The Biggest Issue Gen Z Faces Today And How To Fix It

When I think of the generations as they have most recently been broken down, I can’t help but imagine a baseball game being played by a very diverse, for lack of a better word, team. In my mind, each generation represents a player, and the game is that of life. As it stands right now, we’ve got the Baby Boomers (those born 1946-1964) on third base anxiously waiting for their final slide into home plate, after a very long and hard game. While Gen X (those born 1965-1979) stands confidently on second. Actively ignoring, as they always have, the screaming third base coach (Traditionalists those born 1925-1945). Millennials (those born 1980-late 90’s) just got to first after being “walked”, and stand a few feet from the plate ambitiously awaiting their chance to steal second and be the hero of the game. As Gen Z (those born late 90’s-2010), who has been “practicing” their swing on deck for what seems like forever, finally steps up to the batter's box. Now the bases are loaded, the other players have set the stage. No room for mistakes, all eyes on Gen Z. No pressure though... We swing. STRIKE ONE!! Baby boomer: “Focus! Back when I was up to bat…” everyone ignores them at that point.We replant our feet and swing again. STRIKE TWO!! Gen X: “It was the phone! They spent too much time looking at that little screen. It melted their brains and stunted their ability to play! I knew it! I told them! I told them this would happen.” Millennials: “It must be. I mean we had them too, but look at us! We made it to first.” Baby boomer, Gen X, and Millenials altogether: “This was bound to happen. They were bound to strike out.”

And thus, the biggest issue Gen Z faces today. According to everyone else, they are bound to fail. According to generations before them, they’ve already got two strikes against them. And to fix it, there is literally only one option. Gen Z has got to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. Under no circumstances can we simply do what those who have come before us have. No. We need to surpass that, and in so doing defy their expectations of us, their expectations of what is possible. And I can’t think of a more equipped generation to manage that. Like we always have, we need to change the game. That’s how we win.