Gen Z constructed identity by mocking rather than opposing elders

Evidence

One way they rebelled against their elders was by relentlessly mocking them. A favorite Gen Z phrase was “OK boomer”—shorthand for dismissing outdated, bigoted viewpoints. Gen Z skewered their immediate millennial predecessors for overusing the crying-laughing-face emoji and wearing no-show ankle socks. Millennials’ performative earnestness had become “cringe,” their kitschy taste “cheugy,” and their habit of waiting a beat before talking in TikTok videos derided as the “Millennial pause.” — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 663

Categorization

• CANDY: The ‘Millennial pause’ and ‘cheugy’ are light, easily-shared tidbits about generational friction.