The Everyday Differences I've Realized As A Gen Z'er From Living With My Millennial Significant Other
Just as the great millennial vs. Gen Z debate of 2021 was starting to take off, I, a true 2000s-born Gen Z'er, started seeing a millennial who's 10 years older.
It was my first age gap relationship, so I didn't really know what to expect. But after living in the same space together, I realized how much of a cultural and social difference there was in that 10-year age gap.
While every relationship has differences between the partners, we probably have double the amount of a relationship with a smaller age gap. These are the differences that are especially prevalent in our day-to-day lives:
1.The apps we spend the most time on:
I spend roughly four hours on TikTok daily, while he has yet to even download the app.
2.Our alarm clocks:
In his defense, he now uses his smart watch as an alarm, and the alarm clock is only a "backup." But I honestly can't remember using an actual alarm clock after 2014.
3.Our most used emojis:
The crying laughing emoji has a strong hold over most millennials, unfortunately.
4.How we make coffee:
After years of grad school, he's definitely more the coffee connoisseur between us, but I value the convenience of pre-made coffee any day.
5.The milk we drink:
This is probably one of the bigger differences between us. He refuses to use anything but dairy milk, while I bounce between almond and soy milk for the sake of my stomach.
6.How we say "LOL":
Millennials have branded themselves with the crying laughing emoji and, well, we'll let you guys have that.
7.Our caffeine boosts of choice:
Honestly, this is solely because he drinks his coffee black and I can't stand anything without a lot of sweetener.
8.Our deodorants:
He doesn't really think twice about his body care routine (including, yes, the infamous 3-in-1 body wash), while I prefer my deodorant to smell good and have essential oils.
9.Our own styles:
Gives very much Wolf of Wall Street with Fight Club duo vibes.
10.Our overall idea of boots:
Both are outfit staples, tbh.
11.How we take selfies:
The high-angle selfie that millennials love is really just one step away from the suburban mom Facebook profile photo.
12.How we even drink water:
Since dating, I can definitely say that I am shifting to a more eco-friendly option of using the Brita too. And yes, we do wash it!
13.The fact that he still orders magazines:
I think the last magazine I bought was Popstar! Magazine's "Stars of 2007" copy.
14.Our bags of choice:
I feel like backpacks are literal back torture. No wonder everyone has lower back pain today.
15.How we watch TV:
He MUST have his news and weather channels to function, while I just learned how to turn on the cable box the other day.
16.And lastly, how we listen to music:
Fun fact: This iPod is the same age as I am.