They are the children WE raised, but so many of us can’t get on board with their ways
WORDS: SHONA SIBARY
It’s not a new thing to moan about younger generations and it seems Gen Z are the latest to bear the brunt. Actor Jodie Foster recently said that they are ‘really annoying, especially in the workplace’, and it appears she isn’t alone, with 74% of bosses apparently finding the youngsters difficult to work with.
Dubbed ‘snowflakes’, Gen Z have become known for being entitled and thin-skinned, and new research has found that they really are more sensitive than previous generations.But, born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z are our children and grandchildren. So surely we have to take some accountability?
Since making her comments, Jodie Foster admitted she actually admires Gen Z. ‘They have all this freedom, which is wonderful, but we didn’t have. We didn’t know we could say no… and it’s just created a miraculous, confident, different, authentic people.’ So could Gen Z teach us a thing or two? One woman shares her own experiences…
THE GENERATION GAME: WHO’S WHO?
THE SILENT GENERATION Born 1925-1945
Spending their youth in a postwar period, this group are called ‘silent’ due to their lack of protest and pursuit of modest careers.
BABY BOOMERS Born 1946-1964
Born in the post-war ‘boom’, they are often characterised as self-assured, workaholics.
GENERATION X Born 1965-1980 Also known as the ‘baby busters’ – as their birth rate was much smaller in comparison to the boomers – they are often characterised as rebellious, well-educated and self-reliant.
MILLENNIALS Born 1981-1996 Confident with tech and avid savers, this group are one of the first to enjoy a work-life balance.
GEN Z Born 1997-2012 Tech wizards, there’s nothing this group doesn’t know about social media. They are sensitive, concerned with the environment and thought to be the most likely to engage in social activism.
GENERATION ALPHA Born 2013-2024
This group are predicted to have more diverse family dynamics, higher racial diversity and higher economic inequality than previous generations.
GENERATION BETA Born 2025-2039
They’ll be the group raised with AI as the norm and will be the generation to live with the results of Gen Z’s – hopefully positive – impact on environmental issues.
‘IN MY DAY WE LAUGHED A BIT MORE AT OURSELVES’
Shona Sibary, 52, has four Gen Z children aged 25, 23, 21 and 14. She lives
