Nobody likes being put into a box, and it can be especially frustrating when you don’t agree with the label you’ve been given. That’s why some people refuse to simply claim the title of Millennial or Zoomer based on their birthday. Instead, they've decided to break away from the norms and create their own label: Zillennial.
According to the Born Zillennial Facebook group, this category can be described as “too young to be Millennials and too old for Gen Z. We bridge the gap between the non-digital and digital-first... Basically, we get The Best of Both Worlds. If you’ve ever felt alone being stuck between two rigidly defined generations, welcome home. Now get in loser, we're unlocking memories you forgot you had.”
Clearly, many people relate to the message of this Facebook group, as the community has amassed an impressive 204K members over the past 5 years. The creators also note that you might fit into this group if you’ve nearly broken your ankles with a Razor scooter, love Bill Nye the Science Guy, ever wondered who won the Zack and Cody Danimals Sweepstakes or learned how to play Hot Crossed Buns on the recorder.
Other quintessential Zillennial experiences include owning the bright orange Rugrats VCR tape, tasting your favorite Polly Pocket accessory and accidentally clicking the Internet button on your first cell phone then frantically exiting out before your parents got charged for surfing the web.
According to CNN, Zillennials are a part of the “newest micro-generation,” but they still have some distinct traits. “We’ve been growing up with technology our whole lives, but we’re not TikTok dancers like Gen Z but also weren’t on MySpace like Millennials,” Sabrina Grimaldi told CNN. She admits that she really does relate to both generations but still doesn’t feel like she fits into one.
Many Zillennials are also hesitant to accept one generation’s label because of all the scrutiny that might come along with it. Millennials have often been called snowflakes, entitled and mocked for being the "participation prize” generation. On the other hand, Gen Z is sometimes stereotyped as being lazy and too reliant on technology and social media. Zillennials might be looking for some middle ground that doesn’t feel so judgmental.
What seems to be a common theme amongst all Zillennials is feeling like they just don’t quite fit in. Teachers and parents might make assumptions about you based on your age, but you might feel way too old to use TikTok when you log onto the app and see that it’s flooded with teenagers. Being young and trying to figure yourself out is hard enough without being constantly told by society that you should fit into one specific box.
One thing that seems to have helped many Zillennials find community, though, is realizing just how relatable their identity crises are to others born around the same time. Alicia Lansom writes for Refinery 29 that lots of young people have bonded over recalling “you had to be there” moments such as planking, taking portable DVD players on vacation and iconic fashion trends like American Apparel’s disco pants.
