Culture

I'm Not a Millennial or Gen Z. I'm Something Weirder

I was scrolling through social media, exploring the chaos of Gen Z manifestations, when a question suddenly hit me: since I was born in 1996, am I considered Gen Z or a Millennial? I was genuinely confused. So naturally, I did what any self-respecting internet citizen would do, I went down a research rabbit hole. That's when I discovered I'm what they call a "Zillennial," or in fancier terms, a cusper.

So technically speaking, I'm a Millennial with some Gen Z traits. And if you happened to be born in 1996 too, congratulations, you're one of us.

I've heard some content creators talking about Gen Z being called "Z, the last letter in the alphabet," as if they're the last generation to ever exist. Spoiler alert: they're not. Gen Alpha is already here, scrolling before they can read. So before I get to my main point, let me break down this whole generational theory thing for anyone who's been living in a cave with no WiFi.

What Even Is a Generation?

A generation, in sociological terms, isn't just about the year stamped on your birth certificate. It's a cohort of people born within a specific time frame who share similar cultural experiences, historical events, and social attitudes that shape their worldview. Think of it as a collective identity formed by the world you grew up in, the technology you used, the crises you witnessed, the music you embarrassingly danced to (yes, I'm looking at you, Tecktonik).

Generations are typically defined by major societal shifts, technological revolutions, or significant historical events. The concept gained serious traction thanks to sociologists like Karl Mannheim in the 1920s, but it really took off in the American context with authors like William Strauss and Neil Howe, who popularized generational theory in their 1991 book Generations: The History of America's Future.

The Generational Lineup

Here's how the generational timeline typically breaks down:

The Silent Generation (1928-1945): Born during the Great Depression and World War II, they're called "silent" because they were expected to be seen and not heard. They valued stability, hard work, and keeping your head down.
Baby Boomers (1946-1964): Named after the post WWII population boom, these are the folks who grew up during economic prosperity, witnessed the civil rights movement, and gave us Rock 'n' Roll. They're our parents (or grandparents, depending on your age).
Generation X (1965-1980): The generation that raised themselves, and grew up during economic uncertainty, saw the rise of divorce rates, and were the first to really embrace skepticism toward institutions.
Millennials/Generation Y (1981-1996): The children of Baby Boomers, we grew up during the digital revolution. We remember life before the internet but adapted to it seamlessly. We grew up watching Spacetoon, trading Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards in the schoolyard (still doing it online but let's keep that between us), playing Snake on Nokia phones, and witnessing the transition from dial-up internet to broadband. We got participation trophies, witnessed 9/11 during our formative years, and entered a job market still recovering from economic uncertainty. We're the generation that remembers having to rewind VHS tapes, burning CDs for our friends, and the sacred ritual of waiting for our favorite song to play on the radio so we could record it. Fun times.
Generation Z (1997-2012): True digital natives who never knew a world without smartphones. They're socially conscious, entrepreneurial, and have been shaped by climate anxiety, social media, and economic instability. They also have no idea what a floppy disk is.
Generation Alpha (2013-present): Born entirely in the 21st century, raised on tablets and AI assistants. The oldest are barely teenagers, so we're still figuring out what makes them tick. But early signs suggest they'll be even more tech dependent and globally minded than Gen Z.

Each generation is roughly the children of the generation two steps before them. Millennials are predominantly the offspring of Baby Boomers. Gen Z? Children of Gen X. And Gen Alpha? Millennial parents trying to figure out how to limit screen time while simultaneously working from home on three screens.

What's a Cusper, and Why Should You Care?

Now, here's where it gets interesting. A cusper, AKA "micro-generation", is someone born on the cusp between two generations, typically within a 3 to 5 years window where the boundaries blur. These people don't fit neatly into one generational box. They're like generational hybrids, absorbing traits from both sides.

The term "cusper" comes from the idea of being on the "cusp", the edge or borderline between two distinct periods. Common cusper groups include:

Xennials (1977-1983): The Gen X/Millennial cuspers who had an analog childhood but a digital adulthood.
Zillennials (1993-1998): The Millennial/Gen Z cuspers (that's us!) who remember dial-up internet but also grew up with Instagram.
Zalphas (2010-2015): The Gen Z/Alpha cuspers who are basically growing up in a world we can barely comprehend.

Being a cusper means you don't fully belong to either generation. You're fluent in both languages, so to speak. You remember when having an email address was a big deal, and you also can't imagine life without streaming services.

What Being a Zillennial Actually Feels Like

This explains so much, honestly. As a Zillennial, I understand Gen Z pretty well. Their frustrations about housing markets, climate change, and the freelance economy? I feel them. Their humor, their digital fluency, their skepticism toward traditional career paths? It all makes sense to me.

But at the same time, I feel completely at ease with older Millennials and even Baby Boomers (our parents). I have a deep understanding of their values, stability, loyalty, and face to face communication, despite the age gap. I can sit at a dinner table with my Boomer parents and actually get where they're coming from, even when we disagree.

Even though being a cusper makes you feel generationally confused (Am I old? Am I young? Should I know what "skibidi" means?), you realize you're actually a bridge between generations. This is especially obvious in the workplace.

Here's a perfect example of my Zillennial identity: I'm comfortable writing long form articles on my personal website instead of sharing TikTok reels. That's pure Millennial energy, building something that's mine, putting effort into crafted prose, caring about having a blog. Meanwhile, Gen Z is all about quick, viral content, vertical videos, and 15 second attention spans. I get why they do it, I understand the platform, but my instinct? Write it out. Make it last. That's the cusper in me.

Baby Boomer business owners trust you with significant responsibilities because you carry some of that Millennial work ethic and professionalism they recognize. Meanwhile, they often view pure Gen Z employees as rebels, too fragile, or "squishy" (their words, not mine). You develop amazing relationships with your older coworkers because you speak their language. But you can also vibe effortlessly with your Gen Z colleagues and genuinely understand their struggles, because those struggles touch you too.

You're the translator. The mediator. The one who explains to the Boomers why Gen Z wants work-life balance, and the one who explains to Gen Z why their boss is asking them to "just pick up the phone and call."

The Weird Magic of Being Born in 1996

I've always noticed that people born in 1996 are... different. We're weird in a way that's hard to pin down. We exist in this unique space where we remember the pre-smartphone world but also can't imagine life without Google. We're nostalgic for things Gen Z never experienced but also fluent in memes that confuse older Millennials.

These reflections open up so many unanswered questions in my mind. Do Zillennials have a special mission? Are we meant to be the link between Millennials and Gen Z, perfectly understanding both because we embody elements of each?

That also makes me think about people born between Generation X and Millennials (Xennials, as mentioned earlier.) How did they deal with being caught between the cynical slacker generation and the optimistic digital pioneers? Did they feel like bridges too?

And what about people born between Gen Z and Alpha? I wonder how weird someone born in, say, 2012 would be. How will they challenge the world? Will they be the ones who mediate between Gen Z's activism and Alpha's hyper digital existence? Will they be the ones teaching Gen Alpha about a time when people actually had to unlock their phones instead of just looking at them?

One Last Thing

Being a cusper isn't just about confusion or not fitting in. It's about having a unique perspective, a foot in two worlds, an understanding of two generational languages. It's about being the person who can explain why both sides are right, even when they think they're in opposition.

So if you were born in 1996, or anywhere near the edge of two generations, embrace the weirdness. You're not lost between two worlds. You're the bridge connecting them.

And honestly? That's kind of a superpower.