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Culture

Woman shares her $37.90/hr wage working at Costco and people are rethinking their choices

"So getting a college degree is a scam?"

Canva Photos & Open Grid Scheduler/Flickr

A woman shares her stunning Costco paycheck and has users rethinking their biases.

Some misconceptions just won't die. One of the biggest is that retail and fast food jobs don't constitute real "careers," and are temporary dead-ends meant only for teens or seniors. Let's face it: There's a stigma against what are viewed as lower-level jobs, so much so that working fast food is often used as a PR stunt by politicians to show how "normal" they are or a punishment for criminals.

It really doesn't have to be this way. Imagine a world where an entry-level retail job could turn into a real career, steadily rewarding loyal employees with more and better pay, strong benefits, and advancement opportunities. Imagine if you could get on-the-job training and new certifications that would help you move up the ladder and earn even more money, all with the support of your company. Shouldn't working hard at a job, any real job, give you the right to a pretty good and comfortable life? Is that so crazy?

making money, employment, working, costco job, work Season 2 Money GIF by Sony Pictures Television Giphy

Well, it's not common, but one woman's story shows us that it is possible.

A woman has gone viral on TikTok for sharing exactly how much she earns as a loyal employee at Costco and people can't believe their eyes.

The young woman, who goes by Joce on social media, shared a video breaking down how her pay has changed over the years she's worked at the bulk-retail giant.

According to the video, she was hired in 2018 at a meager but respectable $14 per hour. In one video she jokes she always said it was "just a summer job."

But she stuck around for seven years and counting, and it's not hard to see why. Steady raises each year brought her to a whopping $37.90 in 2025.

This number doesn't even account for Costco's twice-a-year bonuses, benefits, and time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, and would put Joce at just under $80,000 per year assuming a full-time schedule. Not bad for a "summer job."

@thelifeofjoce
loyalty really paid off #costco #paytransparency

Nearly 11 million people watched the video. Commenters were in shock that someone could make so much at a so-called dead-end retail job.

In particular, people who'd spent a lot of time (and money) on advanced degrees just to be struggling with debt and burnt out in their careers were absolutely shook by the revelation:

"just looked at my masters degree and sighed" one user joked.

"Does Costco need nurses" quipped another.

"THIS is why I left teaching after 8 years with a masters degree and never looked back" someone said.

"So getting a college degree is a scam" another person added.

costco, working at costco, good wages, work, employment People are enthusiastic about working at Costco. Giphy

Others shared their own stories from their lives or from people they knew:

"True story.. RN working with me full time and keeping her part time work at Costco since she got paid same or maybe little more. eventually she went back fulltime working for Costco."

"I had a friend who worked [there] over 20 years, her 401K, was set for life. Costco employees, stay forever. Their pictures on the wall. They treat employees great"

While impressive, $37.90 per hour doesn't quite tell the full story. No, the full story is even cooler.

Joce breaks down her pay even further in another video, explaining that she's able to make so much at Costco because she moved into the optics department and became a licensed optician.

In addition to her base rate of $31.90, Joce gets a premium added to her wages. Certain specialist positions get premium pay and some store locations offer additional premiums as well. She also makes $56.85 per hour on Sundays, making for some pretty beefy paychecks.

But lest you think that Joce's optician's license should take away from her success story, think again! In responses to comments on her videos, she explains that Costco helped support her as she worked to get certified as she had no prior experience or training:

"It’s all on the job training and they give you time to study while working!" she writes. "They give you 3 months to study for the first exam (ABO), then up to a year or so to pass the second one (NCLE) to get fully licensed"

@thelifeofjoce
cleared up the confusion and my astigmatism #newglasses #costco #faq

From a young age, many of us are fed the belief that we need to spend four years in college and take on crippling debt just so we can get a degree and give ourselves a shot at a proper "grown up" job.

You know, like an engineer, doctor, generic business-person. These are the careers you're supposed to aspire to have. But there's no guarantee that achieving that dream is going to make you happy just because it's considered respectable.

Over 42 million Americans have student loan debt and the average comes out to just under $40,000. For many, it's impossible to pay off, which can be especially grueling when you find out the career you were chasing isn't as fulfilling or well-paying as you thought it would be.

It doesn't have to be this way. People like Joce are proving that there are other paths to success, and she's not alone. More and more of Gen Z is turning to "blue collar" work because it's viewed as more balanced and stable. If more companies would take care of their employees and pay a fair, living wage the way Costco does, people would have a lot more options.

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Culture

17 strong opinions the baby boomers actually got right, according to younger generations

Not everything needs to be a touchscreen.

via Christian Buehner/Unsplash

Baby boomers didn't get everything wrong.

In recent years, baby boomers have often been the target of criticism from younger generations (by now you've definitely heard the dismissive OK, boomer catchphrase). The most common accusations are that boomers are selfish and don’t care about leaving ample resources (whether financial or environmental) to subsequent generations. They also come under fire for not being able to acknowledge that it was easier for people of their generation to come of age when things were more affordable and life was a lot less competitive.

However, we should also understand that many of today’s problems are not the boomers’ doing, especially when it comes to the issues that stem from entitled children and technology run amok. In hindsight, there’s something to be said about the importance boomers placed on self-reliance, letting kids be kids, and having a healthy skepticism towards technology.

In other words, the baby boomers were right! Well, about some things, anyway. In the end, each generation contributes to the tapestry of society in its unique way, whether good or bad, even baby boomers.

This became evident after a Reddit user asked the AskReddit subforum: ‘What is something you can say ‘I'm with the boomers on this one’ about?”

Over 4,700 people responded to the prompt, and the most prevalent problems mentioned by the younger generations were over-reliance on technology, the modern world’s lack of human touch, and how Gen Xers and millennials have raised their children.

Here are 17 things that younger people are “with the boomers” about.

1. Public filming

Public filming has, unquestionably, become a problem. From shaming random folks in the gym to humiliating people dancing at concerts (not to mention catching cheaters), fear of being filmed without your knowledge or consent in public is a real thing people suffer from. The boomers were definitely wise to be wary of cell phone cameras!

"Just because I’m in public doesn’t mean I want to be filmed. Yeah, I know legally you can, but common courtesy people." — Jayne_of_Canton

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture Filming in public Giphy

2. Customer service

In the age of AI chatbots that are, more often than not, completely useless — I think we can all agree with this one:

"I want to talk to a person in customer service, not a machine." — lumpy_space_queenie

"And also a person that actually works at the company I bought the product from, not a teenager at an outsourced call center with a script to follow and who answers calls for 15 different companies on the same day." — Loive.

3. Turn up the dialog

"For the love of all that is holy, can we fix the audio in movies so that the music and sound FX aren’t drowning out the dialogue?" — Caloso

"And the action sequences don’t burst your eardrums or the dialogue is whispers." — Whynottry-again

Younger generations are on board with this, too. They're all about subtitles, all the time.

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture Dialogue is too quiet in movies Giphy

4. Bring back buttons

"No, I don't need everything in my car to be electronic. Some stuff needs buttons." — LamborghiniHEAT

"This was the big thing for me in my last car - trying to adjust volume or change songs while driving is way more dangerous when it’s all touch screen. Thankfully my current car has physical knobs for everything." — GeekdomCentral

This is another one where the boomers were right all along. Car manufacturers are even listening and making a big push to bring back physical buttons.

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture Bring back physical buttons Giphy

5. App overload

"Every store/service does not need an app." — BigDigger324

"I was standing at a car rental counter at an airport (boomer here) to rent a car. My daughter’s car broke down on the way to pick me up. While standing at the counter, with a customer service rep right there and not busy, I had to log in to their site, create an account, and reserve a car. It seemed ridiculous and it took a long time, filling in my license information and all that. This was last September." — Cleanslate

Yep, the boomers were definitely right here. The more apps you have on your phone, the more likely some obscure security vulnerability will end up with your data getting leaked.

6. Bring back DIY

"Learning DIY skills is crucial. I had basically zero DIY skills when I bought my house because I had lived in apartments for so long and I've had to learn a lot. YouTube tutorials are absolutely clutch." — JingleJongleBongle

7. Turn off the speakerphone

"I hated this when I worked at Walmart. So many of my coworkers would talk on speaker or watch TikTok at full volume. It's just trashy imo, nobody wants to hear your media." — WhiteGuy1x

"I work at an emergency medical office and holy sh*t the amount of people that sit in a quiet, peaceful lobby and just have the LOUDEST conversations on their phone…. Speaker or otherwise. Not to mention the people that still watch sh*t without headphones. Like do you not see the plethora of other people around you that you’re disturbing?" — Cinderpuppins

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture No one wants to hear your phone conversation in public Giphy

8. Ban QR code menus

"I think menus should be tangible." — Limp-Management9684

"QR codes kill the vibe. We’re all on our phones constantly throughout the day and then when you go to spend some quality time with someone, it’s another excuse to whip out the phone and stare at it. There’s an intimacy to a physical menu. You’re looking at what the other person is reading, you’re each pointing to parts of the menu. You’re noticing the lighting of the restaurant. QR codes feel chintzy and kill the ambiance completely." — VapeDerp420

We get it, these are for sure a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's beyond time to bring back the bulky, laminated menus we all know and love.

9. Stop subscriptions

"When I was your age, you only had to pay for a video game once to own it." — CattonCruthby

Can you imagine a world where you could just buy Microsoft Word and not get charged every year for it? Yeah, that world used to exist. Even some cars are charging drivers subscriptions to "activate" certain features. Seriously.

10. Free the children

"A kid in 2024 should have the same freedom to exist unsupervised and move about their community independently as a boomer did growing up." — PixelatedFish

"The world is safer than it's ever been and people are more scared than ever. I blame true crime and local news." ⲻ Unhappyhippo142

This is an idea that's been gaining a lot of steam in popular culture, and the boomers were at the forefront. Perhaps kids aren't too anxious to walk to school alone; they're anxious because we don't let them walk to school alone.

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture Children yearn to be free Giphy

11. Kids need to touch grass

"Kids shouldn't be on phones or iPads all the time. It makes them weird." — Ubstantial_Part_952

"The same could be said about most adults." — DrunkOctopus

12. Stop being so sensitive

"People in our generation are far, far too sensitive. Don't get it twisted; empathy is, by and large, a good thing and it takes some serious doing for me to say it's gone too far. But collectively, we've become people willing to throw every last bit of energy fighting against every slight and making sure our pet cause gets top billing to the point of fighting amongst each other even if we're in almost complete agreement otherwise. Emotional energy - like any other kind of energy - is very much a finite resource. Whereas boomers could at least generally agree to disagree and get on with things (obvious cross-wielding exceptions doth apply). Culturally, we've lost sight of the adage of 'winning the battle, losing the war.'" — almighty_smiley

Agreeing to disagree, to a certain acceptable extent, is a lost art. The way we're all disagreeing now is completely exhausting.

13. Stop delivery

"Food delivery services are a complete ripoff; if you use them regularly, you’re terrible with money. Get off my lawn." — VapeDerp420

14. Parking meters

"So rather than throwing a few coins in your meter, you have to now get your license plate #, get your meter number, go to the meter station, stand in line with everyone waiting to pay their meter, then you're set. It's an unnecessary amount of extra steps. I don't carry cash much anymore, but I can hide a small amount of coin in my car to quickly pay a meter." — Luke5119

Even better is when you have to download a Parking app so you can pay the city money to park! The boomers love that one, and so do the rest of us.

boomers, generations, generational differences, baby boomers, millennials, gen z, gen x, ok boomer, technology, culture Modern parking kiosks, and especially the apps, are the worst Giphy

15. Kids should know their place

"Not letting your children rule the roost. When did it become acceptable to let your kids back-talk to you, slap you, climb all over shi*t in public places? As we've raised ours, I've witnessed so many parents around us just let these behaviors slide. It's kind of sad when I'm the one saying things like, "Did I just hear you just say that to your mom?!?!?!?! That is not ok. You go and apologize right now!!". Then I get this stunned "deer in headlights" look back that tells me they aren't used to someone calling them out on their behavior." — Cobblestone-Villain

Gentle parenting definitely has its merits and benefits, but the boomers were right to be a little bit skeptical: In the wrong hands, it can backfire tremendously.

16. Pride in ownership

"Seems that a lot of boomers have pride of ownership and enjoy maintaining what they have." — Awkward_Bench123

17. Don't follow leaders

"My dad (a solid boomer) has been saying that ALL politicians are crooks since he became disenchanted with politics around the Nixon era. He was starry-eyed before that, trying to make social change, yada yada. He still votes, but holds his nose. Can’t say I disagree with him." — Thin_white_duchess

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Teachers

This teacher got rid of his classroom's rules. He's using these 4 R's instead.

Today's students aren't a lost cause. They just need a different approach.

Photo by Jeswin Thomas/Pexels

There are many ways to manage a classroom, and not all include "rules."

There's been a lot of talk about "kids these days." The Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids that supposedly lack respect, critical thinking skills, motivation, and basic knowledge. Reports are numerous of teachers getting frustrated, burnt out, and ultimately quitting the profession they'd dedicated their lives to.

Anyone who has tried to wrangle a classroom of kids knows that it's a formidable feat at any age and in any generation. Having a group of learners who are engaged, attentive and reasonably courteous is the goal, but managing diverse personalities from various backgrounds and home environments and who have different standards and expectations of behavior can be tricky.

Some teachers take the old-school "law and order" approach, laying out a list of classroom rules everyone is supposed to follow. Those who don't fall in line face consequences of some sort. Others still insist that this new generation of kids is not a lost cause; they just need a different approach.

High school Language Arts teacher Monte Syrie takes a different tack—one that sees students as valued citizens of a community instead of young people to be controlled.

school, teachers, education, classroom, high school, gen z, gen alpha, curriculum, rules, generational differences, empathy A classroom with no rules at all? Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

Syrie, who has been teaching for more than two decades, says he's always striving to make the school year better than the last one. That means regularly reflecting and reevaluating how he communicates with his students, which is how he came up with the radical idea to get rid of all of his classroom's rules.

That's right. A classroom with no rules!

But that's not to say Syrie didn't replace the rules with anything. What he did was reframe them as "Policies and Procedures" to tossing out the concept of "rules" altogether.

Now he offers 4 R's—Roles, Routines, Rights and Responsibilities—as a framework for classroom management.

— (@)

"I think teachers are framers. We frame the room. We frame the work. We frame the day. We frame the year. We frame the entire experience–whether we want to or not," Syrie shares. "The kids look to us for the frame. What we do–or don’t do–decides the day. And, man oh man, is there pressure in that. But, there’s also possibility–powerful possibility."

Syrie explains in his book about teaching that kids respond differently when teachers frame things differently, and being greeted with classroom rules on day one evokes a specific response in kids.

"We seem to believe if we don’t get rules in front of the kids immediately, we will never get the kids where we want them," he writes. "I don’t believe in this anymore. I did, I suppose, at one point, but at this point, I believed there was a better way to 'get kids.'"

Syrie decided to reframe his classroom policies as as Roles that let kids see themselves through various lenses, Routines that tell them what to expect, Rights that give them individual autonomy and Responsibilities that help them contribute to a shared community.

So what does that look like?

Roles in Syrie's classroom include the roles of Yourself (the most important role, he says), Valued Community Member, Reader, Writer, Mistake Maker, and Reflector. He explains to the students what each of these roles entails and why it's important for kids to take them on.

Routines include daily and weekly activities such as starting class with a community check-in called Smiles and Frowns and ending class with Journey Journaling. Each day of the week also has a specific focus, such as writing, reading or grammar.

Rights include things like, "I have the right to feel safe," "I have the right to learn," and "I have the right to ask as many questions as l want." Syrie also gives students the right to eat and drink in class and the right to make mistakes without fear of penalty. He gives them a little more leeway than other teachers might, and with it, more trust.

school, teachers, education, classroom, high school, gen z, gen alpha, curriculum, rules, generational differences, empathy Monte Syrie talks to a student in one of his classes. Photo credit:\u00a0Monte Syrie

As for Responsibilities, students have a responsibility to get to class on time, know and honor the class routines, self-regulate use of electronic devices in the classroom, be a great listener, self-regulate leaving the room, take ownership of their learning, and be sensitive and respectful of others' viewpoints, among other things. Students are expected to do their best to fulfill these responsibilities and to handle any breaches (such as being late to class) with courtesy and minimal disruption to the rest of the class. If they are struggling with any of these responsibilities, interventions include reminder(s), conversation(s), parent contact, and as a last and unlikely resort, office referral.

The beauty of Syrie's four R's is that they demonstrate a sense of trust in students right off the bat, helping them see themselves both as responsible individuals and as valued parts of a communal whole.

school, teachers, education, classroom, high school, gen z, gen alpha, curriculum, rules, generational differences, empathy Instead of consequences, Syrie uses various interventions. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

When people feel trusted and valued and are empowered by a clear balance of rights and responsibilities, most tend to rise to the occasion—even when they're in high school. That's not to say that this framing eliminates all classroom management issues, but it's a framework that encourages character development from within the students rather than exerting control from the top down. They'll be able to take this framing through their whole educational career and beyond.

A fellow educator wrote on X, "Love this in so many ways! In these times, this answers 'how can we help learners understand the principles of a democracy?'" Imagine if we all reflected more on our roles, routines, rights and responsibilities as citizens rather than just memorizing the laws we are obliged to follow. Perhaps Mr. Syrie's rethinking and reframing of the educational experience can help us all consider a new framing for our own lives as individuals and community members as well.

Today's students are different from the ones that came before them. They openly struggle with mental health and all the negative side effects of growing up with cell phones, social media, and tons of screentime. Some have also lost faith in the traditional education system, and who could blame them in a world where working hard in school and going into massive debt to go to college still won't guarantee them a comfortable shot at the "American Dream"?

Syrie believes the answer isn't dropping the hammer on his so-called "lazy students," but empowering them through a unique approach to running the classroom. So far, the results have spoken for themselves.

You can follow Monte Syrie on X and find his book, "better: A Teacher's Journey: Project 180 Book One," here.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Family

Gen Z couple exposes the big generation gap in partner location sharing

"We just don't think it's that serious."

via Canva/Photos and Google Play

A wife tracking her husband's location.

If you’re in a relationship, there are pros and cons to sharing your location with your partner. On one hand, it’s a great way to find out where they are so you know (roughly) when they’ll be home, or to make sure they are safe. On the other hand, a controlling partner can abuse the technology, and some folks just want to come and go without being watched even if it’s by someone they love.

Further, if you are against your partner tracking you, what do you have to hide? If you’re not going places that you shouldn’t, why do you care if your partner can see where you are? TikTok creators Maya and Hunter, a young married couple who share videos about their egalitarian relationship, have a theory: couples under 35 have no problem sharing their location, while those 35 and over recoil at the idea.

What type of couples share location data?

“Why does everyone over the age of 35 think that sharing your location with your partner is a prison sentence?” Hunter asks in a TikTok with over 600,000 views. “Every time we talk to someone older about how we have each other’s location, they’re like... Bring out the shackles!” Maya adds. “And I feel like everyone we talk to who’s under 35 just thinks of it as a convenience or safety thing.”

@maya.and.hunter
i feel like we just don’t think it’s that serious?

The couple doesn’t see anything wrong with monitoring one another, and although it’s not a big part of their lives, they like to have it just in case. “It’s not that deep. I can’t remember the last time I checked her location, other than just to find out where she parked. It’s just a really interesting social commentary that everyone over a certain age—we think it’s about 35—has this really big issue with, like, a privacy violation and mistrust when you share your location.”

“But I feel with my friends and partner and people I trust,” Maya adds, “I don’t care if they see where I’m going at any time.”

The generational gap in location sharing

The couple believes that the cutoff line is the age of 35, and according to Civic Science, they aren’t far off in their assumption. A generational study finds that younger people are far more likely than older people to share their locations. Gen Z adults aged 18-29 are the most likely to use location sharing (65%), outpacing Millennials (45%) and Gen X (42%), and more than doubling those 55+ (24%).

@rosecitycomedy
Nothing says love like quietly tracking your partner’s every move. Just ask Andy Woodhull. #tylertx #longviewtx #standupcomedy

A significant factor contributing to the generation gap is that individuals aged 35 and under were, at the oldest, teenagers when location technology became available. Heck, folks who are 18 right now never lived in a time when location sharing didn’t exist and were likely to be raised by parents who tracked their locations. Those who are over 35 were adults by the time the technology became available, and they lived in a time where, if you were interested in tracking someone, you were probably a creep. Older people value privacy more because they remember a time when they could be unreachable.

The video divided people in the comments. "I have a theory. People over 35 are old enough to remember not being constantly surveilled," one wrote. “Because they grew up in an era when the norm was privacy, not surveillance, so it feels like being stalked,” another added.

“Everyone who is against it is shady,” one person confidently wrote. “I totally get what you mean, it's like older folks see it as a big deal, but for us it's just about staying connected and safe,” agreed another.

There’s no correct answer to the big location-sharing question. People who don’t do it can brag about their independence and the fact that they trust their partner so much they don’t need to follow where they go. Others may claim they track their spouses out of love and concern for their safety. But the debate does say a lot about how different generations were raised with entirely different expectations of privacy and how it plays out in their closest relationships.

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Culture

Woman gives tour of her $650 New York micro apartment and people were unprepared

Could you live in this apartment?

incognito7nyc/Flickr & Canva Photos

A woman ruffled some feathers with a tour of her $650 NYC micro apartment.

They say New York City is the City of Dreams. Young people all over the world flock to the city when they're ready to start chasing after their biggest ambitions. If you have a passion for theater, television, or the arts, there's no better place to be. Want to become a successful and prestigious stock broker, lawyer, or investment banker? It's all New York, baby. It's a city of immense opportunity and tough competition, but that's what makes it full of life and culture for those who choose to live there.

But all of that doesn't come cheap. The average rent in New York for even just a small, studio apartment is $3,264 per month. That buys you less than 500 square feet. And, even though it seems like you're really pinching pennies by living somewhere so cramped, that price tag is enormous! Even if you account for the higher-than-average salaries in New York.

Most young people just getting started in their careers can't afford that. Not to mention, the competition for good-quality apartments in New York is cutthroat. Still, people are desperate to live there by any means necessary, which has given rise to some really fascinating (and, in some cases, slightly horrifying) micro apartments.

In 2023, one woman went viral for showing off her New York micro apartment. It clocks in at just 80 square feet and cost her, at the time, a meager $650 per month.

new york, new york living, NYC, tiny apartment, micro apartment, apartment tour, budgeting, gen z, millennials, american dream If you like spending all your money on rent, New York is awesome! Giphy

YouTuber Caleb Simpson interviewed the woman, Alaina, for his channel that specializes in featuring interesting and unique living spaces. Alaina's apartment definitely qualifies, though technically the square footage is 80x150, because she's including the vertical space. Every square inch counts!

"So really it just feels like a walk-in closet," Simpson remarks upon entering through the front door.

Alaina shows Simpson around the apartment, which includes a tiny living room slash kitchen area with a mini-fridge, a small sink, and a small stove and microwave. In the main living area, she's placed a fold-out sofa of sorts. Alaina's makeup and pantry foods are all crammed into one small cabinet.

From there...well, there's not much left to see. But Alaina and Simpson check out the loft, which holds Alaina's bed and a little extra storage in the form of hooks where she hangs her bags and purses.

The apartment has no windows. There is a storage cupboard under the stairs, but it's hard to access.

"Every time I want to get something out, something else has to move," Alaina says.

As far as a bathroom, Alaina is lucky enough to have her very own private bathroom complete with shower! Many New York micro apartments feature communal or shared bathrooms, so the private bath is a plus for this tiny space. However, hers is located separate from her apartment, down the hall. And, you might be surprised to hear, it's extremely tiny.

Alaina admits she previously lived in a "luxury" apartment that cost over $3,000 per month, but she wanted to free up money to travel, which prompted her to downgrade.

Watch the whole tour here:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Alaina says her tiny apartment was a "hot commodity" when she signed the lease, beating out tons of other prospective renters.

Commenters on the video, which has a staggering 24 million views, were more or less horrified at the conditions that New Yorkers were competing over:

"Firetrap . No exits , no windows with fresh air . Cooking with no air flow . Crazy this is even happening"

"I can't even breathe looking at this tiny apartment"

"'In a van, down by the river' has never sounded better."

"NYC should be ashamed and embarrassed to relegate people to live in this kind of space. Not only does it look uncomfortable / unhealty but It looks extremely dangerous. NYC should do better in providing affordable housing with decent square footage."

It's cool and scrappy that Alaina makes the pint-sized apartment work for her as she pursues her dream of living in New York City. We might find it claustrophobic, but the fact that multiple renters were fighting over this space really says a lot about the way our culture is moving.

Younger millennials and Gen Z are sick of chasing after the American Dream of the single-family home with a white picket fence and a golden retriever.

new york, new york living, NYC, tiny apartment, micro apartment, apartment tour, budgeting, gen z, millennials, american dream The City That Never Sleeps Giphy

It's hopelessly out of reach for many of them anyway due to skyrocketing housing prices and stagnant wages. So, they can work their fingers to the bone with multiple jobs and maybe afford a slightly better apartment, but still not be able to save enough for the future—or they could actually enjoy their life with the money they do have.

NBC News writes, "Several years out of Covid lockdowns, younger Americans’ outlays on things like travel, recreation and dining out have been outpacing their older peers’ even as the economy slows. As of last summer, the average Gen Zer or millennial was dropping over $400 a month on nonessentials, compared to about $250 for Gen Xers and less than $200 for baby boomers."

In another YouTube interview, Alaina admits to spending big money on her monthly gym membership: over $300 per month, to be exact. Commenters chastised her for having her priorities mixed up, but honestly, there's nothing backwards at all about wanting to relax at your gym's spa after a long day of work, or travel to the far ends of the world, versus spending all of your money on an OK-but-still-crappy apartment.

In an update in the YouTube video's caption, Simpson writes that Alaina chose not to renew her lease in the micro apartment after filming. But that doesn't mean she regrets her stay.

"It's an adventure," Alaina says. "People need a lot less than they think they need."

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Joy

Psychiatrist perfectly explains why each generation approaches happiness so differently

Photo credit: Instagram (@drjudithjoseph)

Dr. Judith Joseph is the expert on joy and happiness

Fill in the blank: Happiness is...?

Owning a home with a white picket fence and two-car garage? Achieving the ideal work-life balance? Or having legions of faithful followers on TikTok who hang onto your every word?

When we think about happiness, we often assume everyone wants the same things. However, depending on your answer to the question, "What is happiness?" many psychologists could pinpoint approximately when you were born. The generation you are a part of determines so much: whether you've ever had a perm, how comfortable you are using the Internet, and even how you define joy itself.

It's all about context.

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Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist and the author of High Functioning: Overcome Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy, went viral on Instagram when she explained how collective experiences shape each generation's approach to happiness.

"People from different generations have different ways of addressing happiness based on their different collective traumas, experiences, and educational opportunities," she wrote in the caption.

About Dr. Judith Joseph

Dr. Judith Joseph is more than just a phenomenal content creator—her professional resume is mind-bogglingly impressive. As the Principal Investigator of Manhattan Behavioral Medicine, she and her team have done groundbreaking work studying high-functioning conditions, such as high-functioning depression, ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, postpartum depression, and OCD.

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In short, she's an expert on joy and happiness—what causes it, how it shows up in the body, and where our ideas surrounding it stem from.

Generational definitions of happiness: How history shapes values

Research shows that each generation develops a unique definition of happiness based on the formative experiences that shaped their worldview during adolescence and early adulthood. How Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z experience and define contentment is strikingly different. Each generation has been molded by unique historical events, economic conditions, and social changes that have forged its core values.

families, generations, kids, changes, baby boomers A family that looks straight out of the 1950s. Photo credit: Canva

Throughout the generations, there have been drastic changes in every aspect of life. Family structures and rituals look a lot different now, with 76% of Baby Boomers reporting that they ate dinner as a family every day. In comparison, only 38% of Gen Z do. When the Internet exploded onto the scene, teenagers and adolescents had access to global perspectives in an unprecedented way. Work has witnessed several eras as well, with Boomers viewing their jobs as a source of identity and financial security. At the same time, Millennials need their 9-5 to be meaningful and aligned with their values.

Dr. Joseph's video demonstrates this phenomenon exactly: from war and economic uncertainty to technological revolutions and social upheaval, these are the shared experiences that created distinct approaches to finding meaning in life.

Baby Boomers: The resilient generation

Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers developed their ideas of happiness through a lens of survival.

"Boomers' mentality may have stemmed from their parents who went through wars and economic uncertainty," writes Dr. Joseph. "Their survival mode mentality led them to cope by suppressing emotions and to display strength and grit."

This generation is tough. Baby Boomers grew up hearing stories about the Great Depression and World War II from their parents, which created a deep yearning for basic security. "Many older boomers did not have access to education about psychology, so they did not acknowledge emotions," Dr. Joseph notes. Instead, they focused on external validation, tangible achievements, and traditional markers of success. They frequently equate happiness and fulfillment with the "American Dream": Owning a home, raising a family, and having a stable career.

woman, generations, baby boomers, happiness, psychology Baby Boomers learned to survive. Photo credit: Instagram (@drjudithjoseph)

Dr. Joseph emphasizes this in her video when she emulates Baby Boomers, saying: "Of course I'm happy! I have a roof over my head, three hot meals a day, and I'm gainfully employed. What's there to be sad about?"

Generation X: The pragmatic generation

" Gen X was raised in the age of materialistic accumulation, and they were in the age of improving their individual states rather than focusing on those around them," Dr. Joseph observes.

"They were praised for being 'doers' and when situations were hard, they took a 'can-do' approach and focused on self-improvement strategies," she continues. "They were raised in a society that valued wealth and objects as symbols of status, and they often delayed happiness for the future."

Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, came of age and witnessed economic uncertainty, recessions, and the end of the Cold War during their formative years. These experiences formed a pragmatic relationship with happiness, viewing it as something that can only be earned through hard work and delayed gratification.

woman, generations, gen x, happiness, psychology Generation X works themselves to the bone, in the hope of reaping rewards. Photo credit: Instagram (@drjudithjoseph)

In her Gen X get-up, a business suit worn straight home from the office, Dr. Joseph describes this generation's approach to happiness as thus:

"I work myself to the bone, but one day I'll have enough money in my bank to travel the world. I'll delay happiness until retirement."

Millennials: The meaning-seeking generation

Millennials represent a fundamental shift in the ways happiness is defined and pursued. Born between 1981 and 1996, unlike previous generations, Millennials prioritize meaningful work and experiences over material possessions.

"Millennials grew up in the age of internet convenience. They were the first generation to be born into an age of online access to platforms," Dr. Joseph explains. This unprecedented access to information and global connectivity shaped their worldview in profound ways. "They were also the first to have access to online knowledge and resources, so they search for a better life and meaning," she notes. "They are often overwhelmed with the idea of 'having it all' and they have high levels of financial stress, which makes happiness seem out of reach."

woman, generations, millennial, happiness, psychology Millennials changed the way we think about happiness. Photo credit: Instagram (@drjudithjoseph)

The Millennial approach to happiness often sounds like this: "I was just telling my therapist on our Zoom session that I can't afford to be happy. I have too much student loan debt."

Talk about accuracy.

Generation Z: The authentic generation

The youngest generation mentioned, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), has the most complex, multi-faceted relationship to happiness. "Gen Z grew up in the age of social media where they connect in a digital age as digital natives," Dr. Joseph explains. "Their interactions online are just as valuable as interactions in person."

Happiness is deeply tied to authenticity and social justice for Zoomers. "They are deliberate about their choices to value their chosen community and set rigid boundaries and advocate openly for their preferences," Dr. Joseph notes. Gen Z has witnessed climate change, school shootings, political upheaval, and a global pandemic during their formative years, creating a unique perspective on what matters most.

woman, generations, gen z, happiness, psychology Gen Z is all about living in the moment. Photo credit: Instagram (@drjudithjoseph)

"They are fed up with the system that selects a small group for financial superiority and aren't afraid to leave a system that seems skewed for the wealthy," Dr. Joseph observes. This translates into a happiness philosophy that sounds like this: "Um, the world is melting, there's bad news everywhere. I'm just going to travel the world and be happy today because tomorrow isn't promised."

Your generation's experiences shaped you. That's okay.

Dr. Joseph's viral insights inspire us to recognize that happiness is not a one-size-fits-all concept; it's profoundly personal and shaped by generations. By embracing these differences, we can create empathetic workplaces, strengthen our families, and foster connected communities where everyone is empowered to thrive in their unique ways.

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Millennial has brilliant clapback for Gen Zers who try to say they haven't aged well

He also brought the receipts.

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A millennial vs a Gen Zer

Millennials and Gen Z truly have a sibling kind of relationship. They take turns teasing each other but in the end it's nothing but love between the two generations. One such viral taunting involved people saying that Gen Zers have aged like milk. Several Gen Zers themselves even agreed that people often mistake them for much older than they are. But that's neither here nor there.

Gen Z eventually fired back with their own commentary about how poorly millennials age. But millennial came with receipts to prove that this was beyond untrue. Millennial Chris Bautista uploaded a pretty savage video response to these young whippersnappers explaining why they feel that way.

According to Bautista, the answer is quite simple. Millennials set the bar for what aging looks like for people approaching middle age.

"I'm gonna say this a little bit louder for the Gen Zers in the back that didn't hear me the last time. Millennials look fantastic for our age and you cannot tell us otherwise," Bautista starts. "The reason why you think we don't look great for our ages is because we have set the new standard of what it looks like to age."

Then he pulls out the evidence. Pictures of celebrities who were the age Millennials are right now when the pictures were taken. Yikes! Most Millennials look nowhere near the age of the people in the pictures.

Watch the video:

@bautistud
This needs to be said for millenials 🫡 #millennialsoftiktok #genzvsmillenial #aging

Fellow millennials were quick to chime in with their guesses as to why they are the poster children for anti-aging.

"It's cause all millennials used the St. Ives peach scrub exfoliating wash and we achieved eternal youth," someone surmised.

"It's gotta be the Flintstone vitamins," another quipped.

"I don't know, I am 40 and got stopped at my son's high school security guard because he thought I was a student. No one ever believes my age," wrote a third.

A fourth shared,"But seriously like what's the reason? Cause this life has been stressful."

There are several theories as to why the anti-aging phenomenon has occurred. none of them actually involve Flinstones vitamins of St. Ives scrubs, but they do have that signature self deprecating millennial humor—from being the first group heavily indoctrinated to cosmetic "tweakments," to being depressed and therefore indoors all day, to simply having youthful energy due to never being able to truly grow up.

millennials, gen z. gen z vs millennials, anti aging, millennials and aging, aging, vaping, health A woman getting botoxPhoto credit: Canva

However, according to experts, it really comes down to millennials being among the first group to take the basics seriously. by basics, we mean, sunscreen (and somehow bypassing the anti-sunscreen conspiracy theory craze via TikTok) as well as hydration (hellooooo Stanley water bottles). Plus, millennials aren't as known to have a proclivity towards vaping, like the Gen Z counterparts. Sometimes it really comes down to the simple things.

millennials, gen z. gen z vs millennials, anti aging, millennials and aging, aging, vaping, health Millennials love their sunscreenPhoto credit: Canva

Regardless of aging it seems that the sibling banter between these two generation will remain alive and well forever and ever.

This article originally appeared last year.

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