When the Gen Zer enters the corporate environment, this expectation of constant connection will hinder efforts to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Gen Z, unlikely to break old habits, may find it difficult to “unplug” after work and will instead likely continue to check emails, refer to earlier correspondence and re-visit sources of frustration through remote log-in.
Technology Fuels Gen Z. But Can that Energy Be Sustained?
Gen Z’s reliance on technology is not news. And neither is the vital role technology will play in their future workplace. Just last spring, we wrote an article discussing this very subject where we dove into strategies to facilitate communication in our most tech-savvy generation.
And while these conversations are important, there’s another conversation that still needs to take shape: what to do if Gen Z’s love for tech impedes their desire for work-life balance. A desire that is among their top workplace concerns, according to an SMMA survey of high school students across Massachusetts.
Because of technology’s impact on Gen Z’s development, managing work-life balance will likely prove more difficult than it has for past generations. More than any generation before them, Gen Z experiences the world from a “plugged-in” perspective.
Social media constantly connects them with their peers, which can prompt a culture of comparison that heightens social anxiety. Emails and texts come into Gen Zers' phones at all times of day, alerting students of updates from teachers, classmates, and sports coaches. Class website pages and academic online portals let students constantly tap into digital learning environments. With this level of relentless communication, stress levels can skyrocket as Gen Z struggles to keep up with what can seem like an unending round of requests and expectations.