I'm surprised that "you are not young", because this is the usual attitude I receive from Gen-Z: "you're not telling me in the way in which _I_ want to listen, so I'm ignoring you", rather than a mature: "Help me understand what I change in order to be more effective"
In general, if you start lecturing someone, they are more likely to go to number 1 than number 2. Regardless of generation. Honestly this sounds like more of a 'you' problem, without further context.
Seems reasonable to me. Unless there is a good reason to believe that they have valuable information, ignoring condescending people seems worthwhile. How likely is someone to understand you and your problems when they are condescending? I also have a hard time imagining that this is something limited to Gen-Z.
I don't see myself as a big Gen-Z defender, but I think you can only reasonably expect one. Either I'm having a discourse with you regardless of whether I like your language (no assumptions if we ever agree), or I am looking if I can move towards your position, if you are doing the same.
Both are dependent on good will, even if I think that a not-antisocial person should be open to this in a functioning culture. Demanding both at the same time is assuming some crazy level of authority that you might associate with some figures in your life sometimes. Not some randoms on the internet. Docility is not maturity.
"Help me understand who you are and why you're speaking to me in an authoritative manner on a subject that you may be erroneously attributing to your personal virtues and skills where it could be more attributed to house prices being 5 figures back in your day."
