Aditi's Monologue

Millennials are parenting Gen Alpha while managing Gen Z at work. And we often feel like we are stuck somewhere between a mood board and a meltdown. Here is why it’s time to stop playing catch-up and start building a real bridge of empathy across generations. In other words, let me break down why bridging the generation gap and connecting across generations in the digital age is crucial for parents, as well as workplace leaders.

The Great Divide (and the Good News)

The generational gap is obviously nothing new. Every generation has rolled its eyes at the previous one and invented new slang that often confuses its “elders”. But something’s shifted in the digital age. It’s not just a gap, actually. It is a canyon, and most of us are trying to cross it without a map (or with one that hasn’t been updated since 2003).

As an 80s kid raising a Gen Alpha kid in an Indian metro city, and leading digital-first teams at a leading ad agency filled with Gen Z magic and chaos, I hve realized this divide is no longer about the old “kids these days” rhetoric. It’s about different realities shaped by tech, trauma, and timelines.

Listen, my husband and I both loveeee video games. We grew up on Halo and graduated to Call of Duty (even PUBG for a bit, until it got banned in India). And now our kid is also into video games but less interested in FPS (First Person Shooting) games, she is building villas and castles in Minecraft, strategizing in Genshin Impact, and planning a Formula 1 paddock visit in real life, just like it’s a school project (and no, even as mega F1 fans ourselves, we have no plans for a Grand Prix trip at the moment, but fingers crossed – maybe she will manifest us all a GrandPrix trip).

And here is the twist: while we millennials are scratching our heads at the rise of digital-native values, we’re also (not completely intentionally, either) passing down ours. Sometimes with pride, sometimes with confusion. You see, bridging the generation gap is not as tough as one would initially assume. 🙂

The Teenager, Therapy Notes, and The Truth About Connection

In one of our recent travel escapades (I wrote about it here), I had a new experience with my daughter at a sneaker store in Hong Kong. I liked a shoe. She didn’t. Which is okay, but her reasoning? “It’s basic.” Ouch.

Did I take it personally? For a second, yes. But then she looked at me, laughed, and said, “You like what you like, and I like what I like. Fair?”

Fair.

This is the kind of micro-moment where generational empathy blooms. It’s not about agreeing. It is about listening and then getting margarita pizza together.

Thanks to my recent training in psychology and therapy, I now spot these flashes of self-awareness in my daughter. They are everywhere, if we’re paying attention. I’ve written about this before; she’s as fascinated by geopolitics as she is by her video game accomplishments. She’ll skip a fancy, fashionable outfit for comfort but will write a super detailed MUN position paper with footnotes and flair.

And the best part? We both learn from each other. My definition of “fun” evolves with her. I add new meanings to mine, I question hers, and she questions mine, but we always do it with curiosity. It’s mutual growth, not a one-way lane of unlearning.

At Work, It’s a Meme-Filled Jungle (and I Kind of Love It)

Now, at work it is slightly different yet similar. Managing Gen Z majority teams in digital advertising is like running a brainstorming session on fast-forward, with memes involved. And sometimes on Microsoft Teams, no less. One minute, we are discussing campaign budgets, and the next someone drops a Bollywood GIF that somehow perfectly captures the brief review mood. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and oddly efficient.

But bridging the generation gap also requires a shift in leadership style.

Leading any sort of team today means being open to their cultural currency without constantly comparing it to ours. It means understanding that they process feedback differently, that they’re driven by impact, and that they are not lazy; just allergic to redundancy.

They crave purpose and presence. And they can spot inauthenticity from ten miles away.

[I wrote about working with Gen Z in detail; do give it a read.]

So, when I walk into a meeting now, I remind myself: the Gen Z junior copywriter might not know the “Humara Bajaj” ad, which is iconic to me, but she knows how to crack a 7-second hook that gets 3 million views in 2 days. That’s not a gap, that’s gold.

And btw, on the topic of memes, this below is what a dear colleague gifted me on International Women’s Day. Yes, I got a meme as a gift. And yes, I adore it and treasure it.

The Psychology of Why We Disconnect

From a cognitive standpoint, it’s easier to stick with what we know. The brain likes patterns. Predictability feels safe. That’s why we feel disoriented when our kids ask us to explain lore in a game or when our interns present Instagram Reels storyboards with more nuance than a 90s Bollywood movie script.

But that discomfort? That’s the edge of growth.

Psychologists call it “constructive dissonance”: a necessary tension that allows us to expand how we perceive the world. If we avoid it, we stay stuck. If we embrace it, we evolve.

Connection isn’t about perfect understanding. It’s about showing up with curiosity instead of criticism.

Bridging the Generation Gap (Even When It’s a Rope Bridge)

Everything before this section is experience and might be personal. But I believe this crux of how to bridge the generational gap will help some readers. Here is what’s helping me build stronger connections across generations – at work and at home:

• Share your cultural references, but don’t expect applause. Your child may not care about AR Rahman’s Rangeela phase, but one day, they might sample it in a track. Let that moment be theirs.
• Ask instead of assuming. “What do you like about this game?” is better than “This game is silly – in the times of supreme graphics and in-game-skins-for-sale, what are even these pixilated block avatars?” (yes, this is about Minecraft, lol)
• Replace control with collaboration. Invite them to co-create routines, rules, and even weekend plans. Yes, please have parental control for sure, but deliver it with empathy and make it collaborative.
• Make emotional safety the goal. Whether it’s your team or your teen, people thrive when they don’t feel judged. Make both spaces feel safe and conducive to imagination and growth.
• Laugh together. Memes, music, missteps – they are all connection tools if you let them be. Learn to laugh together as everyone involved learns, adapts and grows. (hopefully)

The Empathy Era Needs Leaders, Not Experts

To sum my thoughts up, I believe that the world doesn’t need more “experts” on generational gaps. It needs bridge-builders. Listeners. Learners. People who can hold space for difference and still find the thread of sameness in it.

And I say this not just as a mother or a woman leader in the Indian advertising world, but as someone who believes deeply in emotional storytelling and human creativity in a world where AI is changing everything but empathy.

The biggest myth we tell ourselves is that connection requires relevance. It doesn’t. Connection requires resonance.

And in that spirit, I will end with this: If you’re raising a Gen Alpha, managing Gen Z, or simply wondering when the world changed its playlist without telling you – you are not alone, trust me. For bridging the generation gap, grab a metaphorical cup of chai (or bubble tea if you will), lean into the discomfort, the hilarity, and start the conversation. And if you ever feel even slightly confused, know this: You are not behind. You’re just on the bridge. Keep walking.

And bring snacks.

[If you liked this article, connect with me on LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, X, and/or Instagram for more musings.]