Gen ZZZ: Rewriting the Rules of Work Ethic in the 21st Century
Imagine a room buzzing with ambition, a mastermind group event fused with a goal-setting retreat. This was my setting last weekend. Diverse faces filled the space, but one thread seemed to weave through them all: millions in bank accounts. Four years of immersing myself in such circles has taught me a vital truth about the ultra-wealthy: retirement is a foreign concept. They channel their genius into masterful craftsmanship, constantly honing their processes & strategies like insatiable knowledge seekers. Yet, amidst this gilded world, lurks a curious problem rarely whispered about: a lack of heirs for their empires.
The Generations
The Silent Generation (1928-1945): also known as the "Lucky Few," they grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. They are known for their resilience, work ethic, and conformity.
Baby Boomers (1946-1964): The largest generation in the United States, they witnessed significant social and technological changes. They are known for their optimism, individualism, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Generation X (1965-1980): Often described as cynical and independent, they came of age during a time of economic uncertainty and social upheaval. They are known for their pragmatism, resourcefulness, and adaptability.
Millennials (1981-1996): The first generation to grow up with digital technology, they are known for their tech-savviness, desire for work-life balance, and social consciousness.
Generation Z (1997-2012): Born into a world of globalization and the internet, they are the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in history. They are known for their entrepreneurial spirit, activism, and fluency in social media.
Generation Alpha (2013-present): The first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century, they are still too young to define by characteristics. However, they are expected to be even more tech-savvy and globally connected than previous generations.
Chart Source: Visual Capitalist
When examining the share of U.S. household wealth by generation, Baby Boomers hold a significant portion at around 52.2%. Some Boomers have kids they can turn their business over to but that may only include a few key positions in the company. In addition, a vast majority of ‘hands-on’ technical or mechanical business owners are finding their kids don’t want to do or even manage manual labor. Not in the age of Fortnite, AI, & work-from-home tech jobs. When I inquired with several conference attendees “How’s business?”, I was surprised to hear “Well it was going great but I may have to take my practice in a different direction because I just can’t find someone reliable to work!” Here are some other anecdotes from across the United States:
“I’m a trainer for a large pharmaceutical company. Our recruitment department hires a lot of younger people and I can say that most of these young new hires can’t event make it past a week of training before they start calling in sick and quitting. When we hire older aged people they are the ones who miss very few days and stay with the company for years.
“We can’t find good workers. We need drivers. Most can’t pass drug test. Most won’t work because you get dirty.”
“In my husband’s field, CNC machinist. All his coworkers are 60’s and 70’s and one tradesman was 80. They’re needed because new hires are either no shows, or have no skill or aptitude for math or metrics, or anything having to do with the trade.”
“My husband is a machinist and the younger hires are indeed typically a disaster. They come and go at all hours, disappear without notice for days at a time, barely keep a machine running when they bother to come in. Those that actually aren’t that bad constantly refuse OT while complaining how broke they are, then cry and DEMAND someone find them OT when they get into a real bind. Even some of the people in their 30’s clearly abuse their sick days and can be counted to call out sick as soon as they’ve saved a day or two’s time. Yet these are the ‘best’ they can find nowadays.”
“I work part-time in retail and this is the 31st tax season I have worked. I have seen many Gen Z workers come and go because they cannot show up on time, cannot do simple things and cannot stay off their phones. The best workers are usually 30+ and tend to have more patience and willingness to work.”
Just yesterday, I went to a Tropical Smoothie Cafe` in my local area. I ordered an egg white breakfast wrap off the menu with no changes & the cashier looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Not only did she have zero idea what I was talking about, she had to ask a colleague where it was on the computer. When I worked in the fast-food industry back in the 90’s, they wouldn’t let an employee take orders without knowing the menu inside & out. A trainer would stand with you after several days of on-the-job training & then allow you to interact with the customer. Now I’m not saying one can be an expert at computer ordering systems in a day or two, but they should at least know the 12 things on the menu.
Image Credit: Atypical 60
The Unbothered IDGAF Generation
Look around the next time you go out. Nearly everyone under the age of 30 is walking around like a zombie glued to their cellphones. Pajama pants, Crocs, hair in an unkempt afro mess, scraggly facial hair, & baggy t-shirts. The younger generation looks like they rolled out of bed & are perfectly okay with going out in public in such an unkempt IDGAF disheveled state. I train clients at a very busy gym. While you might say kudos for these under 30’s for coming to the gym in the first place, they mostly sit on the machines & text for 10 minutes in between sets of minimal effort, shoot a video of themselves ‘working out’ for social media, & then go on their way. Hardly what I would call a productive workout.
Education
According to Education Data Initiative (2023), the average student loan debt was $37,338 for all borrowers with a bachelor’s degree. For a graduate degree the average graduate student loan debt is $76,620.
I admit back in the late 90’s I was sold the dream of college. I was told it was a guarantee that I would make at least six-figures after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. This was a lie. After I graduated, with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, I was hired at $35,000 to work full-time in New York. If I didn’t have my living arrangements settled, there was no way I would have made it. I pursued an MBA & graduated at the top of my class. Once again, post-graduation, I did not make the elusive six-figures. The student loan payments started rolling in & they were asking for around $750/month. The price of a Porsche lease at the time. Who could afford $750/month & pay living expenses? Part of the loan payment was from a private bank lender so there were no adjustments in terms available. For the federal portion of the loans, I was able to go on an income-based-repayment plan which reduced the burden by a small fraction. So before anyone goes ranting about how student loan forgiveness is unfair, not everyone falls into the ‘useless degree’ & lazy category.
Today, many will argue that college is useless, overly-priced, & filled with woke-ideology. While I agree with a large portion of the aforementioned statement, our youth still require the following skills which in most cases, only a college can provide:
Research & Publication Skills
Public Speaking
English Reading, Writing, Grammar, & Sentence Structure
Planning, Logistics, & Business Operations
Business, Marketing, & Corporate Finance
Have you seen how people write these days? They’re so used to LOL, WTF, ROTFL, & emojis, they can’t even write words or form sentences any longer. Just look at the advertisements on Facebook Marketplace: “coach for sell”, “metal shelfs”, & “floating wood shelf’s” just to name a few titles. It is clear the primary education system is failing our children by pushing them through school when more than half of them don’t even know how to spell let alone form cohesive sentences.
According to ongoing indicators like the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which released long-run scores for 13-year-olds this spring (2023), average performance in math and reading has been set back to levels last seen decades ago.
When it comes to public speaking & social interaction in general, there is an overall deterioration. If they can’t text it or put an emoji on it, forget it. They don’t know how to speak clearly, look you in the eyes, maintain attention, or understand basic conversational etiquette.
Back in November, I published a Substack article where I mentioned the staggering statistic that only 23% of military-aged (18-24) persons in the United States are eligible to join the military. That means a whopping 77% of military-aged persons are unfit to fight, either mentally &/or physically, to defend our nation. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past two years, you know the United States is already heavily involved in what is the pre-cursor to World War III. I don’t support WWIII by any means but whether we like it or not, it’s coming. How confident do you feel in our youth to defend our nation if they can’t even show up to work at Starbucks?
Death of the Single-Income Household
Source: Visual Capitalist - Click on Informative Graphic for Full Size
I was on a livestream last month with one of my millennial-aged colleagues. He stated “To be fair, it was your generation (Gen X & older) that raised us.” He had a point. The source of the problem may have been that Generation X & older were the last of the hard workers but we had to sacrifice the raising of our kids properly in order to do it. Generation X & slightly older could not get by with a one-paycheck household like they did pre-1980. Both parents had to work full-time in order to make ends meet. That’s if there were two-parent households to be raised in. I began working at 11 years old delivering newspapers in the snow. I babysat. I worked at McDonald’s on weekends & seasonal jobs during the week when I was 16-18 years of age. The Generation X’ers who turned into parents found themselves working full-time & shifting the responsibility of raising their children to day-care, the television, grandparents, & technology. The ‘stay-at-home & raise the kids’ opportunity had long since faded.
Today, over 50% of all young adults under the age of 29 are living with their parents. There are thousands of videos on social media of Gen Z’ers in tears crying about how they ‘can’t make it’ on an entry-level job. The state of California listens to the youth & raises the minimum wage to $20/hour. What are the consequences? Businesses like Pizza Hut fire 1,200 delivery drivers in one fell swoop. Businesses can’t afford to pay a “living wage” for flipping burgers or delivering pizzas, so they don’t. They bring in AI & the machines to replace the workers who refuse to work. It’s a catch-22 situation.
How do we fix this?
We know what doesn’t work. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is guaranteed to make the problem even worse. The use of AI & machines will make customer service go even further down the tubes. Have you tried ordering Uber Eats? 90% of the time my order is screwed up. Have you tried calling in an order to a restaurant? I got a service representative in India but only after hanging up on an AI chat bot because it didn’t have the option I needed. This will not do. So what can we do about our underperforming, unmotivated young adults?
Parents & Elders Should Encourage our Youth to Pursue the Following:
Encourage College Courses in Business, English, Communications, & Finance - they don’t have to get an entire degree but some structured coursework in these subjects will help greatly. Jordan Peterson says one of life’s greatest skills is to speak & write with precision.
Encourage Trades/Skills Training -
Several trades are facing significant worker shortages in the United States, but some stand out as particularly critical:
Construction: This industry alone faces a gap of over 500,000 workers, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors. This includes positions like:
Carpenters
Electricians
Plumbers
Bricklayers
Construction laborers
Skilled Trades: The demand for skilled trade workers in general is booming, driven by factors like aging infrastructure, the growing need for renewable energy, and the increasing complexity of building technology. Trades in high demand include:
HVAC technicians
Machinists
Auto mechanics
Welders
Sheet metal workers
Other sectors: While not typically categorized as "trades," other fields experience similar worker shortages, often requiring specialized skills and training. These include:
Truck drivers
Cybersecurity professionals
Medical technicians
Home healthcare workers
Encourage Goal Setting & Planning
Encourage them to track their progress and set rewards for achieving goals.
Help them create a structured routine and schedule to manage their time effectively.
Offer opportunities for them to take ownership and make decisions related to their work.
Lead by Example
Children start emulating their parents at a very early age. Very often children are a product of their environment unless there is some compelling reason to ‘break the cycle’. Welfare children tend to grow into welfare adults. Wealthy children tend to grow into wealthy adults. I’m not saying one cannot enter into another category but mindset tends to drift in the comfort zone of ‘that’s all I’ve known my whole life’. Motivational speakers such as Les Brown, Tony Robbins, & David Goggins all grew up in poor, abusive environments. They decided to break the cycle & make something of themselves because they didn’t have role models. Be a positive role model for children but don’t be a helicopter parent either. Coddling the children & putting them into sterile bubbles will create weak children unable to face the harsh realities of life. So many of our youth is on medication for ‘anxiety & depression’. Turning to big pharma to calm down & drug up the children is not the answer. If the parents turn into drugs & alcohol to deal with everyday life, what do you think the children learn? If children see their parents relieving stress in a healthy way via exercise, sports, a craft, or other productive hobbies, they will want to participate as well.
My fellow Warriors, Gen ZZZ as I like to call them, need our help if we are going to survive as a species. We have to stand against the woke ideology that is trying to confuse & sexualize our children at an early age. We have to be positive role models & guide our youth in a forward & upward trajectory. We have to stand against the ‘everyone gets a participation trophy’ protectionist mentality but teach the children to look for the opportunity in adverse events. It’s going to take a lot of work but I have hope there are enough of us Warriors in the world to prevent this ship from sinking.
Until next time, stay informed, stay vigilant, Ever Forward!