Photo used with permission from Ben Taylor

Generation Z has often been labelled as lazy, but that is due to the growth in the efficiency of life with more technology.

Self-absorbed. Screen-obsessed. Whiny. Privileged. Entitled. Lazy. 

These are just some of the purported attributes that tend to shape the public’s opinion on my generation. I can’t help but notice such stereotypes being increasingly associated with Generation Z (individuals between the ages of 7 and 22).

Instead of tackling these prejudices, the media perpetuates the normalization of these stereotypes through memes, gifs and other forms of satirical internet content. The harmful consequences of stereotypes are often belied by their convenience: they can help us make generalizations about greater populations efficiently, without extensive thinking and analysis of trends and observations. 

  Personally, I try to avoid using such generalizations as they are often biased and discriminatory. But over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to avoid encountering the casual Generation Z clichés – both online and in real-life discussions. This pushed me to think: do these stereotypes carry any truth in them at all? 

One of the main stereotypes surrounding the image of Generation Z is their supposed laziness. It may partly be attributed to the fact that my generation is composed of true digital natives. Even though modern technologies are used by members of all generations nowadays, growing up with technology has shaped Generation Z differently.

 For instance, when in need of a meal, older generations would have had to learn to be proactive. They would either have to buy groceries, make their own meal or go out to a restaurant. 

Our generation, however, is reliant on the various technologies that were designed to make our lives easier. We have the privilege of having a hot meal instantaneously delivered to our door with a tap of a finger. This is something we have never lived without. Apps such as Deliveroo or Just Eat permit us to relish a dish of our choice at any point of the day without an extensive wait or effort. 

While older generations can equally reap the benefits of such technologies, growing up in a technology-adaptive environment changed our perception of life. We get easily used to straightforward technologies, and consequently, we depend on them for most of our daily functions. 

Another instance of our reliance on technology is the use of Google for finding information. When unsure of the definition of a certain word or a particular figure or fact, older generations had to rely on looking through dictionaries, books and conversing with teachers or parents.

However, ever since childhood, members of my generation are used to typing their requests into the computer and instantly acquiring an answer. 

Even though I believe that the technological advances of the 21st century have undoubtedly improved our lives by making certain tasks more efficient, growing up with such privileges has equally changed us. 

 Our generation supports the culture of instant gratification: we consume vast amounts of

information daily, we demand simplicity and we don’t like waiting. It is no surprise that modern-day technologies even tailor themselves to the preferences of the users without the user needing to put in any work, other than signing up and providing credit card details. While our generation continues to work and put in effort into certain tasks, we prefer for everything to be handed to us.  

In my own experience, I have caught myself clicking in and out of websites that would not give me the short answer I wanted. Ironically, I would end up spending more time searching for the shortest answer possible than it would take me to simply read the longer, more detailed answer. 

All in all, even though laziness is extremely common among people of all ages, Generation Z views convenience and efficiency as a right, rather than a privilege.   

However, the irony here is that the generation of “lazy” digital natives – Generation (Lay)Z – will have to work extremely hard in the future. The challenges that my generation currently faces and will continue to face include increased education costs, rising housing costs and devastating effects of climate change. 

It is clear that Generation Z has no option but to toil in the future, and I question Generation Z’s capability to succeed. Being the laziest generation due to our technology dependency and desire to seek instant gratification in everything we do will not fare well in the future. Our fate remains ambiguous.