What Generation Z Can Learn From Millennials (And Vice Versa)

“Young people are getting weak,” some young people, in turn, call “boomers.” This is correct Psychological health Thanks to Generation Z, it’s more negotiable than ever, but don’t we need better, more transparent mental health care? So Dirk de Wachter and Levin Annemann are happy that taboos are disappearing. We learn from previous generations.

Generation Z — those born between 1995 and 2010 — seem to deal with mental health better than millennials. They understand the importance of mental health and want to raise awareness of the topic more prominently. Whether they can avoid the burnout that people in their 40s often experience, we will only be able to determine later.

Dirk de Wachtera psychiatrist and professor at KU Leuven, would like to follow the hypothesis that we are advancing in civilization: “The previous generation, which often deals with dropouts, is going through a social transition and is looking for balance, something that young people find easier to find. They seek Strive for a better balance between work and leisure, between work and leisure and between men and women. We learn from previous generations.”

Work-life balance is one of the biggest challenges for Gen Z. “They shouldn’t fall into the ‘borderline divide,’ which is more common among millennials,” says de Wachter. “Some go into the profession entirely and lose themselves in it. The other extreme is that they completely ignore their jobs and focus on family. “You have to differentiate this and be flexible,” says Dirk de Wachter. “Career lines are no longer as linear as they used to be. A parent has to be able to be there for the kids and be able to work. It’s good that women, compared to fifty years ago, are increasingly in the lead and Out of the box Achieving professional combinations.

Watch out for dehumanization

“Digitalization is a double-edged sword,” explains De Waechter. I am not against technology, on the contrary. It is a great tool, but we must be careful that it does not become a replacement rather than a complement to our existing communications. Overconfidence in digital communications runs the risk of dehumanizing.” There Dear Animanprofessor and researcher at Ghent University, agrees that “the efficiency offered by technology is increasing save Because of a lack of personal feeling. A phone call or message is much faster, but a meeting is a very important human interaction. This takes more time in the short term, but creates more connection in the long term.”

Dirk De Wachter discusses a hybrid system, where technology is an intermediate step for live meetings. “Send or call to set up an appointment, not to tell your whole story. I myself was sick a year and a half ago and thought in-person visits were very precious at the time. Especially in vulnerable moments, personal contact is more binding and constructive than digital. Every generation, especially digital citizen Gen Z, watch out. Personal connection is one of the most important factors when we talk about mental health.”

Personal connection is one of the most important factors when we talk about mental health.

Deep connections

The digital generation reaps the benefits of all technological advances, but also loses out in terms of emotional loneliness, according to the Ghent University National Happiness Survey. The results show that despite the convenience of digital communication, more and more people feel lonely. “It’s strange to read that this loneliness also affects young people,” says Levin-Anemans. “Generation Z is in their social prime yet one in four feels emotionally lonely. There is no shortage of social connection, but young adults fail to form deep bonds. The lack of close relationships is one of the reasons why the happiness score dropped significantly this year. among young people.”

The National Happiness Survey also measures fear and anxiety about the future. It turns out that Generation Z suffers from the biggest economic anxiety. “She is relatively new to the world of finance and has to deal with inflation, the energy crisis and the war that is hitting the European market hard,” explains Levin-Anemans. “It is not surprising that this generation does not have a rosy picture of the future, but in reality the crisis is ‘old news’. Every few years we experience one and put up with it. For the older generations, as strange as this may seem, it is routine.”

Breaking taboos

There is still a taboo around psychological help. everybody has struggles, but the step to the specialist is too drastic for many. “Too bad,” says Dirk de Wachter. “Fortunately, the younger generation is breaking taboos. Stories by famous Flemish people who reveal difficult periods also appear often. This encourages us to do the same.” Positive change is also noticeable in men. “They are moving away from macho clichés. Residents are beginning to see that talking about difficult topics is a strength rather than a weakness. I hope it goes in the right direction.”