- Millennials are using TikTok to discuss popular Gen Z phrases and the meanings behind them.
- Some millennials are using what they learn to try and connect with younger siblings.
Millennials are using TikTok to discuss Gen Z slang, as they try to pick up the meanings so they can better connect with the younger generation.
On October 2, a TikToker who goes by @ann_natalie posted a video that showed her speaking to the camera as she addressed fellow millennials, and asked if they sometimes felt "completely disconnected" to Gen Z slang.
@ann_natalie I ❤️ gen-z lingo - sincerely, a millennial #millennialsoftiktok #genz #genzlingo #doitfortheplot ♬ original sound - NatalieAnn
In the video she explained her sisters were Gen Z, and they would hype her up with their lingo, and she loved that she got to experience the generation firsthand in her home. But she said there were terms they used like "do it for the plot" (taking a risk to make life more exciting) and "it's giving" (used to imply something is particularly positive or dramatic) which threw her off as she didn't totally get them.
"It is never a dull moment when it comes to talking to the Gen Zs," she concluded.
The video received over 5,500 comments, many of which appeared to be from a mix of millennials who wrote they loved the Gen Z vocabulary but were equally confused by it, asked for clarification on what certain phrases meant, and said they planned to implement some themselves.
"As an English teacher teaching gen Z I'm gonna try 'do it for the plot' and see what happens," one viewer wrote in a popular comment.
The creator posted a follow-up video a few days later, in which the TikToker could be seen sitting in a car with what appeared to be one of her sisters, who she referred to as her "local gen z expert" in the caption, as they discussed millennial slang which included "spill the beans" and "do it for the Vine" in order find the modern, Gen Z equivalents.
It received over 160,000 views from people who seemed to enjoy the content, asking her to make it a series and saying it helped them understand the meaning of slang they'd previously misinterpreted.
She wasn't the only millennial to share an amusing interaction with a Gen Z sibling as they tried to fit in. On October 7, a creator who goes by @xtinacliff shared an upload with the caption, "Taking my gen z sister shopping. I'm not a regular sister. Imma cool sister," alongside the hashtags #millenial and #30yearsyoung.
@xtinacliff Taking my gen z sister shopping. I’m not a regular sister. Imma cool sister. #sisters #millennialsoftiktok #millenial #30yearsyoung #fy ♬ original sound - Xtinacliff
In the video, the TikToker could be heard using Gen Z slang in a seemingly deliberately awkward and jokey way to describe the clothes, suggesting they were going to "rizz on" people in the apparel, and described a purse as "so snatched" before panning to show her sister's embarrassed reactions.
"Don't open your mouth," said the younger sibling laughing in response to her sister saying a pair of leggings were "giving Regina George," in reference to the 2004 movie "Mean Girls."
The video received 1.7 million views and 1,600 comments, many of which wrote they too were from older generations and had also tried using Gen Z slang in front of their kids and younger people, who were equally unimpressed, but it was a rite of passage for older people to try to get down with the next generation's lingo.
"Now I understand why my mom thought it was fun to do this to me, bc it is fun," one viewer wrote in a popular comment.
TikTok has become a hub of generational conversation as uploaders and viewers discuss the differences between millennials and Gen Z, including their varied approaches to topics like humor and fashion. While they will sometimes poke at each other for being cringe or out of touch, many creators say it's all in good fun.
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