We may give too much credence to the idea of generational differences. If there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that one generation tries hard to learn from the mistakes of the previous. Gen Z is no different in that regard. They’ve had privilege of learning from several generations who had to face unique circumstances. They hope to apply these lessons into their own life while blazing a new path that may change the way we do everything.
Gen Z ranges from people born between 1998 and 2016. While the youngest of the are only a few years old, the other end of the spectrum is graduating college and entering the workforce. The largest group of them is currently in middle and high school, learning new ideas and being trained on technology the rest of us could’ve never imagined in our days.
Learning from Our Example
Our generations certainly had a lot of failures. Baby Boomers worked tirelessly and instilled the concept of a work ethic. They ‘played the game.’ “They saw their parents believe, ‘All you gotta do is work hard, keep your head down, go early, stay late, and you can advance and move up in a company.’ They saw their parents do that, and lose their jobs,” Casap said. All their hard work proved nothing in the end. It wasn’t any better for the Millennials who focused on education.
“They watched their brothers and sisters
[get that college degree]and then come home and live in the basement with $200,000 worth of debt,” Casap said.
Gen Z sees more than ever how the entire system is broken. Going to college means starting out life tens of thousands of dollars in debt. It’s almost not worth it. Applying yourself at a job and busting your tail to move up ultimately proves fruitless as well. The economy is more volatile than ever and there’s more risk for taking chances. It breeds nothing but exhaustion and worry.
Gen Z wants something unique. They want to change the culture so they’re not just another cog on the wheel. They’re out there inventing new ways of doing things and that gives them a great deal of power. Technology gives them a door that wasn’t as accessible to us. They’ll do it with ease, breaking all the standard rules.
How Gen Z Will Rule the World
Starting a business in today’s world of technological advances are quite easy. You don’t need money to make money anymore. You just need to know a skill…a skill that easily accessible and can be learned for free online. Before, you had no chance of success unless you had a ton of money saved up to buy your merchandise and hope your store front is easy to find. All you need today is a bit of WiFi and a laptop.
Why do the standard, boring job, like working at McDonalds, like previous generations have done? Instead, they can learn a little bit of code, start a YouTube channel, or start selling art on the Facebook marketplace? More kids than ever are in high school today who also run a business on the side and make money using the internet.
This will change the world because Gen Z has other options than to sit in a stuffy office. If employers want to fill their seats and bring in qualified workers, they’ll have to change how they do business. If not, they’ll wither away and die.
