Eh. I agree with what you are saying, but also think the general trends they are pointing out do seem to sort of be preferred by Gen Z.. more "maximalist." Look at Depop, for example.
Design is somewhat of a fashion business and we've seen a period where simplicity and spareness has been the fashion. Apple's aesthetic by way of Jony Ive post-skeuomorphism is probably the most familiar example. But whether influenced by or part of the same fashion trend it's extremely widespread. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find something of a backlash.
i agree with the rest of the comments in the thread. there are certainly generational stereotypes, i guess in the world of design ours are an overdose of gradients and rounded corners lol. personally, i'm a fan of a little bit of the maximalist vibe and some brutalist elements mixed in. everyone should try to cultivate their own "aura", that's why i make a shit ton of personal websites (at least one every year) and experiment with trends that i like.
i'll go ahead and also point out where i see these trends are popping up all the time: web3 and crypto. notably, zora and the rainbow wallet do them well, i feel. i think you'll find that the design teams for these companies are pretty young. i even know of some high-schoolers that are part time employees for web3 companies (as designers).
i guess it's a little tangential but it's something i rarely see talked about with web3 -> they will succeed not because of the legitimacy of the technology but largely because of their appeals to the young*. young people love anything with hints of counter-culture and feeling like we're a part of a revolution; it's a thing, i think. though, decentralized stuff isn't really all that punk anymore...
--fellow gen Z-er