Panache

Gen Z constitutes 25 percent of the global population right now. This means it has the power to bring a dramatic shift in the world. But the majority of Gen Z has its understanding of the world that they are living in.

Below are some of the Gen Z perspectives that need changing. Read and tell us if you agree with any of them. What other things would you like to add to this list?

Education is not enough; skills are.

Gen Z has been raised by the generation that told them if they study hard, they will be able to get anything in the world. The big house, the prettiest spouse, and the dream job. However, that is not true anymore.

As Gen Z grew up, they realized the economy was not suited to the people who had crammed facts about the world and knew theoretical things inside out. Gen Z was born around the time when the Internet was turning mainstream. Something that changed the face of the earth as well as the job market.

Two decades later, it is easier to get a job if you are competent and skilled compared to those with multiple degrees. It’s the time when employers are more interested in your EQ (Emotional Quotient) and CQ (Critical Quotient) than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), while it was popular among the previous generation.

Keep learning new things because of the pace of change.

Gone are the days when you needed to be skilled in one thing and spend your life doing it and earning sufficiently from it to run a big household. With the pace of change in technology, landscape, economy, and dramatic changes in the environment, it is harder to survive through just one income stream.

To increase your income streams, you need more skills. You need to be updated with what’s latest in your industry to catch up with the latest trends. If not, then your skills will be obsolete sooner than ever.

The gig economy is not a topic of thesis anymore. It has become the reality of society. People are hardly getting by on the income of their current job. And no wonder, either they are converting their passion into an income stream or they are constantly upskilling themselves to earn more.

Also read: A step by step guide to achieving your goals.

AI and Machine Learning are essential because of the newer generations.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning constituted a tiny niche in a sea where people had multiple career options. Currently, and as time passes, AI and ML are becoming the basis of every endeavor that you choose to pursue.

Schools are introducing coding and Artificial Intelligence methods to teach the students. Japan has installed its first robot teacher. And the reviews are mind-blowing. The students say that robot teachers are more effective than human teachers.

GenZ has been left with no choice but to learn the things that would be taught to Tech Gen from the beginning. Soon, they have to realize that they will not be competing among themselves but with future generations.

The economy has always been worse. Inequality has always persisted in the world.

Another truth that Gen Z has to accept is that the Economy has not worsened as they grew up. It has always been difficult for people who do not know how to manage their finances and the resources available to them.

Excess spending, mismanagement of funds, and mismanagement of resources have always led to poverty. The only difference is that the gap has become so large that it seems difficult to fill in that gap.

Similarly, inequality has always persisted in the world. At times, it was worse than the current times. Now, people are aware and respond quickly. Laws have become more stringent as well. And above everything else, before anything gets proven in a court of law, the internet does its own dissection.

But our ancestors indeed had it worse. No wonder certain things have passed down in the form of generational traumas. Gen Z might have it hard mentally, but our ancestors had it no less.

Passion can make you money, but you need to do boring things first.

Every click-bait article and every YouTube video will let you know how to make quick money. You just have to follow the given steps, and soon you will be a millionaire. And if you do not have that kind of money, you are a lazy, incompetent person getting behind in life.

This is a common way self-help gurus gaslight a population. The majority of this population is Gen Z. It is a generation that saw the emerging technology but could not fathom its possibilities in the current times.

However, self-help gurus are not all wrong. But to sell a quick fix, they forget to mention the grind and hard parts. Gen Z needs to understand that their passion can earn them money only when they learn to do the hard parts themselves.

Every business is based on some fundamentals. Every online business needs some understanding of the market, the software, and the ever-changing algorithm. Since these are considered boring things, they are never shown in the shiny package of “You can be a millionaire too.”

Also read: How to get rid of imposter syndrome?

Overnight Success is easy to get.

Gen Z is the first generation of many that spends most of its time on social media. No wonder they are also influenced by it. And many consider that the world is the real world.

On social media, every success story looks like an overnight success. They have to fit their story into a reel of a few seconds. So, they start with a catchy line. And they are aware that if they make the video too boring, you will scroll away from it.

They concise the story to make sure that you remain hooked to it. Thus, every story looks like an overnight success and a quick way to become a millionaire.

 What you miss out on is the endless grind to gain the knowledge to achieve that. You also miss the sleepless nights and failed attempts when the person thought they could never achieve the goals they have now.

Life should always look pleasant and aesthetic.

Gen Z is the aesthetic generation. They add “core” to anything. Soon, the trend is not a sub-culture with meaningful origins and concrete reasons to adopt. But it is just a trend to fall in and out of as everyone gets quickly bored of it.

Gen Z is the first generation to bring “delulu” into mainstream media. It is also the generation to fall into the trap of loneliness and overconsumption. They are lonely; hence, they take the help of materialistic goods to satisfy their dissatisfaction in life.

Gen Z also tends to see life through rose-colored glasses. They would rather jump into trends to distract themselves from the hardships of life. Then, they will develop a hardcore to get through the tough situations in life.

It is about perspective and understanding, but that does not solve problems.

Also read: 10 best ways to romanticize your life.

If someone is Famous, they need to be idealized. (Viral = Important)

What is it with Gen Z idealizing famous people? Soon, they keep them on a pedestal, and soon they make them a part of cancel culture. No wonder people in Gen Z get their bite of current affairs from social media.

Since social media is filled with thoughts rather than facts. They start following anyone who comes across most on their feeds. But get bored eventually. It is easier for marketing companies to get the attention of anyone and make any person the next big thing.

Many times, these famous people don’t even realize that they are being adored by an entire generation. Then, they become an object to either lust over or to go completely crazy. But God forbid they show their human side, any humanly flaw, or a trait that is not liked by the fans, and they get cancelled.

Gen Z needs to stop idealising people who become famous. Every 15 days, there is a new wave of new celebrities on the social media feed. And soon, things get out of control.

Cancelling someone will fix the problem.

Continuing from the previous point, Gen Z needs to understand that canceling someone does not cancel the problem they represent. They might apologize and hide it well. They will stop showing up on the camera and halt their career for a while.

But you cannot stop them from pursuing something else because at the end of the day, everyone is trying to make a living. And they will continue their life but in a low-key manner. But all of this happening again and again does not solve the real issue regarding why they were canceled in the first place.

Every time, people begin this mission to cancel someone. And this starts a mob cry. Every creator starts making content about the same. They will nit-pick every move, reading too much into the body language to fit their narrative. All of this will get them down.

But no one will understand what the problem was in the first place. Who got wronged? And why did they get wronged? Who was the victim, and who was the perpetrator? And most importantly, what crime was being committed in the first place?

 You are a failure if you are not successful in your 20s.

Consumption of news from social media has another downside to it. Social Media blows up everything that is a quick solution. Gen Z sees everyone as a successful millionaire before they turn 30.

What Gen Z does not understand is that life is not a race but a marathon. You do not need to be the most successful person in your 20s. Because that is not how wealth works. It is a slow but steady process to build wealth. And it cannot happen as early as in the 20s.

Affected by this narrative, many people from this generation assume that they cannot be successful in their lives if they have not been successful in their endeavours in their 20s. This not only leads to panic but to deep hopelessness, too.

Gen Z needs to know that the only thing they need to properly understand is themselves by their 20s. Their passions, interests, hobbies, personal finance, life goals. Even if they have not figured it all out, it is not the end.

Conclusion

Gen Z is the first generation that was never ready for technology and its effect on their lives. That does not mean it will not influence them. And our mind is not ready for that yet.

Hence, terms like brain rot, attention span, excessive screen time, and social media fatigue have become common.

Gen Z needs to change their approach to lead more fulfilling lives.

Also read: 9 ways to save your mental health while online dating.

Also read: How does online dating affect your mental health?

Also read: How to support a friend struggling with mental health?