Trump tariffs and fresh recession warnings looming have economic anxiety on the rise—and Gen Z turning to millennials for advice on how to survive the downturn. And millennials have a lot to say. After enduring The Great Recession of the late 00s, pandemic-induced collapse, and over a decade of economic instability, they are offering everything from practical and humorous tips (buy pork, get a second job), to sobering reminders that this time around, things are different.
TikTok sets the stage for a recession roundtable as millennials share lessons (and trauma)
@spacemann11 are we having fun yet
♬ Carmen Habanera, classical opera(1283412) – perfectpanda
Millennials started making jokes about the next recession years ago, fully expecting to see another after living through several. Even those who were born after the stock market crash of the late 1980s saw the economy take a hit after 9/11, then graduated around the Great Recession and were supposed to be hitting their financial stride when COVID-19 arrived.
People of this generation didn’t survive all that instability without help. TikTok user @spencert353 recommends leaning into the recession pop hits, which have already helpfully reappeared thanks to Kesha. Others, like @_jenn_marie, don’t remember what they did during 2008 and 2009 because of the blackout drinking.
“Stop asking millennials what cheap meals we ate during 2008 when the stock market crashed,” she said in her TikTok video. “I was drunk the entirety of 2008.”
From cheap meat to second jobs
Asking for cheap food recommendations is a good idea right now, and there is advice out there. For example, pork is your cheapest meat option most of the time, and potatoes always go a long way. Just be aware that millennials may start having flashbacks and/or revelations if you make them think about 2008 too hard.
“I just saw a video where somebody said the pork chop was the 2008 recession food,” said @austin.loft, “and my millennial brain can’t comprehend that because we had so many freaking pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Were they considered recession foods? What else was a lie?”
Meanwhile, @deannacami recommends getting a second job if you don’t already have one. Recessions come with layoffs, and losing one job doesn’t hurt as much if you have another who might be able to give you more hours. However, she notes that her advice is limited because 2008 was a different time. You could get an apartment for $700 per month back then—and everything else wasn’t also totally insane.
“We didn’t have all the other noise going on in the background,” she explained. “We still had some hope because ‘my president is Black and my Lambo’s blue,’ that was the vibe even though the recession was looking a little shaky. Government programs weren’t being cut. Federal workers were still largely safe. It feels vastly different.”
Don’t let the recession-makers blame you
Other millennial TikTokers had less concrete and more political suggestions for how Zoomers and Gen Alpha can face a new recession. Surviving times like these involves more than just paying rent and affording groceries. Millennials gathered together, organized, and fought back against the causes of the crises.
It starts with refusing to accept that the people scraping by in cramped apartments are to blame.
@wilawilaxo when living life is financially irresponsible…#recessionindicator #recession #financialliteracy #politics ♬ original sound – Wila
“Most people just wanna break bread with their friends, with their community, catch a vibe,” said @wilawilaxo. “I reject any rhetoric that calls that excessive, that calls that financially irresponsible. Spending a little extra on groceries will never do as much damage as greedy people in power.”
“We gotta reject rhetoric that puts so much blame on individuals.”
Touch grass
In another video, @theprofessionalhaterr notes that millennials elected former President Barack Obama as a response to the George W. Bush era, but as we’re past the election window, let’s focus on what is possible in today’s political landscape.
“When the Republican party tried to refocus the narrative on social issues like gay marriage, we said ‘nah, get back to work on healthcare,’” he remembered. “And then when our state governments said ‘we actually don’t have enough money to pay your teachers,’ we staged walkouts.”
@theprofessionalhaterr #millennial #genz #genzvsmillenial #recession #economy ♬ original sound – colin hill
More importantly, millennials banded together and made sure to enjoy themselves offline.
“There was a deep sense of mutual respect for people who were different than us because at the end of the day, we were all in the mess together. And then when things were finally starting to look up, we gathered all of our new friends, and we went outside, and we had fun.”
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