Ever heard of the ‘menu anxiety’ phenomenon among Gen Z? Even if you haven’t, chances are, you might have experienced it, first hand. The trend has clearly caught up among young TikTok users as many claim that they suffer from this problem. On the other hand, a different section of social media users have ridiculed people for even calling this a real issue that they deal with. Let’s find out what exactly ‘menu anxiety’ is and understand the reason for the ongoing mockery.
Breaking down the ‘Menu Anxiety’ phenomenon
It all started when British restaurant chain Prezzo conducted a survey on 2,000 people inquiring about their level of comfort when it came to eating outside. Many participants claimed that they did not feel relaxed when they went out for dinner especially while ordering food from a waiter.
While 67% of the total participants admitted feeling anxious during these moments, 86% from this group turned out to be from Gen Z, i.e, from ages 18 to 24. This led to the imminent spread of the term ‘menu anxiety’ (which was coined before from similar studies) due to which many even ask their friends to order for them.
Possible reasons for the anti-social issue
Menu anxiety could boil down to a variety of factors. This includes not being sure what to order, feeling intimidated to make social contact with the waiters or even the cost of a particular meal. Regret is a key concern as consumers believe they might not like what they ordered or if it burns a hole in their pockets.
Menu Anxiety 🙄 pic.twitter.com/T2zlKOsDgF
— DJES2.0 (@DJESReborn) December 14, 2023
Gen Z people have had issues with social anxiety for quite some time and menu anxiety seems to be just an extension of this idea. Many of them confessed that they stopped eating out simply for this reason. Excessive screen time, isolated lifestyles during the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of interpersonal skills have led to this.
Social media users mock Gen Z
The recent study drew mixed reactions on platforms like TikTok and X (Twitter) where many users called out the younger generation for making a bigger deal out of the issue than it really is. Here are some reactions:
Gen Z is officially the worst generation:
– Can’t order at restaurants because of menu anxiety
– In relationships with AI partners
– Refuse to work more than 30 hours a week
– Brainwashed by the CCP from TikTok addiction
– Overly woke pic.twitter.com/NZan0En3ZD— Alex Cohen (@anothercohen) December 16, 2023
its not "menu anxiety" we just don't want to go somewhere only to find out none of the food is appealing? i'd rather know beforehand if i want to go somewhere rather than just chance it since there's a lot of foods i can't eat https://t.co/Yp36qmnL9E
— what ‼️‼️ (@catboyluocha) December 16, 2023
zoomers have menu anxiety that's why they hate turn based RPGs
— Mini🐰Modu (@MinModulation) December 16, 2023
Some made a laughing stock out of ‘zoomers’ as even the study feels like a satirical headline on their perceived sensitive nature. Meanwhile, others related themselves to the issue and claimed that it is indeed a real problem.
