Gen-Z are overwhelmed and we need an out

This article has been written by one of our team members 
who is not a therapist and wishes to stay anonymous.

You might be familiar with the phrase "The sky is the limit". 

It's quite nice to think of a world where you can achieve anything, where success is at your fingertips, and all your dreams can always come true. 

Well, it's 2026 and we're all living in a world where this idea has become the standard for some of us. Maybe it's something that we were conditioned to believe (or even expected to) because of the "I got my dream job when I was 20" YouTube video or "Get rich by the time you're 25" LinkedIn posts. It makes us all hungry for the quick tips or ways we can mimic these patterns and finally achieve it all, if we just follow all their right steps. 

The gen-Zs, often perceived as the ‘privileged generation’ are assumed to have all the resources they could possibly need, but are born in a world where no one can take breaks nor sit alone with their thoughts. 

Being a part of this generation myself, I often find people refer to us as impatient, confused, indecisive or even too sensitive, which is something that I can't always deny. Every generation has their quirks and faults, one of ours is in being chronically online and using lingo that makes others play catch-up.

But have you ever wondered why this generation is always in the rush? 

It's fair to assume that personalities often result from a combination of environment and genetics (Psst… nature v nurture). 

Let's understand this with an example. A child who has been asked to choose between a red, blue, and purple pens might pick the purple one because it's their favorite color. But, if you ask them to pick between 20 shades of purple pens, they might seem indecisive.

So, its also fair to assume that in catering to the endless options Gen-Zs are presented with, it also brings in the unbridled pressure of choosing right within equally desirable options.

It also makes us assume a stance without even knowing if the ‘similar but not quite the same option’ would have delivered better results in the future.

But that's not the only factor. Another supposed boon to this generation is the ease of access to social media. A platform to 

Express yourself and feel heard? Yes. 

Compare yourself with strangers (whose realities you're completely unaware of but) you are supposed to relate to? also Yes. 

The most vulnerable years of a teenager where they make choices and decisions that essentially shape their personalities, are mostly charted by their favourite IG influencer. 

Our human brains are made to understand ourselves through the parallels drawn to those in our social ecosystem.

But when this ecosystem suddenly includes people across the globe, who have a whole set of disadvantages and privileges that shaped them that way, we end up in a constant chase of the unattainable.

Our comparison goes on to those who have the life that you want, or are made to feel that you should want. 

The thought that someone who is nearly the same age as you, has resources that help them in living the ‘ideal’ life that you want, is an overwhelming experience. That brings in that urgency and restlessness to always do more with our lives.

I have witnessed so many of my friends/acquaintances around me juggling between 2-3 internships,  fellowships, attending webinars, doing everything that they possibly can, to ‘not lag behind’, because it is so scary to be the one who's left behind in a world that never stops moving. 

The bite-sized content, the mindless doom-scrolling, the ‘just one reel’ before bed, all takes up a lot of space in our brain. This sensory overload is misconstrued to be a lack of attention span.  

Our brain was never meant to store perceptions in multitudes. It was meant to experience life gradually and learn from it, to shape who we end up becoming once we are ready. 

If you would like to understand how to be there for yourself and all these multitudes, you can always reach out to one of our Mehfooz therapists who are trauma informed, queer affirmative, and neurodivergence affirming :) 

Talk to our therapists here