| Let me start this by sharing that I’m an elder millennial. It’s a label I don’t particularly enjoy, although I do prefer it to geriatric millennial, which I’ve also seen thrown around.
Like many of my generation, I remember dial-up internet and wasting hours playing Snake on my Nokia cellphone. The earliest photo of me on Facebook is dated 2006. I graduated into the teeth of the great financial crisis.
Inevitably, those years shaped me. I’m fascinated by how the technology of the times, and the economic conditions when one enters the workforce, can influence a generation.
I particularly enjoyed a series of stories from our newsroom this week focused on Gen Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest of this group have just passed into adulthood, and are coming into their own as consumers and professionals.
Our reporters examined Gen Z’s taste for dupes, which has been supercharged by social media and fast-fashion retailers. And they asked what happens when a generation gets its news from 24-second TikToks.
Our reporting found that entering the workforce at an unprecedented time has given many Gen Zers cause for anxiety. Others are asking for more flexibility and higher wages, emboldened by the Great Resignation and hot hiring market of the last few years. A significant percentage say they prefer socialism to capitalism.
One key question of course is whether these views are a reflection of age and inexperience and will change with time. I’m happy to say I see the world differently now to how I did in 2007. Or, perhaps, the world will bend to this younger generation. What do you think? Let me know at insidertoday@insider.com. |
