aesthetics brought creativity, humour and accessibility into a space often imagined as solemn. The generation labelled entitled spent hours cleaning public spaces, looking after strangers and showing up for one another.
And in true Gen Z lingo, maybe this was the plot twist no one saw coming.
Somewhere between all these videos and posts by millennials, a Gen Zer probably watched, smiled, and thought, "Kuchu puchu... we love you too." #PookieBehaviour.
