In the past, millennials have come under fire for their fashion sense (who even wears skinny jeans anymore?) and even how they style their socks. But, now, they are facing criticism for simply breathing—quite literally.
If you have ever watched a video or an interview and noticed the person take a pause and a deep breath before they start speaking, that has been dubbed the millennial pause because it is synonymous with that generation. One individual who has been caught out doing it a few too many times is real estate agent Mike Hege, a millennial (people born between 1981 and 1996) who often gets mocked for breathing too much by his Generation Z colleagues (born between 1997 and 2012).
Indeed, Hege asked his editor Teresa, 26, to edit a video of him walking round a property to share with clients. However, he told Newsweek that what she created was “definitely not what [he] expected.” Rather than a clip displaying everything the property has to offer, Hege was amazed to find that the Gen Zer had edited a compilation of all his millennial pauses instead.
“I was hoping the video would showcase our properties and area spotlight. It was supposed to be a normal walk-through video,” Hege said. “But the edited version was quite surprising and humorous—she got me.
“It’s become a bit of an ongoing joke in our office. We all appreciate a good laugh, and we have good banter among us.”
The video was certainly unexpected—some might even say breathtaking—and Hege couldn’t help but laugh at it. He even shared the masterpiece on social media (@pridemoreproperties and @ mikehege.realestate on Instagram) and it has gone viral with more than 81 million views and over 5.8 million likes already.
Hege has been completely blown away by the online reaction to the video, which he says has been “overwhelmingly positive.” He loved seeing so many people react to the clip, especially his fellow elder millennials who found it highly relatable.
The hilarious Gen Z edit has even become a viral social media trend now, as many celebrities and brands are recreating it. Drew Barrymore posted her own video, joking that she “asked a Gen Z to edit” her footage and got a very unexpected compilation instead. Newsweek has contacted Barrymore’s representatives for comment.
PayPal even posted their own version on Instagram featuring actor Will Ferrell, which delighted internet users.
Before going viral, Hege probably never expected a video of him breathing to attract so much attention online. And yet he has become quite the internet sensation, and has continued to share more clips on Instagram showing the contrasts between himself and his Gen Z editor.
Hege told Newsweek: “The reaction has been amazing, and people really seem to enjoy seeing the lighter side to it. It’s hard to believe we have 81 million views on the post. Maybe we will reach 100 million views in time.
“Of course, while we always have fun at work, we’re also committed to providing a top-notch service to our clients every day.”
With over 56,200 comments on the video, there was plenty of praise for Teresa’s hilarious edit, while others lauded the infamous millennial pause.
One comment reads: “Your Gen Z editor needs a pay rise.”
One Instagram user wrote: “Omg [oh my God] I’m obsessed with this! Gen Z for the win.”
“Millennial pause training,” posted another user.
A third commenter added: “Why did this video make me feel out of breath.”
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