They are growing up with their parents losing respect.The toxicity which goes on different social media sites is freaking crazy. You hardly find the so called Gen z with any atom of respect or regard for anything.
I'm almost 50 too I also care what my husband thinks.I do what makes me happy and I don't care what other people have to say or think unless it is my wife. Because I am almost 50 years old and I am going to live the rest of my life being happy and not wishing I would have done something different.
I think we can still CARE to a degree, but it doesn't have to sway us nor have us dwell on it.As much as I try not to be affected by other's perceptions, I do find that I still choose to not do certain things because I worry about what others think.
I have gotten better at not caring but I know I still care somewhat about what others think and I do need to get into the mindset that if I am happy with my life and what I am doing is making me happy and helping me provide for my family, then it shouldn't matter what others think.
Friends can come & go but family & TRUE friends will stay.I stopped caring about what people thought of what I did or said. The only ones that really matter when it comes to that are family, really close friends and whoever Im dating at the time.