Millennials have been left stressed out after watching Gen Z debate how to smoke a cigarette on TikTok, with one person admitting it was ‘killing them’ to read the comments.
Whether it’s Boomers and their struggles with smartphones, Millennials’ love for skinny jeans, or Gen Z’s addiction to TikTok, we’re all aware of the generation gaps that exist. But the latest difference between Millennials and Gen Z has left the internet buzzing – myself included.
Though I fall on the Gen Z side, having been born between 1997 and 2012, I often feel a bit out of touch with the younger social media experts. Just barely missing the Millennial category (1981-1996), I feel like a ‘Zillennial’ – caught between two worlds.
Despite this, one thing I definitely know from the post-Tumblr and indie sleaze era is how to properly smoke a cigarette. We know all about the health risks of smoking traditional cigarettes and vaping, but it seems the younger generation’s obsession with bubblegum-flavored e-cigs has left them clueless on smoking basics.
One person took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a screenshot of a hilarious exchange in the comment section of a TikTok video. The post was captioned: “Kids on TikTok are arguing over which part of a cig you’re meant to light.”
The first comment boldly stated: “The orange side is what u light btw.”, to which others responded with confusion and disagreement, adding plenty of laugh emojis.
The debate continued with a mix of humorous and serious explanations, including one user declaring: “It’s not cuz the orange part have the foam thingy and that foam helps the herb (I forgot what it’s called) in it don’t go inside the mouth.”
Unsurprisingly, this post went viral, amassing 1.9 million views in a few days. People flooded in to share their surprise and amusement at this generation gap in knowledge.
One X user joked: “If they smoke the filters, that’s just natural selection.” Others chimed in with equally humorous takes on the situation, like: “This is killing me, the foam and the herb, hello.”
Another commenter teased: “Tobacco? Never heard of it. I only smoke the ominous herb with the foam in it.”
Finally, someone simply added: “THE HERB AND THE FOAM I’M SOBBING.”
Oh yes, for clarity’s sake, please don’t light your cigarette from the filter. Better yet, avoid smoking altogether – it’s not good for you.
