Gen Z vs Millennials: Who's Really More Burned Out?

Gen Z vs. Millennials: Who's Actually More Burned Out? (Spoiler: It's Rough Out Here)

Let’s be real—everyone is tired. The vibes are off, the inbox is full, and our brains feel like browser tabs that never stop loading. But when it comes to burnout, which generation’s actually feeling the heat more: millennials or Gen Z?

According to recent stats, it's Gen Z that’s waving the white flag faster—and louder. And honestly, it’s not even close. From student loans to scroll-induced anxiety, Gen Z is facing next-level stress. So, what’s really frying our circuits? Let's unpack the burnout wars.

💸 Financial Hell: More Debt, Less Stability

Both Gen Z and millennials are out here worrying about money. But Gen Z? We were basically born into the chaos.

• College costs? Higher than ever.
• Job market? Soft as a day-old pancake.
• Cost of living? Through the roof.

Millennials might have been the OG victims of late capitalism, but Gen Z entered the game with inflation, a housing crisis, and wages that haven’t caught up since Y2K. We’re expected to "grind for success" while affording rent, therapy, oat milk, and our $80 co-pay. It’s not adding up.

📱 Social Media: The Highlight Reel Spiral

Social media isn’t just a cute place for memes and thirst traps anymore. For Gen Z, it’s a full-blown stress minefield.

• Everyone looks successful AF (thanks, LinkedIn flexers).
• The pressure to brand yourself is 24/7.
• “Rest” still needs to be aesthetic.

Millennials grew up with the internet. Gen Z was raised by it. We’re digitally fluent, sure, but also digitally drained. Being plugged in all the time means we never really turn off—and it’s showing.

🏢 Work Culture: Wanting More, Getting Less

Gen Z wants meaningful work. Purpose. Growth. A life that doesn’t revolve around email. But instead, we walked into a work culture that feels straight-up boomer-coded.

Millennials at least helped push workplace change (remote work, mental health days, flex hours). Gen Z’s picking up that baton—but we're also met with:

• “You’re too entitled.”
• “Back in my day, we just worked harder.”
• No actual systems that support wellness.

Our generation asks for boundaries and gets backlash. And then wonders why we’re exhausted by 23.

🕰️ The Always-On Effect: Remote Work, Real Chaos

When remote work hit during the pandemic, it sounded like a dream. No commute, leggings all day, more freedom. But for Gen Z entering the workforce? It turned into the never-off grind.

• Work laptop = same as Netflix laptop.
• Bedroom = also the office = also your breakdown space.
• “Just one more Slack message” = 3AM spirals.

Boundaries? What boundaries?

📊 The Data Is Screaming: Gen Z Is Cooked

Let’s talk numbers. A 2025 survey from Talker Research found:

• 51% of Gen Z and millennials say they feel overwhelmed daily.
• Gen X and boomers? Only 37% report the same.
• Some studies say up to 98% of Gen Z workers show signs of burnout. Yep, you read that right—ninety-eight percent. That’s not a red flag, that’s a full-blown siren.

😤 Gen Z Burnout Hits Different

Millennials are still dealing with burnout, no doubt. They’ve got student loans, career pressure, and the whole “you should own a home by now” energy hanging over them.

But they’ve also got something Gen Z is still working toward: experience, power, and a bit more wiggle room.

Gen Z? We’re clocking out mentally by 25. We’re exhausted before we even hit mid-career. We’re normalizing burnout memes, but behind the jokes is something really real.

🧘‍♀️ Here's the Twist: Gen Z Talks About It

Here’s where we low-key win.

Gen Z might be the most burned out, but we’re also the most open. We talk about mental health. We question hustle culture. We’re loud about wanting change—and that’s powerful.

We're not pretending we're fine. We're starting Slack convos about burnout. We're saying "no" more. And honestly? That could shift workplace culture for good.

🧠 What Now?

Burnout isn't going anywhere unless we fix the systems causing it—work, school, capitalism, the whole broken shebang. But Gen Z isn’t waiting for permission to make noise. We’re redefining productivity, protecting our peace, and choosing soft life energy over soul-sucking grind culture.

Millennials crawled so we could scroll, then crash, then ask “Why the hell is this normal?”

Answer: It’s not. And we’re not gonna act like it is.

Stay grounded, stay loud, and keep fighting burnout with Woke Waves Magazine—where mental health meets the Gen Z movement.

#GenZBurnout #MillennialStress #WorkCultureShift #MentalHealthAwareness #WokeWavesWellness

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