Gen Z's dilemma: It's your day off, but you're still at work... online

For digital natives caught between ambition and anxiety, learning to disconnect might be the hardest skill of all.

- Angelica Ang

Two months ago, I stuffed my belongings into a hiking bag and set out to check off a bucket list item: becoming a certified diver.

The grueling four-day course culminated in a boat dive off the coast of Tioman. Our team of rookie divers descended into the ocean, navigating sloping coral reefs reminiscent of sprawling forests. We watched, enraptured, as a pair of critically endangered hawksbill turtles passed nearby, stopping to munch on sea sponges with their beak-like mouths.

As we piled back onto the boat, I excitedly ran to grab my phone, hoping to take a picture to commemorate the moment.

It was then, in a gently rocking boat surrounded by a wide expanse of blue sea, that I felt a buzz from my device – a notification from work. At that point, it struck me how we're somehow always tethered to our jobs because of our devices.

WHY IT IS SO HARD TO SWITCH OFF

Like many of my fellow Gen Zs – those born between 1997 and 2012 – I am a digital native. We grew up in a time when technology was rapidly transforming to play an increasingly pervasive role in everyday life.

Gen Zs spend an average of six hours and 27 minutes glued to our phones each day – more than any other generation, a 2024 report by American health data management firm Harmony Healthcare IT found.

Despite being digital natives, many Gen Zers value autonomy and work-life balance. Aside from wanting to excel in our careers, we also hope to pursue interests outside of work, and have a deep respect for our personal well-being.

Yet, I can't help but wonder how this digital proficiency and the demands of our careers have blurred the lines between work and leisure, and eroded our ability to seek out true rest and attain the work-life balance we prize so highly.