You probably think we’re lazy. That we have no direction, no discipline. That we’re addicted to our phones, chasing clout, and wasting time instead of chasing “real goals.” I’ve heard it all. But here’s my truth -I’m Gen Z, and I’m exhausted from being misunderstood.
Let me tell you what it’s like living in this generation. Because, honestly, we didn’t ask for this chaos – but we’re doing our best to navigate it.
Growing up, we were raised on stories of a life that no longer exists. Our parents had it hard, yes, but they had one thing we don’t – structure. A kind of certainty. You go to school, work hard, graduate, and boom – a job is waiting. You build a family. You buy land. You retire. That’s the narrative they were sold, and it kind of worked.
Now, they tell us the same thing like it still applies. But life has flipped on us.
You know what it feels like to walk into campus full of hope and leave with nothing but debt and depression? That’s our reality. Back in the day, there were just a handful of universities-Makerere, University of Nairobi. If you made it there, your future was almost guaranteed. These days, universities are everywhere. Count them along Thika Road alone. One after another, like billboards selling the same empty dream. The degree still costs the same, sometimes even more-but it guarantees nothing.
We’re competing with thousands of equally qualified people for jobs that don’t even exist. And when we say we’re tired, people call us soft. When we say we’re depressed, they say, “You just need to toughen up.”
They think depression is a weakness. For us, it’s a reality. It’s not some midlife crisis that hits at 50. It’s something many of us carry in campus, in silence. Sometimes, I’d be walking to class thinking about assignments, but deep down I’m just trying to survive another day. No one talks about how lonely it gets, how scary it is to look fine on the outside but feel like you’re drowning inside. Everyone back home thinks you’re making it. They don’t see the struggle. They don’t know you’re hanging on by a thread.
And don’t get me started on money. We say “chase the bag” because we know the truth-without money, life doesn’t wait for you. Some of us want to make our first million by 25. Do you think that’s just greed? It’s pressure. It’s fear. We’ve seen people waste their lives waiting for things to work out. We don’t want to wait. We want to live. We want to be free. And for most of us, that freedom begins with financial independence.
We were raised by parents who believed land and children were wealth. But the world has changed. Land is expensive. Children? Even more. Love? These days, love doesn’t pay rent. People ask why marriage isn’t a priority. It’s simple. We’re choosing healing first. We’re choosing to build ourselves before we build homes. Some say we’re selfish. I say we’re smart.
And the standards? Yes, they’ve changed. A broke relationship is a red flag, not because we’re materialistic, but because we know how expensive it is to survive. Relationships need more than just “vibes” now. We talk about money, ambition, therapy. We want more because we’ve seen what settling looks like. We’re not doing that to ourselves.
Even our childhoods were different. You’ll find a toddler these days unlocking smartphones, finding cartoons on YouTube faster than some adults. That’s the world we were born into – fast, loud, constantly moving. But with that came emotional gaps. Our parents were often present physically, but emotionally absent. Not by choice, maybe, but because they were busy providing, or just didn’t know how to connect with us in a digital world.
Boarding school at five. High school far from home. College even further. How can we not feel misunderstood when we barely spent time with our families? Some of us know our teachers better than our parents. And then they ask, “Why don’t you open up to us?” How do I open up to someone I haven’t really lived with?
Let’s talk about campus life. People romanticize it so much. They post the nice parts – parties, friendships, fun. But they don’t show the nights we spend crying, hungry, broke, or alone. There are students one bad day away from breaking, and no one would ever know. Because we’ve mastered the art of hiding pain behind filters and captions.
Then we graduate. And life hits harder.
You have the degree, the dreams, and the drive – but nothing happens. You apply. You network. You try to stay hopeful. But the system was never designed with us in mind. It’s broken, and somehow we’re still blamed for its failures.
But here’s the beautiful part – we’re still fighting.
We’re building our own spaces. Our own businesses. We’re turning trauma into podcasts, pain into poetry, stress into side hustles. We form friendships online. We create safe spaces that weren’t there for us growing up. We talk about mental health openly. We support one another without shame. We cry together in group chats. We send voice notes like therapy. We laugh, even when life doesn’t give us much to laugh about.
We don’t pretend. We don’t hide. And maybe that’s what scares the older generations – that we’re not ashamed of our truth.
Yes, we question traditions. Yes, we challenge culture. Yes, we want to do things differently. But it’s not because we hate where we came from. It’s because we see where we’re going -and we want better.
So before you label us as lost, ask yourself what kind of map we were given.
Before you call us entitled, remember we were told to dream big-then handed a broken ladder.
Before you say we “turned out fine,” ask if fine is really the standard.
We’re not broken. We’re evolving. And we’re not waiting to be understood. But if you do take the time to listen-really listen-you’ll realize we’re not the problem.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eugene Stephen Were Eugene is a content creator, videographer, photographer, editor, and director of photography with a strong focus on visual storytelling and digital engagement. He is currently pursuing a degree in Journalism and Digital Media at Murang’a University of Technology and is undertaking his internship at Switch Media Kenya. With a passion for culture, media, and impactful content, Eugene is dedicated to creating compelling narratives that inform, inspire, and connect audiences.
About the Author
