STRATEGISTS WITH A PURPOSE

Discord, disruption—the rise of Gen Z in the Indian subcontinent

- SURAVI SHARMA KUMAR

This is the generation that grew up eating their porridge with their eyes fixed on a screen. They speak a new lingo, communicate through unique memes, and rely on emojis and GIFs for everyday conversation.

Corporate employers often view Gen Z as an entitled group who lack agility and urgency, are absorbed in social media—leading to poor personal communication skills—and are oversensitive or “too easily offended”. Similarly, their parents’ generation (mostly Gen X) often sees them as the cohort that can’t read cursive handwriting, doesn’t know how to write a cheque, can’t navigate a paper map, and is helpless without GPS.

Unlike earlier generations, they never witnessed stark poverty on the streets, or on television. They didn’t grow up seeing barefoot children near thatched mud houses, or workers in torn vests toiling under the sun in paddy fields or construction sites. But what they did witness was even worse: the Covid-19 pandemic. They spent many months indoors, cut off from sports and friends. The isolation strained their mental health deeply. Many sought psychiatric help during that period—and the mental health crisis still lingers today.

While Gen Z make up only about 15 per cent of the population in developed nations, they account for 40-50 per cent in the Indian subcontinent. Their short attention span, blunt directness and demand for clarity will shape the future. The sooner political aspirants and marketing honchos realise this, the better prepared they will be to engage with them.