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Jodie Foster and “Annoying” Gen Z: The Generation Wars

Alice Bennett
Jodie Foster at a premiere

Alice Bennett

Actress Jodie Foster’s criticisms of Gen Z have reignited the online war between the old and the young. Is there any truth behind the allegations that ’90s and 2000s kids are whiny, lazy and annoying?

Jodie Foster has made headlines for ‘slamming’ Gen Z in an interview with The Guardian.

The 61-year-old Silence of the Lambs (1991) actress called the younger generation “really annoying, especially in the workplace.” She further criticised their work ethic: “They’re like, ‘Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10:30 am.’”

This resulted in sensationalist headlines like: ‘Jodie Foster blasts Gen Z’, provoking online backlash as well as support from those agreeing that younger workers are lazy and entitled.

So, is Gen Z lazy, or are older generations being too critical?

As a Gen Z-er, I feel the need to defend my generation whilst expressing my frustration with this pointless generational war.

Stirring Up Controversy

Firstly, it’s important to clarify that this controversial statement was a small part of the interview. Foster also mentioned how she felt “compelled” to reach out to younger actresses “because it was hard growing up.” She particularly praised non-binary actor Bella Ramsey for their “authenticity,” expressing how she related to the 20-year-old star as a fellow queer actor.

It is unfortunate that she used such inflammatory language in her opinions towards younger generations because the interview also covered far more interesting topics, such as her “super feminist” sons. But, of course, her criticism of Gen Z was what caught the media’s attention.

“More often than not, it’s used to stir controversy to get more views and likes online.”

Few things evoke such an irrational level of annoyance in me than this trend of comparing generations.

The war on social media between Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z-ers is eye-roll-worthy and tired. More often than not, it’s used to stir controversy to garner views online. Foster’s comment was intended to be humorous, but this hasn’t prevented another wave of antagonism between the generations.

The ‘Lazy’ Generation?

This debate becomes particularly heated when it comes to attitudes in the workplace. On one side, there are the Boomers and Millennials who call us the ‘lazy generation’ with our supposed entitlement and lack of work ethic.

On the other, we have the Gen Z-ers. Admittedly, born in 2000, I am biased towards Gen Z. When my generation is accused of being ‘lazy’, my knee-jerk reaction is to argue that this ignores our different economic situations. I’m especially intolerant of the “just work harder” and “stop spending money on avocado toast to buy a house” rhetoric, given the cost of living crisis.

Perhaps older generations like Foster’s did work harder — but that’s because they had something to work towards.

@goodmorningbritain

But is Gen-Z lazy in the workplace? The Gen-Z generation have been accused of prioritising buying avocados and Netflix over houses. And now Oscar-winning actor Jodie Foster has described them as “really annoying” to work with. #genz #genzvsmillenial #debate #goodmorningbritain #susannareid #jodiefoster

♬ original sound – GoodMorningBritain – GoodMorningBritain

A Tired Narrative

“The generational war, on all sides, is mostly unhelpful and divisive”

This debate has grown tired. I’m bored of defending Gen Z, and even jokes about Millennial Cringe and ‘OK Boomer’ are no longer funny. Whilst I will passionately argue that the ‘lazy generation’ allegations are ignorant of the current economic and political climate, I now realise that the generational war, on all sides, is unhelpful and divisive.

I’d even go so far as to say that older generations scorning the younger ones is a natural cycle. It’s nothing new; the characteristics of each generation are always different, as they are largely the result of social constructs and responses to the trends and crises of the time. Studies also cite humans’ fear of change as the driving force behind the phenomenon.

We can all fall prey to this cycle, as it’s even happening to Gen Z as we chastise Gen Alpha for buying retinol at 10 years old and acting like brats in makeup stores. Yet, sensational headlines continue to fuel the generational war.

Change for the Better?

Although we have exhausted this topic to death, this war isn’t ending anytime soon. Perhaps, then, we should frame comments like Foster’s in a more positive light. Maybe we are “annoying” to those who want to maintain the status quo — but we can make it work for us.

“A reflection of the potential for change for the better”

We should focus on the optimistic stance that Foster also, importantly, took in her interview, rather than use headlines like this to start arguments online. She additionally described Gen Z as more free, authentic and progressive.

Whilst the generational war is a social construct, we are all products of our time, and it is encouraging to see our generation advocate for ourselves and value a better work-life balance. This deepening divide over workplace attitudes is perhaps a reflection of the potential for change for the better.

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Featured image courtesy of Loren Javier via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

I'm a recent masters graduate from the University of Nottingham and aspiring writer interested in writing about everything from neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ issues to films and gaming.

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