AT a recent parent-teacher meeting at an elite school, a parent complained of her son’s poor performance in Urdu. The teacher told her not to worry, as all his classmates were facing problems in Urdu. This is the dilemma of our new generation, the Gen Z-ers, born between the mid-1990s and the late 2010s. In fact, Gen Z-ers are the first true digital natives, with technology seamlessly integrated into their lives, unlike previous generations, who are digital immigrants. Among their two billion worldwide, Pakistan is home to seven million — the fifth-largest Gen Z cohort after China, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.

American sociologist George Ritzer explains the dilemma of the new generation in The McDonaldisation of Society. ‘McDonaldisation’ refers to the pervasive expansion of the principles of the fast-food chain: speed, convenience and standardisation for diverse societies and geographies. The ensuing cultural globalisation has the advantage of being democratic in nature, but the associated homogenisation threatens diversity.

Previous generations learnt through auditory delivery and manual practices; Gen Z-ers learn digitally and visually. Not surprisingly, many skills are becoming redundant such as calligraphy, classical music and the learning of oriental languages. Parenting styles are also changing. Previously, we saw helicopter parenting, with excessive parental involvement and control in children’s lives. Today, Gen Z students are experiencing a ‘CIA’ style of parenting, where progress and grades are monitored through technology.

Cultural globalisation also features speed and efficiency, manifested in automated banking services, online shopping and self-checkout counters. However, the downside of excessive automation is dehumanisation which leads to poor tolerance in times of stress. Dubbed the ‘loneliest generation’, Gen Z-ers face anxiety owing to disruptive technologies, economic uncertainty and loss linked to the Covid pandemic. Moreover, previous generations would spend their free time socialising in person, which releases mood-elevating chemicals in the body. But this is missing in the emoji- and text-driven interactions of our youth on social media platforms today. They frequently suffer from FOMO, ‘the fear of missing out’, and so cannot stay away from their phones for too long.

Not surprisingly, many skills are becoming redundant.

Gen Z-ers are relatively more pragmatic than their predecessors. They focus more on skills than on theory and prefer certification over degrees. Although they exhibit more entrepreneurial qualities compared to previous generations, they are more conservative and prudent when it comes to finances. This shift is mainly shaped by the perma-crisis of the 2008 Great Recession, Covid-19 and 9/11 hyper-terrorism.

The new generation prefers personalised experiences, self-enrichment and an adventurous lifestyle. This has spurred local tourism from Kalash to Kumrat and Insta selfies from Deosai to Phander. However, this hyper-mobility has two associated trends. Firstly, there is a hyper-exodus of youngsters from Pakistan. According to the UN World Population 2024 report, 1.6m Pakistanis left the country in 2023. This exodus is more than the numbers from the two most populous countries: India (980,000) and China (570,000). This may be considered ‘brain drain’ but also proves to be a primary source of remittances in the long term.

The second trend is the declining attachment to ancestral lands. An example is the third generation of Kashmiris who have settled in the UK. Older generations of the Kash­miri diaspora wo­­uld invest back in Kashmir and bring the bodies of relatives for bu­­rial there. However, the new generation of Kash­miri expats has diminished emoti­onal and financial interest in their ancestral land. A similar trend can be observed in rural-urban migration.

The grooming and blooming of Gen Z-ers in the virtual world has made it a generation of ‘scroll & troll’. Like the gig economy’s short TikTok reels, McJobs, micro-celebrities and freelancing, our youth display a short attention span and an appetite for instant gratification. This makes it harder to focus on deep learning or long-term projects. Casual relationships — ‘situationships’ — are developed online and terminated by ghosting.

The age of marriage age is moving to the late 20s.

During Juma prayers, worshippers arrive late and leave quickly after the prayers. The reliance of Gen Z-ers on social media has made them more vulnerable to fake news and synthetic content. According to the Global Risks Report 2024, the top five risks that Pakistan faces today include fake news and misinformation.

In short, technology has transformed the ‘global village’ into the ‘global street’, but Gen Z-ers’ excessive usage of gadgetry may lead to a ‘tech neck’.

The writer is a security analyst and academic.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2024