Just like people from different countries and backgrounds will have different personalities, people from different generations have distinct personality traits, and social media has become obsessed with discerning the differences between them.
One influencer at @fishbowlapp on Instagram recently put together a skit of how she thinks the four primary generations would greet a new employee in the workplace, including Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zs.
As the unseen new hire enters the imagined office space, the first generation to appear is the Boomer, who is kind, supportive, and welcoming, but who also makes it clear that they will not be the one to assist the new hire in learning the ropes.
The Boomer states:
"Let me tell you something...I don't give a sh*t about this job. I am about to retire, though, and I am not about to lose this pension, so if you need anything, you see those people over there?"
"Those are the people you're going to ask for help. Not me."
Next up is the Gen Xer, who is more abrasive in their welcome and also warns the new hire to not be too "emotional" at work.
The Gen Xer explains:
"You're not the emotional type, right? Because I don't do well with those. I tend to criticize a lot, and I am very well-known for my gaslighting, which does make people a little nervous."
The Millennial appears next and is the most welcoming and supportive of them all, but their financial PTSD makes an ugly appearance for a moment.
The Millennial says:
"Did you know that financial PTSD is a real thing? I would know, I've lived through 16 different recessions."
"It's fine. I'm doing fine."
The last of the team to appear is the Gen Z employee, who is too busy making a TikTok to actually welcome their coworker.
The Gen Zer confides:
"My work title? Who cares about that? Keep this on the down-low, but I don't actually come here to work. I come here to vibe."
"Honestly, though, the vibes here have been kind of dead lately, so I may or may not quit. You wanna join?"
You can watch the video here:
As usual, particularly when the topic of different generations comes up, some viewers were annoyed by the skit.
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
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@fishbowlapp/Instagram
But most were laughing over how spot-on they found the impressions to be.
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
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@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
@fishbowlapp/Instagram
Though some were critical of the portrayals in the skit, most found the video to be incredibly funny.
More than likely for some, this was almost a cathartic experience, as it's no secret that working conditions are not what they used to be before the pandemic, if not in the past decade.
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