Generation Zers not lazy, just doing life differently

Face down. Eyes widened. Hands clasped to a handheld device. If you ask the older generations how they see teenagers today, this is probably what you will hear.

If you ask young people, however, this is what they would call normal. Young people born between 1994 and 2004 are known as Generation Z, a generation often labeled lazy, unintelligent and distracted. However, these stereotypes contrast with the way Gen Zers perceive themselves.

There are a number of pernicious stereotypes about Gen Zers. The generation is called “lazy and unaware” and “apathetic,” according to Alexandra Levit, a New York Times journalist. Mark Bauerlein, a professor at Emory University, wrote in his book, “Dumbest Generation,” that young people “jeopardize our future.” He believes that people under 30 cannot be trusted. A BBC report titled, “Why Bosses Won’t like Gen Z,” argues that because Gen Zers are trained by apps like Snapchat to digest information so quickly, they have short attention spans and would be unable to concentrate at work.

Not all scholars of Generation Z are haters. According to an academic conference at American University in Washington, Gen Zers are “already out in the world, curious and driven.”

Perhaps young people’s versatility with technology does not equate to laziness, but rather, proficiency and engagement with those around them. Technology is not necessarily the path to losing one’s soul; it is a means to social connection, networking and community. Historically, people have communicated through letters, antique telephones and radios. Now, broadcast TVs, smartphones and tablets are present, allowing people to communicate more efficiently.

Change does not always have to be seen as a bad thing but rather an opportunity for improvement and innovation.

“I definitely don’t think that it’s laziness or that they’re not intelligent,” says Leeward College student life coordinator Lexer Chou. “I think that maybe those comments come from older generations that are used to a certain way that you’re supposed to work, a certain way that you’re supposed to study, and it’s just not the same way.”

Perhaps, the older generations are unable to adapt to changes at the same rate as Gen Zers can, but this does not mean that Gen Zers lack intelligence.

According to Ryan Scott, author of “Get Ready for Generation Z,” “Gen Z has never known a world without smartphones and social media, so it is even more ingrained for them than millennials. They gobble up information quickly and are ready to move on to the next thing in an eyeblink.” In other words, being used to absorbing information quickly does not necessarily mean that Gen Zers have a low attention span. They are able to effectively use the technology around them, which is important, especially because technology is growing and evolving at a rapid pace.

Like all things, perspective plays a huge role in how things are classified or determined. Lazy, oblivious and inattentive are just a few of the labels given to Generation Z. But people must practice placing oneself in another’s shoes.

Older generations may not understand Gen Zers and vice versa, but older generations must remember that change is an inevitable factor in society. It may push things forward, and it may pull things back. This is a cycle that occurs for all generations; nevertheless, society has learned to adapt.

Angelica Relente is a student at Waipahu High School, Class of 2017; Reitchel Acio is at Waipahu High School, Class of 2018; Shelby Mattos is at Sacred Hearts Academy, Class of 2019. “Raise Your Hand,” a monthly column featuring Hawaii’s youth and their perspectives, appears in the Insight section on the first Sunday of each month. It is facilitated by the nonprofit Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders.