I recently had a discussion with my eldest daughter about the attitudes of Gen Z toward life, well she spoke and I listened intently. The conversation was illuminating and helped me bring my opinions to the 21st century. I had looked with envy at Gen Z as growing up entitled with AI, the internet, Virtual Reality and even OnlyFans, my closest comparable was Atari Pong, Encyclopedias and stealing a look at a PlayBoy Magazine; they don’t know how easy they have it. While those things are true they are also staring in the face of unaffordable home prices, skyrocketing health care and inflation that depress hope for the lives their parents lived. I have been chewing on this for more than a week so it was a smooth transition to write about.
“Gen Z Knows What It Wants from Employers. And Employers Want Them”
The New York Times article, “Gen Z Knows What It Wants from Employers. And Employers Want Them,” by Alyson Krueger, focuses on a contemporary issue in society. Gen Z is a contentious subject given their supposed different outlook on society. I selected the article given its novel subject matter and the fact that Gen Z has been misrepresented and misunderstood by the older generation. The author is from an older generation, though younger than me, and shares the demands of Gen Z in the employment market.
First, the title is a sweeping claim that Gen Z knows what they want. It amounts to oversimplification and bias, and there is limited scientific data to support that Gen Z is more self-directed than other generations. Some people across all generations are inquisitive, objective, and decisive, and there are just as many people who are unsure and lost. I have one child that has a plan and another searching, though following his dream and playing college football. The article reads as a simple take on Gen Z using isolated experiences to make sweeping generalizations about a generation. Some Gen Zs conform to the traditional working culture, fit in the office spaces, and are in tune with the corporate heartbeat. The article glosses over the differences in the younger generation and focuses on individual cases to make a thesis about an entire group.
The author links sources in the article to support some of the claims. It includes the finding that “40 percent of young workers said they were willing to accept a 5 percent pay cut to work in a position that offered career growth opportunities.” However, there is limited descriptive content about the linked survey, which limits the article’s objectivity. To limit bias, the author overstates external opinions and references, denying the article the needed depth and range to discuss the concept of Gen Z in the modern work environment. The excessive obsession with maintaining objectivity or creating the impression of rationality often exuberates the fault lines. Writing across fault lines demands the deliberate action of accepting diversity in thought without attempting to overstate one side to benefit the main position. Ideally, a discussion on Gen Z’s conceptualization of work and life should not understate or ignore the older generation’s perspective. It is limiting to assume that older generation employers are wholeheartedly welcome to the observed Gen Z obsession with fluid work arrangements and non-traditional structures that do not conform to order and stability. The impression created by the article that employers are openly willing to alter their organizational culture and structures to accommodate new ideas is limiting and shallow. It fails to fully account for the generational gap and the obvious conflict between old and new.
The article presents an important discussion of modern work culture and the changing generation. However, observing across fault lines means embracing chaos and differences and seeking understanding and perspective. Observing the work environment from the lens of Gen Z and labeling it as the standard culture in contemporary space ignores the conflicting perspectives held by the majority of the older generation. Gen represents a different and radical cultural shift shaped by decades of counterculture movements. However, traditional work environments are founded on key and practical principles that organizations hold in high regard. I found the article a one-sided account of the Gen Z experience, and it motivated me to discuss supposedly shocking revelations in the work culture. In the deliberate attempt to cross the fault lines, the author creates a one-sided and shallow press.
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Hey Marc,
Anything to do with Gen Z is kind of hard to understand from older people’s point of view so I applaud you for trying to understand it. As someone who is a part of Gen Z, I think I could mildly agree to us being more driven but I think the main thing that differs us from older generations is price differences. When I say that I mean even though we may be more driven into doing things, sometimes we aren’t able to properly reflect that because things are just more expensive. For example, rent and housing prices are at an all time high in some areas nowadays, so being able to afford one and live comfortably is very difficult to do. Great job on your blog post Marc!
Hello Marc,
It’s interesting to hear your feedback from the perspective of an older generation looking at Gen Z. You talk about you speaking with your daughter, about the difference between generations. I can say personally I have had very similar conversations with my own Gen X parents. Something I thought was interesting, was this section you have quoted “‘40 percent of young workers said they were willing to accept a 5 percent pay cut to work in a position that offered career growth opportunities.’” Then you talk about how limited the information drawn from the survey was. I find this to be a common way that article try to persuade a reader without much evidence. Which represents why the faultlines can be a useful tool in representing how “ethical” an article may be. Great insightful post!
Julia-
Thank yo for the response, I think you helped clarify subconsciously what I was thinking. My eldest is in her late thirties and has a stable of girls that she works with, helping them navigate this uncertain time. We are thankful to live in California, not the perfect system, but one that has social safety nets in place. I looked up the author, she is young as well which made me wonder about the veracity of the article entirely. Cheers!
Hello Marc, I like your critique of the New York Times article and its handling of Gen Z’s approach to work. Your insights on generational perspectives really ground the conversation and highlight that each generation (from Boomers to Gen Z) has its own mix of goals, uncertainties, and values shaped by both societal and economic forces. Nice work.
Hey Marc,
I really enjoyed reading your post! Your conversation with your daughter was a great way to introduce the generational gap in understanding Gen Z. I like the point you made about how generalizing an entire generation’s work mindset doesn’t capture the full picture. The article you critiqued does seem to miss out on the complexity by only focusing on one side. Your call for more balanced storytelling that also considers older generations is spot on. It’s true that media needs to do a better job of including different perspectives to show how work culture is evolving. Great job breaking this down!