Why are Gen Zers aging faster than Millennials? Experts blame stress, fast ... trends now
Are members of Gen Z aging more rapidly than millennials? It certainly seems that way.
Gen Z TikTokers are going viral for revealing their true age, leaving followers in disbelief as they admit it is up to a decade younger than what people think.
So what is behind their premature wrinkles, gray hair and aged faces? Longevity experts blame a combination of increased stress, more fast and processed foods, sedentary lifestyles and a lack of purpose in life.
People considered to be in Generation Z are those born between 1997 and 2012. They follow Millennials, people born between 1981 and 1996, and precede Generation Alpha, those born between 2013 and 2024.
But while Gen Zers are between 27 and and 12 years old, they look more like they are in their mid to late 30s, with some even being mistaken as older than their own parents.
What is behind Gen Zers' premature wrinkles , gray hair and aged faces? Longevity experts blame a combination of increased stress, more fast and processed foods, sedentary lifestyles and a lack of purpose in life.
One popular TikTok influencer shocked his 12 million followers when he revealed he was only 26 years old.
Jordan Howlett's followers could barely believe his age. 'Aren't you like 35!???' one asked.
'I'm 34 and I thought you were my age,' said another.
Howlett said he believes Gen Zers are aging much faster than previous generations.
In the TikTok video, which has garnered over 19 million views, Howlett reacted to a clip from the 'Staying Up Podcast' about how Gen Zers often look older than millennials despite being much younger.
The podcast hosts attributed the disparity to Gen Z being 'chronically online,' depressed and stressed.
Howlett told Business Insider he thinks people belonging to Gen Z are aging more rapidly due to increased stress linked to the economy, inflation and attempting to maintain income and savings while holding down a 9-to-5 job.
He added: 'In addition to that, trying to figure out what they want to do for their careers long-term, and feeling the immense amount of pressure of trying to succeed before the age of 30.'
He said he and many of his Gen Z friends look far older than their actual ages and added that strangers sometimes think he is his mother's older brother.
Dr Suzanne Ferree, senior physician at Vine Medical Associates in Atlanta, admitted that Gen Z aging faster than millennials was not something she had paid attention to, but told DailyMail.com: 'It makes sense to me.'
'Gen Z has grown up with social media as part of their entire life, probably from a very young age.
'There's the big comparison, I don't see the stress of comparing yourself to everybody else where.
'I'm a Gen Xer. We never had those problems when we were younger. I didn't even have a cell phone until I was 25. So I didn't even know what that was like.'
Dr Ferree pointed to lifestyle changes that have grown more popular in the last three decades.
'There's a lot of vaping that goes on in the Gen Z group, and that is certainly going to at least age your skin faster, if not other parts of your body,' she said.
As for stress, studies have shown that biological age increases with stress. Exposure to stress causes inflammation and damage to DNA in cells, which can accelerate aging.
Dr Ferree said: 'Cortisol is the hormone that's released in our bodies in response to stress. It is what we call a catabolic hormone. Anabolic hormones, like testosterone, cause building or growth of things. Cortisol is a catabolic or breakdown hormone that causes breakdown of things, like building skin, for example.
'It ages the face and causes the breakdown of collagen in the face. It also causes breakdown of things like brain tissue and
