We know the generation born between 1995 and 2000 as Generation Z. They have recently entered work life and will dominate many aspects of life. Hence, it's important to understand this age group.

Conflicts between generations have been going on for centuries now. Hesiod Theogony, an eighth century B.C. Greek Poet, once said: "Today's youth are so careless that I despair when I think they will take over the country in the future. Our ancestors taught us to be respectful and dignified toward elders. Young people today are very insensitive and do not know how to wait."

Similarly, ancient Greek philosopher and polymath Aristoteles also highlighted the behavioral differences among generations: "Youth is going out of control nowadays. They eat in a rude way. They are disrespectful to the adults. They disobey their parents and upset their teachers."

The situation remains the same to date. There were and will be differences among generations.

Helicopter parents

Let's take a closer look at this generation to understand their general characteristics.

Members of Generation Z are the first social generation to grow up with easy access to the internet and portable digital technology from an early age. They are very good with technology and of course, they use social media very well since they grew up in a digital environment. Thus, they can easily access information in a blink of an eye. They are well aware of what is going on around them and in the world. They learn quickly. Generation Z consumes information in seconds and switches to a new one, getting bored quickly. Therefore, their attention span is less and they are easily distracted. They cannot focus on a subject for a long time. It seems as if they have a bit of knowledge about everything.

They have helicopter parents. This concept, which emerged in the United States in the early 2000s, has been the subject of many studies and books. It is a term used for over-parenting. Helicopter parents treat their children like princes or princesses. They want to keep their children under constant surveillance, constantly monitor them, take all responsibility for the children's lives and are overprotective to prevent them from making mistakes or encountering adverse situations. Therefore, this generation, which has been over-protected and loved, is fond of their independence and individualism.

Generation Z, who lacks the ability to tolerate negativity, grew up in an environment where every challenge is tackled. They want to have fun all the time and sometimes develop addictions for lasting well-being. To constantly feel good, they sometimes indulge in alcohol, smoking or substance abuse, or a random change of partners. Both their family's unrealistic attitude and time spent with technology cause them to lose touch with reality, human relationships and empathy – the characteristics that help us understand others and feel their emotions.

School life

Generation Z grew up in a cut-throat competitive environment. There was a race for everyone to perform the best. Apart from their education at school, they were burdened with private lessons, extra exams and additional lessons. Their lives orbited around competition. That being the case, it's no surprise they're self-centered and competitive. Second, they are very impatient. For example, at school, they may want to see the result within a few hours after the exam is over. They are often flattered by their parents, who usually brush negative traits under the carpet and keep appreciating the positive traits. Therefore, they expected something similar in school. If they do not get positive feedback, they are disappointed and struggle at receiving constructive criticism positively. They expect occasional appreciation.

On the brighter side, they are quite good at accessing, combining and processing information unlike their previous generations because they are familiar with the technology. If allowed to share their ideas, they can come up with some brilliant ones. The household represents the authority in their mind. They give the same reaction to figures who are authoritative outside their houses. If the teacher behaves like their father, they would treat him or her in the same way. For instance, if children shared a healthy bond with their fathers, they would keep their teachers at school in the same frame and vice versa. We call this transference. In other words, children perceive their teachers like they used to perceive their parents in childhood without even realizing it. This often helps teachers understand and build relations with their students gradually.

Gen Z in business

Generation Z prefers loyalty over the interests of others. The personal benefit comes first. So the old-school business life does not suit them. They are only satisfied with realistic results. For example, it does not matter to them if the company they work for makes a lot of profit until and unless it affects their income.

They also have high self-confidence. Many want to start their own business, believing that there is so much they can achieve independently. This is partially true. Stability, patience, teamwork and sometimes individual effort along with consistency are essential for earning money. Above all, it is important to build resistance because there will be difficulties in life. It is important to learn to endure and handle all kinds of situations in life.

Sometimes Gen Z may feel lost from time to time. They also keep trying many things as they easily get bored and always want to feel good. It gets challenging for them to focus on one job for a long time.

Although it is difficult to understand them completely, there are certain things we can do to get to know and understand Gen Z better:

– Instead of just assigning a task, it is necessary to recognize their personal characteristics and assign them accordingly.

– They grew up with helicopter parents. There is a lot of surveillance, monitoring and invasion of privacy in the house. They are used to seeing the reward and punishment system. Reward means establishing a positive relationship. Even when we criticize them, it is important to do it without humiliating or judging them.

– They like to be valued by the authority figure and cooperate if they feel valued.

– Their opinion can be considered, instead of giving advice when there is a problem. They like being asked for a suggestion or help.

– Since they mostly use technology, they need face-to-face communication. It is important to look them in the eye while talking, give neutral feedback and be authentic in terms of emotional exchanges.