You don’t have to search far to hear a young person being dubbed lazy, entitled or a snowflake. They’re lumbered with the stereotype that they’d rather waste their money on expensive coffees and avocados than get on the property ladder (like it’s comparable).

But one Generation Xer (people born between 1965 to 1980) has taken to social media to question this narrative. In a post shared on Reddit (u/FukU6050), they suggested that young people aren’t lazy, but “they’re just hopeless.”

This perspective has certainly captured attention by reframing the common Gen Z trope.

Kent Bausman, a sociology professor at Maryville University who works with Gen Z students, told Newsweek that it’s “not hard to understand their hopelessness,” given the frustrations and anxieties they face.

The Reddit post explained that, as a single mother working two jobs, she could afford a two-bedroom apartment “in a good area.” She did what she could with the money she earned, and every now and then she could afford a vacation.

That’s worlds apart from what young folk experience now, however. The poster has a 30-year-old son who can’t afford to buy a house and has to live with three others to afford rent. The millennial can “barely afford the necessities of life” despite working full-time.

She wrote on Reddit: “So no, young people aren’t lazy…they just don’t see any point in working 40+ hours a week with no reward for doing so.”

Indeed, a survey by the American Psychological Association in 2023 found that young adults have higher stress levels than their older counterparts. Those aged between 18 and 34 had an average stress level of six out of 10.

Contrastingly, people aged 65 and over typically reported stress levels of around 3.4.

Since it was shared on February 25, the Reddit post has gone viral with over 13,000 votes and more than 300 comments at the time of writing.

Newsweek contacted the poster for comment via Reddit.

The Gen Xer also detailed in the post how the home she grew up in was owned by her parents without a mortgage, her dad worked for the railroad and worked his way up, received health benefits, got a stable pension, and retired after 35 years. Meanwhile, her mom stayed home with the children.

What Do Experts Say?

Bausman teaches students between the ages of 20 and 26, and he told Newsweek that many of them “concur with the sentiment of hopelessness.” Their reasons varied from climate change, the job market and politics. But there’s one resounding answer that comes up every time: the economy.

“I often ask what aspect of the economy concerns them most, and they focus on the cost of housing, which they feel directly through higher rents,” Bausman said. “Many express significant reservations about whether homeownership is a realistic possibility, even though it remains something they aspire to.”

Another generational change is the perspective on climate change. Bausman believes Gen Z see it as an immediate and tangible concern, whereas older generations regard it in a “more abstract” way.

Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Gen Z feel so disillusioned, as Bausman pointed out that it’s a result of life’s milestones being unattainable.

The American dream—who even is she?

“The anxieties Gen Z express aren’t personal failings; they are the consequences of structural problems rooted in economic shifts that have taken place over the last five decades,” Bausman told Newsweek.

“Throughout the 20th century, the cultural narrative was that if you worked hard, pursued education and followed a traditional career, you could achieve key milestones like homeownership, financial stability and family life. This vision was built on economic conditions that no longer exist,” he continued.

One of the strongest indications of this change is the housing market. The National Association of Realtors announced that first-time homebuyers shrunk to a historic low in 2024. The average age for first-time buyers has also increased to 38.

The housing shortage is causing prices to skyrocket, with many selling over the asking price. This only adds to the complications for millennials and Gen Z, Bob Driscoll Senior Vice President and Director of Residential Lending at Rockland Trust, said.

He told Newsweek that he’s “never seen a more challenging time” to purchase a home.

“In today’s market, homes frequently sell over asking,” Driscoll said. “Buyers who already own a home can use the proceeds from their sale to cover the additional cost, but first-time buyers must absorb the difference out of pocket.

He continued: “This financial hurdle is compounded by the emotional toll of repeatedly bidding on homes, only to lose out to higher offers. Many future homebuyers feel demoralized after multiple failed attempts, making the dream of homeownership seem increasingly out of reach.”

Not to mention, with over 48 million renters under the age of 30, they have the burden of trying to save while forking out huge sums of their wages. Driscoll explained that this erodes their income and keeps Gen Z “locked in a cycle where buying a home feels out of reach.”

The Social Media Response

Following Reddit user u/FukU6050’s post online, hundreds of social media users took to the comments section to share their views.

One comment read: “The math to afford living in this society doesn’t add up anymore so why bother. Do the minimum, jump jobs to increase your pay check, take all your allotted time off. It’s not worth going above and beyond anymore.”

Another Reddit user wrote: “If I work 40 hours I still can’t afford a house or car so might as well only work 30.”

While another person added: “This is absolutely the story of modern America. And it’s a nation-killer.”

Do you have a monetary dilemma? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.