Everyone has an opinion about Gen Z, and the guys aren’t spared from the stereotypes. So, “GQ” went straight to the source - Gen Z college guys - and asked them what they think is the biggest thing everyone gets wrong about their generation. Here’s what they had to say.
- On group texts and friendship: “Most of my group texts died down.... Group texts always lead to separate group chats. It kind of hurts if you’re the one not in the other group chat.”
- On the supposed decline of partying: “We’re seeing the use of screens and different kinds of socialization. It’s no longer needed for you to go to a house, say, a housewarming or a mixer, to meet new people. You can do that online.”
- On self-expression: “We’re allowed to cry, we’re allowed to express, because it is not good to keep that emotion built up inside of us.”
- On curating an online persona: “I’m not photogenic. I really don’t care if I have my presence known. I just be staying out the way.”
- On the biggest misconceptions about his generation: “Some would say that Gen Z is fragile and flaky. In reality, we have had to hard reset—as hard, if not harder, than other recent generations. People misunderstand our sense of responsibility—built through a global pandemic, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and the increasing fears of unsustainability in world economies.”
- On the biggest misconception about his generation: “The biggest misconception in my mind is that we’re not hardworking. Men my age really are more hardworking. It’s just on stuff that’s not necessarily seen on the surface.”
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