Idealism sounds great until it runs into bills, burnout, and broken systems.
Gen Z has big dreams, and one of the boldest is a future where class no longer defines opportunity. The idea of a classless society—a world where everyone has equal footing and wealth doesn’t divide us—has gained real traction among younger generations. On paper, it sounds beautiful. In practice, it runs up against centuries of complexity, human behavior, and a whole lot of economic reality.
This generation grew up online, watching influencers preach hustle culture while others flaunted generational wealth. Understandably, they’re disillusioned. But dreaming of equality doesn’t automatically change power structures, redistribute wealth, or solve inequality. Before Gen Z can dismantle systems or reimagine society, they’ll have to reckon with what’s real, what’s possible, and what it takes to build lasting change. These 11 truths offer a necessary dose of clarity to balance the idealism—and maybe sharpen the vision for something that actually works.
1. Wealth still buys access to education, safety, and health.
No matter how many “education should be free” tweets go viral, the truth is wealth still controls the gates. Elite colleges, safe neighborhoods, and quality healthcare are all tethered to income—and no hashtag campaign has broken that grip yet.
Until there’s universal access to these core services, class remains one of the most powerful forces shaping a person’s future. Gen Z might understand that better than most, but acknowledging it is just the first step. Changing it means facing systems that don’t move just because people believe they should, according to Patrick Harris at Edutopia.
2. Social media glamorizes equality while quietly reinforcing class.
The internet loves to flatten status. On TikTok, anyone can go viral. On Instagram, a secondhand outfit can look like couture. But behind the filters and aesthetics, real-world privilege still runs the show—who gets noticed, who gets sponsored, who has time to create content every day.
Gen Z knows how to fake wealth and style like pros, but many are quietly drowning in debt, rent, and instability. Social media gives the illusion of a classless world while amplifying the exact inequalities people want to erase. It’s a mirage, not a movement, as stated by Rachelle Evans at The Michigan Daily.
3. Eliminating class requires redistributing power, not just money.
Even if someone waved a wand and spread the wealth evenly, it wouldn’t erase inequality unless power was also reshaped. Who makes decisions? Who controls institutions? Who writes laws? That’s where class is truly entrenched, as reported by Richard Reeves at Brookings.
Gen Z often focuses on economic justice, but power flows through more than bank accounts. Changing who’s at the table requires systemic shifts in leadership, representation, and how we define value—and those changes come slowly, often with resistance.
4. Many Gen Zers are still supported by family wealth.
There’s a disconnect between anti-capitalist ideals and the fact that many Gen Zers rely on parental financial support. Whether it’s rent, college tuition, or a safety net during unemployment, that generational cushion keeps them afloat while they critique the very system enabling them.
That doesn’t mean the critiques aren’t valid—but it does mean there’s privilege in having the space to protest the system without immediately falling through its cracks. Wanting change is important. Owning your starting point is too.
5. Class mobility is getting harder, not easier.
The dream used to be that hard work could lift you up a class or two. That dream is fading. Wages have stagnated, housing is unaffordable, and degrees don’t guarantee jobs. Even Gen Zers doing everything “right” feel stuck.
That frustration has fueled the push for a classless society. But dismantling a broken ladder isn’t the same as building a better one. Change won’t come just through rejection—it’ll take reconstruction, policy shifts, and hard compromises.
6. Many still equate class with morality.
Even in supposedly progressive circles, there’s subtle judgment tied to wealth. The rich are seen as greedy, the poor as lazy, and the middle class as quietly resentful. These stereotypes haven’t gone away—they’ve just gone digital.
Until people stop equating net worth with worthiness, class hierarchies will persist emotionally, even if they shift economically. Gen Z wants a better world, but to get there, they’ll have to untangle deeply rooted assumptions that don’t disappear with good intentions.
7. Consumer activism isn’t a replacement for policy change.
Buying sustainable clothes, supporting small businesses, and using ethical banks feels good—but it won’t undo centuries of class inequality. Systemic change needs votes, laws, organizing, and long-term pressure on institutions.
Gen Z excels at cultural influence but often stops short of political engagement. A classless society won’t come through shopping differently—it’ll require changing who controls the economy and how that control is exercised.
8. Tech won’t save us—if anything, it’s deepening divides.
Gen Z grew up on the promise that tech would level the playing field. Remote work, online education, and platforms for anyone to be heard sounded democratic. But what we’ve seen instead is consolidation of power among a handful of tech giants and increasing surveillance capitalism.
The digital world has its own class system now, built around data, access, and algorithmic privilege. Hoping for liberation through your phone might just be setting yourself up for new forms of control dressed in sleek design.
9. Not everyone wants a classless society.
Some people benefit from the current structure—and they’re not going to give it up quietly. Landlords, lobbyists, corporations, and legacy wealth holders have real power and deep incentives to maintain the status quo.
Gen Z will have to understand that idealism alone won’t sway those interests. Building something better means confronting that resistance strategically and relentlessly. Otherwise, dreams get co-opted or watered down until they’re unrecognizable.
10. True equality requires shared sacrifice.
It’s easy to want a classless society until it means giving something up—comfort, status, opportunities you assumed were yours. Redistribution sounds fair until it knocks on your door and asks you to share.
Gen Z often promotes fairness in theory, but putting it into practice will test values in real time. A better world asks everyone to let go of the idea that they deserve more just because they were born into it, worked hard, or got lucky.
11. The dream isn’t wrong—it’s just unfinished and a lot harder than it looks.
A classless society is a powerful vision. It inspires action, fuels dialogue, and pushes people to imagine something beyond survival. But dreams don’t build themselves. They need blueprints, bricklayers, and decades of pressure.
Gen Z has the energy and clarity to lead, but they’ll need to ground their ideals in grit. The future won’t be won through aesthetics or algorithms. It’ll be shaped by who shows up, who stays in the fight, and who’s willing to see the vision through—long after the hashtags fade.