Gen Z are turning thirty…do they look it?
thirty years young(er)
As the eldest Gen Zers start turning 30, many have pointed out that they seem to look a lot younger than their parents did at the same age. Is it a real phenomena, or just a symptom of our youth-obsessed social media era?
Are Gen Z ageing slower than their parents did?
If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram the past few weeks, you may have noticed growing discussion around turning thirty and keeping up appearances.
Various posts are comparing young(ish) celebrities today to those of a similar age in the 1980s and 1990s, deliberately stoking debate as to whether Gen Z tend to look younger for longer. There’s an X account dedicated to showcasing 1980s footballers who looked several decades older at the time; over the past few years, publications have written think pieces on Gen Z’s supposed obsession with ageing and have analysed why people now appear as if they’re twentysomethings for several decades rather than one.
So, what’s going on? Have millennials and older Gen Zers somehow inherited super genes that grant them eternal youth? Is it something in the water? Did the pandemic shift our body clocks back a few years?
While those may all sound like tedious rhetorical questions, the actual answer is complicated.
Watch any film or TV show from the 1900s (apologies if that phrasing made you feel old, millennial readers) and it’s likely that the cast will be younger than you’d guess. Outfits, styles, cosmetic maintenance and overall standards were significantly different to what they are today. Throughout most of the twentieth century, formal wear was more common, heavy smoking was routine, and there was significantly less pressure to look ‘good’ if you were a man. There was no need to be Instagram ready back then, after all.
Gen Z appear to have a greater awareness of their own health and habits at a younger age than Gen Xers did too. They’re drinking less, going to the gym and exercising more, avoiding cigarettes, and focusing on nutrition in their early twenties and onward. Better health decisions from an earlier age tend to lead to an improved physique and a more youthful appearance, especially as far as our skin and facial features go.
Economic hardships and inaccessible housing markets also mean that Gen Z are far, far less likely to have things ‘figured out’ by thirty today compared to the noughties and decades prior. As we’ve analysed before, a majority of Gen Z buyers rely on generational wealth and help from mum and dad to get onto the property ladder. As a result, they don’t feel ready to have children and aren’t in a good enough position to commit to traditional, big life milestones in the way their parents were.
This delay in accepting responsibilities and commitments means that a sizable chunk of Gen Z and millennials are extending their ‘young’ adulthood by five to ten years, shifting their personal goalposts to the mid-30s or even later. Given all of our other existential threats like climate change, political polarisation and wobbling world stability, many are starting to question whether they should conform to an expected life path at all and instead simply live for themselves while they can.
The beauty and cosmetics industry is booming, with greater resources available to keep us looking fresher-faced well into our fifties. Anti-wrinkle creams, diverse makeup palettes and products, hair transplants, face lifts, and other procedures all help to keep the inevitable signs of age at bay, especially for celebrities; there’s a reason why barely any footballers appear to be losing their hair these days.
With all these different options available for looking young, is it possible that Gen Z has a problematic obsession with getting old? The anti-ageing market is estimated to be worth upwards of $50 billion USD, with that number only set to increase in the coming years. The rise of Ozempic has also reignited an infatuation with weight loss and being ‘skinny,’ making us all even more self-conscious and aware of our own bodies than ever before.
There seems to be a very real, intense dread toward getting older today that was nowhere near as fierce forty years ago. Bryan Johnson, the multi-millionaire who has created a personal brand based on ageing ‘in reverse,’ is perhaps one of the most notorious victims of our modern, youth-obsessed sensibilities. Many of us are scared to be thirty, of reaching ‘unc’ status, and ultimately being cast aside by a cultural landscape fixated on the romanticism of our twenties.
As Gen Z continues to grow older and gather more life experiences, they may start to view ageing differently. It’s a privilege that not all of us are given, and new perspectives can mould how we regard mortality in ways we wouldn’t have expected. As a writer who just turned thirty themselves, it’s not that scary…though I wouldn’t say no to a little extra cash for a facelift further down the line.
See also:
🌍 Gen Z around the Web
the latest stories in youth culture and changing trends…
Why Gen Z are logging off and embracing the ‘analogue’ (prospect magazine)
What happens when social media inevitably becomes flooded with AI slop and automated nonsense? It turns out that young people don’t like to be bombarded with unfulfilling content on a near constant basis, as more Gen Zers begin to log off and flock toward older forms of media. Think books, vinyls, DVD collections, magazines, the whole works. Perhaps we’re about to go full circle and fully embrace the old media of yesteryear. Read more
Gen Z’s battle of the sexes (wall street journal)
The Wall Street Journal has asked students about the divide between men and women on all sorts of issues, including dating, politics and personal identity. The answers given indicate some widespread, deep disparities in opinions that are pushing some men and women away from each other. With more of our culture now sunk into echo chambers, are we seeing more extreme, polarising opinions on either side of the spectrum? Read more
Over half of Gen Z depend on AI, yet one in five fear it will replace them (onrec)
As we all know by now, AI and its repercussions have entered the work place, whether we’re all okay with it or not. Gen Z are particularly open to the technology, embracing it into their workflows and creative processes…yet, despite all the upskilling, tons of us are cautious as to how it might affect our employment opportunities further down the line. Is there anything that can be done to avoid a potential unemployment disaster? Read more
Why Gen Z doesn’t love ‘Harry Potter’ (new york times)
Harry Potter might be falling out of favour with younger viewers. Despite the upcoming reboot, it’s well known that the wizarding world is mostly popular with millennials and less important to Gen Z. This is partly a result of childhood nostalgia for older folks, of course, but this article argues that J.K. Rowling’s novels reflect a naive liberal world view that has fallen out of favour with Gen Z. Read more
A ‘readiness paradox’ is crippling Gen Z in dating (fortune)
Gen Z are struggling with dating. As social media pressure, apps, and widespread loneliness cause issues, an increasing number of young people are saying that they don’t ‘feel ready’ for a relationship despite yearning to fall in love and find companionship. This phenomenon is known as a ‘self-reinforcing cycle’ where an individual may feel anxious about being alone, crave new relationships, believe they’re not good enough yet, and start all over again. Relatable, anyone? Read more
📚 Substack’ed picks of the Week
Our top Gen Z substack posts from the past seven days…
It is urgent and imperative that we all exit Instagram (how to have fun in the apocalypse)
As mentioned earlier in this newsletter, Gen Z seems to be steadily shifting away from social media in favour of more tangible, real world experiences and ideas. This piece by @youngzokeziah reinforces this trend, urging more of us to ditch Instagram entirely. They argue that it obliterates our attention spans and can leave us in a dopamine haze. There is a content roadmap toward the end of the piece too, should you want to check out future pieces. Read more
We are amusing ourselves to death (i remember)
Similar to the previous piece, this article explores our relationship with screens and media over the twentieth century, providing various insights from legendary authors on the nature of modern consumption. @lauragutierrezg analyzes their own experiences and considers how a lack of true boredom has impacted their creativity. Maybe all these screens aren’t so good for us, after all. Read more
Nostalgia is not a place to live (hope and ivory)
Substack is a fantastic place for intimate, personal work that can hit hard. This piece on grief, nostalgia and the loss of childhood by @hopeandivory examines the emotional toll that growing up can have on us, particularly when we’re hit with tragedy. Anyone who’s lost a loved one will feel this one in their soul, though fair warning; it doesn’t make for particularly upbeat reading! Read more
That’s all for this week! Make sure to subscribe for the latest on Gen Z and youth culture, and check out The Common Thred for a weekly roundup of the latest news, trends and thought pieces.
absolutely loved reading this, what an interesting topic! and i feel incredibly honoured to be mentioned, thank you so much for referencing my piece here:)