5 Gen Z features to consider to get along with

Generation Z sees no difference between the real and the virtual world

Typical conversation between a parent and their child from Gen Z:

- HEY!

- Father, why are you screaming?

- CAN YOU HEAR ME?

- Yes, you can be heard in Europe too! What happened?

- I CALL ON MY WATCH APPLE! THIS IS GREAT!

“Dad, you must be keeping the watch a millimeter from your face. Put your hand down and let's talk.

- HOW WAS THE DAY?

- You're still screaming. Put your wrist down and let's talk.

Generation Z lives in a different world, where, thanks to rapid scientific and technological progress, the barriers between the physical and virtual worlds have practically collapsed. We call it the Fijital World.

Today, you can buy something both in a regular store and on the Internet. You can write and send a regular letter, or you can send an email message. You can work in the office or remotely. Etc. Choice is great, but it gives rise to a lot of controversy. As a rule, they boil down to figuring out which solution is better - virtual or real.

Gen Z views

Generation Z is different in that it does not see the difference between the virtual and the real at all. What is there to argue about?

Things to learn from Gen Z: watch Generation Z to see how they manage to combine the real and the virtual in their consumer habits, life and work.

Personalization is essential for Gen Z

Typical conversation between a parent and their child from Gen Z:

- Father, the Grams gave me a Kanye West CD for my birthday.

- Fine!

“Wasted money, don’t you think?”

- Why? I thought you loved Kanye?

- I love, but not all songs. I wish the Grams had given me an iTunes gift certificate so I could build my playlist.

Like all generations, Gen Z faced adolescent insecurity, a desire to "find their game" and a simultaneous desire to demonstrate their uniqueness. There are things that never change. But it's much easier for Generation Z to create an entire presentation that sets them apart from the crowd, as they were raised in a highly personalized world.

Gen Z views

From Twitter tweets, Instagram posts, and Facebook pages, my generation has a myriad of ways to identify and personalize a personal brand and communicate it to the world. It's super easy! All I need to do is look at my Facebook feed, and in a few seconds you will know what I love.

From the media to politics and beyond, Gen Z has unprecedented power to choose and control their preferences. This is a wonderful thing if used for good purposes.

Things to learn from Gen Z: technological advancement, open mind, determination.

Gen Z is practical

Typical conversation between a parent and their child from Gen Z:

“Iona, next semester you have one elective. Why don't you take art history?

- Why exactly her?

- To learn more about art.

- Why?

- What do you mean?

- How does this relate to at least one of my goals? I would like to attend courses that will really come in handy in the future.

When millennials were in their current Gen Z age, they were overwhelmed with optimism and self-confidence. They planned to be the next Mark Zuckerberg, save the world, or at least create a startup with a great future. And they sincerely believed that they were exactly the generation that will succeed.

The older generations liked their life credo “nothing is impossible” (and still do), so they encouraged it in every possible way, especially their idealistic-minded boomer parents. However, deep down, most parents knew that at some point in their careers, millennials would have to face reality.

This usually happens when the responsibilities of children begin to go beyond "just get out of bed in the morning and come to work on time."

Nothing helps to understand that you are not Mark Zuckerberg and you have neither the time nor the resources to start a startup, like having to pay off your home mortgage or saving money for education for your children.

But for millennials, the belief that they will succeed was enough motivator to at least get out of bed and try.

Gen Z views

Teenage dreams of becoming presidents and financial tycoons and making a million have given way to fears of getting nothing at all in life. In order to survive and even succeed, it is better to look at things soberly and be realistic.

With the arrival of Gen Z, a new, healthier view of careers and leadership was formed, and this happened long before he entered the labor market.

Things to learn from Gen Z:a realistic approach to life.

Generation Z suffers from loss of profit syndrome

From the latest news from around the world to information about who invited whom to prom, Gen Z knows it all. And this is not surprising, given that they draw information from at least five screens at the same time. From a TV screen, laptop, desktop PC, tablet, and, of course, a mobile phone - any information, figuratively speaking, is just a click away.

Being in touch is like breathing for Gen Z.

All generations have such wide access to information today, not just Z, but older generations still remember the times when it was not limited to one click. Traditionalists, boomers, Gen X and even millennials can tell you how they had to wait for the latest information updates, and they did it much less often than now. Other generations also valued access to information and technology, but were less dependent on them than Generation Z.

Gen Z views

My generation simply does not know a world in which there would be no connectivity or access to any information. Having access to information and contact with peers is like air for us. When we are not in touch, we feel that something is wrong.

Together with constant access, a constant dependence on everyone and everything around is developed. Gen Z people know that even if they disconnect from the Network, the Earth will continue to rotate on its axis. This generates a constant desire to stay in the know, which becomes more and more difficult to implement over time.

Gen Z views

The fear of missing something makes us control our accounts all the time. According to a nationwide study, 44% of Gen Zers check their social media accounts at least once an hour, and 7% more than once every fifteen minutes. Interestingly, one in five Gen Zers updates their Twitter feed more often than they read it.

Generation Z is the DIY generation

Typical conversation between a parent and their child from Gen Z:

- I don't need a tutor!

- Iona, do you really think that you can better prepare for the ACT testing by watching videos on YouTube?

- Why not?

- It's not that easy. You need a professional tutor.

- Father, there are hundreds of videos about AST on YouTube!

“I just think it's not worth the risk.

- And what am I risking?

- Fail testing.

- Listen … if Julius Yego learned to throw a javelin thanks to YouTube, and then won the world championships, then, probably, I can also get useful information from there for passing the ACT. I will be able to get tested well and I don't need a tutor.

Generation Z is truly a DIY generation. World championship-winning athletes like Kenyan self-taught Julius Yego, whose only coach was YouTube, have dramatically raised the bar on the meaning of DIY.

For the rest, the do-it-yourself concept is mostly about exploits at home in the field of renovation, or perhaps art and craft projects. But Gen Z looks at everything, including careers, through the prism of this principle.

Things to learn from Gen Z:belief in one's own strength.

For more details on Gen Z, their characteristics, significant differences from millennials, habits, motivation, career views and success, see the book Gen Z at Work. How to understand him and find a common language with him”by David Stillman.