“Gen Z are lazy. Boomers had it easy.”
Drives me mad when I hear language like this.
It’s lazy cliched thinking which happens all too often at work, around the dinner table and down the pub.
Worse, I think it does real damage to our culture as a society.
Don’t take my word for it. Last month, Intergenerational England published a report titled, A Divided Kingdom. To quote:
"The UK is facing a stark level of age segregation. This deepening divide fuels mistrust between generations and means we risk losing the well-evidenced benefits of intergenerational connection….A major barrier to progress is the persistence of generational stereotypes, often amplified by media and popular culture. Narratives like ‘Boomers are hoarding wealth’ or ‘Gen Z is lazy and entitled’ create divisions and diminish mutual respect.”
The narratives that all too easily slip into popular culture are what create the issue.
I think that part of the issue is that, as a society, we spend a huge portion of our time engaging in what I think of as “sound bite conversations”.
The words are self-evident - the meme on social media, the 30-second Instagram reel, the fast-paced TikTok.
Shallowness wins over depth because we seek instant stimulation and gratification.
What’s missing is depth.
Depth in conversation and engagement with others.
It’s one of the core reasons for writing my new book, about how we can drive greater depth into our conversations.
How can we drive more humanity, more understanding, more connection?
Back to intergenerational differences.
Here’s an invitation. Sit with someone older or younger and simply ask:
“What do you wish I understood about what it’s like being you right now?”
Just listening to understand. That’s it.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes for everything to shift.
Forget being swept away by categorisations of people. Remember, we’re all humans. We all have feelings. We all experience the world differently.
Want a bit more structure?
Here are 3 experiments to drive more depth.
The 1 Minute Experiment
Send a message to someone a generation away from you.
“I’ve been thinking about how different life feels depending on when you were born. Would you be up for a quick conversation?”
Nothing more. That’s the first step.
The 10 Minute Experiment
Sit down. Ask the question.
“What do you wish I understood about what it’s like being you right now?”
Let them speak. Don’t interrupt. Don’t explain. Just listen.
The 30 Minute Experiment - Trade Perspectives
15 minutes each. One speaks. One listens.
Write down what you hear. No debate. Just reflection.
At the end, ask:
“What surprised you?”
“What landed deeply?”