Questions Flashcards
(21 cards)
How do you define Gen Z?
How do you define Gen Z, and what makes this generation distinct from millennials or boomers?
- contrary to what you might hear on the internet that gen z can’t buy a house because they spend too much on holiday, Netflix and avo on toast
born between 1997-2012
- first gen to grow up fully online
- social media guinea pigs
- many entered adulthood during covid-19
- not just defined by tech, also by deep economic uncertainty, rising costs, wage stagnation and new political tensions
- also defined as values based, know what we want, better work life balance, social and green consciousness, entrepreneurial
Officially, Gen Z’s were born between 1997-20012. We were the first to grow up fully online, the first generation to have mobile phones at the ages of 10,11,12, we are the social media guinea pigs. Whilst I think tech has massively shaped us, our generation is also defined as entering into adulthood during deep economic uncertainity with rising costs and stagnant wages. Many in older Gen Z’s and younger millenials generation only entered into the workplace during Covid 19.
We’ve started to see our generation being more pushy in terms of a better work place balance, greater social and envrionmental conciousness and because we have a global marketplace in our back pocket we are entreprenunial
Why are we talking so much about the generational divide?
The generational divide is getting more attention because I think we are starting to notice stark differences in what different generations have achieved at different stages of life.
I often compare my stage of life to my grandparents who by 25, were married, had 2 kids, a house. Those milestones feel a lot less achievable now but those things are not necessarily desired as well.
Social media has also exacerbated this issue, creating a lot of stereotypes and amplifying generational frustration so it’s easier to say “boomers had it easy” As a relatively large generation, they stand accused of using a disproportionate share of society’s resources.
and “gen z are lazy”
How define the boomers
The stereotypical boomer characterised as “bought all the houses, taken all the wealth and wrecking the climate” but I don’t think that is the case
Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, growing up in the wake of World War II. This generation is often associated with post-war optimism. The grew up the expansion of the welfare state, with free education, affordable housing, and rising asset values — all backed by generous public investment. 1 in 5 baby boomers are now millionaires in the UK
But their influence wasn’t just economic. Culturally, Boomers helped shape huge societal shifts — from civil rights and second-wave feminism to music, fashion, and youth-driven politics. They played a big role in challenging traditional norms and expanding personal freedoms.
Grown up 1946-1964
- post war optimism
- home ownership easier, expansion of welfare state
- responsible for a lot of positive policy and cultural shifts - played a pivotal role in expanding women rights and role in the workplace and politics
- benefitted from
- many under pressure from GFC
How what do you want the future to look like?
I want Scotland to offer opportunities to its future generations where they are no dependent on who your parents are or what your postcode is.
We need to massively increase the number of houses of all tenures to suit people at different stages of life.
We need better social care to cope with the ageing population.
We need an education system which can support green jobs and we are embracing AI to make meaningful changes to our lives not replacing them.
Fundamentally though, one of the biggest issues is building a resilient economy that can cope with future shocks, whether they are economic, societal, environmental or politically driven.
opportunities not dependent on parental support or your postcode
- housing, social care education properly funded
- economy is realisint to cope with future shocks
- green jobs, AI making meaningful impact
- a stable, happy country for all gens
Is homeownership the way forward?
Homeownership rates are down 34% between 2022 and 1990. I think this reflects a growing trend that ownership is becoming harder to obtain and is becoming particularly harder to achieve without family support.
In 2023, 57% of first time buyers relied on the bank of mum and dad. I think this is likely to increase.
The concern is for those who receive no family support will probably be unlikely to ever get onto the housing ladder or do so much later in life.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge just how remarkable it is when Gen Z or millennials are able to succeed without any family support—financial or otherwise. That level of independence takes a huge amount of resilience and determination.
But I also think we need to be honest that that experience—while still real—isn’t the norm anymore. Increasingly, the system rewards those with backing, connections, and support behind them. And the reality is, many of us are navigating a landscape where success is often less about just working hard, and more about starting position.”
That is why we need to be looking at other housing models and investing in a better rented sector in addition to building more homes for sale.
As an increasingly mobile generation there are many benefits of renting, its more flexible, there’s lower upfront costs, you can often live in areas you could never afford to buy and fewer responsibilities.
I rented for years — it gave me freedom, fun, the chance to meet new people, save for a deposit, and definitely taught me patience!
I think we need to be creating a system where there’s housing of all tenures to suit people at different stages of their life.
current situation - bank of mum and dad (57% relied on). Lucky for those but unlucky for those who can’t achieve it.
- renting is also a good thing - mobility
- housing of all tenures needed
two in five live at home
How is tech and Ai changing our future? Are we ready to cope
Is there a generational tech divide
We’re often called ‘tech natives’ because we grew up with smartphones and the internet, but being familiar with tech doesn’t always mean we’re automatically better at using it in a work setting. A lot of the tools we use at work — emails, video calls, Microsoft Office — haven’t changed all that much since Gen X entered the workforce.
What really matters is how well you engage with these tools.
In fact, younger workers often report feeling less productive because the constant pings, notifications, and multitasking can actually drain focus. So it’s not just about growing up with tech — it’s about learning how to manage it well.
Testment to that is my 98-year-old great gran still sends me selfies and emojis on WhatsApp — just never a thumbs-up! So while the gap is real, it’s not absolute — and future generations will likely be even more tech-savvy than us.
Gen Z have lots of opportunities
I don’t want to sit here and pretend that everything is bleak. Gen Z and younger millennials have access to opportunities our parents never dreamed of.
The ability to travel, work remotely, build income streams online, live abroad more easily, have access to tons of online learning —. We of course have better political rights and overall higher standards of living that freedom is great, and for some people it’s life-changing.
Flexibility is great, but it can’t fix a broken system — we still need the basics in place to build a future.
How can we ensure that the homes and communities we’re building today are not just affordable and accessible, but also climate resilient — so future generations aren’t paying twice: once through rising rents or mortgages, and again through environmental costs?”
Build more energy efficient housing
Improving partnerships with local authorities and developers to unlock development. Viability and uncertain policy legislation are some of the biggest barriers to getting spades in the ground. We are now at a point where both sides need to work very closely together to help make
Building a resiliant economy where we are able to mitage the risks associated with future societal, political, economic or environmental risk.
Is Gen Z really the “Peter Pan generation” — or is that just a myth?
I would really like to debunk the myth of Gen Z being the peter pan generation - that we never want to grow up.
I think the economic conditions have dramatically shifted which has altered the traditional entry points into adulthood such as buying your first house, starting a family, progressing in your career. The costs of housing, childcare and the increasing requirement to go through higher education just to land a minimum wage job are delaying our abiltiy to grow up.
Tackling the wealth hap isn’t about taking away what others have learned but to rather design a system where everyone gets a fair shot
- debunk the myth
- entry points into adult hood have been delayed
- housing, family, career
- costs of housing, childcare, requirement for education
- covid-19
- affected many who were at a point of transitioning into adulthood
- created deep sense of distrust in institutions, made us realise just how fragile life is
- take chances when you can
Explain what Kidalts are
We’re often labelled as ‘kidalts’ where we have a culture of dependency on parents often for help with costs during university, a housing deposit, childcare, staying at home where the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds still living with their parents has increased by more than a third in nearly two decades,
But the truth is, if you don’t have that support, the path into adulthood becomes incredibly steep.
How do we improve intergenerational fairness
We need to make inheritance matter less by building a system that gives everyone a fair start.
That begins with access to stable, affordable housing - across all tenures and life stages. The more we build, the more we can ease pressure on rents and house prices.
We should also support older generations many of whom are living in houses that are not appropriate and the need to downsize by offering better housing options and smart tax incentives to free up family homes.
And as technology and climate crisis are transforming the world of work, we need to make sure our education system is capable of equipping children not just with knowledge, but with the skills to adapt fast-changing world.”
Why are gen z’s pushing for a better work- life balance
I don’t think it’s just Gen Z’s who are pushing for it. I think Covid 19 has shown a lot of generations that it is important.
The ability to spend more time with the kids, have more time for exercise, more time for sleep, less time spent co
what are your views on work from
Homes?
How does the cost of providing social care to Baby Boomers impact younger generations?
We’re seeing a generational health drift, baby boomers are living longer, but many are spending those extra years in poorer health, with higher rates of obesity and chronic conditions. That puts real pressure on health and care services and also raises questions about how much more we can keep extending the working age.
At the same time, we’re heading into what some are calling a ‘care wave’ where there is a lot of boomers who are not receiving adequate care and a system where those working in it experience poor conditions, making further recruitment difficult. Another challenge in the care system is that the family landscape has change, with higher rates of divorce and people living further apart which make it harder to step in.
And to top it all off care home fees are rising - so we need to ask: who’s going to provide the care, and who’s going to pay for it?
Workplace culture changes - job not for life / loyalty of Gen Z
We have seen a gradual shift in workplace culture that was accelerated by Covid 19 where hybrid working and flexible hours are more the norm.
I think Gen Z are different in that we probably place a greater emphasis on a work-life balance for two main things. One is growing up with technology means we see the benefits in flexibility, you can be more mobile with where you do your work.
The second is longevity. 1 in 3 Gen Z are expected to reach 100 and therefore, their working lives will be longer than any other generation. Gen Z estimated they will have up to x15 employers and x5 careers so the
job for life is not really relevant anymore. Because of that it feels increasingly that Gen Z’s want opportunities and experiences beyond the work place.
Many people question that impacts loyalty and raises questions for how to retain workforce.
Encouraged by someone I was talking to who said they were looking at increasing their younger workforce into shadowing senior positions. I think this is an excellent way for employers to show they are invested in them and also give them many unique opportunities and chance to learn human skills and sublets of the work place which I feel our generation could benefit from. There’s no denying that we are the anxious generation and I think we’d benefit from this.
What about Gen X
I feel Gen X rarely get the spotlight or are increasingly lumped into the boomer category but I think they deserve recognition because I feel like they are holding a lot together. Many are supporting their kids financially while also dealing with the responsibilities of ageing parents.
While this has always been the case in someway, the fact their parents are living longer and their kids are struggling with higher costs will prolong their responsibilityof supporting both generations compared to before
They deserve support and some form of policy attention.
Is there really a generational divide?
While there is some generational tension out there, let’s not forget that families are made up of generations and we share a lot more values.
I regularly visit my 98-year-old great-grandmother, who’s part of the Silent Generation. Although our lives have been completely different, we have a lot in common and a real understanding of each other’s circumstances. She gets the economic uncertainty younger generations are facing, and I appreciate how tough it can be living in a care home. Plus, she’s much more tech-savvy than you’d expect—she sends WhatsApp messages, uses emojis, and even takes selfies!
Is the workplace becoming more stressful?
Constant bombardment of notifications
Endles flow of communication
Harder to escape on weekend
Importance to recognise how to address it
Is it fair to expect younger people to bear the brunt of climate repair?
There’s an interesting paradox here.
The younger generations are likely to experience more negative effects of climate change compared with previous generations. The sentiment shows that Gen Z are also carrying the biggest emotional weight of the crisis with 4 in 10 saying they worry most if not all the time about it which is more than double compared to the oldest.
But here’s the paradox: despite caring deeply about the issue, many young people are starting to disengage from sustainable behaviour because they feel their actions won’t help. This risks creating a generation who permanently disengage which will make it harder for collective action. This is risky for the future as we will eventually be in great positions of power and so risk not making it a priority.
What we need to see is more collective action because we as a generation cannot be burdened with the reposnsbility of dealing with it in the future
