The conversation around the character of Generation Z or Gen Z is getting louder and louder, especially on social media. Many argue that Gen Z is a generation that has many positive characteristics, such as being close to technology, more tolerant, likes challenges, and is creative. However, not a few also have a negative view of this generation.
The generation born between 1997 and 2012 is said to have overdosed on technology; given up easily; and low income, but consumptive; as well as a series of other negative characters. In short, Generation Z is weak in character. In the world of work, Gen Z is often portrayed as incompetent and is looked down upon because many of them are unemployed. The question is, are they really weak in character? Or is it just a stigma?
At the very least, some major events that happened recently can answer this stereotype. In various places, these digital natives have and are driving social change. Interestingly, their actions are not only on social media and digital channels, but also on the streets.
A Catalyst for Social Change
In the United States, Generation Z has been a pioneer in supporting Palestinian independence – a problem that no other generation has been able to solve. The young generation in the United States has become the driving force behind pro-Palestinian actions. Various surveys show that the majority of Gen Z Americans side with Palestine despite the US government’s support for Israel. They continue to mobilize despite various intimidations and threats, including the cancellation of job offers.
Closer to home, Bangladeshi Gen Zs recently shocked the world with their actions to demand justice. Their massive demonstration was even dubbed the Gen Z Revolution. In Indonesia, we have just witnessed the rejection of rules that are not in favour of the community by many students and students who are Gen Z.
Objective and Contextual
These facts certainly reject the stigma that Gen Z is weak in character. Social change cannot be driven by people who give up easily or are not resilient. Perhaps, negative assessments of them so far tend to be the bias of previous generations.
Judging something requires at least two things: objectivity and paying attention to context. One of the negative conversations about Gen Z is their incompetence in the workforce and high unemployment rate. Unfortunately, these assessments are often not accompanied by clear indicators, such as key work indicators (KPIs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) and are often personal. Refusing to work outside the job description (job desk) or working hours is considered lazy and unwilling to take the opportunities available. In fact, this refusal is a form of awareness of labor regulations.
Even if there is a clear standard in an assessment, it does not necessarily mean that the standard is correct. It is possible that the reference is accepted today, but no longer used later. For example, in relation to working hours, Australia has just passed a law that gives workers the right to refuse phone calls, e-mails and other contacts from companies outside of working hours.
This corrects the previous “standard” where it was considered normal to respond to contacts from the office outside of working hours. Especially after the pandemic, the boundaries between home and work have become blurred as a result of work-from-home (WFH) patterns becoming a trend.
Meanwhile, when talking about the high unemployment rate among Gen Z, some people put aside the context and factors beyond Gen Z itself. The difficulty of finding a job is considered to be entirely their fault. In fact, there are many factors that contribute to the cause, for example, the lack of job opportunities and the mismatch between the education system and labor demand.
Every generation has unique characteristics. Some are positive and some are negative. The weak character of a generation is not necessarily the fault of that generation. Conversely, the strong character of a generation is also not entirely due to the generation itself. There are external factors that influence.
The previous generation also plays an important role in shaping the character of the next generation. What is more important is not to find flaws and exaggerate certain generations, but to foster mutual understanding and maximize the actualization of the positive character of each generation in order to have the greatest impact for all.
Translator: Pangkuh Ajisoko
Author: Teuku Zulman Sangga Buana
Editor: Dewanti Nurcahyani
Reference:
Mckinsey.com. 2024. “What is Gen Z?”.
Ali Francis. 2022. “Gen Z: The workers who want it all”. BBC.
