Being a Teen Gen-Z Writer isn’t Easy

I open my laptop, click on my Medium account, and my “For You” page is overflowing with awesome stories and helpful articles. But when I’m done reading, I notice something in the profile descriptions: almost all of these amazing writers are… older.

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But after seeing this trend of successful — but older — people thriving on Medium, I started to wonder:

“Maybe being a writer is an older person’s game, and not mine”

Honestly, it’s not easy sometimes. I’m not even gonna say how long I spend writing — it’s a lot — but I still feel like the reason I don’t get as many views or connections is because I just don’t really “fit in” with the Medium crowd, or any other writing crowd.

Like, some of the stuff people post about has absolutely nothing to do with me. For example, I’ve seen so many articles about midlife crises and bouncing back from them. And don’t get me wrong, those articles are solid, but when I read the comments, it’s clear that most of the readers relate because they’ve actually been through that. They can bond with the writer in a way I just… can’t.

Meanwhile, most people my age are on TikTok, and here I am hanging out on Medium. And it feels weird sometimes, like I’m missing out on trends everyone else my age gets instantly. I mean, I still don’t know what “Skibidi Toilet” is (and I’m not about to look it up, because I really don’t want to know), but literally everyone my age seems to know it.

It makes me feel kind of stuck in the middle. I’ll read one article about how kids today are fueling cyber bullying, then watch a YouTube Short about how all Millennial's are supposedly turning into Karen's. And I’m just like… where exactly am I supposed to fit in here?

Also (and I’m basing this off assumptions, so stay with me here), but sometimes I feel like if I posted something about improving my life or giving personal advice, people might roll their eyes, like, “What do you know? You’re too young. You haven’t lived enough yet.” And then they wouldn’t even bother reading.

But even with all that, there’s one thing about writing here that makes it worth it:

I get to openly share my voice and find my identity

At school, I’m the quiet kid. Some days I barely say a word, and when I finally do, it feels weird — like my own voice surprises me. I usually just keep my thoughts to myself, mind my business, and try not to stand out.

But on Writing? It’s totally different. Compared to how I am at school, it’s like I’m shouting my thoughts and feelings out loud here. Through writing, I’ve started unlocking this part of me I haven’t seen in a really long time. And it really makes me feel stronger.

Even if nobody ever reads my stuff, I’ll keep writing — because I’ve finally found myself in it.

And after feeling like I’ve been lost in some kind of identity crisis for so long, that honestly feels like the best gift I could ever get.

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