Actress and BJP leader Kangana Ranaut has weighed in on the ongoing Gen Z versus millennial debate, describing millennials as the “most intelligent generation ever” while sharing a discussion on social media, technology and generational experiences.
Ranaut shared an Instagram Story featuring a conversation between social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Oli Dugmore on the latest episode of The Exchange, which focused on the impact of social media and technology on younger generations.
Reacting to the discussion, Ranaut wrote: “Even though Gen Z is the flavour of the season, but according to surveys, millennials remain the most intelligent generation ever. Ahem ahem, the host was like ‘keep going’.”
The Queen actress appeared to endorse Haidt’s observations about millennials while adding a playful take on the comparison between the two generations.
During the conversation, Haidt discussed how political and social experiences during a person’s formative years can shape their outlook for life.
“However the political world looked to you between the age of about 16 to 24, that stays with you for life,” he said.
Haidt described millennials as a particularly interesting generation and referred to them as the last generation to grow up before the widespread influence of the internet and social media transformed the experience of adolescence.
He further said that millennials belonged to a period when intelligence levels were increasing, describing their generation as “the most intelligent in history” and suggesting that the trend had continued until the millennial generation.
Ranaut’s latest post comes after she previously clarified remarks she made about Gen Z during student protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. She had faced criticism after referring to some protesters as “Generation Gutter” and accusing them of being influenced by Western ideas.
In her subsequent clarification, Ranaut said her remarks had been misconstrued and were specifically directed at the group of Gen Z protesters present at the demonstration, rather than the entire generation.
She argued that only a small section of Gen Z was present at the protest and challenged critics to produce a specific statement in which she had targeted the entire generation. She also rejected the suggestion that she was opposed to young people, saying she considered herself young.