Six lessons from Gen Z (aka ‘Screenagers’)

Thilina, a colleague of mine recently made an interesting Harari-like observation about our generation. Gen Xers – roughly those who were born between 1965-80 – he said, are the first generation, from the beginning of humankind 300,000 years back, to gain knowledge and skills from two other generations: one before and the other, after. Put differently, all other generations learned from their parents and elders. We too did, but unlike the rest, now also learn from our children – the ‘Screenagers’ or ‘Digital Natives’.  

Chiradeep is born after the millennium, so he by default turned out to be a ‘Screenager’. Chiradeep uses three screens. A smaller smartphone screen, a bit wider laptop screen, and a 49” TV screen. He handles the three screens in three different ways. Specific tasks and content is associated with each screen. There is nothing special about that. Most of us use these three screens in our daily lives – that does not necessarily make us ‘Screenagers’. We are ‘Digital Immigrants’ – born elsewhere and landed in the Digitaland much later. So we cannot claim the same rights as the digital natives, who were there from their inception. That distinction, as you will learn, is significant.

I learn from Chiradeep, in the same manner, I learn from Google, Siri, Alexa, and Sophia – all were born after me. So I can call them the ‘next generation’. They too in return learn from me. Well, I can tell you many things I have taught Google about French-English and vice versa translations. This piece is about the learning exercise of Gen X from and about Gen Z – yes, that is what we formally call those who were born after the year 2001.

You may ask what happened to Gen Y, or the ‘Millennials’ (born between 1980 and 2000). Well, I am mostly keeping them out to avoid confusion. The focus is only on Gen X (Parents) and Gen Z (teenage and post-teenage children). We discuss other generations only if the need arises. 

So, here we are to the lessons.

Lesson #1: Respect the generation gap. Gen Z is a generation of its own, and should not be judged by the values of our own generation 

The gap between Gen X and Gen Z is the widest we know between any two successive generations ever. This can be largely attributed to the differences in the environment each grew up in, as it is the first 12 years from birth the cultural animal inside an individual develops. 

Gen Xers, that is our generation, grew up in the late ‘60s to early ‘80s. These were difficult periods. Sri Lanka was struggling in its development battle ahead as a low-income nation. In the north and east, the 30-year-old conflict commenced in the middle. In the south, two rebellions were trounced most brutally. For the entire period, the per capita income remained sub USD 1,000 levels. 

For the first half of the period, life was extra difficult with the controls poised by the 1970-77 government. Education was available only in vernacular, even in private schools. Supermarkets were unheard of. Private medicare was reserved for the very rich. So was private transport. Television only came in 1979 and for a long time remained a luxury. Children played on the roads or paddy fields till the sun comes down. In Jayanthipura Housing Scheme, where I lived, every road had its own cricket team.

We grew up in that environment, taking public transport to public schools. All we had to read was either low-quality locally printed books, with rare exceptions, or Soviet books published as a part of their political promotion. Almost no foreign movies. Hindi movies were few. Geeth and Abhiman were the only ones I remember. Our aspirations were for the few locally available jobs. We study hard, as it was the only escape route we saw.

I don’t have to elaborate on how different the first 12 years of Gen Zers in the post-millennium period was. Luxury was a component of their lives from their inception. Even at the lowest levels in society, this generation enjoyed a comfort their parents or grandparents never could. They travelled to school by vans, enjoyed TV, computers, and Internet; had access to smartphones when they reached their age. They had a better primary and secondary education too with more opportunities to learn English. The conflict was something that happened in the past that they knew little about. These factors together made them, culturally and behaviourally, an entirely different generation. It is not fair to judge that generation with the values of our own. They should be judged by the values they adopt.  

In fact, the studies in the USA have shown Gen Zers behave with more discipline than many of the other generations. They tend to live more slowly than their predecessors when they were their age, have lower rates of teenage pregnancies, and consume alcohol less often. Their approach is more rational. They are tolerable towards LGBTQIA+ issues. Gen Zers are found to be more concerned than older generations with academic performance and job prospects and are better at delaying gratification too. 

Lesson #2: We use books; they use digital devices. Perhaps we are the ones who need a digital detox more, not them

Social networking and social media can be treacherous. Netflix movie ‘The Social Dilemma’ portrays how social media’s design by default nurtures addiction to maximise profit and its ability to manipulate people’s views, emotions, and behaviour, and spread conspiracy theories and disinformation. The film also analyses social media’s effect on mental health, in particular, the mental health of adolescents and rising teen suicide rates.

Screenagers, are often been criticised for spending too much screen time, while not reading books. Chetan Bhagat, an Indian author, columnist, and YouTuber has done multiple videos instructing Indian youth how not to spend time on the web and social media as that might lead to messing up their lives and relationships. Bhagat is a Gen X animal – a Digital immigrant. He wasn’t born with a tab in his hand. Probably he explains how the web and social media ruins the lives of his own generation.

Do screenagers use screens excessively, compared to other age groups? Asia-Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing in their ‘Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2022’ report provides the daily access rates of TV and social media for different age groups (Figure I). Gen Z TV watching rate is significantly high at 91% but their social media use (46%) is low; compared to that of Gen X (52%). Even for TV watching Gen Xers watch TV for more hours than Gen Zers. (34% of Gen Xers watch TV for more than three hours a day while the same for Screenagers is about 26%).

The most used social media platform for Screenagers is partially educational YouTube, with 85% daily active users, while Gen X uses Facebook (91% daily active users). As for TikTok, the social media platform widely used by Screenagers in some other countries, the use is low in Sri Lanka. Only less than 2% of Gen Zers are TikTok content creators. More than 61% of the boys and 72% of the girls have said they do not use TikTok at all. That means only one out of the three is a content watcher. 

So neither the basis for criticism is true nor is it fair. If minutes of consumption the ‘Screenagers’ are us; not them. Also, we have to consider that Gen Z uses the net in place of books. It is a choice between Silicon and Carbon (Paper) – two elements in the same column of the periodic table. Personally, I see no difference. I am waiting for those who prefer paper over device screens for reading, to justify their choice. Instead of worrying about how someone read, can we focus more on what they read?

Then to detox. Digital Detoxification, a trendy topic today, refers to a period when a person voluntarily refrains from using digital devices such as smartphones, computers, and social media platforms. This is important as extended overuse of devices has been found to reduce the quality of sleep, cause eye strain and vision problems, as well as lead to the increased occurrence of migraine headaches. Breaks are good, but why force it only on Screenagers? Wouldn’t it be better for both adults and children to follow the same prescription? 

Lesson #3: Like everyone else, Gen Zers too encounter psychological issues. They need help. Talk openly with them and look for professional counselling/treatments if necessary

Research has found that Gen Zers are more likely to have been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders than older generations. We have to take this with a pinch of salt. Not that previous generations were less troubled with mental disorders. The lower healthcare standards just didn’t report the statistics. Gen Zers, on the other hand, are frequently found distressed with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, paranoia, and a gamut of other common behavioural and emotional disorders. Issues due to sleep deprivation too are common with them. 

A great thing about Gen Zers is, unlike the rest, they don’t deny the existence of any of the above. Neither do they stigmatise. They are open to discussing their own mental issues. Sometimes themselves request parents professional care. They must be heard. Even if they don’t insist, it is the responsibility of a twenty-first-century parent to convince an offspring treatment is essential for both physiological and psychological issues. No thovils, no gurukam, and no charlatanry, please. 

Then, the 21st century brings its own challenges. In his latest novel, ‘400 Days’ Chetan Bhagat touches on some of the online ‘threats’ faced by current teenagers. Sex predators, cyber bullies, and racists. The web is overcrowded with them like a rush-hour private bus. Then we know little about the deep web and dark web. Many screenagers might be able to fight these evils by themselves, but not all. We have to openly discuss these defies with them. Gen X and Gen Z are both in one team there.

Lesson #4: Let them decide on their education. It is fair, as they will have to work in an environment that is not the same as ours

 When we Gen Xers were kids, and when our adults asked whom we want to be in the future we replied depending on our choices: I want to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, and so on. There were paved paths that led to these professions. For example, a kid who wanted to be a doctor selected bio subjects after GCE O/Ls and completed GCE A/L to enter medical college. It was like leading a carriage to a railway track. Once you are on the track, you move ahead unless there is an obstacle. Life was more like driving a train. 

Somewhere in between then and now this perfect model vanished. Still, few follow direct tracks, but they are a tiny minority. For most young men and women now there is no correlation between what they study in school and what they do later. I have met students who studied design after they failed in Maths subjects at A/Ls; or those who did banking when they could not clear biology. If you take a sample of software engineers and check what they studied for A/Ls you will find all sorts of animals. Life is more like a journey for which you get in and out of many buses. 

Coming to Gen Zers, this has become even more complicated with the work environment itself making unprecedented transformations. Some jobs are disappearing – or taken over by robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Demand for Account Assistants and Secretaries are on the slide for some time, while on the Technology front it is a rise and more rise. Even for the established positions, the skill set necessary will be entirely different from what it is today.  

As one educator puts it, for the first time in history we face the dilemma of what to teach our kids, as we do not know what they need in the future.   

Bottom line: Better not be too strict in selecting the track for your offspring. High chances are there that you can be wrong. Let them use their own intuition and likes. That way they will feel more comfortable and confident in their chosen path. 

Lesson #5: The career goals of Gen Zers will be too diverse and too complicated. So they may not really be looking for laymen’s guidance from Gen X

Career progression is one area Gen Xers – that is our generation – find it challenging in understanding Gen Z thinking. Surely, the term means two different things to the two generations. Gen Xers have been low-risk-takers. All they wanted was to find a ‘good’ job at a ‘good’ employer to continue that for life. They liked retiring with a pension or with a sizable provident fund in the bank. They offered a Japanese-like loyalty to their employers – even the employment terms were not too favourable. They made progress with time – not really by acquiring new skills. They did not have to change with the transforming environment. There was rarely any need to update knowledge – the double-entry system 25 years ago was the double-entry system today. They did not have to worry about programming platforms and languages getting obsolete. 

Even before we get into Gen Zers, the environment has completely changed. Now the career progression is like running on a treadmill with its speed being increased continuously. New stuff is being introduced on daily basis – miss developing skills for a year, and you will be out of a job immediately. Those who are in the information field have to update their knowledge on the go. No more lifetime jobs. One is the creator of one’s own career. 

The Gen Yers redefining career development today. They, like the generation before, are not merely satisfied with getting a ‘good’ job with a ‘good’ employer. They demand more from a job, getting to the upper layers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They anticipate acknowledgment of their knowledge and skills by employers. They like being treated as mature adults. They are ready to cultivate skills if they see the outcome. Most importantly when their expectations are not met, they are ready to change jobs – even with decent employers – looking for new challenges. They do not like being paid for nothing. They have self-respect as professionals.

Gen Y has also begun the revolution of entrepreneurship. It is common for few young men and women to get together post-graduation to commence their own startups. So some of them never become employees. (On the contrary, they create employment for others.) They may not end up a Steve Jobs or an Elon Musk, but in their own capacities, they contribute to the economy.  

Given this backdrop, we cannot imagine how the scenario changes for the Gen Zers. Not knowing that, let’s not offer unsolicited laymen’s advice. It may not be fair. Any guidance should be given by trained professionals who know the nuts and bolts of the environment. 

Lesson #6: Treat the ‘Screenagers’ as mature young adults, rather than small boys and girls. The human development curve at early ages has become exponential now – not linear anymore

What is maturity? There is no unique definition but psychology recognises it as an aspect of integration, such as the development of personality, where the behavioural patterns, motives, and other traits of a person are gradually brought together, to work together effectively with little to no conflict between them, as an organised whole, e.g., bringing a person’s various motives together into a purpose in life.

What brings maturity? Knowledge, experience, and intelligence, I guess. Gen Zers acquire all this quickly – too quickly, thanks to the digital devices, they are born with, in their hands. They do not take the long way of learning things at school and university. They have Internet, WhatsApp, and more social media friends than we do. They make online interactions, which makes them more emotionally stable than we were at that age. Gen Zers are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, and they are on track to be the most well-educated generation yet. Certainly, they deserved to be treated as young adults, with minds, value systems, and opinions of their own.

Conclusion

Why do I write this at this point? Apart from all the above rationale, there is an important reason. The country is at crossroads. Gen Zers, in the very middle of their growth, face a challenge that not many other generations encountered, with the possible exception of Gen X. COVID-19 and the subsequent economic issues have disturbed their education and growth badly. Even the road ahead of them is not paved with silver. Many traps and pitfalls await them. Miss a step and one may end up in an abyss. So it becomes the responsibility of the older generation to make that path clear and safer. Even if the country takes a foot backward, we cannot let Gen Zers move back. Guess this helps stress the point. 

(Chanuka Wattegama is a policy researcher. He can be reached at [email protected]. Ideas expressed are personal.)