Tag: #GenZ

Essence of Old school love

Can we please switch to old school love, where physical proposals were a thing. Where proposals were not done over texts or phone calls. Where instead of staying busy on phones, people would look into each other’s eyes and converse. This Gen Z will never understand what it was like, what it felt like.

Lovely Couple Holding Hands and Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty-free) 1036502249 | Shutterstock

When I hear my parents or grandparents describe how they met and fell in love, I see a certain purity dictated by first meetings, holding hands, exchanging letters through common acquaintances, and fighting the world to be with each other. And when I consider how long they’ve been together and how they’ve stood by each other through good times and bad, it almost always puts a smile on my face. But, I also feel envious at times. The internet has ruined many of the elements that used to make love magical. I miss the way people used to talk and write about love. It’s now only seen in vintage black-and-white films, only in dusty, faded images of my grandparents. I no longer see old school love. In fact, I’ve experienced nothing like it yet.

The respect and dignity people had for each other was unmatched. Old school love was slow and patient, it was never rushed. They didn’t expect a kiss on their first date or even third date. They made every small brief moments count, like holding hands, writing handwritten letters, talking about life over long walks. Imagine, standing out of their corridor or street just for their one glance. That’s love. Imagine, waiting for the replies to your letters for a month. That’s love. Imagine watching sunsets at beaches over Netflix and chill at home. That’s love. I believe that love comes with all the embellishments like the conveying of things through the eyes, long walks which are taken while holding hands and always feeling like something is missing when your special someone is not around. Cute gestures like buying your partner chocolates when they have a bad day or taking them to your favourite spot in the city as a way to let them into your life go a long way in making special memories. Talking through a fight or a misunderstanding instead of breaking up and moving on to the next person gives love real strength.

However, it’s slightly difficult to survive in a world where the basic idea of love is now swiping right or left on a mobile app. The kind of love we see nowadays doesn’t seem like it’s a relationship between two peoples. It seems like it’s between them and their Instagram followers. These days, people date someone for like a week and brag about them on their Instagram, change their profile pictures. That isn’t love. Going out on dates, staying busy on your phones and clicking pictures just to post on these social medias, not to create memories. That isn’t love. I’m not saying that don’t go out on dates, but can’t you keep your phone aside and just listen to your partner, look at their glowing face when the moonlight falls on them. Enjoy the small moments and don’t miss out on this happiness.

The future parents.

What we know so far, Gen Zers are a diverse and open-minded generation who’ve grown up enjoying the benefits of social media at their fingertips. Yet, equally, they’re also a group associated with high levels of anxiety and an overwhelming pressure to project success, both online and off.

Now that older Gen Zers have started to enter the workforce and, generally speaking, more of them will begin having children a few milestones down the road, it’s interesting to think how this group will approach and redefine parenthood.

This has already built a generation of outspoken individuals, taking a stand on issues like LGBTQ rights, racial bias and inequality, and plenty of other issues. As parents, Gen Zers are likely to value empathy and teach their children tolerance and acceptance of others.

Gen Zers are also stereotyped for spending hours curating their lives on social media. While this may have negative associations with mental health, it could also have positive use cases for parenting.

In a study done by Collage Group, over 70 percent of Gen Z females without children felt FOMO regularly, but only 36 percent with children felt the same. It seems the presence of kids may actually reduce some of the negative impacts of social mediIn a study done by Collage Group, over 70 percent of Gen Z females without children felt FOMO regularly, but only 36 percent with children felt the same. It seems the presence of kids may actually reduce some of the negative impacts of social media.

In recent years, the teen suicide rate has increased drastically – over 70 percent among 10-17 year-olds. However, 37 percent of Gen Zers also reported seeking help from mental health professionals, which is significantly higher than millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers.

As parents, Gen Zers are likely to emphasize the importance of mental health. They’re expected to help their children deal with life stressors in a different way than their parents did for them.

Because of their own positive experiences with treatment and therapy, Gen Z parents will also be more likely to identify symptoms of mental illness and seek it for their children.

Gen Z’s awareness and approach to mental health can have a positive influence on their parenting by allowing them to be emotionally healthy and drivers of open communication. It can also help shape a future generation that will understand, accept, and seek to treat their own mental health issues.

The ongoing conversations about mental illness also offer a better understanding of the impact it can have on daily life. Gen Zers want the energy and ability to travel, have new adventures, and make great friends. Having a mental health issue can stifle that dream and they would rather deal with the issue and hopefully move forward from it than to let it stop them from what they desire.

Gen Z’s willingness to identify and address their mental wellness—even long before they have children—may only enhance their parenting. Young adults who seek treatment before having kids will have a greater chance at being emotionally healthy parents, says Compton.

Whether a parent is excited about a promotion or steaming from a fight with an in-law, even the youngest children are able to pick up on emotional ups and downs in the household. If a parent is able to speak openly—appropriately for the child’s developmental level—the child will learn to do the same. Children will no longer need to ‘fill in the blank’ about why Mommy or Daddy is so sad or mad. Or are present and then suddenly disappear.

Similarly, parents will have developed emotional regulation and be able to teach that to their children. Discussion of emotions will be normalized within the family. Children and teens will understand that all feelings are accepted and that it is perfectly normal to reach out for support. They will also be able to create and nurture deep authentic relationships with their children through honest conversations.