The gap between Gen X and millennials goes beyond just years as it also involves different ways of living & seeing the world. While both generations have their own strengths, certain millennial habits rub Gen Xers the wrong way—but that doesn’t mean that they’re bad. Here are thirteen specific ways Gen Xers resent how millennials live. Whether it’s the way millennials handle their careers or their approach to technology, these differences often cause some frustration.
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Relying on Ride-Sharing Instead of Owning Cars
Millennials often choose ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft over owning their own cars because it’s far cheaper for them. But Gen Xers see getting a driver’s license & buying a car as a rite of passage into adulthood, so they find this hard to understand—especially since they value the independence that comes with owning a car. They don’t understand why anyone, especially millennials, would prefer to depend on apps instead.
Delaying Marriage and Parenthood
Lots of millennials postpone getting married & starting families because they’re so focused on personal growth and developing their careers. However, Gen Xers often married and had kids at a younger age, so they often see this delay as the younger generation avoiding responsibility. They might even believe that millennials are straying from traditional family values in favor of material things.
Preferring Plant-Based and Alternative Diets
The rise in veganism & alternative diets is much more common among millennials and they tend to choose plant-based options for health or environmental reasons. Gen Xers grew up with more traditional eating habits and may feel like millennials are judging them—or pressuring them to change. The older generation hates the suggestion that their choices are now outdated because of millennials.
Becoming Influencers or Having YouTube Careers
While Gen Xers may question the legitimacy or even the stability of being an influencer, millennials will happily pursue careers as one. They don’t see anything wrong with becoming a YouTuber and not following traditional education & career paths—but the older generation fears the lack of job security. Gen X struggles to see how success could come for younger people without them paying their dues in the workforce.
Turning to Crowdfunding for Personal Expenses
A lot of millennials use crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe when dealing with personal expenses—rather than handling money matters privately, they make public appeals online. Gen Xers don’t understand this approach because they were raised to handle financial issues independently or within their families. To them, millennials lean too much on others instead of taking full responsibility for their own financial challenges.
Managing Finances Digitally
Similarly, millennials use apps & online platforms for nearly all their financial needs, such as budgeting with apps like Mint & investing through Robinhood. They’ll handle banking on their phones—meanwhile, Gen Xers feel uneasy with relying so heavily on technology for important money matters. The older generation prefers traditional methods, such as meeting with financial advisors in person and receiving paper statements, because these methods are perceived as more secure.
Putting Work-Life Balance Ahead of Job Loyalty
Millennials value their work-life balance—sometimes even more than staying loyal to one employer—and they’ll happily switch jobs often if it means better hours & remote work options, or more vacation time. But Gen Xers grew up believing in sticking with one company and climbing the corporate ladder over time, so they resent this working attitude. Gen X believes it shows a lack of commitment and is a clear example of how flaky millennials are.
Expecting Quick Promotions and Constant Recognition
Likewise, most millennials enter the workforce expecting to move up quickly & receive regular praise, which they believe will happen within a short time. Gen Xers usually hate this idea because they spent years working their way up—to them, thinking progression arrives so easily is quite frustrating. It’s typical for older generations to believe that millennials want the rewards without putting in enough time and effort.
Preferring Open-Plan Offices Instead of Personal Spaces
Speaking of work, millennials like being able to interact freely with coworkers without walls, which is why they’re big supporters of using open-plan offices. That’s quite different from Gen X, who are used to having their own offices or private cubicles because they value privacy & quiet to focus on their work. The noise and lack of personal space in open offices are much too distracting—Gen X sometimes struggles to feel comfortable in this kind of workplace.
Moving Back Home After College
Millennials are often called the “boomerang generation” because so many of them move back in with their parents after college, which is mostly due to huge student loans & a tough job market. Living at home helps them save money, even though Gen Xers were eager to be independent & get their own place as soon as possible. From their perspective, millennials are too comfortable relying on family support instead of creating their own path.
Depending on Technology for Social Life
Many millennials rely on texting or social media to connect with friends & meet new people. They’d much rather send a quick message and interact online than call or meet people in person, even if it’s someone they really like. Gen X is quite different—they remember a time when face-to-face conversations and phone calls were the norm, so they see this digital dependence as impersonal.
Wanting Instant Responses Through Messaging Apps
Likewise, in the workplace and at home, millennials expect quick replies to their messages. They might send a question and look for an immediate answer, no matter if it’s outside regular hours, because they’re used to this happening. Gen Xers are more accustomed to emails or scheduled meetings, so they find such an expectation intrusive.
Bringing Pets into the Workplace
Some millennials love the idea of pet-friendly offices and they’ll bring their dogs or cats to work to make things more relaxed—they believe it reduces stress & improves morale. Yet some Gen Xers are uncomfortable with this trend since they think it shows a lack of professionalism. They believe in the idea that the workplace should remain a focused, pet-free zone to keep things working as they should.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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