...
By Suzanne Blake
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A new term is entering the Gen Z zeitgeist: rather than calling their elders who complain "Karens," meet the "Jessicas."
The phrase is meant to encapsulate the irksome complainers of the millennial age, according to the younger generation.
Why It Matters
Gen Z, which ranges in age from 13 to 28, has coined many new phrases to describe current society. While the phrase "Karen" popped up as a way to label problematic behavior from complaining women, usually Baby Boomer white women, Gen Z is noticing similar behaviors in the millennial generation.
Read More on Life
And for this, they have a new label: the Jessica.
...
What To Know
Social media users have begun using the phrase "Jessica" to describe the younger counterpart to the "Karen" identity.
While a "Karen" generally describes older women complaining needlessly or asking to speak to the manager to get minimum wage employees in trouble, "Jessica" is a more nuanced, younger version of the label.
“A ‘Jessica’ is a term used to refer to millennial women who demonstrate characteristics such as being demanding, tone-deaf, and aggressive and overall demonstrates a difficulty in likability,” Alexandra Cromer, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks, told Newsweek. “This is similar to the term ‘Karen’ in that it is used in a derogatory way to ‘warn’ or otherwise highlight behavior that is not socially preferable.”
Jessicas are not necessarily complainers, but they could encapsulate a millennial age woman who loves gossip, is extroverted, oblivious and a bit entitled.
The term probably popped up to describe common behavior amongst some women in the millennial generation, as Jessica was one of the most popular U.S. baby names from 1981 to 1998.
The response to the "Jessica" phrase popping up amongst Gen Z-ers has been mixed for millennials.
After BuzzFeed covered the trend, a spree of millennial comments came in.
"Jessicas are known as the hot girls from what I’ve seen, just a bunch of haters. I think…it's funny coming from a generation that complains more than anyone," one comment said.
Another wrote: "Yeah, we’re not taking this trash from a bunch of kids named Meaghainyie."
The "Jessica" phrase has reignited some tension between the Gen Z and millennial age cohorts, as one comment showed: "On behalf of myself and all the other Jessicas in the millennial community: UP YOURS, Gen Z!!!!! Karen it was when this whole 'trend' started, and Karen it stays!!!"
This feels less like a cultural shift and more like a fleeting meme that works because it's familiar, said Bryan Driscoll, an HR consultant who specializes in generational differences.
“From what I see, a Jessica is simply Gen Z's update to the Karen stereotype, applied to millennials and framed around a more performative online style of complaining rather than the in-person confrontations which defined Karen,” Driscoll told Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Alexandra Cromer, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks, told Newsweek: “The implications of this can lend themselves to millennials being viewed by younger generations as removed, out of touch, and not socially adept. There is an underlying nature to this that is quite sexist; we don't have names for men and those who identify as men whom we find to be undesirable socially. While it's fun to have pop culture terms and trends, it's important to use our discernment on when and how we use them and the potential implications of them.”
Bryan Driscoll, an HR consultant who specializes in generational differences, told Newsweek: “It makes for a fine meme, but it doesn't do much beyond that. Slapping a gendered name on behavior might feel clever, but it doesn't meaningfully address entitlement, workplace conflict, or generational tension. It's just repackaging it. If anything, it reinforces divides rather than helping us navigate them, whether in social spaces, workplaces, or politics and family dynamics.”
What Happens Next
While use of the word ‘Jessica’ or ‘Karen’ might be trendy, there is a clear sexist undertone, Cromer and Driscoll said.
“Women's frustration gets labeled and mocked in ways men's behavior rarely does, which makes it easier to dismiss complaints altogether instead of dealing with their validity,” Driscoll said. “Memes travel fast but they rarely solve the problems they're pointing at.”
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines