I agree that McDonalds coffee was too hot. One could never drink it as soon as you were served it. That was tough, because for me, I needed that coffee in me fast! I was never stupid enough to hold the Styrofoam flexible cup between my legs, pop the cap off and try adding stuff. That's what cup holders are for...and the concept of Darwinism...
As far as GenZ bieng the most educated and employed...first, one has to define "education". This is sketchy these days with more focus on social justice and DEI than shop class. The school system I attended, at the time ranked #2 in the country, eliminated their welding VOTEC program for instance. That program made me fully employable as a multi-process welder at age 18 right out of high school...and I was employed until I started my own business. I was never out of work for more than two hours. We were taught 100 ways to blow yourself up with an oxy-acetelyne rig and to suffer the slag burning through the top of your boot for the sake of the quality of the weld. I have literally heard stories of young men asking how they can become a welder without getting burned. That qualifies as an oxymoron. Welding shop closed because "little Johnny cant get burned" anymore. Scars used to be normal. We were real men who worked while we bled. Young people telling me I didn't earn that...well, I'll just say I have no respect for them because they clearly have no respect for me.
I just closed my business and still work for a metal fabricator. I can tell you, the pool of people really willing to work HARD, the kind of jobs that you WILL get injured doing (cuts, scrapes, bruises, etc.) is almost non-existent in the white middle class. It's mostly immigrants willing to work that hard today. We've told our kids they are above such toil, then over-educated most of them to work retail in the end. Sure, there are success stories. A family right across the street from me has all hard working married kids and grandchildren (6 kids, a real "Partridge Family"). They gather as a family every weekend for a meal and fun. None of the kids still live at home. A rare thing these days. This is not a "rich" family, but the dad was a construction superintendent and the mom is an employee of the local college medical system, both hard working good paying jobs.
The inflation is political. It comes from DC. We are 35 trillion in debt and rapidly counting. It's definitely not the fault of the younger generations except those that vote for politicians that are onboard with profligate spending. There's no doubt our kids have an uphill battle. I have complained for years that the county I live in doesn't zone for affordable housing. The only time they seem to is approving "The Projects"...landing "ghettos" next to neighborhoods. With their "green" spacing concepts, they simply dont build nice little single family neighborhoods with small starter homes like I grew up in till I was 13.
My opinion is, its a perfect storm. A lot of younger (American born) folks are simply not willing to work the jobs that pay really well, like plumbing and electrician...welder, etc. If they dont end up in a high paying white collar or medical field, they are crushed by the cost of living.