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21 slang words teens and Gen Zers are using in 2020, and what they mean

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Texting

  • Teens and members of Gen Z are now using a slew of new slang terms, many of which are confusing to older generations.
  • If you've ever wondered what terms like "periodt,""snatched," or "big yikes" mean — then this guide is for you. 
  • Here's a list of 21 popular terms and the correct way to use each of them. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In a world dominated by meme culture, ever-changing social media platforms, and the ability to cram your thoughts into a 280-character tweet, your grasp of basic slang can make or break your credibility as a functional and supposedly cool human. 

Scroll through the comments of any Gen Z influencer's Instagram feed, and you may feel completely out of the loop on what the world is talking about. 

Though many of these terms have been around for decades, oftentimes derived from the language of black and queer communities, online spaces have made the spread, appropriation, and evolution of language more rapid than ever before. 

Whether you're a millennial, Gen Xer, or baby boomer trying to stay up to date — or a Gen Zer in need of an explanation — here's a handy list of 21 popular slang terms and the correct way to use them all. 

Ally Spier contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion, and it's driving the frenzy of retailers and brands trying to win their dollars

DON'T MISS: Gen Z is changing the world — meet the powerhouses aged 22 or younger who made it onto this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Extra: To be "extra" is to be unnecessarily dramatic and over the top.

"She celebrated her birthday for an entire month. She's so extra." 

Source: Merriam-Webster



Periodt: "Periodt" is a word used at the end of a sentence, meant to add emphasis to a point that has been made. It is often regarded as a more extreme or intense version of "period." It is also often preceded by the words "and that's on" to add further emphasis.

A comma separates "periodt" from the rest of the sentence. It also sometimes seen as "periot."

Situation One: "I don't want to hear anything else about what I'm doing wrong until you find ways to get yourself right, periodt."

Situation Two: "This is the best movie of all time, and that's on periodt."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Snatched: The word "snatched" has two common definitions. The first refers to when someone is wearing something that is very fashionable, or has a look that looks really good. The second refers to the process of supporting an insult against someone who has lost an argument.

Situation One: "That outfit is snatched, you look so good."

Situation Two: "Then I said, 'by the way, everything you said and stand for is wrong, and I can't even believe people as ignorant as you exist'.""Oop, snatched." 

Source:Urban Dictionary



Wig: "Wig" is a phrase used to refer to something that is amazing. It refers to the idea that what you saw was so amazing, and incited so much shock in you, that your wig flew off.

*Beyonce posts a photo*

Comments: "Wig!" 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Big Yikes: "Big Yikes" is a more intense version of the word "yikes." It refers to something that is so very embarrassing that another, much larger "yikes" is needed.

"I thought I was posting it to my finsta but it went to my actual account."

"YIKES." 

"Even worse: Now she knows I was with her boyfriend last night."

"BIG YIKES."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Fit: Unlike the British version of the term "fit," which means attractive, in the United States, "fit" is just the shortened version of outfit.

"She had on a fire fit at the party." 

"Their fit was bold." 

Source: Buzzfeed, Urban Dictionary



Bet: "Bet" is a word that has many uses. It can be used in lieu of the word "OK" or "YES," but it can also be used as a response when someone challenges you, instead of saying "watch" or "we'll see."

Situation One: "Hey, I got your text message. See you at the club later.""Bet."

Situation Two: "You're not going to come to the party tonight. You never come to these types of events.""Alright, bet."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Fire: "Fire" is used to refer to something that is really cool and amazing.

"That outfit is fire."

"The movie was fire, you have to check it out."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Cap / No Cap: To "cap" is to lie about something, whereas "no cap" means to tell the truth.

"What you said is the biggest cap I've heard in a minute."

"All you do is cap, there's nothing real about you."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Shade: The word "shade" can be used as itself to refer to a situation where someone illustrated sneaky actions toward someone or something. On the other end, the person who has done the sneaky action has participated in the verb form of shade, which is to "throw shade."

"I see you over there throwing shade."

"She was out here throwing shade."

"You are being so shady right now, omg."

"Shade."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Flex: To "flex" (as a verb) is to knowingly flaunt and show off. As a noun, a "flex" is the thing being shown off itself.

Situation One: "He drove himself to school in a new car the day after he got his license. He's trying to flex."

Situation Two: "Big flex, I just got a job promotion last night." 

Source: Bustle



Go Off: "Go off" can be used to encourage a choice, or to support a rant or ridiculous behavior that's already occurred, usually meant humorously. Often, the phrase "I guess" follows it.

"You sat there for five minutes trying to tell me how to live my life, meanwhile I have yet to see you get yours together. But go off, I guess." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Lewk: "Lewk" is a variation of "look," a signature physical trait, or a specially and carefully constructed outfit or appearance

"Their dress at prom was a lewk."

"Did you see Megan Thee Stallion's lewk in her newest video?" 

Source: The Cut



Lit: "Lit" is an adjective to describe when something's amazing, exciting, high-energy, or otherwise great. It can alternatively mean intoxicated or drunk.

Situation One: "That party was lit."

Situation Two: "I was way too lit last night."

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary



Lowkey / Highkey: "Lowkey" means slightly, secretly, modestly, or discretely. It's the opposite of "highkey," for when you're sincerely or assertively into something.

"I lowkey can't wait for summer to be over."

"I highkey love snow."

Source: Business Insider



Salty: To be "salty" is to be annoyed, upset, or bitter, usually about something minor.

"You look really salty right now. What happened?"

"I'm mad salty right now though, lowkey." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Slay: To "slay" is to do really well or succeed at something. The term first emerged during the 1970s and '80s in the midst of black drag and ballroom culture.

Situation One: "She slayed that fit" or "I slayed that test." 

Situation Two: "How do I look?""Girl, you slay." 

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, PushBlack Now, Business Insider

 



Shook: If someone's "shook," they're affected by something, usually negatively and very emotionally. It can also mean shocked, surprised, or scared.

"Can't believe how that movie ended. I'm shook." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Stan: "Stan" can be a noun for an overzealous and obsessive fan, and a verb meaning to be that kind of fan. It originated from an Eminem song of the same name. Someone can be a "stan" of a celebrity, or used as a verb, they can "stan" them. The word can also be used to express tame support of a person or a cause.

Situation One: "I stan pretty hard for Lizzo."

Situation Two: "Don't say that to the 'Game of Thrones' stans."

Situation Three: "She is an incredible pop singer, unproblematic, who loves and supports equal rights. We have to stan." 

Source: Rolling Stone



Tea: "Tea" is gossip, and "spilling the tea" is the act of gossiping. We can also thank black drag culture for this iconic phrase. "Tea" is also used when one is agreeing with a point someone has just said.

Situation One: "Spill the tea, what did he say?"

Situation Two: "Last night was a mess. Here's the tea." 

Situation Three: "And then I said, I can't support or be with someone who doesn't love and support me.""Tea." 

Source: Merriam-Webster, Urban Dictionary



Thirsty: Someone is "thirsty" if they're overly eager and desperate, usually for attention, approval, or compliments.

"He's posted, like, 10 selfies in the last hour. He's so thirsty."

Source: New York Times




The most popular US metro areas for Gen Z homebuyers, ranked

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Gen Z

  • The first wave of Gen Z homebuyers is here, and they've taken a keen interest in the Midwest.
  • A new study released by Realtor.com found that the median price of a home bought by Gen Zers is $160,600, which is lower than the $256,500 median price among millennial homebuyers. 
  • The study also found that, on average, Gen Z is putting around 5% down on their homes, and they purchase homes with listing prices that are 25% below the national average. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The first wave of Gen Z homebuyers is here, and they're already proving to be much different from their millennial counterparts. One of the big differences between the two generations: their preferences in housing markets, a new Realtor.com study finds. 

For Gen Z, the top housing markets are situated more in the Midwest and the South. In contrast, the top housing markets for millennials are San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, and Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO. Realtor.com notes that the notoriously expensive housing markets in these areas have probably shut out Gen Z buyers — at least for now.

The study also found that Gen Z home purchasing power has caught up to that of the Silent Generation (those born before 1946) — both groups hold percentage shares averaging around 2% of the homebuying market. The median price of homes purchased by Gen Zers is $160,000, which is lower than the $256,500 average for millenials. In addition, Realtor.com found that Gen Z is putting around 5% down on their homes and are purchasing properties with listing prices that are 25% less than the national average. 

Here are the top 10 Gen Z housing markets, ranked in increasing order of Gen Z homebuyer percentages.

All source resident age data has been sourced from Data USA.

SEE ALSO: Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion, and it's driving the frenzy of retailers and brands trying to win their dollars

DON'T MISS: Millennials are obsessed with tiny homes, and the 3 reasons why highlight just how different they are from baby boomers

10. Metro area: Baton Rouge, LA

Region: South

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.14%

Resident age: 46.52% of Baton Rouge metro area residents are under the age of 34. The median age is 36.



9. Metro area: Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

Region: Midwest

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.32%

Resident age: 38.37% of Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA metro area residents are under the age of 34. The median age is 44. 



8. Metro area: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

Region: Midwest

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.39%

Resident age: 44.11% of Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area residents are under the age of 34. The median age is 38. 



7. Metro area: Oklahoma City, OK

Region: South

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.41%

Resident age: 46.46% of the Oklahoma City metro population is under the age of 34. The median age is 35. 



6. Metro area: Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA

Region: Northeast

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.43%

Resident age: 38.31% of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 43. 



5. Metro area: Winston-Salem, NC

Region: South

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 3.53%

Resident age: 40.78% of the Winston-Salem metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 41.



4. Metro area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

Region: South

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 4.36%

Resident age: 44.99% of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 36.



3. Metro area: Wichita, Kansas

Region: Midwest

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 4.40%

Resident age: 45.35% of the Wichita metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 36.



2. Metro area: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

Region: Midwest

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 4.43%

Resident age: 46.03% of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 36. 



1. Metro area: Toledo, Ohio

Region: Midwest

Percentage of home loans held by Gen Z: 5.35%

Resident age: 45.47% of the Toledo metro area population is under the age of 34. The median age is 37.



9 slang words teens and Gen Zers are using in 2020 — and their boomer equivalents

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Gen Z Baby Boomer

In a world dominated by meme culture, ever-changing social media platforms, and the ability to cram your thoughts into a 280-character tweet, your grasp of basic slang can make or break your credibility as a functional and supposedly cool human. 

Though many of these terms have been around for decades, oftentimes derived from the language of black and queer communities, online spaces have made the spread, appropriation, and evolution of language more rapid than ever before. 

But even though the particular lingo Gen Zers love is pretty different, the meanings behind the slang terms aren't new at all. Most of them are similar to definitions of words commonly used by earlier generations — and while these baby boomer slang terms aren't exact synonyms in every case, they're the closest we could find in meaning.

Here are 9 Gen Z slang words and their boomer equivalents. 

SEE ALSO: Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion, and it's driving the frenzy of retailers and brands trying to win their dollars

DON'T MISS: 21 slang words teens and Gen Zers are using in 2020, and what they mean

Fit: Unlike the British version of the term "fit," which means attractive, in the United States, "fit" is just the shortened version of outfit.

"She had on a fire fit at the party." 

"Their fit was bold." 

Source: Buzzfeed, Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "fit" is "threads."

"Her threads at the party were groovy."

Source: Your Dictionary



Fire: "Fire" is used to refer to something that is really cool and amazing.

"That outfit is fire."

"The movie was fire, you have to check it out."

Source: Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "fire" is "groovy."

"That album was super groovy."

"Yeah, I liked it. It was pretty groovy."

Source: Dictionary



Tea: "Tea" is gossip, and "spilling the tea" is the act of gossiping. We can also thank black drag culture for this iconic phrase. "Tea" is also used when one is agreeing with a point someone has just said.

Situation One: "Spill the tea, what did he say?"

Situation Two: "Last night was a mess. Here's the tea." 

Situation Three: "And then I said, I can't support or be with someone who doesn't love and support me.""Tea." 

Source: Merriam-Webster, Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "tea" is "the skinny."

"Alright, so here's the skinny on what's going on with Ken and Michelle."

"Did you get the skinny from Paul? What's going on with him and Lola?"

Source: Dictionary



Lit: "Lit" is an adjective to describe when something's amazing, exciting, high-energy, or otherwise great. It can alternatively mean intoxicated or drunk.

Situation One: "That party was lit."

Situation Two: "I was way too lit last night."

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "lit" is "loaded."

The slang version of "loaded" can mean to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, similar to the way someone would be described as "lit" today.

"I went to that party yesterday and saw Phil get loaded."

"Bob was loaded last night at that party, dude."

Source: Dictionary



Wig: "Wig" is a phrase used to refer to something that is amazing. It refers to the idea that what you saw was so amazing, and incited so much shock in you, that your wig flew off.

*Beyonce posts a photo*

Comments: "Wig!" 

Source: Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "wig" is "fab."

Fab is just short for fabulous. 

"That outfit you wore yesterday looked fab, darling."

"I love that hairstyle, it looks fab."

Source: Merriam-Webster



Big Yikes: "Big Yikes" is a more intense version of the word "yikes." It refers to something that is so very embarrassing that another, much larger "yikes" is needed.

"I thought I was posting it to my finsta but it went to my actual account."

"YIKES." 

"Even worse: Now she knows I was with her boyfriend last night."

"BIG YIKES."

Source: Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "big yikes" is "bummer."

"So you can't come? That's a bummer, man."

"Wow, total bummer. Why would he say that?"

Source:Merriam-Webster



Salty: To be "salty" is to be annoyed, upset, or bitter, usually about something minor.

"You look really salty right now. What happened?"

"I'm mad salty right now though, lowkey." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "salty" is "ticked off."

"Why are you so ticked off today?"

"If I'm acting a bit ticked off today, it's because I am."

"You are ticking me off."

Source:Merriam-Webster



Lewk: "Lewk" is a variation of "look," a signature physical trait, or a specially and carefully constructed outfit or appearance.

"Their dress at prom was a lewk."

"Did you see Megan Thee Stallion's lewk in her newest video?" 

Source: The Cut



The boomer slang equivalent of "lewk" is "decked out."

"Suzy was decked out at the party — did you see her?"

"You look all decked out today! What's the occasion?"

Source:Dictionary.com



Go Off: "Go off" can be used to encourage a choice, or to support a rant or ridiculous behavior that's already occurred, usually meant humorously. Often, the phrase "I guess" follows it.

"You sat there for five minutes trying to tell me how to live my life, meanwhile I have yet to see you get yours together. But go off, I guess." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



The boomer slang equivalent of "go off, I guess" is "don't flip your wig."

"Geez, no need to flip your wig, Cathy."

Source: Your Dictionary



24 slang words teens and Gen Zers are using in 2020, and what they really mean

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Texting

Summary List Placement

In a world dominated by meme culture, ever-changing social media platforms, and the ability to cram your thoughts into a 280-character tweet, your grasp of basic slang can make or break your credibility as a functional and supposedly cool human. 

Scroll through the comments of any Gen Z influencer's Instagram feed, and you may feel completely out of the loop on what the world is talking about. 

Though many of these terms have been around for decades, oftentimes derived from the language of Black and queer communities, online spaces have made the spread, appropriation, and evolution of language more rapid than ever before. 

Whether you're a millennial, Gen Xer, or baby boomer trying to stay up to date — or a Gen Zer in need of a refresher — here's a handy list of 24 popular slang terms and the correct way to use them all. 

Ally Spier contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion, and it's driving the frenzy of retailers and brands trying to win their dollars

DON'T MISS: Gen Z is changing the world — meet the powerhouses aged 22 or younger who made it onto this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Extra: To be "extra" is to be unnecessarily dramatic and over the top.

"She celebrated her birthday for an entire month. She's so extra." 

Source: Merriam-Webster



Periodt: "Periodt" is a word used at the end of a sentence, meant to add emphasis to a point that has been made. It is often regarded as a more extreme or intense version of "period." It is also often preceded by the words "and that's on" to add further emphasis.

A comma separates "periodt" from the rest of the sentence. It also sometimes seen as "periot."

Situation One: "I don't want to hear anything else about what I'm doing wrong until you find ways to get yourself right, periodt."

Situation Two: "This is the best movie of all time, and that's on periodt."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Snatched: The word "snatched" has two common definitions. The first refers to when someone is wearing something that is very fashionable, or has a look that looks really good. The second refers to the process of supporting an insult against someone who has lost an argument.

Situation One: "That outfit is snatched, you look so good."

Situation Two: "Then I said, 'by the way, everything you said and stand for is wrong, and I can't even believe people as ignorant as you exist'.""Oop, snatched." 

Source:Urban Dictionary



Wig: "Wig" is a phrase used to refer to something that is amazing. It refers to the idea that what you saw was so amazing, and incited so much shock in you, that your wig flew off.

*Beyonce posts a photo*

Comments: "Wig!" 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Big Yikes: "Big Yikes" is a more intense version of the word "yikes." It refers to something that is so very embarrassing that another, much larger "yikes" is needed.

"I thought I was posting it to my finsta but it went to my actual account."

"YIKES." 

"Even worse: Now she knows I was with her boyfriend last night."

"BIG YIKES."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Fit: Unlike the British version of the term "fit," which means attractive, in the United States, "fit" is just the shortened version of outfit.

"She had on a fire fit at the party." 

"Their fit was bold." 

Source: Buzzfeed, Urban Dictionary



Bet: "Bet" is a word that has many uses. It can be used in lieu of the word "OK" or "YES," but it can also be used as a response when someone challenges you, instead of saying "watch" or "we'll see."

Situation One: "Hey, I got your text message. See you at the club later.""Bet."

Situation Two: "You're not going to come to the party tonight. You never come to these types of events.""Alright, bet."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Fire: "Fire" is used to refer to something that is really cool and amazing.

"That outfit is fire."

"The movie was fire, you have to check it out."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Cap / No Cap: To "cap" is to lie about something, whereas "no cap" means to tell the truth.

"What you said is the biggest cap I've heard in a minute."

"All you do is cap, there's nothing real about you."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Shade: The word "shade" can be used as itself to refer to a situation where someone illustrated sneaky actions toward someone or something. On the other end, the person who has done the sneaky action has participated in the verb form of shade, which is to "throw shade."

"I see you over there throwing shade."

"She was out here throwing shade."

"You are being so shady right now, omg."

"Shade."

Source: Urban Dictionary



Flex: To "flex" (as a verb) is to knowingly flaunt and show off. As a noun, a "flex" is the thing being shown off itself.

Situation One: "He drove himself to school in a new car the day after he got his license. He's trying to flex."

Situation Two: "Big flex, I just got a job promotion last night." 

Source: Bustle



Go Off: "Go off" can be used to encourage a choice, or to support a rant or ridiculous behavior that's already occurred, usually meant humorously. Often, the phrase "I guess" follows it.

"You sat there for five minutes trying to tell me how to live my life, meanwhile I have yet to see you get yours together. But go off, I guess." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Lewk: "Lewk" is a variation of "look," a signature physical trait, or a specially and carefully constructed outfit or appearance

"Their dress at prom was a lewk."

"Did you see Megan Thee Stallion's lewk in her newest video?" 

Source: The Cut



Lit: "Lit" is an adjective to describe when something's amazing, exciting, high-energy, or otherwise great. It can alternatively mean intoxicated or drunk.

Situation One: "That party was lit."

Situation Two: "I was way too lit last night."

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary



Lowkey / Highkey: "Lowkey" means slightly, secretly, modestly, or discretely. It's the opposite of "highkey," for when you're sincerely or assertively into something.

"I lowkey can't wait for summer to be over."

"I highkey love snow."

Source: Business Insider



Salty: To be "salty" is to be annoyed, upset, or bitter, usually about something minor.

"You look really salty right now. What happened?"

"I'm mad salty right now though, lowkey." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Slay: To "slay" is to do really well or succeed at something. The term first emerged during the 1970s and '80s in the midst of black drag and ballroom culture.

Situation One: "She slayed that fit" or "I slayed that test." 

Situation Two: "How do I look?""Girl, you slay." 

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, PushBlack Now, Business Insider



Shook: If someone's "shook," they're affected by something, usually negatively and very emotionally. It can also mean shocked, surprised, or scared.

"Can't believe how that movie ended. I'm shook." 

Source: Urban Dictionary



Stan: "Stan" can be a noun for an overzealous and obsessive fan, and a verb meaning to be that kind of fan. It originated from an Eminem song of the same name. Someone can be a "stan" of a celebrity, or used as a verb, they can "stan" them. The word can also be used to express tame support of a person or a cause.

Situation One: "I stan pretty hard for Lizzo."

Situation Two: "Don't say that to the 'Game of Thrones' stans."

Situation Three: "She is an incredible pop singer, unproblematic, who loves and supports equal rights. We have to stan." 

Source: Rolling Stone



Tea: "Tea" is gossip, and "spilling the tea" is the act of gossiping. We can also thank black drag culture for this iconic phrase. "Tea" is also used when one is agreeing with a point someone has just said.

Situation One: "Spill the tea, what did he say?"

Situation Two: "Last night was a mess. Here's the tea." 

Situation Three: "And then I said, I can't support or be with someone who doesn't love and support me.""Tea." 

Source: Merriam-Webster, Urban Dictionary



Thirsty: Someone is "thirsty" if they're overly eager and desperate, usually for attention, approval, or compliments.

"He's posted, like, 10 selfies in the last hour. He's so thirsty."

Source: New York Times



Yeet: "Yeet" is a versatile word, mostly used either as a verb or to narrate the process of discarding things at high velocity.

Situation One: As someone throws something into the trashcan, that person may scream "YEET." 

Situation Two:"That car hit the fire hydrant and then quickly went away. It went YEET." 

Source:Urban Dictionary



Sksksksk: This phrase is also very versatile, but is mostly a filler expression of excitement, used when people do not know what else to say, or how to transition into a new phrase. It's popular among VSCO girls who use it to express their excitement.

"Are you going to the party tonight?"

"SKSKSKSK YES!"

Source: Business Insider



Simp: Basically the modern way of calling someone a schmoozer or a people pleaser, "simp" is mostly used to describe people (generally those who identify as male) who are willing to do anything to get somebody to fall in love with them.

While "simp" exploded in 2019 and 2020, the term and its current meaning actually originate from late 1980s and early '90s hip-hop, according to Dictionary.com.

"Yes, I bought her flowers, took her to dinner, gave her my Netflix password, and now we're planning to go to the park tomorrow to watch birds."

"Man, you're a simp."

Source: Urban Dictionary, Dictionary.com



Jamie Dimon says working remote doesn't work for young, ambitious, and engaged staff. He might have a point.

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employees working in an office

Summary List Placement

As businesses decide what the future of the workplace will look like, including whether employees will need to return to the office, two prominent CEOs have voiced concerns.

During The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit on May 4, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said that working remotely "does not work" for young people or "those who want to hustle."

And during The Journal's Future of Everything Festival last week, WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani said it was "pretty obvious that those who are overly engaged with the company want to go to the office two-thirds of the time at least."

Dimon and Mathrani ruffled some feathers, but research suggests they might have a point. Three recent surveys found younger or early-career workers are feeling less productive at home. And experts told Insider they think being in the office has benefits for young workers that they might only get by coming into the office.

Gen Z workers have been feeling less productive while working from home

Based on recent employee surveys, Gen Zers report feeling less productive than older generations. One Microsoft survey found that 60% of Gen Z respondents "say they are merely surviving or flat-out struggling right now."

A PwC survey asked 1,200 US workers how productive they were feeling working from home. About 34% of respondents with zero to five years of work experience were "more likely to feel less productive while working remotely" compared to 23% of all survey respondents.

"They're more likely to value meeting with managers or company training programs than their more experienced colleagues," PwC wrote of those with less work experience.

Fortune also ran its own SurveyMonkey poll of 2,802 US adults in July and found that 43% of those 18 to 24 felt less productive since they began remote work. Only about a quarter of people in the 45-54 and 55-64 age groups reported lower productivity.

"If you already understand the culture, if you already know your job, then that individual productivity continues to increase," Andrea Alexander, an associate partner at McKinsey, said. "But if you're new, then the learning curve is steeper, and it's harder to get ramped up."

Ravi S. Gajendran, an associate professor at Florida International University and the chair of the global leadership and management department, said it can be hard for people who just joined a company out of college to make "deep connections" in virtual meetings. 

Working in an office can help build connections and experience for younger workers

Hannes Schwandt, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, told Insider's Juliana Kaplan and Hillary Hoffower that remote work might be better for workers with more experience, while younger workers can benefit more from in-person networking.

"Usually, socializing at conferences is a way the next generation gains ground, while the more established older cohorts are staying home," Schwandt previously told Insider. 

Additionally, working in an office can help those just joining the labor force learn through observation. Julia Lamm, a workforce strategy partner at PwC, said she learned how to prioritize work and manage duties in her first job out of college just by watching her colleagues.

If managers "happen to be going off to a client meeting, see you're sitting at your desk and say, 'Hey, do you want to come along?' that's a great opportunity for someone where, if you're at home, it just might not be top of mind for them," Lamm said.

Dimon also said at Goldman Sachs' 2020 US Financial Services Virtual Conference that "banks are basically an apprenticeship model where you learn by sitting next to people and going on a trip with them or seeing mistakes being made."

Some young adults are concerned they will miss the social aspect of working in an office. A survey of college students that the employer-branding specialist Universum shared with Insider found that among US respondents who are interested in remote work, 56% said they would be worried that they will "miss out on social connection with coworkers," the largest percent among the concerns asked.

Although it might be easier for younger professionals to understand the company culture better in an office, Alexander said, that doesn't necessarily work if the senior staffers they could learn from aren't also present. She added that the purpose of having people at the workplace post-pandemic needs to be "really deliberate and thoughtful."

One professor says there's probably not a 'causal link' between remote working and feeling disengaged

Although remote work might affect younger generations' productivity and it also might be harder to network from home, being engaged with work is still possible for remote employees.

Gajendran's research area includes remote work and virtual teams. In 2007, he coauthored a meta-analysis looking at 46 studies about telecommuting. Gajendran said based on pre-pandemic research, there doesn't seem to be a link between being engaged and working remotely. 

"At least from the data I've seen that there seems to be a small but positive or a modest, beneficial effect of telecommuting on job satisfaction, which is one of the proxies, let's say, for engagement." Gajendran said. 

Less than a week after making his comments, WeWork's Mathrani apologized and clarified what he meant on LinkedIn, citing results from a WeWork report. He wrote that he didn't mean to "to cast a negative light on those who are working from home."

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Meet the typical 40-year-old millennial, who has $128,000 in debt, is not nearly as wealthy as their parents were, and is known as 'geriatric'

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The oldest millennials enter middle age this year.

The generation is now aged between 25 and 40, according to the Pew Research Center's definition.

Yes, like everyone, millennials are aging, but it's a hard concept to grasp when the media narrative has painted millennials as young, frivolous 20-somethings who love selfies and can't afford anything because they spend too much money on avocado toast.

It's an inaccurate picture of the generation, which has been shaped by technological advancements and a broken economy. But the typical 40-year-old millennial especially doesn't quite align with this image. Many feel they embody some characteristics of both Gen X and millennials, having experience with both analog and digital worlds.

Millennials are known for battling a series of economic challenges, from student debt to the Great Recession. The typical 40-year-old millennial bore the brunt of the financial crisis, which left them with less wealth and more debt than past generations at their age.

But compared to their younger generational peers, they have less student debt and are more likely to own homes and have kids — a sign that many have recovered from the financial fallout.

Here's what life looks like for the typical 40-year-old millennial.

The typical 40-year-old millennial was one of those hardest hit by the Great Recession.

When the 2007 financial crisis began, the 40-year-old millennial was 26, an age at which most of the generation hadn't yet accumulated substantial wealth. It's this cohort that bore the true brunt of the financial crisis, which left lingering effects a dozen years later when the coronavirus recession rolled around.

From the very beginning of their careers, they entered a dismal labor market that set them up for a long recovery.

"Millennials have lifelong damage, given the severity of the Great Recession," Mark Muro, a senior fellow and policy director at the Brookings Institution, previously told Insider, adding that "older millennials were squarely hammered."



Their early post-graduate years were marked by a tough job market that led to wage stagnation. The typical 40-year-old head of household millennial earns $73,000 a year.

Boomers earned about $72,000 at that age, while Gen X earned around $68,000, according to a Bloomberg analysis of Federal Reserve data (The Fed data is based on households and age of the person responding to the Fed survey). That's all to say, wages have remained stagnant since 1989.

Wages haven't kept up with soaring living costs for everything from healthcare to housing, creating a financial imbalance that's been difficult for the 40-year-old millennial to rectify.



It's made building wealth difficult. With a net worth of $91,000, the typical 40-year-old head of household millennial is only 80% as wealthy as their parents were at their age.

At age 40, Gen X was worth $94,000. Boomers held $112,000 in wealth at that age, according to Bloomberg.

But the oldest millennials are catching up. A 2018 St. Louis Fed study originally found that those born in the 1980s have median levels 34% below older generations, causing the Fed to deem them at risk of becoming a "lost generation" for wealth accumulation.

"Not only is their wealth shortfall in 2016 very large in percentage terms, but the typical 1980s family actually lost ground in relative terms between 2010 and 2016, a period of rapidly rising asset values that buoyed the wealth of all older cohorts," the 2018 report read.

A follow-up study in 2021 found 1980s millennials gained some ground, narrowing their wealth deficit to 11%. "It turns out that millennials may not be as 'lost' as we once thought," according to the report.



They also have $128,000 in debt. While some of this may be from student loans, they don't carry the weight of student debt as much as younger millennials.

This debt is way more than what Gen X and boomers had at age 40 — $94,000 and $112,000, respectively, Bloomberg reported.

One might first look to student loans as the source of this debt. College tuition has more than doubled since the 1980s, and student-loan debt reached a national high of $1.5 trillion in 2019. Many millennials are shouldering their share of this burden.

The typical 40-year-old millennial entered college in 1999, and graduated in 2003 (under a typical four-year plan). According to an analysis by the research team at Education Data, 73% of students graduating that year took out a student loan. That year, the average debt at graduation per student was $16,070, equivalent to $22,170 today.

But that's not as much as the typical youngest millennial, who turns 25 this year. They graduated with about $29,500 in student debt.



It's likely a good chunk of that debt comes from a mortgage. The typical 40-year-old millennial owns a home.

According to an Insider analysis of 2019 American Community Survey microdata from the University of Minnesota's IPUMS program, 61.9% of 40-year-old millennials (who were 38 when the survey was taken) own a home.

But that's still lower than previous generations at that age: 68% of Gen X and 66% for boomers. As housing prices climbed over the years, millennials began renting longer and buying later. While some have finally been able to afford a house amid low interest rates during the pandemic, the demand has exacerbated a historic housing shortage that has pushed homeownership further out of reach for other millennials.

The homeowning life stage means that most 40-year-old millennials have a mortgage. It aligns with previous findings from an Insider and Morning Consult survey, which found that it's not just student-loan debt millennials are swimming in. A mortgage is typically their biggest debt, the survey found.



They also have kids. Achieving these standard life milestones is a sign that many have caught up from the delayed effects of the Great Recession.

"The oldest millennials delayed many of the traditional markers of adulthood, such as marriage, kids, and buying homes, as they went through the eye of the Great Recession and the long and uneven recovery afterward,"Jason Dorsey, a consultant and president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, previously told Insider.

As millennials delay marriage and homeownership, they've delayed childbearing until they feel more financially sound. More women are having kids at a later age than ever.

But as of 2019, 66% of 40-year-old millennials (who were 38 at the time), have kids, according Insider's analysis of 2019 American Community Survey microdata from the University of Minnesota's IPUMS program.



But the typical 40-year-old millennial dissociates from their generation. Caught between Gen X and millennials, they almost feel generationless.

As Alisha Tillery wrote for Shondaland, being the oldest millennial "is to be an outlier of sorts, to really have no generation to identify with at all, yet be perfectly okay with not fitting into one box or the other."

"We are caught in a tight space that remembers the days of old (before Google, Facebook, and YouTube), but is also intrigued by the future and a new way of doing things," she added.

Jessica Guinn Johnson, an attorney in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, born in 1981, told Tillery, "I never found that I fit in the millennial mold, but identified more with Gen X."

Robert L. Reece, a University of Texas at Austin sociology professor, told Tillery there's validity in classifying oneself as a millennial but not identifying with the typical characteristics of the generation.



It explains why the 40-year-old millennial is largely seen as being part of a microgeneration, for which there have been many names.

As Tillery wrote, some millennials feel they better identify with the "cusper" (someone who straddles two generations) term "Xennial." It describes a micro-generation "that serves as a bridge between the disaffection of Gen X and the blithe optimism of millennials," Sarah Stankorb wrote for Good Magazine in 2014.

In a Medium article that went viral in the spring, author and leadership expert Erica Dhawan called the micro-generation that the 40-year-old millennial falls into "geriatric millennials," which she defines as those born between 1980 and 1985. What sets them apart, she recently told Insider, is their experience with technology.



The typical 40-year-old millennial remembers PCs, the days of early dial-up, and MySpace, but also feels comfortable on TikTok and Clubhouse.

Whereas younger millennials don't know a world without digital tools as a primary form of communication, the eldest millennials remember when they were very primitive.

"They were the first generation to grow up with a PC in their homes. They joined the first social media communities on Facebook and MySpace. They remember dial-up connections, collect calls, and punch cards," Dhawan previously told Insider, adding they also remember things like Napster for burning CDs, as well as the regular flip phone.

But while they're fluent in the early days of the internet and digital technology, they've also been able to easily adapt to newer forms of digital media, like TikTok, which may be unfamiliar to older generations like baby boomers and commonplace among younger generations like Gen Z.

"This is a unique cohort that straddles digital natives and digital adapters," Dhawan said.



But straddling a digital divide means the typical 40-year-old millennial is an asset in the workforce.

With the skills of both older and younger generations, Dhawan said, they can bridge communication styles in the workplace.

For example, she said, a geriatric millennial would know to send a Slack message to a Gen Z coworker instead of calling them out of the blue, which they might find alarming. But they would also know to be mindful of an older coworker's video background and help walk them through such technology.

"They can help straddle the divide," she said. "They can teach traditional communication skills to some of those younger employees and digital body language to older team members."



Meet the typical Gen Xer, America's 'forgotten middle child' who earns more than everyone else but has the most debt at $136,000

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If you haven't heard much about Gen X, it's because they're known as "the forgotten generation."

Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X has fallen to the wayside of the media darlings they're bookended by — millennials and baby boomers. But Gen Xers are part of a resilient generation that's expected to outnumber boomers in 2028

They came of age as "latchkey kids" and, as adults, experienced three recessions and a technological transformation from the dot-com boom to social media. Now turning ages 41 to 56 this year, America's "middle child" is in the middle of it all — mid-age and mid-career, juggling jobs with taking care of both children and aging parents.

This life stage means that Gen X is in their prime working and earning years, with the typical Gen X-led household earning more than any other generation. But it also means a lot of stress. It's a prime time for buying big ticket items, like cars and houses, and with larger than average households, Gen X spends the most on consumer goods. It's left them juggling more debt than other generations and unprepared for retirement.

Because of how they grew up and their mid-life commitments, most Xers feel confident in their ability to withstand crises and in their desire for a stable life.

Here's what life looks like for the typical Xer.

Sandwiched between millennials and boomers, Gen Xers are America's forgotten generation. Although smaller, they're just as significant.

The Pew Research Center dubbed Gen X America's "middle child" back in 2014 since they're bookended by larger, very different generations. Millennials are the largest generation in the US, with 72.1 million members, whereas boomers are numbered at 71.6 million. There are only 65.2 million Gen Xers.

"Gen Xers are a low-slung, straight-line bridge between two noisy behemoths," Pew stated.

As the media shines a spotlight on the larger two generations, Gen X often gets left in the dark. In a 2018 post for Forbes, Angela Woo, a Gen Xer, called her generation "the forgotten generation." 

"Here we sit in this powerful time with money, resources, and influence, and we still aren't in the mainstream conversation," she wrote. "We've watched the culture interest shift from boomers to millennials like we're a flyover state."

The term Generation X itself was popularized in Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture," which focuses on characters born after 1960 who don't identify with the baby boom.

 



Their life experiences, which include beginning careers during the dot-com boom and living through three recessions, have made the typical Xer risk averse and cynical.

As Insider Xer Rebecca Knight wrote, "In the way that millennials love avocado toast and boomers are self-absorbed, Gen X is a group for whom cynicism is a love language."

Xers, she said, were raised in the shadow of an economic downturn and in the era of "stranger danger." They've also been shaped by three recessions: the dot-com bubble, the financial crisis, and the pandemic.

"They had their own brand of trauma, whether it be the recession or being latchkey kids who were left in front of the television or the fact that they were unable to get the kinds of jobs and career paths that their parents enjoyed because the economy had run out of steam," Larry Samuel, the founder of Age Friendly Consulting, told Knight.

Gen X's trademark cynicism and risk aversion has deep roots, Jason Dorsey, who runs the Center for Generational Kinetics, a research firm in Austin, Texas, also told Knight.

"Gen X came of age when all kinds of commitments and promises were broken," he said. "Gen X saw their parents get laid off and all kinds of benefits get cut. Gen X is skeptical of whether or not Social Security will provide for their needs — or if it will even exist by the time they retire. There's a lot going on with this generation because of what they experienced growing up."

The culture of Gen X took cynicism mainstream as early as the late 1980s, when Gen X icon Winona Ryder deconstructed the high-school movie in "Heathers." In the 1990s, Gen X culture glorified an attitude of skepticism, as with Richard Linklater's film "Slacker" and Ben Stiller's "Reality Bites," and the alternative-rock boom led by Nirvana and other Seattle-based bands.



The typical Xer was hit hardest during the Great Recession wealthwise, but has also recovered the best.

Housing is a key way to build wealth, and Gen X homeowners suffered the most in home equity during the Great Recession, according to a Pew analysis of Fed data. But while the generation was disproportionately impacted, their wealth rebounded more than other generations as the economy recovered.

Pew attributes this to several reasons: Gen X's home equity has doubled since 2010, their financial assets had a stronger recovery, and they're still in their prime earning years. 

But some Xers felt they were still recovering from the financial crisis when the pandemic hit, per a 2020 poll by TD Ameritrade.

 



In the COVID recession, the typical Xer is struggling. Many lost at least some income during the pandemic.

Large numbers of Xers have lost income either partially or entirely during the pandemic. It explains why many have been struggling to keep up with routine household bills. US Census Bureau data from December showed that nearly 13 million Xers found it "very difficult" to pay bills. 

 



But the typical Gen X household earns more than any other generational household does — $106,173. That's because they're in their prime working and earning years.

That refers to median income before taxes, per the Bureau of Labor Statistic's 2019 Consumer Expenditure Survey (the most recent data available) . The typical boomer household earns the second most at $86,251, while the typical millennial household earns $79,514.

Still of prime working age, Xers are in their peak earning years, which enables them to save and boost their wealth. Gen X also has an above-average number of earners in their family, according to Insider Intelligence.



And they have a net worth of $168,600.

That's for a household led by someone in the 45-to-54 age bracket, per the Fed's 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent data available). While that only accounts for a portion of Xers, this age bracket still makes up the majority of the generation.

This number exceeds the overall household income median of $121,700, but falls short of the figures for boomers — $212,500 for 55-to-64 year-olds and $266,400 for 65-to-74 year-olds. Further data from the Federal Reserve Board for the third quarter of 2020 showed Xers hold 26.8% of total US household wealth, barely half the 53.2% held by boomers. 

That said, boomers have had more time to accumulate wealth. And Gen X still has more money than younger generations will have for years to come, according to Insider Intelligence.



This all means they have money to spend, and they do. The typical Xer drops an above-average amount of money in consumer categories, which reflects their large household size.

An Xer household's average annual expenditures totals $76,788, compared to the $63,036 total households spend. But they're careful spenders — half reported cutting back on discretionary spending during the pandemic, and they're always on the lookout for discounts.

Gen X is at a life stage where people can't help but spend substantial amounts, and they also have more members in their household — 3.1, compared to the standard US household of 2.5 members, according to Census data.

 



It partly explains why Gen X has more debt than any other generation, which sits at an average of $136,869.

In 2016, that average debt load was $124,972, according to a LendingTree report that analyzed over 140,000 credit reports for the four oldest generations. But over the next three years, Gen X increased their average debt burdens by nearly $12,000, equivalent to 10%.

Separately, an Insider and Morning Consult survey from 2019 found that more than half of Gen X has credit card debt. An Experian report from the same year found that the generation carries higher average balances than any other generation across all major debt categories except for personal loans.

Half of Gen X is "caught in the middle of heavy-debt years," the report states. It found that total average debt balances peak at age 44 and remain that way until age 48, when debt balances begin to shrink.

Gen X is currently in a life stage when people buy houses and cars, and some even still have student debt. Kristi Rodriguez, senior vice president of the Nationwide Retirement Institute at Nationwide Financial, told Insider Intelligence that some Xer parents are handling student debt for their kids, while others went back to school during the financial crisis to change their career path.

Pew noted that while debt signals access to credit and indicates financial security, Xers' debt is heavier than that of the generations before them — especially without higher assets to offset it.

 



It's no wonder, then, that the typical Xer is generally pretty stressed about their finances, particularly when it comes to credit card debt.

Of the 54.5% of Gen Xers who carry credit card debt, 64.3% are stressed about it, per the Insider and Morning Consult survey. More than half of Xer respondents said that they were stressed "some" or "a lot" of the time when it comes to any type of debt, whether it be credit card, personal loan, or student loan debts.

The stress has given some members of the generation a negative outlook on their finances. When asked how they would rate their financial health, slightly more than 41% of Gen X said it's not very good or not good at all. 

 



Financial stress may also stem from the fact that the typical Xer is a caregiver to either their children, their parents, or both.

According Pew, 47% of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent over age 65  and are either raising a young child or providing financial support to a child over age 18.

Gen X caregivers are typically employed, with most saying caregiving has had at least one impact on their work, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. It's also impacting their finances more so than older caregivers — many said they've stopped saving, dipped into savings, or taken on more debt.

Caregiving was an especially burdensome task during the pandemic, as parents had to homeschool children during remote learning and worry about their aging parents, who are in the high-risk group for coronavirus.



Gen X is so busy trying to do it all that they haven't had much time to prepare for retirement. The typical Gen X household has about $64,000 saved for it — not nothing, but not enough to generate a lot of income.

This median retirement savings is according to The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) in the last quarter of 2019, which found that 41% of Xers are afraid of outliving their money. Only one-quarter of Xers reported having $250,000 or more in retirement accounts.

The pandemic hasn't helped. Three in ten Xers have said the pandemic has had a severe impact on planning for retirement.

An April 2020 supplement to the TCRS poll found more than a quarter of the generation weren't saving for their retirement at the time. And a Morning Consult poll the following August found that only one-third of Xers rated their saving for retirement as "on track,"per Insider Intelligence. Many also raided their retirement accounts to cover expenses when the pandemic first hit.

Lack of retirement planning has a lot to do with budgeting, but Rodriguez said it's also about Gen X's lack of time.

"They are truly in the middle of their prime working years," she said of Gen Z. "They're trying to take care of their adult children and sometimes younger children. They're also taking care of individuals older than them."



Because they're in the middle of all these middle-age commitments, the typical Xer prefers stability and the status quo. They feel their upbringing has made them able to weather the pandemic better than any other generation.

Gen X were the among the least likely to have moved during the pandemic, the least likely to have lost a job, and the best at adapting their current jobs to remote work.

While some millennials embraced the YOLO economy and boomers rushed to exit the workforce during the pandemic, Xers decided to stay put, according to Insider's Knight.

"Gen Xers aren't making many seize-the-day decisions post-pandemic because of our stage of life and constraints," she wrote. "We have kids firmly ensconced in schools, spouses or partners who also work, aging parents to care for, and home equity that's needed for looming college-tuition payments."

While some are moving, switching jobs, or going back to school, she added, the majority see post-pandemic life as business as usual. Megan Gerhardt, professor of leadership and management at Miami University, told Knight millennials and boomers have more freedom and flexibility during their current life stages.

In an opinion piece for NBC News, she wrote that Gen X is best equipped for the pandemic for three reasons: They've had experience riding out historic crises; weren't raised with the overscheduled life of millennials, which has left millennials feeling directionless in a pandemic; and are well-incentivized to stay home to serve as a role model for the parents and children they're caring for.

Alison Huff, an Xer who lives in Ohio with her husband, two kids, and elderly mother, told Knight she wouldn't dream of moving or scaling back. "I sound like an old fogey, but I want stability," she said. 



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