Some Realizations about Gen Z
There is a new Barna Study out in 2024 that has its focus set on Generation Z. As this generation is the first one to be raised completely immersed with the internet and smart phones, there is a lot to learn about that we have never experienced. I had the opportunity to participate in the full 7-hour course this past week, including 4 great speakers from 4 different walks of life and the experiences that they were able to share about the different thought processes of our “Gen Z” generation.
First off, there are two words that describe Gen Z: Anxiety and Ambition. In a way, those two words seem to contradict themselves. You wouldn’t normally think that people with ambition would be anxious, but due to the lack of human interaction, and the strong amount of parental control they generally experience, their problem-solving skills are quite limited, which leads them to be anxious.
Growing up, I remember young adults saying that they didn’t want to raise their children the way that they themselves had been raised by their parents. However, I think that is why we have such a disconnect between children and the importance of working for a purpose, a disconnect between children and making friends, and a disconnect with human interaction. The Barna Study indicates that that this generation wants to have enough money to make them happy, they want a work / life balance that works best for them, and they want enough money to reach their ‘dreams’ (whatever dreams those might be). It also states that the parents of Gen Z are the typical “helicopter/bulldozer” parents who don’t allow anything bad to happen to their kids. They are the parents who pull the milk glass away from the child so that they don’t spill it, or the parents who talk the coach into letting their child play in the game even though the child didn’t make the cut (aren’t skillful enough to play). These parents do not want to let their child to fail or make mistakes.
