For a generation constantly surrounded by stimulation, you’d think Gen Z would be buzzing with excitement.
However, more often than not, the vibe is numb, tired, or quietly detached. It’s not that they don’t care—it’s that caring too much feels exhausting or even pointless. In a way, it makes sense, especially given all that’s going on in the world. Of course, there’s more to it than that. Here’s why so many Gen Zers find it hard to get genuinely hyped up about much these days.
1. Constant access to everything has made it all feel flat.
With the internet in their pocket, Gen Z has grown up with endless content, opinions, and information. Nothing feels rare or special when it’s always right there. That instant access has created a weird kind of emotional fatigue—it’s hard to get excited when you’ve already seen it all three times on TikTok by noon.
That constant exposure can make even joyful things feel generic. The novelty fades before it has time to land, and when everything starts to blur, excitement gets replaced by indifference.
2. They’re dealing with burnout way too young.
School, work, side hustles, activism, financial pressure—Gen Z grew up watching people glorify hustle culture, only to inherit the burnout with none of the payoff. They’re overwhelmed, overextended, and under-supported. When you’re that tired all the time, excitement doesn’t hit the same. Even when something good comes along, it’s met with a half-hearted “cool” instead of a full-body spark because there’s barely any emotional fuel left.
3. They’re used to things falling apart.
Climate change, political instability, pandemic lockdowns, rising rent, economic uncertainty—it’s been one crisis after another. When you’ve spent your formative years watching the world spiral, getting hyped about a new opportunity feels naive at best. Hope starts to feel fragile. Excitement becomes risky. Why get your hopes up when history suggests they’ll be dashed? It’s not apathy, it’s self-protection.
4. Everything feels like a performance.
Social media has blurred the line between life and curation. Even the things people genuinely love get filtered, monetised, and packaged for views. Gen Z knows this, and it makes it hard to know what’s real joy and what’s just performative enthusiasm.
It creates this pressure to not just enjoy something, but to look like you’re enjoying it enough to be interesting. That performative layer dilutes the actual experience. It’s hard to feel excited when you’re too busy wondering how it’ll come across.
5. They’ve inherited emotional detachment as a coping tool.
Disconnection is a defence mechanism. When everything feels unstable, emotionally checking out becomes a form of survival. And many Gen Zers have grown so used to staying emotionally guarded, they barely notice how little they let themselves feel anymore. Genuine excitement is a vulnerable emotion because it means letting yourself care. When caring has felt dangerous or disappointing, it’s easier to default to flatness. At least that way, nothing hurts as much.
6. Their wins feel small compared to everyone else’s.
It’s hard to celebrate your own progress when you’re constantly seeing other people’s highlight reels. Someone gets a degree, someone else just bought a house at 22. You finally take a break, someone else just launched their third business. Comparison kills joy, and for Gen Z, who’ve been online since childhood, the habit of comparison is hard to switch off. Their own achievements can feel underwhelming next to the endless scroll of “better.”
7. The future feels uncertain, no matter what they do.
Previous generations had some sense of payoff. Work hard, get a job, buy a house, maybe retire. However, Gen Z has seen that path crumble. Now, even when they try their best, the future still feels out of reach, or completely unpredictable. When the outcome seems disconnected from the effort, motivation drops. Excitement requires some belief that things could work out. Without that, it’s hard to feel more than mildly hopeful, if that.
8. They’re scared of being “cringe”
Gen Z is hyper-aware. They grew up watching people get ridiculed online for being too much, too enthusiastic, too weird. The result? A fear of being cringey has made a lot of them afraid to openly enjoy anything. It’s safer to be sarcastic, aloof, or ironic. But those postures don’t leave much room for joy. You can’t be fully excited about something while also bracing yourself to be mocked for it.
9. They struggle to stay present.
When your brain is used to constant scrolling and switching tabs, it’s hard to slow down enough to really absorb joy in real time. Gen Z’s attention has been split since childhood, and now, even in good moments, their minds often wander. Excitement needs presence. If you’re mentally elsewhere, you miss the richness of the moment. After years of digital multitasking, feeling fully engaged is harder than it should be.
10. They’re used to disappointment being dressed up as opportunity.
Gen Z has watched brands, politicians, and institutions sell them hope, only to be let down. From job promises to political campaigns to influencer advice, they’ve learned to be cautious of excitement because it often comes with strings attached. They don’t want to be tricked into caring again. So when something new comes along, the first instinct isn’t “this is exciting,” it’s “what’s the catch?” That kind of guardedness makes joy hard to access.
11. Real-life connection feels harder to come by.
Source: Unsplash Despite being hyperconnected online, many Gen Zers feel lonelier than ever. And when you don’t have real people to share your joy with, the joy itself feels muted. A funny moment, a personal win—it hits different when no one’s around to celebrate with. Excitement thrives in connection. Without community or closeness, even the best moments can feel like they’re missing something important.
12. They’re taught to expect disappointment as normal.
“That’s just how it is” has become a default explanation for everything from political failure to toxic work culture. Gen Z has been raised on lowered expectations. And when you grow up expecting nothing, it’s hard to feel thrilled by anything. It’s not laziness. it’s resignation. When hope has been dismissed over and over, cynicism becomes a shield. It’s nearly impossible to feel excited while hiding behind that kind of shield.
13. They don’t know if they’re allowed to enjoy things in a world that’s struggling.
Source: Unsplash With so much injustice, pain, and crisis happening globally, it’s hard for Gen Z to relax into happiness without guilt. Feeling joy can feel selfish, or even wrong, when other people are suffering, and that guilt can quietly choke out excitement before it even takes root. They’re constantly trying to balance awareness with emotional survival. And in that mental tug-of-war, it’s no surprise that joy ends up muted, postponed, or questioned instead of embraced.
