A Nigerian lady has sparked conversations online after addressing what she describes as a widespread misunderstanding about Generation Z, arguing that many people who mock Gen Z are actually members of the same generation.
The lady, identified as Adewole Rebecca Adedamola on Facebook, shared her thoughts in a post that quickly gained attention across social media platforms.
Expressing her frustration, Rebecca questioned why “Gen Z” is often used as a synonym for immaturity or inexperience, despite the fact that the generation includes adults approaching their thirties.
“Do you realize that Gen Z started from 1997? Do you realize that the oldest Gen Z is almost 30 years old? And the youngest Gen Z is 14 years old,” she wrote.
She added:
“Any small thing, ‘Gen Z cannot relate. Yen yen yen…’ Do you people realize that Gen Z started from 1997?”
According to Rebecca, many of the people criticizing Gen Z may not realize that they themselves belong to the generation.
“If you want to call Baby Shark do do, call Gen Alpha, because Gen Zs are NOT as young as you think they are,” she stated.
To further support her argument, she recalled several experiences from her childhood, noting that older Gen Z members witnessed many of the same changes often associated with Millennials.
Rebecca explained that she remembers when Nigerian currency included coins in regular circulation and when ₦5, ₦10, ₦20, and ₦50 notes were still paper-based before being replaced with polymer notes.
“I’m a Gen Z who had lived through the era of spending coins. I was very much aware of when the Five naira, Ten naira, Twenty naira and Fifty Naira notes were papers,” she said.
She also reminisced about past prices of everyday items, saying:
“I remember when a portion of pepper was ₦20, and when a cup of rice was ₦25 for long grain rice. I remember when 5 eggs was ₦100. When Indomie was ₦30, when a cup of garri was ₦10.”
Concluding her post, Rebecca emphasized that being Gen Z does not automatically mean growing up entirely in the era of smartphones and social media.
“Yes, I’m a Gen Z and I remember.”
Reactions
Emeka Chukwu: “She’s absolutely right. People keep forgetting that some Gen Zs are already in their late twenties with careers and families.”
Grace Nwosu: “The internet has made everyone assume Gen Z means secondary school students. That’s not the case anymore.”
Samuel Adeyemi: “I was born in 1998 and I can relate to everything she mentioned, including spending coins and buying Indomie for ₦30.”
Chidinma Okafor: “The older and younger ends of Gen Z had very different childhood experiences. That’s why people get confused.”
Tunde Afolabi: “At this point, ‘Gen Z’ has become a buzzword people use whenever they want to describe something they don’t like.”
Joy Eze: “She spoke facts. Many people criticizing Gen Z are actually members of the generation themselves.”
Michael Johnson: “I laughed when she mentioned the old prices of food items. Those days feel like a different lifetime.”
Amaka Peters: “Generational labels are becoming too broad. Someone born in 1997 and someone born in 2012 grew up in completely different worlds.”
Ifeanyi Umeh: “The moment she mentioned paper ₦20 and ₦50 notes, I knew she wasn’t exaggerating.”
Fatima Bello: “Whether Gen Z or Millennial, one thing is certain: the cost of living has changed dramatically since those days.”
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Published by Ejoh Caleb
