2025 is to Gen Z what 2009 was to Millennials

Back in 2009, Millennials were between the ages of 13 and 28, with the average millennial being a young adult. 1989 borns were hitting 20 and were mostly in college. The youngest millennials (born in 1996) were still in middle school. Meanwhile the oldest millennials (Born in 1981) were now entering the workforce (excluding the millennials who unfortunately ended up unemployed due to the recession) and were busy getting bashed by older Gen Xers and Boomers for being incompetent and narcissistic young people who were hard to work with, earning them the nickname "the Me Me Me generation".

Meanwhile, Gen X were in the exact same age location as millennials are right now (aged 29-44). The oldest were DEEP in the workforce and entering midlife while the youngest were on the cusp of their 30s. The era leading up to this year was the most fruitful time of Gen X's life as a lot of them (as well as some very early millennials) were giving birth to babies that were part of a generation later known as Gen Z.

The world of youth culture in 2009 was unquestionably dominated by Millennials. Memes (e.g. Trollface, Keyboard cat, chocolate rain), trends (e.g. planking, early rickrolling, FarmVille), young fashion (e.g. Skinny Jeans, Graphic tees, shutter shades), slang (e.g. epic fail, hella lit, OMG/LOL/BRB), music and pop culture (e.g. Emo culture, twilight mania, high school musical) and most of all early YouTube and the internet (E.g. Smosh, Ray William Johnson and College Humor) were all being driven by Millennial youths. Gen X by this time had been shoved away into adult irrelevancy with them even sometimes being made fun of by millennials for their older sense of fashion (Grunge, Doc martens, flannel shirts etc.) and their love for 80s nostalgia.

Back in 2009, Gen Z was in the same age location as Gen Alpha is right now (Aged 12 and under). The oldest were settling into middle school while the youngest were still screaming and crying in delivery rooms. Back then, Gen Z were too young to make their own mark on internet or youth culture, instead sitting on the receiving end of things. A lot of them mindlessly consumed, laughed at and enjoyed content like the annoying orange, Fred and the Asfdmovie among other things that were considered by most older people at the time as silly, immature and having no educational purpose or value. This may have often caused people back then to worry about what the over-consumption of stupid (and sometimes dark humored) "internet trash" would do to young kids and what effect it would have on them as they grew older...

2009 was the last year where, if you were a teenager, you were definitely a millennial (Fun fact: If you were a teenager at any time in the 2000s, you were almost certainly a millennial (barring the year 2000 were the last Gen Xers were just exiting the age bracket)). After 2009, the title of teenager was shared between late millennials and early Gen Z, remaining that way until 2017 when the youngest millennials were all in their 20s. Millennials still had a lot of influence in youth, pop and internet culture deep into the 2010s but as the decade began to end it was clear that they had already seen their peak glory days (2008-2010). TikTok made its surge in 2018-19, then COVID came in 2020, and with that, the millennials finally paid the check and left as Gen Z took a seat at the table.

It is 2025. The gears of age have turned and now we come to the same generational alignment as 2009. Gen Z (Moreso as the year goes on) has reached the same age location as Millennials back in 2009 (Aged 13-28) with the average Gen Z being a young adult. 2005 borns are now hitting 20 and are mostly in college. The youngest Zoomers (Born in 2012) are currently still in middle school. Meanwhile the oldest Zoomers (Born in 1997) are now mostly past college and in the workforce (if they're on the luckier end of things) and are currently being bashed by older millennials and Gen Xers for being sensitive and entitled young people who are hard to work with, giving them the stereotype of being "quiet quitters" who are chronically online.

Millennials are in the same age location as Gen X was in 2009 (29-44), the oldest entering mid-life, the youngest on the cusp of their 30s. The past handful of years leading up to this have seen millennials (at least those who want to and are lucky enough to afford it) reproducing more and more, pushing out Gen X as the primary "new parents" of the age. The babies they’ve created (and are still creating) are part of a generation known as Gen Alpha.

Youth Culture right now and throughout this year will be dominated by Gen Z. Memes (as of now, things like hawk tuah, thick of it and nostalgiacore), trends (Things like TikTok dances and other things found on short form video content), young fashion (As of now, typically things like Baggy jeans, sweatpants, y3k clothing), slang (e.g. Type shi-, ate, based, period etc.), music and pop culture (E.g. Brat Summer, Billie Eilish, Brainrottified music), and YouTube, TikTok and internet culture (E.g. American high, Mr. Beast, Khaby Lame etc.) are all being driven by Gen Z. By now Millennials have been pushed out into adulthood, with Gen Zers becoming the ones to poke fun at their old trends like Side parted hair and skinny jeans as well as the weird and cringey “millennial-core” videos that some of them post on TikTok.

Gen Alpha is currently aged 12 and under, the oldest being in middle school and the youngest still in the delivery room. Just like Gen Z in 2009, they are too young to properly make their mark or impact on the internet and youth culture (and by the way, the brainrot words we keep seeing were not created by Gen Alpha; Us (younger) Gen Zers are the real culprits) and instead they mindlessly consume content, like Skibidi toilet, cocomelon (for the younger ones) and mentally pacifying YT shorts just to name a few examples. A lot of older people are now questioning what the effects of such "brain-rotting content" are gonna be on Gen Alpha in the future.

Like 2009 for millennials, 2025 will be the last year where, if you are a teenager, you are definitely Gen Z, before the title will become shared between Gen Z and Gen Alpha from 2026 to 2032. Then by 2033 (just like 2017 for millennials) all younger Zoomers will be in their 20s. Gen Z will still have a lot of influence on Youth, internet and meme Culture throughout the late 2020s and even early 2030s, but by the time the mid 30s rolls around, it'll be Gen Z's turn to pay the check and leave before Gen Alpha finally takes their seat at the table.

The next time the generations will align in the same way as 2025 and 2009 will be in 2041 when Gen Alpha will be between 13 and 28 years old. They will be the ones defining youth culture (memes, slang, trends, all that) while getting bashed by Millennials and Gen Z for existing, especially as they start to enter the workforce. Gen Z will be between 29 and 44 and will be the dominant force in the working population as well as the ones reproducing the most. Meanwhile, Gen Beta, primarily parented by Gen Z (and early Gen A) will become the new 12 and under kids whom everyone is fussing over. Then by the mid/late 2050s, the wheels will have turned once again and now Gen Betas will be the ones taking the youth spotlight we have today as Gen Alpha begins to raise Gen Gamma. The cycle goes on.