Generation Z is generally quite tech-savvy. However, surveys show how much fear many have of embarrassment, especially because they are young.
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Does Gen Z not particularly like technology? Generation Z carries a certainty through early professional life: technology is our specialty. Current data from the Federal Statistical Office confirms this. No age group is more willing to tackle new devices or is more confident in their abilities to handle them than people between 14 and 25.
But the working world that young adults entered during the pandemic poses special challenges: online conferences as a daily routine and then, months or even years later, the office as a completely new environment.
We have already introduced the somewhat special relationship of Gen Z to their workplace separately. But aside from all the niceties at work, it is mainly about meeting expectations for job starters. And here, some of them may find their self-image and outside perception as tech-savvy to be a hindrance, as surveys from 2022 show.
Gen Z’s fears of tech mishaps
What is the problem of Gen Z and technology in the office? Whether working from home or on-site: devices of all kinds, such as printers, computers, or even the coffee machine can be tricky. In a survey by the LaSalle Network, half of the surveyed graduates of 2022 indicated that they felt inadequately prepared for the job market regarding technology.
What exactly might be lacking is not clear from the publication, but in combination with a survey of 10,000 employees by Hewlett-Packard (HP) an interesting picture emerges:
Here, specific questions are asked about problems in online conferences and how affected individuals feel. It turns out that individuals aged 15 to 29 feel judged 5 times more often when technology fails them in a meeting. If a camera malfunctions or a microphone refuses to work, 1 in 5 of the younger cohort indicates that they are treated with disdain. Among participants over 50, it is only 1 in 25.
When it comes to the emotional experience of navigating such social-technical constraints, the difference doubles: younger individuals report being ashamed 10 times more often, even when the environment acts neutrally or supportively towards them.
Does Gen Z feel obligated to deal with technology? Yes, at least this tendency can be gleaned from the linked datasets above. This is not a scientifically founded finding, but a thought-provoking spotlight on a psychologically challenging environment for young people.
Even classic office programs on computers can pose a challenge. The culprit is a detail, and the reasons likely lie in the predominant use of tablets and smartphones by younger individuals: Many young people do not understand the basics of using computers – this meme about Generation Z makes that clear
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