Generation Z (aka Gen Z) comprises those who were born between 1997 and 2012. They’re known for communicating via social media platforms more than in person, and getting anxiety about making phone calls. They’re also far more open to diverse perspectives and lifestyles than many previous generations, and incredibly tech-savvy. That said, their dependence on technology, paired with missing out on a wide range of pursuits, seems to have made them the most bored generation in history. So what contributes to this boredom? The traits and habits listed below may hold some of the answers.
1. The shortest attention spans ever known.
Gen Z are known for their rampant use of the “TL;DR” abbreviation: it stands for “too long; didn’t read”, and perfectly illustrates their impatience as well as their shortened attention span. In fact, UX designers are taught that, unlike Millennials’ 12-second attention span, Gen Z’s hovers around 8 seconds: that’s how long web designers have to capture and hold a potential Gen Z consumer’s interest so they’ll buy what’s on offer.
It’s no wonder that they find it so hard to be patient in this increasingly impatient world. This is the generation that grew up on social media. They scan written snippets briefly for relevant info and dismiss what doesn’t serve them immediately, rather than taking the time to discern subtext or nuance. Or they won’t bother to read at all: many prefer to watch video shorts for information and entertainment, and move along as soon as the latest dopamine hit wears off.
2. Expectation of instant gratification.
Unlike their predecessors, who worked with technology while balancing that out with time spent in nature, doing hobbies, etc., Gen Z grew up online. They’ve never known what it was like to use a landline or public phone, or to look things up at a library instead of typing their query into a search engine. As a result, they’re used to getting things almost immediately — whether that’s answers or entertainment.
Psychology Today warns us that instant gratification can lead to less-than-ideal choices. This is because healthier, more rewarding things often require time and dedication to achieve or make, in contrast to quick and easy fixes. For example, it takes longer to make chicken soup from scratch than it does to pour boiling water into an instant noodle cup. Similarly, people aren’t going to get fitness results instantly, and many quickly give up on exercise goals because they don’t get immediate gratification from minimal effort.
3. Constant guidance has destroyed their creativity.
I don’t know about you, but I loved playing with Lego when I was a kid. Those of us who were truly fortunate received big boxes of various pieces for Christmas or birthdays, and we’d spend hours creating everything imaginable with them. This kind of play sparked creativity and set the stage for life. But I haven’t seen anyone get creative with Lego for over 20 years now: it mostly comes in themed sets with instructions on how to build X thing, instead of promoting imaginative play.
With the exception of a small percentage who have taken up artistic pursuits, most Gen Z people don’t really have hobbies. Instead of creating art, inventing new things, or doing crafts, they amuse themselves by scrolling on screens for hours a day. This is also reflected in the media that’s marketed to them: we have countless Spider-Man remakes because Gen Z thrives on sameness rather than innovation.
4. They’re perpetually overstimulated.
What many Gen Z people may consider to be “burnout” might actually be dopamine burnout. The constant overstimulation of their dopamine receptors due to non-stop visual and auditory stimuli has likely put them in a position where they feel permanently despondent and dissatisfied with everything around them. Quite simply, nothing feels fun anymore because they’re no longer capable of feeling “fun”.
Those of us who grew up in a pre-Internet world experienced a wide range of highs and lows depending on the activities in which we partook. We might feel euphoria when attending an amazing concert, or a shivery thrill when someone we liked turned out to like us back, but we didn’t experience those roller coasters dozens of times a day. Gen Z has numbed out from hyperstimulation and are “bored” because the only things they can still feel are anxiety, anger, frenzied emotional overload, and ennui.
5. Desensitization.
This is another thing that happens when one is overstimulated, particularly when it comes to stressful or upsetting subject matter. Gen Z has grown up with a startling number of awful global events. I mean, that generation began the year Princess Diana died, and there have been nonstop conflicts, climate disasters, and major problems ever since.
All of which has been documented and broadcast on the social media that they spend their days scrolling through.
The result of this onslaught of darkness and doom is that many Gen Z people have become emotionally numb and desensitized to awful images. They see death and destruction every day, so seeing these things has become old hat rather than anything to be worked up about. That which would have traumatized people a few generations ago elicits little more than a shrug and a “meh” as they sip their oat milk matcha lattes and move along, not caring.
6. Choice paralysis.
In addition to having more toys when they were children than previous generations, Gen Z has also had far more choice regarding everything from career paths to personal identity. For example, when my generation was looking into college options, there weren’t degrees in Puppet Studies or Sci-Fi and Fantasy literature for us to consider. Then again, we didn’t have the shadow of imminent global collapse hanging over us either.
Cleveland Clinic tells us this can lead to choice or decision paralysis, in which the sheer number of options available makes decision-making nearly impossible. Furthermore, if and when they do make a decision and pursue a particular path, they may second-guess themselves or lose interest easily because the grass seems greener on another path that they could potentially choose. This leads to many Gen Z people trying out multiple degree subjects or careers to see which they like best, rather than deep-diving into their chosen field.
7. Most of their life challenges have been theoretical.
Gen Z is apparently the most anxious generation in history, and scientists theorize that this is because they’ve had little to no exposure to real risk or conflict. They’ve been wrapped in silks and raised without any danger or challenges, unlike their predecessors. Few have ever broken a bone, gotten a splinter on a playground, played dodgeball, or negotiated risky outdoor areas; instead, emphasis has been placed on them “staying safe” by any means necessary, with safe spaces and trigger warnings around every corner lest they encounter a potential discomfort.
This has resulted in hypersensitivity about all the things that could potentially hurt them, while having zero coping mechanisms for anything that does unnerve or upset them. Every challenging situation becomes a “trauma”, and they’re perpetually seeking comfort and security. The problem with continually seeking safety is that nothing grows in the comfort zones they’re desperate to maintain. They can only play the same games and color the same books so many times before they get horribly bored, but they’re too anxious to step outside that zone to expand their personal life experience.
8. A lessened sense of purpose.
Another side to the doom and gloom that has permeated Gen Z life since day one is the fact that most of them don’t see the point of doing much at all. They have little in the way of life purpose. They’re simply maintaining their existence day by day instead of striving towards anything; amusing themselves in the moment because they don’t know what horrors they’ll encounter tomorrow.
Quite frankly, they’re bored because they have nothing to do that actually fulfills them. Why cultivate a garden that’s going to be destroyed by climate change? Why pursue a degree in a subject that interests them when potential careers will all be replaced by AI bots?
If there’s nothing to be achieved by their pursuits, then of course it’s going to be easier to just sit back and watch YouTube all day.
Final thoughts…
In many ways, Gen Z’s struggles are both more and less intense than those of previous generations. They’re facing serious global upheaval the likes of which their ancestors haven’t had to deal with for several thousands of years, while simultaneously watching celebrities take brief jaunts into space “just for fun”.
It’s unsurprising that they’re feeling lost and confused about where to go from here, and what they construe as boredom may simply be them trying to figure out how to live in an unstable, uncertain world that’s offering them everything and nothing, all at once.
