Pandemic’s impact on the young: Generation Z and growing up in the middle of COVID-19
Generation Z is facing unprecedented challenges but they are better-equipped than the previous generations to deal with the turmoils
FUTURE PROOF – BLOG BY FUTURES PLATFORM
In our article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This fourth instalment focuses on the pandemic’s impacts on Generation Z. The article is based on an analysis by Futures Platform, with insight from Jonah Stillman, the acclaimed Gen Z speaker and author, and Futures Platform’s Content Director Dr Tuomo Kuosa.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic will have some kind of an effect on every generation alive today, inarguably it will have the most profound impact on Generation Z – those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s.
According to Futures Platform’s Content Director Dr Tuomo Kuosa, when history books will be written some decades from now, it is quite likely that the pandemic will be mentioned next to climate change and artificial intelligence as one of the key forces that defined the characteristics of this generation.
“Especially for those members of Gen Z who were in their teens during the pandemic, an event like this at such a sensitive age will shape their identity and worldview for the rest of their lives.”
“Especially for those members of Gen Z who were in their teens during the pandemic, an event like this at such a sensitive age will shape their identity and worldview for the rest of their lives.”
Luckily, Gen Z is uniquely equipped to navigate these challenges. Known as the first “digital native” generation, they are not only tech-savvy but are also growing up in a world where AI is becoming a cornerstone of daily life and the global economy. Unlike Millennials, who witnessed the rise of the digital world, Gen Z has only known a reality where digital interactions, social media, and now AI-driven tools are integral parts of life.
The Millennials’ childhood was generally speaking wealthy – although it serves to remember that the conversation around generations is mainly focused on Western experiences. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the world was less global and digital, and there was less awareness of global issues. Gen Z, on the other hand, does not remember any other world than the complex, rapidly changing and increasingly unstable reality we currently live in.
“Generation Z is reaching adulthood during a period of time when great economic crises are undermining global stability and increasing unpredictability,” Tuomo Kuosa says. “Additionally, the rapid development of AI technologies are reshaping their career prospects in unprecedented ways.”
“Gen X parents told their Gen Z children that there are winners and losers in this world and you need to work hard to be among the winners.”
The parenting the two generations received was very different as well. Most Millennials were brought up by Baby Boomers whose post-war experience in life was that everything is constantly improving, everyone is getting wealthier, new technology and products consistently arrive to make life easier, and the future looks very bright. Baby Boomers instilled this belief of an ever-improving world and unlimited personal possibilities into their offspring, who grew up to be optimistic and demanding of both the world and themselves.
Gen Z, on the other hand, was brought up by Generation X. Often called the latchkey generation, Gen X lived with distracted, career-oriented parents and felt different or even isolated from the ideals of the preceding generations.
The "winner-loser" mentality has been instilled in young Zoomers and made them more competitive than Millennials.
Image: Ben Hershey (Unsplash)
“Generation X tends to be suspicious and very realistic. They passed this on: Gen X parents told their Gen Z children that there are winners and losers in this world and you need to work hard to be among the winners,” says Jonah Stillman, Co-founder of GenGuru. He is a renowned author and speaker specialising in differences between generations – and a member of Gen Z himself.
This inherited realism certainly worked to help Generation Z to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. But what is the pandemic’s impact on the young generation, explicitly speaking – how does it impact children, teenagers and young adults of today?
According to Jonah Stillman, there is no one single answer to this question because the generation is still growing up.
“The impact is certainly massive for all – but it is very different depending on which end of the Gen Z age spectrum you are looking at.”
For the young adults of Generation Z, the impact is most acutely felt in regard to work. For those still in school, the impact is above all social.
Adapting to an AI-driven economy in the post-pandemic workforce
The economic downturn following the pandemic forced many Gen Z young adults to reconsider traditional career paths. According to Pew Research Center, Generation Z was hit hardest by layoffs due to their lack of work experience. Just as the impacts of the pandemic on job markets began to wane, AI emerged as a new disruptive force, rapidly transforming the future of work.
“The job market is highly volatile right now. Young adults have invested time and money into their degrees, and now they are graduating into a job market that is non-existent,” Jonah Stillman describes.
AI is both a tool and a challenge for Gen Z, requiring them to be more versatile and continuously learn new skills. The Workforce Institute notes that while Gen Z values job security, the rise of AI-driven gig work may push them toward more flexible, but less secure, employment options.
The gig economy, which was already on the rise due to the pandemic, is further being transformed by AI. Platforms powered by AI are enabling more efficient matching of freelancers with gigs, but they also contribute to the instability and lack of job security that many Gen Z workers face. While some appreciate the flexibility that gig work offers, the reliance on AI-driven platforms can lead to a race to the bottom, with wages being driven down and work becoming more commoditised.
A highly volatile job market after COVID 19 will turn many Zoomers into the gig economy
Image: A person working on video editing in an isolated environment – Source: Glenn Carsten Peters (Unsplash)
“We know that statistically what Gen Z values in a job is most of all security and high salary. They want to be able to take care of themselves and their family,” Jonah Stillman says.
This is a contrast to the Millennials who tend to value progress and purpose above everything else at work.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fundamental issue about the gig economy: inferior social security of freelancers, including healthcare,” Tuomo Kuosa says.
He believes is possible that this will drive forward solutions such as Universal Basic Income. That could solve the security issue for Gen Z, at least partially.
Future of remote, personalised education
The younger members of Generation Z, still in school during the pandemic, faced significant disruptions. Remote learning became the norm, but the pandemic also highlighted disparities in access to technology. As AI becomes more integrated into education, these challenges persist but also present new opportunities.
AI-powered educational tools are transforming how the new generations learn, offering personalised learning experiences and new ways to collaborate remotely. However, the digital divide remains a concern. “The big question is how to ensure that all students, regardless of their socio-economic background, have equal access to AI-enhanced education,” says Kuosa.
“Perhaps Generation Z will be known as the ‘resilient’ generation who learned at a sensitive age that it is possible to overcome crises without the entire life collapsing.”
Future of young adults after Covid-19
In the future, there will be a time when the Millennials will be the last remaining generation to remember what life was like before the digital era.
Much in the same way, some decades later, Generation Z will become the last remaining generation to have memories of the time before COVID-19. That will take place sometime after mid-century, meaning that the predicted consequences of climate change will also have become very visible and very real.
Tuomo Kuosa thinks that the pandemic may end up becoming the point in time that started preparing Gen Z for the challenges of the future.
“Perhaps Gen Z will be known as the ‘resilient’ generation who learned at a sensitive age that it is possible to overcome crises without the entire life collapsing. With this lesson learned, the generation could grow up to become leaders who can really drive change when it is needed most,” Tuomo Kuosa concludes.
Jonah Stillman
Co-founder @GenGuru, Author, Speaker
Jonah Stillman graduated from high school in 2017 and is pursuing a life as an entrepreneur. Growing up, for 10-years Jonah competed on the national US circuit in snowboarding. He was ranked in the top 5 in the US before hanging up his helmet to pursue working with his Dad in the generational field.
Jonah and a team of peers conducted one of the first national surveys about Gen Z’s workplace attitudes. The eye-opening results ignited Jonah’s interest in keeping the dialogue going.
After growing up watching his dad – David – be the voice of his generation, Jonah is excited to be a voice of Gen Z. Together, they published “Gen Z @ Work” published by HarperCollins. It describes the seven key traits of Gen Z.
He is the youngest speaker on the circuit and has already shared his insights on Gen Z with CNBC, MSNBC, and CBS and was recently featured in Fast Company, TIME, INC, Forbes and the NY Times.
Success Magazine voted David and Jonah in the top 25 most influential speakers and authors for 2018.
Tuomo Kuosa
Content Director, Futures Platform
Tuomo leads the foresight content delivery team at Futures Platform. He is a futurist specialising in strategic foresight, futures research methodology, and anticipating societal transformation.
As the author of the book “The Evolution of Strategic Foresight“, Tuomo has extensive experience with customer needs with regard to strategic foresight, having worked in Finland and Singapore advising organizations in future-focused planning processes.
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