“Don’t Let Social Media Convince You That Every Decision Is Permanent”: Millennials Are Sharing The Life Advice Gen Z Needs To Hear
by Becca Monaghan · BuzzFeedThe internet loves to pit Millennials and Gen Z against each other, but this conversation proves they might have more in common than they think.
When Brave_Budget_4801 asked r/AskMen what advice they’d give Gen Z, commenters didn’t hold back – sharing the lessons they learned the hard way and the reminders they wish they’d heard earlier...
1. "Don't go above and beyond for any employer, even the ones you like."
"Take your breaks, work your eight hours and not a minute more. Take your PTO."
2. "Yes, the economy and political environment sucks a lot, but having a constant doomer mentality is not healthy."
"There are many ways to have some cautious optimism about yourself (don’t get bogged down too much thinking about the world; you can’t control it much)."
3. "Confidence is a superpower today."
"It’s very obvious when it’s faked too hard, but if you’re calm and unafraid to ask for what you want or speak your mind with conviction, people tend to follow your lead. Half of that is having conviction that your thoughts and actions are good and just, which involves honest self-reflection."
– LorHus
4. "Not every decision is permanent."
"Don't let social media convince you that every decision is permanent. Most careers and life plans take a few wrong turns before they work out."
5. "Don't interact too much with AI, it's not your friend."
"It might be that you need some skills with it for your education or whatnot, but do not blindly trust what it tells you."
"(Boomers should also be told this more)."
– Bokuja
6. "When you get up from a table, desk, etc. Please push your chair back in."
– iggster_
7. "Stop saying 6 7. It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."
– asldf34
8. "Build that credit."
"Just start the journey now and accept that it's going to play a huge part in your life. It's easy enough to build, and I started way late in life, in my 30s."
9. "Stop recording each other all the time. Let your friends act dumb without immortalizing it."
10. "Get over yourself and your hangups as quickly as possible."
"The world at large is typically, eventually unkind to people who think the world revolves around them and those who can't get over mental humps and actually be independent adults. And get the fuck off (most) social media."
11. "Put your phone down and go talk to people in real life."
"It will solve so many of your problems, you have no idea."
12. "If you're entering college, do whatever it takes to work/intern (related to your degree) and study at the same time."
"Most will waste four years partying and doing dogshit. Meanwhile, you will have had a couple of years of work experience on your resume. Even better, you might graduate with a job already secured. I followed this path and have never regretted it. I have younger cousins who have just graduated and cannot find jobs. It is very easy to blame the current economic situation, but for years I told them to get internships or jobs during and/or between semesters."
13. "Social media is largely toxic brainrot. Do not let it define your worldview."
14. "Brush up your reading skills. High school leaves you in a deficit."
– funny9uy
15. "Find hobbies you truly enjoy, and try not to make every single one a side hustle."
"You don’t want to burn out your interests. Yes, you can make good money, but you need something to decompress."
– ABucs260
16. "No one cares. If you want to make your way in the world, it’s down to you."
"Yes, you have a support group, but politicians, influencers, businesses, etc don’t give two shits about you and either just want your vote or your money."
17. "Eat well, sleep well, take walks often, put your phone in another room at night, try to save 10% of your paycheck."
"Don't measure your life on what you haven't accomplished. It's never too late to make a change for the better."
18. "Develop a sense of information literacy; ask 'is this true?' 'Can I verify this?' 'Who benefits from me believing and acting on this?'"
– ThePeake
What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d heard sooner? Share yours in the comments below.
H/T to Brave_Budget_4801 and the r/AskMen community for starting the conversation!
Additional photo credit: FilippoBacci/iStock