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Helloooooo everyone and welcome back to another super helpful GEN-Z Insight article from Word Tonic!!!
This week’s topic? Stereotypes.
Specifically, GEN-Z stereotypes.
Stereotypes are the worst! No one likes getting put into a box-- especially GEN-Z (unless it’s with one of those cute little online personality tests or something astrology-related haha… then I loveeee being put into a box).
Listen, I get why stereotypes exist. On a foundational level, putting people in boxes should make them easier to understand. Easier to understand also means easier to market to-- It makes sense. I can understand why we think we need them.
However…
Stereotypes are almost always so, so WRONG!!!
And GEN-Z? We have some craaaaaaaazy inaccurate stereotypes assigned to us.
Let’s break down each one of these so we can truly understand GEN-Z stereotypes and why they’re so wrong.
Lazy
…I’m sorry, what??? Whoever came up with that stereotype sounds like the actual lazy one-- people have been calling the younger generation lazy for, well, generations. Maybe find something a little more original?
GEN-Z is the total opposite of lazy. We’re a whole generation of people who consistently go above and beyond in order to achieve our dreams.
Tech-obsessed
I feel like classifying the only generation that’s consistently able to help someone out with a technical issue as “tech-obsessed” is a little unfair, but whatever. We’ve grown up with technology. It’s as much a part of our lives as the landline or cable TV was to previous generations. As a society, we have been villainizing technological advances and the youths who understand them for as long as we can remember.
Again, let’s maybe think of something a little more original when it comes to complaining about GEN-Z.
Sensitive
Okay, sure?? GEN-Z is pretty quick to fight for something they believe in-- whether that’s standing up for someone or something we care about, correcting something that’s false or unfair, or advocating for necessary change.
I wouldn’t really call that sensitive though, at least not in the negative sense of the word. I mean, have you seen a boomer get told they just reposted misinformation on the internet? Totalllll meltdown. Now that’s what I’d call sensitive.
Disrespectful
I think GEN-Z would like to think of this one as “telling it like it is.” Obviously, our delivery is pretty different from previous generations when it comes to a lot of things. For one, we can be super casual! Sometimes that gets taken as a lack of respect for either the person we’re talking to or the subject we’re talking about. I think this boils down to a difference in communication styles as opposed to an intentional lack of respect.
Granted, I think everyone could sometimes afford to meet a little closer in the middle here!
Don’t want to work
This one is just straight-up offensive. Like, seriously very offensive. Every single member of GEN-Z that I know works insanely hard every day. We are constantly applying for jobs, shaping ourselves into the best job candidates we can be, or doing something productive in order to get/maintain a job. The hiring environment is seriously messed up right now. We all want to work. Seriously.
That being said, if you’d like to hire one of our incredibly hard workers (who also happens to be a member of GEN-Z), check out Word Tonic’s services and recruitment pages. :)
Have easy, stress-free lives
This is laughable considering we’re all begging for jobs to give us the time of day in an interview room, we’re all begging for a liveable wage, and we’re all begging for the world to stop throwing itself into crisis mode every day. To get super serious for a moment, we certainly do not have easy, stress-free lives. We’re all living on the same planet-- The majority of humans living here do not have easy, stress-free lives. This whole “GEN-Z has it easy” thing should be easy to debunk.
Monolithic thinking
I wouldn’t say this at all, really. I think the majority of GEN-Z is really flexible when it comes to the way we think about things! Obviously, there are some exceptions, but I’d say that we’re usually pretty open to shifting and expanding our thoughts.
I think our thoughts about the world and our beliefs are-- more often than not-- expansive, creative, and fueled by a deep sense of compassion for the world and the people in it.
OK, that was a LOT of debunking. I feel like I’m on MythBusters or something.
Hopefully this was helpful in getting to know GEN-Z a little bit better-- If you’re looking for more information on us, check out our sweet GEN-Z insight newsletter!
Word Tonic is THE go-to resource for all things GEN-Z marketing and copywriting.
And there’s more where this came from too on our website! :)