A 26-year-old publicist in the travel industry based in New York City, Juliana Olarte, has become a catalyst for discussions revolving around the ever-evolving landscape of generational identities.
Caught between her Generation Z sister and millennial peers, Olarte stated that she often finds herself in a generational limbo, seeking a sense of belonging in a rapidly changing world.
Describing the situation, Olarte said; “Sometimes my sister calls me ‘cheugy,’ which is Gen Z slang for something millennial that’s considered uncool or cringey. Millennials see me as Gen Z and Gen Z sees me as a young millennial.”
According to the Pew Research Center, millennials, also known as Generation Y, encompass individuals born between 1981 and 1996. On the other hand, Generation Z comprises those born from 1997 to 2012. But nestled within the blurred boundaries that separate these two cohorts, a micro-generation has emerged: the zillennials.
Defined as a small group of individuals born between the early 1990s and the early 2000s, zillennials find themselves at the intersection of Gen Z and millennials. This mash-up label of zillennial encapsulates their unique experiences and challenges.
A professor of sociology and director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science at Boston University, Deborah Carr, described the hardships faced by zillennials.
She said, “They were babies and children when 9/11 struck and don’t know life before heightened airport security and other frightening threats. They attended college during the pandemic and missed out on important social milestones.”
Although experts do not agree on a precise cutoff point for zillennials, members of this micro-generation can offer their own perspective on their identity.
Olarte shared her insights, highlighting the technological disparities that shaped her generation. “Gen Z grew up with a phone in their hand and with social media — they didn’t miss a beat,” she explained.
“We, as zillennials, had the iPod Touch to download music online and did YouTube-to-mp3 converters.”
These distinct experiences with technology serve as significant markers in defining generational boundaries.
Zillennials find themselves straddling the digital divide. They possess the tech-savviness of millennials, who pioneered the digital revolution, while also sharing similarities with Gen Z, the generation that has never known life without screens.
The founder of Zillennial Zine, an online platform dedicated to the micro-generation, 23-year-old Sabrina Grimaldi, emphasized this dichotomy.
“We’ve grown up with technology throughout our lives, but we’re not TikTok dancers like Gen Z, nor were we on MySpace like millennials,” she said.
Grimaldi’s website also resonates with zillennial interests, covering diverse topics such as fashion advice for Harry Styles and Taylor Swift concerts, cozy Nintendo Switch games, and TikTok-inspired recipes like the Utah dirty soda trend. For zillennials, these cultural references symbolize their shared experiences and tastes.
The existence of generational labels stems from shared life experiences and cultural touchstones. Critical events like World War II define the “Greatest Generation,” while the tumultuous 1960s characterize baby boomers.
Gen Z’s high school years were shaped by the pandemic, resulting in missed milestones such as prom and traditional graduations.
Meanwhile, a generations researcher and president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, a generational research firm, Jason Dorsey, explained that generational labels often stem from shared values and differences.
Zillennials tend to reject negative millennial stereotypes while distancing themselves from trends that feel too young. Millennials, too,
