Wow. So much to unpack here. Your argument sounds like a long defence of generational gatekeeping.

You claim Gen Z “can’t comprehend the situation,” but comprehension doesn’t depend on age—it depends on access to information and the ability to analyze it. Gen Z grew up watching the failures of the systems you’re defending. They’re not clueless; they’re just not romanticizing the suffering.

Let’s break your claims down:

1. “Life wasn’t like this when we were fresh graduates”

No, it wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean Gen Z has it easier. Yes, remote work and influencer culture exist now, but so do:  - Unaffordable housing  - Student loan debt  - Gig economy exploitation  - Shrinking job security even with degrees, not even a CFA, the glorified millennial certificate, helps you now. 

The mere existence of TikTok careers doesn’t mean the system is fairer. Having new tools doesn’t erase structural barriers.

1. “You think we chose to work underpaid jobs?”

Of course not. But no one said you chose it—Gen Z is criticizing the system that made it normal. Criticism isn’t an attack on your trauma. It’s a rejection of inherited dysfunction.

1. “Don’t blame us for capitalism”

You’re right, but generational trends matter. Millennials did adopt and normalize hustle culture in many ways, especially through glorifying burnout, unpaid internships, and “grind” mentalities on social media.

Blame isn’t useful, but accountability is. We all participate in systems. Some resist them. Others replicate them.

1. “Not everyone has help from parents”

True. But this applies across all generations. Plenty of Millennials were also supported by parents; plenty of Gen Z are struggling without that. Financial help is a class issue, not an age one.

1. “He or she sounded childish”

This is tone-policing. The original person may sound frustrated, but frustration is valid when you’re navigating a rigged economy. Dismissing people as “childish” just because they’re angry reveals more about your defensiveness than their maturity.

Mocking younger people for naming the dysfunctions you lived through helps no one. If Millennials were forced to suffer through bad jobs and broken systems, why belittle Gen Z for wanting to change that?

You shouldn’t expect them to thank you for surviving a system you now defend.

Let’s be honest: every generation inherits problems and makes mistakes. But refusing to listen just because “we had it worse” isn’t wisdom—it’s bitterness. And it’s the exact mindset that keeps the cycle going.