Call it stubborn. Call it nostalgic. Call it refusing to evolve. Millennials don’t care. Because while Gen Z is out here center-parting their hair and posting unfiltered TikToks, millennials are over here clutching their side parts, skinny jeans, and crying laughing emojis like infinity stones they’ll never surrender.
And honestly? They shouldn’t have to. Because these aren’t just trends or habits. These are cultural touchstones. Identity markers. The things that defined coming of age during peak internet chaos, economic recessions, and the transition from analog to digital everything. Millennials witnessed technology evolution in real time. They remember life before smartphones. They adapted to every platform shift from MySpace to Facebook to Instagram. They survived multiple once-in-a-lifetime economic crises before turning 40.
So yeah, they’re holding onto some things. The side part that’s worked for 15 years. The jeans that don’t make their ankles look weird. The emoji that perfectly captures laughing so hard you’re crying. These aren’t mistakes. These are choices. Informed, deliberate choices made by a generation that’s been told they’re killing every industry from diamonds to department stores.
But here’s the thing Gen Z doesn’t quite get yet: millennials aren’t trying to be cool. They stopped caring about cool somewhere between the 2008 financial crisis and realizing homeownership was a fantasy. They’re comfortable. They found what works. And they’re not changing it because TikTok decided center parts are in and side parts are millennial cringe.
This list celebrates that stubbornness. From the fashion choices Gen Z roasts to the communication styles younger generations don’t understand, these 18 things show exactly what millennials refuse to abandon. And they’re not sorry about any of it.
Share this with your millennial friend group chat because validation is important and we all need to know we’re not alone in our refusal to learn what “rizz” means.
1. Side Parts (The Hair Hill Millennials Will Die On)
The great hair part debate of 2020 broke the internet. Gen Z declared side parts dead. Millennials said absolutely not. And four years later, millennials are still side-parting like their lives depend on it.
Because here’s reality: side parts are universally flattering. They add volume. They frame faces better than center parts for most face shapes. And after 15-plus years of perfecting the side part, millennials aren’t about to relearn how to style their hair because TikTok said so.
Gen Z can keep their center parts. Millennials know what works. And what works is the side part that’s been working since 2008.
2. Skinny Jeans (They’re Comfortable And Nobody Can Convince Millennials Otherwise)
Gen Z called skinny jeans “cheugy.” Millennials heard that and… kept wearing skinny jeans. Because after spending a decade finding the perfect pair that fits right, millennials aren’t switching to baggy jeans that make them look like they’re wearing their dad’s pants.
Skinny jeans aren’t just fashion. They’re investment. Millennials know their size in every brand. They know which ones stretch. Which ones hold their shape. They’ve built entire wardrobes around black skinny jeans being the foundation. Starting over with wide-leg jeans sounds exhausting.
Plus, skinny jeans actually show off shoes. Those sneakers millennials spent too much money on? They look better with skinny jeans than disappearing under baggy denim. So no, Gen Z, millennials aren’t switching. The skinny jeans stay.
3. The Crying Laughing Emoji (💀 Will Never Replace 😂)
Gen Z uses the skull emoji to indicate laughing. Millennials use the crying laughing emoji. This divide is generational warfare in emoji form. Gen Z says the crying emoji is outdated. Millennials say it perfectly captures the emotion and they’re not learning new emoji language.
The crying laughing emoji won the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year in 2015. It’s the most used emoji globally. And millennials built their entire texting vocabulary around it. Switching to skull emoji feels wrong. Like speaking a foreign language they don’t want to learn.
Millennials will die on this hill. 😂 forever. 💀 never.
4. Facebook (Yes, Millennials Still Use It And No, They’re Not Embarrassed)
Gen Z abandoned Facebook before they were old enough to have accounts. Millennials? Still checking it daily. Because Facebook is where their actual friends are. Their family. Their college roommates. The people they want to stay connected to without the performative pressure of Instagram or chaos of TikTok.
Facebook is also where millennials plan events, join community groups, find local services, and sell stuff on Marketplace. It’s utilitarian. Functional. Not cool. And millennials are fine with that because cool stopped mattering somewhere around 30.
85% of millennials still actively use Instagram according to 2025 data. But Facebook holds steady because it serves different purpose. And millennials are old enough to use multiple platforms for different reasons without caring if Gen Z thinks it’s cringe.
5. Proper Punctuation In Texts (Because Words Have Meanings)
Gen Z texts without punctuation and considers periods aggressive. Millennials text with full sentences, proper punctuation, and capitalization because that’s how language works. This generational divide causes actual communication problems.
Millennials putting periods at the end of sentences aren’t being passive-aggressive. They’re being grammatically correct. Gen Z interpreting punctuation as hostility is wild to millennials who were raised believing proper writing matters even in informal contexts.
The compromise? Millennials have learned to drop periods in casual texts to younger people. But in group chats with other millennials? Full punctuation returns. Because some standards refuse to die.
Don’t skip number 6 because it’s about the millennial relationship with Instagram that Gen Z will never understand.
6. Instagram Over TikTok (Because Curated Feeds > Algorithm Chaos)
Millennials use Instagram. 70% active engagement according to 2025 data. They post curated photos. They use filters unironically. They write captions longer than three words. Gen Z finds this performative and cringe. Millennials find it normal.
TikTok confuses millennials. The algorithm. The trends that last 48 hours. The expectation of constant content creation. Instagram lets millennials post when they want, curate their aesthetic, and maintain control over their feed. That appeals to the generation that came of age during peak Facebook photo album era.
Sure, 55% of millennials now use TikTok. But Instagram remains primary platform. The place where they actually engage rather than scroll. Where they follow friends rather than strangers. Where they feel comfortable rather than confused about what’s happening.
7. Coffee Culture (Expensive Lattes Are Non-Negotiable)
The avocado toast generation is also the expensive coffee generation. Millennials will spend $7 on a latte without blinking. They have favorite local coffee shops. They know their order by heart. They use coffee shop working sessions as social activity.
Gen Z drinks energy drinks. Millennials drink artisanal single-origin pour-overs. This isn’t snobbery. It’s cultural identity. Coffee culture defined millennial early adulthood. The coffee shop as third space. The latte as social currency. The Instagram-worthy coffee cup as aesthetic statement.
Coffee consumption might be universal. But millennial coffee culture is specific. The ritual. The expense. The refusal to just drink regular coffee at home. That’s staying forever.
8. Harry Potter (The Books Defined A Generation And They’re Not Letting Go)
Millennials grew up with Harry Potter. They waited for books at midnight releases. They stood in line for movies. They were sorted into houses before Pottermore existed. And despite J.K. Rowling’s controversial statements causing many to distance themselves from the franchise, the cultural impact remains embedded in millennial identity.
Millennials reference Harry Potter in everyday conversation. They use house sorting as personality shorthand. They make comparisons to characters and plot points when explaining complex situations. The books shaped how an entire generation processes narrative, morality, and friendship.
Younger generations didn’t experience that real-time cultural phenomenon. They can’t understand why millennials are so attached to a children’s book series. But for millennials, Harry Potter isn’t just books. It’s formative cultural experience that happened at exactly the right developmental moment.
9. Physical Books And Vinyl Records (Because Tangible Media Matters)
Millennials buy physical books despite owning e-readers. They’re fueling the vinyl record resurgence. They want tangible media in an increasingly digital world. This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s intentional choice about how to experience art and culture.
Vinyl sales have grown consistently, largely driven by millennials seeking authenticity and tactile experience. Physical books continue selling because millennials like building personal libraries. The aesthetic of bookshelves. The experience of turning pages. These matter to a generation that witnessed the shift from physical to digital and decided both have value.
Gen Z grew up completely digital and now craves tangible as novelty. Millennials remember tangible as default and refuse to fully abandon it. That’s the difference.
10. Millennial Pink (The Color That Defined An Aesthetic)
That muted, dusty rose pink that was everywhere from 2015-2019? Millennials still love it. Their homes still feature it. Their wardrobe still includes it. Millennial pink became synonymous with millennial aesthetic and they haven’t moved on.
Gen Z calls millennial pink dated. Millennials call it timeless. The truth is probably somewhere in between. But millennial pink represented moment when millennials’ aesthetic preferences dominated mainstream culture. The color became identity marker. And identities don’t change just because Gen Z likes different colors.
Interior design might move on. Fashion might shift. But millennial homes will feature dusty rose accents for decades because that’s what they chose and they’re committed.
11. Brunch Culture (Because Eggs Benedict At 11 AM Is Peak Weekend)
Millennials didn’t invent brunch. But they elevated it to lifestyle. The bottomless mimosas. The Instagram photos of avocado toast. The treating brunch like social event rather than just late breakfast. That’s pure millennial.
Gen Z brunches too. But they don’t have the same attachment to brunch as cultural institution. For millennials, brunch represents the sweet spot of affordability and experience. Cheaper than dinner. More special than breakfast. Social without being too formal. Perfect for the generation that prioritizes experiences over possessions.
Brunch culture isn’t going anywhere because millennials made it central to their social lives. And after years of establishing favorite spots and building friend groups around weekend brunch plans, they’re not stopping.
12. Excessive Email Communication (Because Some Things Require Proper Documentation)
Gen Z communicates via text, Slack, Discord. Millennials still write emails. Long, formal, properly formatted emails with subject lines and signatures. Gen Z finds this inefficient. Millennials find it professional and necessary.
Here’s why millennials won’t abandon email: documentation. Email creates paper trail. It’s searchable. It’s formal record of communication. After years in corporate jobs where “please see below email” becomes self-defense, millennials understand email’s value.
Plus, certain communications deserve email formatting. Job applications. Professional networking. Formal requests. These require more than Slack message. Millennials understand context-appropriate communication. That’s not outdated. That’s emotional intelligence.
Share this with your group chat because the next few are about language and slang that perfectly capture the millennial-Gen Z divide.
13. Actually Saying “Adulting” Without Irony
“Adulting” is peak millennial slang. Gen Z finds it cringe. Millennials still say it because it perfectly captures the feeling of doing grown-up tasks when you still feel like kid inside. Paying bills. Scheduling doctor appointments. Understanding insurance. That’s adulting.
The term emerged because millennials entered adulthood during financial crisis, with massive student debt and delayed life milestones. Traditional adulthood markers (house, marriage, kids) became optional or delayed. So “adulting” captured the performance of adult responsibilities while not feeling fully adult.
Gen Z might mock it. But millennials will keep saying it because it remains accurate description of their experience.
14. Loyalty To Problematic Things (Like The Office And Friends)
Millennials have comfort shows. The Office. Friends. Parks and Recreation. Shows they’ve rewatched dozens of times. Shows that have problematic elements by modern standards but remain beloved despite or because of their flaws.
Gen Z watches these shows too. But they watch with critical eye toward dated humor and problematic storylines. Millennials watch with nostalgia, willing to overlook or excuse things that wouldn’t fly in current productions.
This isn’t about defending problematic content. It’s about context and attachment. These shows defined millennial young adulthood. They provided comfort during tough times. That emotional connection doesn’t disappear because we now recognize the flaws.
15. Obsessive Therapy Talk And Mental Health Awareness
Millennials normalized therapy. They talk openly about mental health. They use therapeutic language in everyday conversation. Gen Z inherited this openness but sometimes millennials take it too far, over-explaining their feelings and apologizing for existing.
But this shift from previous generations’ mental health stigma to millennial over-sharing represents massive cultural change. Millennials fought to normalize therapy and mental health care. They’re not stopping just because Gen Z thinks they’re oversharing.
The constant “I’m working on myself” and “I’m healing” might seem performative. But for millennials, it’s genuine attempt to process trauma, economic anxiety, and existential dread while maintaining some semblance of functionality.
16. The Gig Economy And Side Hustles (Because One Job Was Never Enough)
Millennials don’t just have jobs. They have side hustles. Freelance work. Passion projects monetized through Patreon or Etsy. This isn’t ambitious entrepreneurship. It’s economic necessity that became identity.
The gig economy exploded with millennials because traditional employment couldn’t provide financial security. So they diversified income. Built personal brands. Turned hobbies into revenue streams. And now they can’t imagine not having multiple income sources.
Gen Z inherited the gig economy but approaches it differently. For millennials, side hustles represented survival strategy that became lifestyle. They refuse to abandon it even when primary income stabilizes because financial trauma from multiple recessions runs deep.
17. Experiences Over Possessions (Even When They Can’t Afford Either)
Millennials prioritized travel and experiences over material goods. They’d rather go to music festival than buy new furniture. Rather take trip than save for down payment. This drove older generations crazy but made sense to millennials whose economic reality made homeownership seem impossible anyway.
This trend continues in 2025. Millennials spend on travel, concerts, restaurants. They create memories and Instagram content. They value experiences because those can’t be taken away when the economy tanks again. And after living through 2008 financial crisis and 2020 pandemic, millennials learned possessions are temporary but experiences shape identity.
The sustainability angle matters too. Buying less stuff because experiences don’t create waste appeals to millennial environmental consciousness. It’s values-aligned spending.
18. Absolute Refusal To Understand Gen Z Slang
Rizz. Bussin. No cap. Sus. Millennials hear these words and refuse to learn what they mean. Not because they can’t. Because they won’t. Because learning new slang feels like trying too hard to stay relevant when they’re comfortable being irrelevant.
Millennials had their slang. Fleek. Lit. Fam. Adulting. Gen Z roasted those terms into oblivion. So millennials decided they’re done evolving language. They’ll stick with what they know. Gen Z can have their slang. Millennials will keep saying “that’s fire” and “it’s giving” and refuse to update their vocabulary beyond that.
This isn’t linguistic stubbornness. It’s generational boundary-setting. Millennials aren’t trying to be Gen Z. They’re millennials. And they’re fine with that.
Drop a comment: Which of these millennial habits do you refuse to abandon? Are you team side part or did you actually switch to center part? Share this with your millennial friends because they need to know they’re not alone in clinging to skinny jeans and crying laughing emojis while Gen Z judges from afar.
Follow for more generational takes that validate your choices to never change anything about yourself ever again. Because millennials spent their 20s being told they were killing industries and their 30s being told they’re cringe. They’re done caring. They found what works. And Gen Z’s judgment only makes them hold on tighter.
Millennials aren’t refusing to let go because they’re stubborn. They’re refusing to let go because they finally figured out who they are after decades of economic instability, technological disruption, and being blamed for killing everything from fabric softener to casual dining chains. The side part works. The skinny jeans fit. The crying laughing emoji perfectly captures the emotion. These aren’t mistakes millennials are too proud to admit. These are choices a generation made after trial and error, cultural evolution, and learning what actually matters. Gen Z will go through their own version of this. They’ll find their thing. And in 15 years when Gen Alpha tells them it’s cringe, they’ll understand why millennials clutched their avocado toast and millennial pink and therapy speak like cultural security blankets they refuse to put down. Because some things aren’t trends. They’re identity. And identity doesn’t change just because someone younger has different preferences. Millennials learned that lesson. And they’re not unlearning it for anyone.
