11 Mind-Blowing Reasons Gen Z Is Too Tired for This Crap — And You Won’t Believe #7!
Added on February 10, 2026 inASTROLOGY CARDS
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Ever wonder if Gen Z’s exhaustion is written in the stars? Born between 1997 and 2010, these digital dynamos are grappling with challenges that would make even a Capricorn shudder—and yet, they keep pushing forward with a grin that often masks how drained they truly are. From skyrocketing housing costs to juggling work-life chaos, the security blanket that once soothed previous generations now feels more like a tattered quilt. And no, it’s not just about endless screen time or memes gone viral; Gen Z is battling financial tightropes, broken job markets, and the sniffy skepticism of older generations who just don’t get it. But here’s the twist—despite it all, these young warriors are reshaping the world with fierce determination and unexpected grace. Curious what exactly is wearing them down? Spoiler alert: it’s not just saving money or finding a decent job. Ready to dive into the 11 exhausting truths that Gen Z is currently living? LEARN MORE.
From housing market shifts to societal pressures on young adults, Gen Zers (born between 1997 and 2010) are struggling to find the security that many generations before them found at their age. Juggling many more stressors than older generations, they’re forced to compromise what they expected their lives might look like, make compromises no generation has before, and still keep a good attitude. It’s no surprise, then, that Gen Z has already reached the stage of life where they are exhausted.
While they’ve certainly proven themselves as the digitally-savvy trailblazer generation, there are certain things Gen Z people are tired of. These are things their parents and grandparents didn’t have to worry about at this age, so their parents and grandparents often don’t know how to help. Worse, sometimes Gen X and boomers wrongly judge them for it. In truth, despite the fact that Gen Z has reached the stage of being simply exhausted, they are pushing forward, working hard, and making powerful changes in their world.
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A report from Pew Research Center argues that Gen Z is struggling financially at higher rates than older generations at the same age, battling student loan debt, rising costs, and inaccessible housing options. Despite being more educated and working earlier in life than their parents and grandparents, they’re reportedly worse off financially — with a disproportionate number of Gen Z adults still living with their parents.
Living paycheck-to-paycheck with entry-level and intermediate jobs, they’re not just struggling to pay rent, afford their monthly student loan payments, and buy groceries, they’re also falling behind in growing emergency fund accounts, savings, and contributions to retirement and investment funds compared to older peers.
According to a report in Frontiers in Psychology even found that this financial struggle affects people’s emotional well-being and mental health, feeding into a toxic cycle of isolation and constant money anxiety that impacts every part of their daily lives.
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Despite being generally more educated, with internships, college degrees, and practical specialized experience than their older peers, Gen Z still struggles to establish themselves in adulthood. While some older generations may say this is their fault, Gen Z is faced with stereotypes about their work ethic and maturity.
According to a survey, 1 in 6 companies are hesitant to hire these young people. The survey suggests the following: “Nearly two-thirds (65%) of hiring managers surveyed believe that recent college graduates are entitled, and 63% think they get offended too easily. Additionally, more than half (55%) believe they lack a work ethic, and 54% say they don’t respond well to feedback.”
In reality, Gen Z adults are just as capable as other generations, but they are faced with such negative assumptions, it’s like fighting an uphill battle for respect and even opportunities.
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Of course, it’s not just misguided labels of “laziness” that are contributing to Gen Z’s massive unemployment rates, according to Newsweek reports. It’s also the tumultuous nature and competitiveness of the current job market. From AI advancements, to new Gen Z workplace expectations, and hiring slowdowns across industries, they’re struggling to find any job, let alone one that provides security, safety, growth opportunities, and comfort.
Many young Gen Z graduates are even finding it difficult to land a “filler job” like service or retail work, as many people are forced to take on second and third jobs just to pay their bills and make a living. This competitiveness, along with the desperation that’s currently fueling the job market, is exhausting for younger workers trying to land their first job or find their place in this massive corporate institution.
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While older Gen Zers name financial security and cost of living as their biggest concern, according to school psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge, 60% of the members of Gen Z report longing for a time when people weren’t so plugged-in all the time.
This may surprise older generations, but it shouldn’t. Think of their shifts to online learning, the dramatic rise in cell phone dependence, and harmful consequences to social media usage that younger Gen Zers are experiencing more frequently. No wonder they’re finding it impossible to strike the right balance.
You can also imagine that the fights they had with their parents over screen time when they were young (and for the younger members of the generation, it’s likely still going on) may have created a sense of shame for many Gen Zers when they are using social media or gaming. One research firm determined that parents spend a whopping 96 hours each year simply fighting with their kids over screen time.
When their social connections, work, and education are all intrinsically tied to technology, it can feel impossible to find balance and to manage the stress and shame associated with screen time.
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According to an American Psychological Association survey, Gen Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than older generations. This is not just because of negative technological outcomes, the rising rate of national events at schools like Parkland in schools, or the effects of isolation during 2020 and 2021, years they were most likely in middle or high school.
“Current events are clearly stressful for everyone in the country, but young people are really feeling the impact of issues in the news, particularly those issues that may feel beyond their control,” says Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer.
There may also be more reports of mental health concerns with Gen Z due to resources and information about disorders being online and accessible like never before. Because of that confluence, it can be hard to know whether Gen Z is actually struggling more, emotionally, or whether they’re simply better at asking for help. But both can be true at the same time, and the answer likely lies there.
Coupled with financial and social stressors, pandemic-related consequences, and shifts in family dynamics, Gen Z is overwhelmed by many more concerns than older generations were forced to juggle at the same age, and they’re burning out quickly.
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As cost of living increases and inflation continues to grow untethered, the presence of affordable and accessible community spaces — coined “third places” — has sharply decreased. Even millennials on the cusp of generations experienced this shift, unable to meet new friends and connect with other people outside the house purely because of financial, social, and other unfavorable barriers.
Considering they’re cultivating the majority of their communities and friendships online, Gen Zers are unable to extend these relationships to in-person settings, as coffee shop prices rise, public parks start charging admission fees, and social events like concerts and book clubs become economic luxuries. This lack of in-person community and social interaction feeds into the cycle of loneliness and isolation that many Gen Zers are struggling to break free from.
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A recent Gallup survey revealed that many Gen Z kids and adults struggle with pressures to “be perfect” in their daily lives, with a particular emphasis on young women and girls. Worse, they struggle communicating this stress, according to Gallup, because their parents and other elders, don’t truly listen.
Nearly one-third of Gen Zers struggle with this perfectionism, according to the survey, especially without the support or communication from their inner circles and families that are equally burnt out by challenging economic conditions and changing societal expectations.
Sparking feelings of anxiety and inadequacy as they navigate their lives, many are feeling burnt out trying to juggle their financial struggles, career aspirations, and personal development under the watchful eye of parental and societal “perfectionist” expectations. This is especially exhausting when these same adults were often helicopter parents, leaving Gen Z lacking some serious life skills that could help them through hard times.
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A Mental Health Foundation report on body image found that many Gen Zers are feeling anxious about societal pressures to maintain a certain appearance and staying up-to-date on changing beauty standards. Especially with growing accessibility to social media, consumerism on apps driven by influencers, and workplace standards for “business casual” clothing, they’re feeling exhausted keeping up.
Especially with their current financial struggles, Gen Zers often aren’t able to afford purchasing new clothes to conform with traditional workplace dress expectations; instead, they’re subjected to the judgment and opportunity consequences that come with breaking the norm.
While there are harmful consequences to not conforming to traditional dress expectations in the workplace, Gen Zers have been able to spark a shift in professionalism ideals in many companies and industries, blending their commitment to work-life balance with their office wear.
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In addition to frustration over work-life balance and traditional working hours, the majority of frontline Gen Z workers — nearly 83%, according to a 2024 UKG survey — are experiencing burnout and exhaustion in their jobs. Of course, it’s not just the hourly requirements that are frustrating for these younger workers, but the stagnant wages and job insecurity they’re forced to battle.
While their parents could save for a home, build their financial lives, and invest into retirement funds with their first few jobs in adulthood, Gen Zers are consistently left behind — forced to work long hours, burn themselves out, and sacrifice their personal time just to afford necessities and pay their basic bills. Worse, Gen X and Boomer employers often see Gen Z as almost robot-like in their energy and have endless expectations for their time.
Gen Z, then, struggles to set boundaries because keeping their job is so important in today’s economic climate. No wonder they’re exhausted!
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Watching the morning or evening news has never been easy. After all, everyday happy wonderful things rarely draw people’s attention. But for Gen Z, the news is on all the time, everywhere they go. According to a report from Unicef, 60% of Gen Zers report being overwhelmed by the seemingly endless global crises reported on the news.
They say the news footage sent back to the USA during the Vietnam War is what turned the tide of support against that endless conflict. Suddenly, people couldn’t detach from what their tax dollars were supporting. Since then, images and information about what’s happening in our world have become so accessible, they’re impossible to escape.
In ways, this is a good thing. Gen Z is profoundly aware of what is happening to people well beyond their own schools, towns and even countries. But it can be hard for them to detach from what they’re seeing, since it is inescapable. For Gen Z, reaching the stage where they are overwhelmed and exhausted by what’s happening in the news is happening early and affecting them deeply.
Fortunately, according to Amnesty International, Gen Zers across the globe continue to stand up for what they believe. They attend protests, they organize against threats to their communities, and even put their lives on the line to stand up for what’s right, reports the global human rights organization. So while Gen Z has reached the stage of exhaustion with news and politics, they remain undaunted, and that is something to admire.
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While they’ve largely been pressured their entire lives to follow the traditional educational pats, like secure job industries and a college education, many younger Gen Zers are opting for more unconventional options as they enter adulthood. After all, the cost of higher education is skyrocketing at the same time that parents have to work harder and longer to make enough money to cover even basic necessities.
By choosing service work, blue-collar jobs, and trade schools, they bypass the student loan debt that’s plagued older Gen Z workers and generations, instead saving money, paying their bills, and preparing for a secure financial future with trade jobs that can essentially ensure a $100K salary within the first year
They’ve been generally let down by the once-secure paths to financial success and freedom that worked for their parents and grandparents, and have been forced to redefine their best options and most rewarding professional ventures. This innovation is part of what makes Gen Z great, and it’s something the older generations should embrace and maybe even learn from.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
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