There's a simple task that can reveal your age, and Generation Z is making fun of you for doing it.
Consider this: If you're buying a plane ticket, something worth over $500, or perhaps a large item like a refrigerator, do you do it all on your phone or on the computer?
If you make a big purchase for your laptop, you're a Millennial. Gen Z'ers will happily buy anything on their iPhone.
Jesse Frazelle, the CEO of software company Xue, who has over 100,000 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter), recently went viral for bringing the phenomenon to everyone's attention.
“Apparently Gen Z is making fun of the older generation for never making big purchases on their phones and always using their desktops,” he tweeted.
“I’ve never felt so attacked in my life by something I didn’t even know I was doing subconsciously.”
That one tweet got over five million views and the reactions started coming in. Millennials were feeling defensive about it.
One asked, “How will you open different tabs and carefully compare offers?”
“Have you ever tried planning a vacation on your phone? It's impossible,” another claimed.
Someone else pointed out, “Shopping on mobile just feels wrong. It feels awkward and you can't see everything you need to question your life choices. Shopping on desktop gives one the purest feelings of buyer's remorse.”
“They wear grandpa socks and grew up on iPads. I don't care what they say,” another joked.
This debate is also ongoing in Australia.
Bachelor alumni Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley host the popular podcast Life Uncut.
Their producer, Keyshia Petit, admitted on a recent podcast that there are a number of things she considers “laptop-only purchases.”
“I could only book accommodation on the laptop,” she said.
Interestingly, Byrne, who is a millennial, hit back, “I can book my own funeral on my phone. I'll do anything.”
Petit said she doesn't understand this kind of lifestyle, admitting, “I didn't know there were people like you.”
Byrne said she books almost everything on her phone, including vacations, yet there is one thing she can't do on her iPhone.
“I will not pay my taxes,” she said.
Petit admitted that sometimes he doesn’t feel secure enough to make large purchases, even when using a laptop.
She claimed, “I am thinking of buying a desktop because there are certain things that I find comfortable on a laptop. I feel I need a stable environment to book risky things.”
“I don't think I'd buy a phone over $300. It just seems too airy, fancy, and informal to me.”
Byrne argued that Petit's millennial habit was a result of a “lack of confidence” in herself, which prevented her from making large purchases on her phone.
The clip has over 100,000 views on TikTok.
Once again, the comments section was filled with youngsters explaining why they use laptops when buying expensive things.
“I agree this will definitely only have laptop related tasks,” one wrote.
Another shared, “I need tabs, I need options, and I need a bigger screen to read everything without the burden of scrolling on my tiny phone screen.”
One wrote, “Agreed. Airline tickets, major financial decisions, job applications and taxes.”
“I feel like a fraud when I try to purchase things using my phone,” one reported.
Another said, “Some emails are too important for the phone. It should be on the laptop.”
