Today, Generation MZ (Gen MZ) is gaining widespread attention from the media and society. If you search Gen MZ on major news sites such as JoongAng Ilbo, you may find thousands of articles, showing society’s current obsession with Gen MZ.
Gen MZ includes the Millennials from the early 1980s to the early 2000s and Generation Z from the mid- 1990s to the early 2010s. As of 2023, Gen MZ is defined as people aged between the early 20s to the 40s, including freshmen to professors. Hence, critics state that defining a generation too broadly leads to confusion and that the term “Gen MZ” is only limited to Korea. Meanwhile, the media defines their characteristics as being familiar with social media and digital devices, preferring a flat organizational structure at work, and consuming products based on personal beliefs. Gen MZ is nowadays recognized as the younger generation, and research across various fields continues to explore their traits to understand their needs.
However, as a member of Gen MZ, I strongly doubt whether the term “Gen MZ” genuinely helps people understand the generation and if it brings harmony between the generations. The word is used not as a tool to analyze a generational trend but as a weapon to generalize the group and strengthen prejudice. In media, Gen MZ are often portrayed as lacking responsibility and loyalty and are people who refuse to follow workplace etiquette. A classic example is the “MZ Office,” a section of Saturday Night Live Korea of Coupang Play, where Gen MZ characters are illustrated as unprofessional and painfully ignorant of company traditions. While I enjoyed the strong plot of the show, I kept feeling a sense of discontent, disrupted by the way this show portrayed my generation as a selfish, impatient group of people who are disrespectful toward their coworkers.
Another problem is that since Gen MZ includes a wide range of ages, assuming a generation based on certain characteristics may lead to overgeneralization. Furthermore, such misuse of satire in the media may form a prejudice against a generation, neglect the diversity of the youth, and eventually stir up generational conflict. Of course, some might argue that humor is built on satire and that there is nothing wrong with using it for entertainment. However, satire has a significant impact when it is directed at powerful figures with high social status to alleviate the sense of deprivation of minority groups, not when it is thrown toward inexperienced college students who are just stepping into a harsh society. Indeed, most people would agree that mocking Gen MZ does not lead to any significant structural reform in society.
Prejudice against a generation not only erases the individuality of the diversity of people within that generation but also amplifies intergenerational biases and conflicts. Thus, rather than abusing the generational theory to mock the youth, sincerely communicating with them would be a much more modern approach.
