TikToker @jessrgreenwood asked a simple question that attracted the interest of thousands of viewers. She asked, “Have you noticed Millennials aren’t aging like the generations before?”
@jordan_the_stallion8 #stitch with @jessrgreenwood #fypシ ♬ original sound – Jordan_The_Stallion8
He says that the older generation looks exactly like their age. Millennials either look older than their age or younger than their age. He believes that Gen Z already looks like adults: “every single person in the newest generation already looks like they have a house and are paying a mortgage.”
He blames this aging factor all on stress. “The older generation stressed a good amount, the millennials have too much to stress about, and the younger generation, they just gave up.”
Over 14,000 viewers commented on this video.
One viewer received 27,000 likes for her comment: “Millennials don’t age because stress is our blood type.”
One viewer offered a reason why she believes millennials aren’t aging at the same rate as other generations. “Millennials don’t wait for the stress to hit, when we feel it coming, we take a nap. Naps are good for your mental and physical health. And the looks.”
Several viewers came in to support this comment.
“My life can be falling apart and I just have to have a nap before I deal with it.”
“This was me today I now take naps before I have to make a hard decision makes me feel better no cap.”
“I close my blackout curtains and wake up the next day.”
Millennials continued to comment on what helps keep them looking young.
“It’s the no kids. Keeps us young.”
“Two kids and not a single wrinkle. But I’ve never smoked and rarely drink.”
It isn’t just TikTok that noticed the fountain of youth millennials have been drinking. A comment on reddit further validated the observation that millennials look younger at their age than previous generations.
“They look younger in their 30s too. It’s not surprising. In the 80s, it was normal for 25 year olds to get married and have kids – by 30 they were practically middle age. Now, it’s not uncommon for even 35 year olds to be unmarried & childless, and they wear stylish/trendy clothing – combined with better skincare/less tanning and it’s easy to see why they appear so much younger. Comparing my sister at 35 (born in 1987) to my mother at 35 (born in 1964) – it’s a big difference.”
Yet another explanation: “They look younger because they’re smoking/doing drugs less. And also less time outside in the sun.”
Time magazine covered this millennial aging phenomenon years ago. They reported that smoking rates had decreased and exercise had increased. In addition to this healthier lifestyle, millennials have more supportive friends and college degrees than the prior generations.
However, they still experience a significant stressor which is financial insecurity. Time reported that millennial poverty has increased, employment decreased, and college debt was five times more than twenty years ago. As a result, home ownership and retirement savings are also lower.
So how are they handling this stress so well that they continue to age gracefully? Many millennials depend on their parents and still live at home. As mentioned in a previous comment, they are also delaying marriage and having children later compared to Gen X and boomers when they were the same age.
Millennials are aging better than the previous generations thanks to the support of their parents and other family members. Throw in a healthier lifestyle and a focus on skincare, and millennials have cracked the code to keeping a youthful look for much longer in life.
Do you think millennials have it better than previous generations? Do they handle stress better than other generations?
This article was produced by This Mom is On Fire.
Feature Image Credit: © alessandrobiascioli via Canva.