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Gen Zer shares 5 incredible things that happened after quitting social media 4 years ago

"You cherish your day-to-day life."

via Canva/Photos

A teenage girl stares at her phone at night.

Quynh Van, 26, a UX designer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave herself the ultimate challenge for a Gen Zer four years ago: she vowed to quit social media. Now, she has returned to social media on TikTok to share the big difference the sabbatical made in her life.

"I quit social media four years ago, and it completely changed my life," Van said in the video. "For background, I deleted everything—Instagram, Twitter, everything—back in the beginning of 2021. It is now 2025, and I just started TikTok a month ago, and this is the only social media I have."

In a video that has received over 800,000 views, she shares the massive impact that leaving social media had on her life.

What does it feel like to quit social media?

@quynhxvan

one of the best decisions I’ve made #slowliving #digitaldetox #selfgrowth #selfdevelopment #mentalhealth #tiktokdiary #advice #selfimprovement #mindfulness #meditation #peace #peaceful #nature #socialmedia

1. She became her authentic self

“You're just a much more interesting person because you're not consuming what other people are wearing, what they're thinking, what they're saying. And you just have space for your own thoughts. You have space for learning new hobbies, reading new books, reading articles. So you just become much more interesting because you're present in your actual self.”

2. She has more time

“It's just so productive and it's so freeing. Life just stops disappearing into a scroll. My days would feel longer. I would feel more fulfilled. I would fill it with so much stuff. Learning, reflecting, moving. I was actually doing things and I was building a life instead of just watching one go by and like, looking up from my phone and seeing that four hours had passed.”

social media, smartphones, social media addiction, teens smart phones, screentimeSad teenage girl staring at her phone. via Canva/Photos

3. She stopped comparing herself to others

“I just think it's a natural tendency for humans to compare. You're always going to compare value A to value B. That's just a natural human tendency. You don't need to try and shut it down completely. But it's not normal for us to have a window into everyone's lives at all times. I think that has broken our brains a little bit.”

4. She got in touch with her emotions

“You can't inoculate yourself with dopamine hits and avoid the painful emotions anymore with social media. You have to learn to sit in the discomfort. You have to learn to face yourself and learn to sit with your difficult emotions. I wasn't able to escape my feelings anymore and that really changed everything. Made me stronger, it made me more emotionally resilient, and I was able to gain peace in my own head. Like my brain just felt like green. It's a forest of peace. It was amazing.”

social media, smartphones, social media addiction, teens smart phones, screentime, teens phonesA group of teens staring at their phones. via Canva/Photos

5. Better relationships

“You just show up differently, and people can feel that you're more present, you listen better. You're just so in the present that you really see people when you're with them, and they can feel that, and you feel that with yourself. You feel so present with yourself, and you cherish them more because you just cherish your day-to-day life.”

For some, quitting social media may seem impossible. It’s how most people keep up with their friends these days. Further, the platforms are engineered to control our brain chemistry so much that taking a break feels like detoxing from an addictive substance. But Van wants to remind everyone that it’s possible, even when it may not feel that way.

“Honestly, the biggest thing about deleting my social media was knowing that I can live without it,” she said at the end of her video. “At the time, I felt like I couldn't live without it, and now I know that I can and I'm better for it.”

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Culture

The 14 ways Gen Z aligns itself more with older boomers than millennials

They may have different values, but they share other things in common.

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Gen Z compares themselves more to Boomers than Millennials.

Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) was described by Stanford University scholar Roberta Katz as "typically self-driven, collaborative, and diverse-minded. They value flexibility, authenticity, and a pragmatic approach to addressing problems." And according to Gen Zers themselves, they are finding that they have more in common with their Boomer elders than Millennials.

In an online forum discussing the similarities and differences that Gen Z has to Boomers and Millennials, member @Karma_Circus shared their thoughts: "There’s obviously a difference in values, but in terms of attitude, behavior, and general vibe, Gen Z actually shares more with Boomers than they do with Millennials," they wrote, before sharing similarities they noted between them.

They gave a strong argument, and added," I’m obviously not saying all Gen Z or Boomers as individuals are the same. But taking the tropes, clichés, and general vibe you get from each generation… if you strip away the aesthetics and politics, Gen Z sometimes feels like Boomer 2.0. Just younger, sassier and with better skincare routines."

boomers, generation z, millennials, millennial, generational differencesPodcast Difference GIF by Digital PratikGiphy

Many Gen Zers agreed, adding their two cents about why they think they have more in common with Boomers than Millennials. Here are 14 reasons Gen Z feels more similar to Boomers than Millennials.

"They’re kind of isolationist. Gen Z seems more withdrawn. They value alone time and don’t love socializing outside their comfort zone." —@Karma_Circus

"Neither are great at emotional communication in person. Gen Z often struggles to express feelings face-to-face. They shut down or avoid important conversations entirely. Kinda Boomer-ish, right? Different reasons, similar result." —@Karma_Circus

"Rigid belief systems. Gen Z tends to adopt strong, black-and-white views—much like Boomers clinging to fixed worldviews. There’s less room for nuance or gray areas." —@Karma_Circus

boomer, boomers, baby boomers, boomer generation, generation boomerBaby Boomers Boomer GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Both love secondhand outrage. There’s a shared grumpiness. Gen Z gets fired up over stuff that doesn’t affect them directly. Boomers did the same - just with a different set of values." —@Karma_Circus

"Societal rule enforcement. Gen Z is big on calling people out for breaking unspoken social rules. Boomers loved rules too - just old-school ones. And this really shows up on social media." —@Karma_Circus

"Chronically online. Boomers are Facebook addicts, Gen Z are TikTok addicts. Different platforms, same result: constant outrage and a worldview shaped by the algorithm." —@Karma_Circus

tiktok, tiktok dance, dance, dance moves, choreographyTik Tok Dancing GIF by Entertainment GIFsGiphy

"Both think Millennials are cringey. Boomers and Gen Z hate looking stupid. Millennials didn’t have that luxury - they grew up online, testing boundaries to figure out what was 'too far.' Gen Z is way more self-aware and peer-policed, so they play it safe. Boomers just call this 'dignity.'" —@Karma_Circus

"That little box exposed us to ideas and worldviews that would otherwise be outside the confines of our city or village. Echo chambers are one point I concur on. If that's because some of Gen Z wants that chamber or if it's due to the algorithm remains to be seen." —@QuintenCK

"Our generation tends to shun anti-social behavior more, and I'm also guilty of doing this deliberately. The difference is that we shun a lot less based on who you are (for example being black, gay etc...) and more because of what your actions are. We like authenticity, good faith attempts and heavily dislike attention seeking and two faced intentions (for example companies appealing to queer people during pride month for solely profit driven motivations, they don't give a f*ck about queer people)." —@QuintenCK

"Boomers now and boomers in their youth are completely different. The Boomers had the summer of love, anti Vietnam protests, cultural revolution and civil rights movement. Unfortunately as they settled down in their 40’s and 50’s they were captured by media and turned back into the squares they used to fight against. Gen Z is similarly being manipulated by social media algorithms which tend to skew toward outrage and more and more right leaning ideals." —@gwdope

meme, memes, meme culture, funny meme, send memesSide Eye Wtf GIFGiphy

"If anything, you could consider gen z boomers 2.0, except with memes and anxiety and without the real estate. Similar behaviors can have different motivations, which changes how we interpret them."—@ kfijatass

"Well, there's a reason why they are called zoomers." —@euromoneyz

" Gen X just sittin' back watching it all unfold." —@hopelesscaribou

"if you ain't boomin you best be zoomin." —@100fronds

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Mental Health

Man literally frolics in the street after quitting high-stress corporate job

"I'm free! I'm free!"

Canva Photos

One man holds his head at his desk; a man jumps for joy.

Saad Akhtar has been documenting his life on TikTok for a while now. From the outside, he's got it all. He's 25, living in New York City, and working his way up the ranks in finance. He's also engaging and funny enough to rack up hundreds of thousands of followers on social media through his updates.

But there was definitely a sad pattern emerging in his videos. His stress and anxiety over his soul-sucking corporate job was leaking into the content. One update, a lengthy early-morning rant, was captioned "Try not to crash out with me before work." In others, he laments the never-ending barrage of work emails and the poor treatment by his boss. For weeks, he openly toyed with the idea of quitting.

And then one day in early May, he finally pulled the plug on his "finance bro" career.

Akhtar bought himself a cake to celebrate the occasion. On his last day of work, he filmed a giddy video before heading in to ultimately clock out for the last time. The next day, he woke up at the usual time—5 a.m.—just to experience those same early morning hours as a free man. The video he filmed is pure magic.

As a free, unemployed human being, Akhtar literally and physically frolics through the streets of New York. You might think he's running at first, as in, for exercise. But no. This is a frolic.

"My days of being a finance bro are over," he shouts excitedly. "I'm free! I'm free"

"I quit my job. I can do whatever I want. I can live my life. ... I can be a baker. I can be a painter. ... I'm gonna go see the sunrise right now from the Brooklyn Bridge. I've never been able to do this in my life."

It's actually pretty emotional and beautiful. There's a whole wide world out there. Akhtar's been too busy "staring at the back of other desks" to go explore it. Until now, anyway.

@sodakhtar

my first 5am morning as a free man #quit #quitmyjob

Over four million people tuned in to watch Akhtar's joyous celebration of newfound freedom and it struck a nerve in all of them.

Commenters couldn't contain their excitement for him. Others found that his bravery to cut the cord gave them hope for their own lives:

"I haven’t been this happy for a stranger in a minute"

"I’m crying. It shouldn’t cost us this much to exist."

"May everyone experience this in their lifetime"

"Every goodhearted person in a corporate job desperately wants to quit"

"being up at 5am knowing you don’t have to work is such a good feeling"

The freedom of unemployment is absolutely intoxicating, so it's no wonder people are mesmerized by the viral video. When my wife and I moved to a new city a little over a decade ago and had a week before starting at our new school and job, respectively, it was incredible. Waking up with each day full of possibility and exploration and adventure was really the thrill of a lifetime. Living life like a tourist, seeing new parts of the city, eating good food, making time for rest and play.

It's a damn shame we don't get to live like that all the time.

@sodakhtar

1:32 am biking cuz im free, Alhumdulillah for it all ❤️ #freedom #unemployment

Job burnout is at an all-time high, studies find. That means a majority of people find the demands of their job impossible to meet, and all the while they're working extra hours and struggling to keep up, they can still barely pay the bills.

A majority of working Americans find that they barely have the capacity to go on. Akhtar is far from the only one feeling that way.

What's exciting is that Gen Z—which includes people like Akhtar—is really leading the charge for better work-life balance. They're a generation that refuses to settle. That means they get mocked for setting hard boundaries with work, not wanting to answer emails after hours, and maxing out their vacation days, but honestly... good for them. They're the ones who will ultimately, hopefully drive some change and bring us back to a world where working 9-5 and leaving work at work is the norm.

As for Akhtar, he may have to return to the corporate workforce eventually, especially if he wants to keep living in New York City. But for now he's making the most of his unemployment with a recent trip to Australia, whimsical bike rides through the city, time with friends, and documenting it all for his growing TikTok channel.

Best of all, he's staying up late living his life to the fullest, and leaving the 5 a.m. wake-ups in the past.

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Gen Z manager shares the time-off requests she's rejected, and people are here for it

This is a refreshing approach to leadership.

@bunchesofbeggs/TikTok

This Manager think PTO is for vacation, not "life changing events."

What does it take to be a good boss? You can answer this a bajillion different ways—being a clear communicator, earning employee trust, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a positive and supportive work environment while also being open to feedback and recognizing your team's contributions—but really, it all seems to stem from respecting your employees as fellow human beings.

And part of that means acknowledging that these employees have lives that are, frankly, more important to them than the job, and not penalizing them for it. One manager, and Gen Zer no less, seems to fully understand this basic principle, and folks are applauding her for it.

Elizabeth Beggs, who manages a five-person team for a packaging distribution company in Virginia, recently made a TikTok sharing which time-off requests she “rejects.”You’ll see why “rejects” is in quotes shortly.

One example: when a female rep notified Beggs that she was likely having a miscarriage. After the team member asked how she can file for time off to see to the issue, Beggs immediately responded, “Girl, go to the doctor! We’re not submitting time off for that!”

In Beggs’ mind, PTO is for “vacation,” not medical emergencies. What a concept.

@bunchesofbeggs Edited to clarify- 1. My team is all salary. 2. These examples are not all recent or from my current position. 3. My team works hard and hits thier KPIs above and beyond. Time off is meant to recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events #mangers #corporate #genzmanagers #sales #vetstocorporate #veterans ♬ original sound - Elizabeth


Beggs went on to explain a couple more situations, like when a parent who was “up all night” with a sick kid. And her last one wasn’t even negative—she had an employee who wanted to work a half-day to do something nice for their anniversary.

“Seriously, if any of these triggered anyone, then you need to evaluate how you run your team as a manager,” she concluded.

By and large, the response to Beggs’ management style has been overwhelmingly positive, and people seem to find it completely refreshing.

“You are not a manager, you’re a LEADER,” one person wrote.

@bunchesofbeggs Everything you do should be to better your team, not to make your life easier #leadership #ownership #corporatelife #veteran #military ♬ original sound - Elizabeth

Another said,“The better you treat your employees, the more loyal they will be and the better work they will put out. Most people do not understand how management works.”

A few noted how this attitude seems to be more present among younger leaders.

One person commented, "millennial manager here. My team members are human first, employees second. Like just go do what you want but get the work done too.”

Another joked that “Boomer managers could NEVER.”

Beggs would later clarify this doesn’t mean she doesn't have clear productivity expectations for her team (who work on salary). Perhaps if she had a team member not making their KPIs (key performance indicator), there would be an additional conversation surrounding time off, but there is still an inherent respect as a fellow human being. Which, to her, means treating bona fide time- off as a way to “recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events.”

@bunchesofbeggs If you’re planning does not account for people being human- it’s bad planning #genzleaders #armyvet #militaryvet #genz #corporatelife #corporate #manager #timeoff ♬ original sound - Elizabeth

Younger generations might get labeled “lazy” or “entitled,” but they are also the ones fighting to change the status quo, so that we all may be treated less like cogs in the machine, and more like actual human beings. Its leaders like Beggs who show that operating in new ways doesn't compromise productivity, and in fact enhances it. We might not be able to change the global standard overnight, but we certainly aren’t going to get to a better place without leaders who choose to serve their community rather than a bottom line.

This article originally appeared in March

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