By Carla Morales
TAMPA, Fla. — Generation Z, the people born between 1996 and 2010, is the second-youngest generation. That means the majority of the people reading this are Generation Z, possibly lying in bed. The speculation about Generation Z being labeled as lazy is continuous, but is it possible that they are actually redefining success?
Primarily, the dominance of Gen Z was partially caused by the 2007 baby boom, which resulted in 4.3 million births in the U.S. that year, one of the largest baby booms in history.
As Gen Z evolves daily with the use of social media, the saying “work smarter, not harder” is a modern phrase often heard among this generation. This phrase, framing their work ethic and negative attitude towards aspects of life, is shown as evidence of a sign of their work ethic.
This generation is also known as the generation that spends too much time on their phones, also referred to as “screenagers” by other generations. It is a known fact that the majority of Gen Z, 85%, believes they spend too much time online. Everyone’s parents at one point told them to stop being on their phone and actually spend time with the family.
Time away from socialization and human interaction supports the idea that this generation is lazy, as there is little effort to have face-to-face interaction.
Technology has had a large effect on the younger generation, setting us forward in many ways. Research proves that the average age at which kids get a phone is between 12 and 13, which can raise concerns, as most of Gen Z’s parents did not have phones at that age.
This is concerning, as it raises questions for parents having a 12 or 13-year-old receiving a cellular device with complete access to social media. Considering there is technology evolving daily, there is truly no need. An early teenager could be given some sort of smartwatch to communicate with their immediate family.
Meanwhile, in comparison to earlier times when there were no phones, iPads, computers, or even social media to spend time on, these components have inevitably made Gen Z appear to be less engaged. The presence of social media within the younger generation has also created a sense of immaturity.
A very popular and modern phrase being used within this generation is “let him cook,” meaning to provide space for that person to focus on what they are good at and do their thing. This seriously sets our society back many years, as letting him cook literally means letting someone cook food. When new slang terms are being created daily by Gen Z, it becomes very difficult for all generations to be able to understand each other at the same level.
It is also viewed that Generation Z has the worst work ethic and is entitled, too easily offended, lazy, and generally unprepared for the workplace, according to their bosses.
Generation Z employees attempting to search for employment could be faced with failure. A survey found 75% of executives felt most of the recent college grads they hired were unsuccessful. This could be due to the lack of engagement the generation has put into their studies or their work ethic.
Gen Z needs to do some serious self-reflection to be proper role models for upcoming generations. This generation may benefit from lessening their screen time, social media consumption, and improving their communication. If Gen Z embraces a growing mindset, they can set an example of adaptability for future generations.
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Photo courtesy of Simon Maage via Unsplash.