- For many in Gen Z, the pandemic and the subsequent changes have them reconsidering big decisions for their future—such as their education and career decisions.
- Without question, the pandemic is the generation-defining event moment of Gen Z.
CGK President Jason Dorsey was recently on NBC News Now with Savannah Guthrie, part of the TODAY Show platform. He shared a lot of our new insights into Gen Z! This is important for every generation to know as Gen Z is now the fastest-growing generation of employees, customers, and trendsetters (and good for parents to know, too).
In the video interview—and the article—they dive into the major life changes they’ve experienced since the start of the pandemic and what it means to their generation. There are so many good and candid insights, please check it out: https://on.today.com/3gaRZHk
We found the firsthand stories the teenagers shared in the video and article powerful, vulnerable, and moving. In the video interview, you can hear Jason Dorsey’s perspective on what we believe the future holds for this exciting generation, particularly as we look longer term. This is important for anyone who has a family member in Gen Z or who intends to count on this generation as team members or customers.
Here are a few of our favorite quotes from the article about how this pandemic has and will continue to shape the future of Gen Z at this critical time in their emergence as adults:
“Without question, this pandemic is the generation-defining event of Gen Z. What we’ve seen is it’s actually been even more impactful than other generation-defining events or moments such as 9/11, because, the key is, it’s lasted so incredibly long. And even more importantly, it’s been similar around the world. It’s causing Gen Z to rethink everything from careers, education, relationships, marriage, kids, being able to retire in the future and even their own health.”
“The impacts of getting a college degree during this period of time are probably not going to be as negative as we might assume. These are students that persisted through this period of time to continue with their learning to still pursue and get a degree. I think this really speaks to the adaptation and resilience Gen Z brings as students right now, that’s what they need to use, and that’s what they need to be talking about when they talk about their college degree.”
What Do Leaders, Employers, and Parents Need To Know About Helping Foster Gen Z’s Future?
While Gen Z shares in the story that they clearly feel overwhelmed by all of the changes and lost opportunities that the pandemic has brought to them, the future is still bright for this inspiring generation that has navigated an incredibly difficult time. They have proven their perseverance—whether that means remote learning, remote work, moving back in with their parents, or even starting a business during this time—we are excited to continue seeing the impact they will have on our world!
If you’d like to learn more about Gen Z and what we’re discovering about this exciting generation in our research, check out CGK’s annual State of Gen Z® study series. It’s free and available for download directly from our website. https://bit.ly/3tojIYT
And if you really want to dig deeper into the mindset of this influential generation and how to unlock their potential as trendsetters, employees, and customers, check out my new book, Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business. The book was a Top 10 Book of 2020 on Forbes! You can read more about it at Zconomy.com
