8 Things Gen Z Sees As Privilege That Boomers & Gen X Just Call Everyday Life
Mikhail Nilov | PexelsOlder and younger generations have wildly different ideas of what luxury means. But there are also things Gen Z considers privileges that boomers and Gen Xers see as regular parts of everyday life.
Whether it's being able to live alone or having access to a backyard, even the most mundane things are now romanticized and glamorized by young people who are struggling to get by.
Everyday parts of life for boomers and Gen X that Gen Zers see as privileges
1. Owning a home and living alone
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Many Gen Zers are forced to live at home with their parents, and most can't even afford to live on their own without roommates. It's become a new normal to afford rising prices and extravagant rent costs.
For Gen Xers and boomers, living alone is part of their everyday life and a pillar of adulthood, but for young people, it's nothing short of a luxury. Even having a space to themselves feels like a stretch, without the kind of privacy that not having roommates would offer.
2. Having green space
Having backyards and access to green space at home is an underestimated part of our daily well-being. According to a 2020 study, just having a view of greenery from home can boost mental health.
For older generations who own homes or live in neighborhoods they could invest in early in life, these green spaces feel like a part of everyday life. However, there are also Gen Zers believing it's a luxury, fawning over a patch of turf in an apartment building.
We're prone to taking it for granted when we do have it, but for Gen Zers renting and struggling to even purchase homes, it's a privilege they don't always have.
3. Stay-at-home parents
For many older generations, the expectation was always that a stay-at-home parent was a part of the family structure. Many even had the financial comfort to send one person to the office, and to avoid childcare costs by keeping another parent at home.
It's a losing battle for young Gen Z parents today, though. Not only is childcare growing completely unaffordable, but even dual-income households can't seem to make ends meet. Yes, it's a privilege to have a stay-at-home parent and still live a comfortable life, but it's just as impressive to have both parents working.
4. Having a car
Most Gen Zers aren't even interested in getting their license anymore, largely because of financial barriers to owning and maintaining a vehicle. It's a privilege to have the freedom a car brings, even if it's driving to work every morning without having to worry about public transportation or other people's schedules.
It's the kind of stability and certainty that baby boomers and Gen X grew up expecting, but that young people are still coping with not always having, despite living adult lives.
5. Having a stable job
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Many Gen Zers are discouraged from following traditional life plans without having any of their promises come to fruition. Whether it was taking on insurmountable levels of debt from college or living paycheck-to-paycheck with multiple sources of income, they're frustrated.
In this economy, Gen Zers believe they need at least $200K annually to feel secure and comfortable in their lives. While older generations view stability in their jobs as a fact of life, young people are envious.
6. Annual vacations
Each generation has completely different expectations and ideas about vacations, including what they consider typical and what's more of a luxury. For Gen Zers, their weekends and days off are micro-vacations, where they indulge in the small luxuries of life.
But the normal vacations older generations take once a year, usually for longer periods of time, are unrealistic to young people. Yes, they're willing to take the time off work, but to have the money to spend on something that grandiose feels like a true luxury.
7. Having a washer and dryer at home
While many Gen Zers are living at home and using a parent's appliances, that doesn't mean they're not still appreciative of their privilege. When basic chores require leaving the house and going to a laundromat, having a washer and dryer at home becomes a complete luxury.
While it might be common for young people living in urban areas to have shared laundry rooms and machines, it's something that older generations with a disposable income to spend on convenience in their daily lives often couldn't imagine.
8. Outsourcing labor
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Whether it's hiring a babysitter or having a cleaning person come to the house, outsourcing labor is a privilege for young people. For Gen Zers who seriously value their personal lives and free time, they appreciate the value of outsourcing labor.
With rising costs, they've also become somewhat of a financial luxury, especially for young people already living paycheck-to-paycheck. To boomers and Gen Xers who have always been able to hire a babysitter or someone to mow their lawn without question, it's a surprising shift.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
