Despite inflation and the slow recovery from the pandemic, Gen Z has shown great resilience while continuing to show themselves as strong people upholding principles that they value the most.
Most members of Generation Z (Gen Z), ranging in birth years from 1997 to 2012, are still in public school and college. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many bore the brunt of losing their jobs, lived through a dramatic change during a vital part of their growth, and experienced new challenges that previous generations had not gone through before. But, through all this, Gen Z has stood against the hardships.
One major area that Gen Z has shown excellence in, according to PwC, is the rushed introduction of advanced technology that most people have incorporated into their daily lives. While most other generations struggled with this change, Gen Z had much experience due to growing up in the age of home computers, the internet, online classes, and increased remote work.
WP Engine reported that Gen Z is the most internet-dependent generation out of the three previous generations: millennials, Generation X, and the baby boomers. With this prior experience, they handled the advent of the internet age the best out of everyone with many holding influences over the Internet and social media as internet celebrities or social media “influencers.”
In addition to this, Gen Z has also witnessed and experienced many major changes besides the pandemic.
The Management is a Journey website wrote that “Gen Z has grown up in a time of turbulence and instability mixed with hope for a better future. Disruption and change have been the norm.”
Looking back at a list of major events from the past two decades, it’s evident that society has dramatically changed the way we communicate and how we spend our free time. These changes include the rise of social media, living in a post-9/11 world, terrorism both abroad and in our own communities, the Great Recession, the gender equality movement, and climate change, just to name a few.
Now, in the aftermath of the most recent world-changing event, many Gen Zers, according to The Center for Generational Kinetics, have shown more interest in remote jobs, daily payments, and changes in their career paths. Due to this impact, many companies are now beginning to use more online forms of business services.
With all of these changes, Gen Z has also shown more desire to ensure that their economic interests like retirement benefits are safely secured.
CNBC News stated, “The average retirement savings rate for older generations (millennials, Gen X and baby boomers) is 12% of income, compared with 14% among Gen Zers.”
And it isn’t just looking to their own futures; they are also looking to change the norm of jobs and careers by making their voices known.
A report written by BBC News states, “they’re demanding more from workplaces: bigger pay cheques, more time off, the flexibility to work remotely and greater social and environmental responsibility. Many of these values were millennial preferences, but for Gen Zers, they’ve become expectations – and they’re willing to walk away from employers if their needs aren’t met.”
Generation Z is showing the world that they aren’t standing down despite the great hardships and challenges that have come their way. Through their resilience, the future is on a road toward a new direction filled with new ideas.