OK, the writer of the article is showing how the two generations differ in their behaviour and outlook, with Gen X being more self-assured and Gen Z being more in need of validation.
She gives reasons for this, such as social media ("Your follower count defines your value.") and the anxiety Gen Z has over how they are perceived rather than how happy they are in themselves ("...where even your morning routine is content to be optimized.")
Gen X, on the other hand, "learned self-sufficiency because no one was watching. Latchkey kids with working parents, they came home to empty houses and figured out shit on their own. Privacy was the default..."
There's more, and it's well worth your time reading it all. Very interesting stuff.
Doesn't answer the question of why it's "atrocious," though...