What sets zoomers apart, according to common narratives, is their determination to be fulfilled and defined by other aspects of life. They expect employers to recognize that and promote policies and benefits that encourage work-life balance.

"It's not about people not working," she said. "It's about not settling for a job that diminishes their quality of life. I'm lucky to have realized that early on."

Over the past two years, young millennials and members of Gen Z have created an abundance of memes and pithy commentary about their generational disillusionment toward work. The jokes, which correspond with the rise of anti-work ideology online, range from shallow and shameless ("Rich housewife is the goal") to candid and pessimistic.

"It's not necessarily that different generations hold different attitudes about work," Damaske argued. "For millennials and for some members of Gen Z, they've witnessed two recessions, back-to-back. This is a very different labor market experience than what their parents and grandparents encountered."

Most of us won't ever stop working, although it is healthy to detach from an employer-oriented identity.

One human resources manager called it the "Great Reflection," wherein people are "taking stock of what they want out of a job, what they want out of employment, and what they want out of their life."

Many have taken to declaring how they don't have dream jobs since they "don't dream of labor." This buzzy phrase, popularized on social media in the pandemic, rejects work as a basis for identity, framing it instead as an act to pursue out of financial necessity. To quote the billionaire Kim Kardashian, it does seem like nobody wants to work these ... See more

American workers across various ages, industries, and income brackets have experienced heightened levels of fatigue, burnout, and general dissatisfaction toward their jobs since the pandemic's start. The difference is, more young people are airing these indignations and jaded attitudes on the internet, often to viral acclaim.

"We really have seen an erosion in the employer-employee contract over the last 40 years," she said. "Why are young people being asked to make commitments to employers who no longer uphold their end of the bargain? Young workers don't get to work for a company until they retire. Those kinds of practices don't happen anymore."