A Gen Z Student’s Take On Why ‘Gen Z Kids Don’t Want To Work Anymore’

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Growing up as a member of Generation Z, I’ve often felt that we were different, or at least that I was. I remember the short time before technology took over our lives — leaving me with crippling nostalgia. I remember my first year of high school on hold for a pandemic — when I realized that life is more than school and work. I remember the domino effect of historical moments after the pandemic and how my family and friends reacted to them.

Crucial developments and events in our history have been happening during Gen Z’s most formative years. With increasing distrust in the government and increasing trust in online connections, Gen Z is the most radical generation yet. Of course we don’t have the same views as Baby Boomers or Generation X. The world is changing, and so are we.

I believe that most of Gen Z right now is experiencing the world through a postmodern lens. Postmodernism was the reaction to harsh, traditional ideologies of modern Western philosophy. It is basically a suspicion of reason, a rejection of one certain Truth, and the belief that systems and structures in society are simply human constructs.

Looking through this lens, you will understand that each person has their own truth based on what they’ve experienced, you will question constructs like binaries and traditional schools of thought, and you will see the world and everything in it as uncertain and undefined. 

I think that most of Gen Z experiences the world through postmodernism because of what we’ve grown up with and seen already. We’ve seen the effects of climate change, we grew up with and understand technology and social media, we’ve seen so much hate spread upon people who didn’t deserve it, we’ve lived through a global pandemic (and seen how it was handled), we’ve been victims of school shootings, we’ve protested for our actual lives and rights as people. 

I’m only 20 years old, and I’m exhausted.

As a postmodern college student, it’s difficult to hear in every single class that I need to be more experienced and more prepared. It’s a constant reminder that I’m not ready yet, and in order to be ready, I need to start working my ass off — now.

It’s frustrating knowing there’s a system of life that I must toil through in order to succeed, when said system was constructed centuries ago by people who are dead now. I’m suspicious of this system and this universally accepted Truth because it’s clearly not working for everyone.

Based on research done by the World Economic Forum, price levels have generally increased by 74% since 2000. Tuition prices have increased by 178% and textbooks have increased by 162%. Half of Americans carry $1,000 or more in medical debt because, “market forces don’t work very well in [the healthcare] industry.” 

A feature from the U.S. Department of the Treasury says that “over the last two decades, housing costs have been rising faster than incomes. More than 90 percent of Americans live in counties where median rents and house prices grew faster than median incomes from 2000 to 2020.” 

All of that being said, it’s much harder for Gen Z to feel secure going to college, getting a job, and buying a house. These are essential steps in the life-path that has been constructed ages ago, and yet, they are increasingly unattainable. These statistics make my future feel hopeless, and it feels impossible to have the basic experiences that we’re supposed to have.

A survey done by the Survey Center on American Life shows that “more than half of Gen Z adults (60 percent)… say they worry at least sometimes about having enough money to pay their bills… A majority (61 percent) of baby boomers say this is something they rarely or never worry about.”

So, to the older generations that say Gen Z doesn’t want to work anymore: We don’t. Not because we’re lazy, but because the lives that have been set for us, the lives that were attainable for you, are almost impossible for us to even imagine (even if we work just as hard, or harder). 

What should be the most exciting time in our lives is extremely stressful and daunting. Even if we work incredibly hard for years, it’s not guaranteed that we’ll be successful, or even have enough earnings for a house. 

My postmodern lens tells me to just throw it all out the window, because is it even worth it? It feels stupid to work for the rest of my life when it might never get me anywhere. It feels stupid to work for the rest of my life when there are tragic things happening in the world that need my attention and support. It feels stupid to work for the rest of my life when the idea of working for the rest of your life was made up.

So no, I don’t want to work. But of course I’m going to work hard in college. Of course I want to find a job I love. Of course I’m going to work for the rest of my life. I have to. It just feels stupid. And complicated. And hopeless. And impossible. 

From a postmodern Gen Z college student, please understand that everything is changing, and so must we.