Is Generation Z comfortable and idealistic? Do you demand more salary for fewer hours of work? More respect for average performance? Yes, says sociology professor Martin Schröder from Saarland University. But it would be a mistake to conclude that Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) is different from Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).
Instead, Schröder writes in the Journal of Business and Psychology, his statistical analyzes of more than one hundred thousand Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) surveys have shown that these are normal differences between young and old.
Strictly speaking, Generation Z does not exist.
“Our brain loves to divide people into groups,” Schröder writes on his blog. This saves brain work because it allows people to quickly classify other people and sources of danger. However, the reality is usually much more complex.
From a physical point of view, there is no such thing as Generation Z. Combining everyone born before the age of 16 into a group that shares common views on life is even arbitrary.
According to their research, the fact that clear differences can still be found between Generation Z and Boomers is due to three other more important factors: age, environment and shared experiences.
In other words: someone who was born in 1997 experienced a different Germany than someone who was born in 1946. These different experiences are what lead to different views on life, not a fundamental difference between people per se.
Believing in Generation Z traits is like believing in zodiac signs
In his opinion, the main culprit of the Generation Z myth is the media, writes Schröder. Of course, “there is always a little truth” in prejudices about groups of people. But the media deliberately exaggerated the small differences.
Generation Z is “a business model,” writes Schröder. The media made a lot of money by constantly reporting on supposed differences between Generation Z and Boomers.
From a scientific point of view, dividing people into generations is similar to astrology.
“[Menschen, die Horoskope oder die Gen Z mögen]We deal, mostly void of content, but always appropriate, with a ghost posing as a phenomenon,” Schröder tells “Business Insider.”
Experts criticize Gen Z's work ethic
Recently, experts reported that Germany's Generation Z was behaving “as if all the country's misery was none of their business.” Instead of becoming politically active and solving the problems of their time, they used their parents' wealth to postpone important life decisions.
A similar sentiment was recently expressed by a 34-year-old millennial who complained that his parents were “wasting their inheritance” with their lifestyle.