Britt Jones
Generational differences have plagued us forever, and the debates seem to be endless. But there’s one thing that separates Gen Z and millennials which has been backed up by studies.
That’s right, let’s settle this argument once and for all.
While there have been so many debates about fashion, culture, and attitude differences, we might have the top thing that sets apart the two generations.
After Gen Z was found to be less productive and more unprofessional in the workplace than their millennial rivals, it opened up a further dialogue about what other differences there are for both gens.
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This led to a lengthy debate on Reddit, in which one person clocked the number-one thing that’s even got studies backing up its validity.
This then opened the eyes of a lot of people who all realised it was true, and that there were other notable differences between the generations.
Here’s what they had to say:
So, off the bat- it’s how they work.
But this time, it’s their choice of attire that has people talking.
According to one Redditor, ‘one thing I’ve noticed is Gen Z dress even more casually than millennials to work’.
They explained that it was ‘a bit of shock’ : “One my interns came to work in gym shorts. And honestly power to them because their millennial bosses doesn’t care. But I remember when millennials were criticised so hard for their hoodies and jeans lol.”
The biggest, number-one difference everyone found is the younger generation's willingness to take their time with getting a driving licence.
While millennials decided to take their practical tests as soon as they turned 16, Gen Z have been found to be much less interested.
The person wrote: “I've heard that many millennials would get their driver's licenses usually as soon as possible or wanted to, whereas many Gen Z seem less interested or delay it.”
As much as this sounds like it’s a simple theory, it’s fact.
According to McKinsey, 43 per cent of 16-year-olds in 1997, and 62 per cent of 17-year-olds had a license.
However, by 2020, only 25 per cent of 16-year-olds and 45 percent of 17-year-olds chose to learn to drive.
The research comes from data supplied by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration.
A possible reason could be the economy, as it’s more expensive to learn how to drive, to buy a car, and to fill it with petrol.
Sustainability is also another factor, as Gen Z may prefer to use more environmentally-friendly ways of travel, such as scooters or public transport.
"It's also possible that a sputtering economy and inflation tinged their entry into adulthood, discouraging spending on big-ticket items such as cars," a McKinsey analyst said.
This isn’t as big of a difference as the above, but there is a notable disparity between Gen Z’s computer knowledge and millennials’.
One person wrote: “After working with a lot of gen zers I’ve noticed a lot don’t know how to operate their own computers. Simple tasks like turning off wifi, searching their computer, typing, and I have even witnessed entering websites is a struggle.
“You have a few that make headlines for being really savvy and hacking networks, but I notice the vast majority are almost computer illiterate.”