Gen Z Can't Seem To Handle 11 Surprisingly Basic Adult Skills
DC Studio | ShutterstockGen Z's adult lives are complicated and complex, shaped by factors such as social media and a collective sense of not belonging. From building communities to learning basic life skills, they're struggling to find their way in society and their new adult lives, still grappling with changes and challenges from their childhoods.
Many Gen Zers aren't even sure how to change a lightbulb, according to a survey from Halfords. However, many of the basic life skills that can feel impossible for Gen Z to master are changing, as young people acknowledge the challenges posed by the digital landscape and come to terms with the changes they need to make to be truly successful and fulfilled in their adult lives.
Gen Z can't seem to handle these 11 surprising basic adult skills:
1. Setting healthy screen time limits
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Excessive screen time on phones and social media isn't just detrimental to childhood development; it also plays a role in adult struggles for younger generations, isolating them from in-person social communities, plaguing their mental health, and feeding into toxic cycles of comparison culture that negatively affect their self-esteem.
However, this is one of the basic life skills of the modern age that many Gen Zers are conscious of. Not only are they working to take measures to limit their screen time, according to surveys from ExpressVPN, but they're also grappling with social anxiety and loneliness, and they're also working to build communities outside of their phones that give them the chance to build in-person connections and practice the social skills that have been compromised as a result of growing up amid a vapid digital landscape.
2. Making new adult friends
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According to research conducted by Dartmouth College, many Gen Zers are collectively finding it difficult to cultivate and maintain new friendships in adulthood, struggling with social anxiety, community, and isolation in their new adult lives.
From the disappearance of accessible "third places" (community-oriented environments for people to engage in social activity), to the consequences of social media and technology, and Gen Z's unique adult experiences, it's not necessarily surprising that this is one of the basic life skills they lack, but it's alarming as this generation continues to grapple with heightened rates of loneliness, stress, and isolation.
3. Sewing a button or fixing clothes
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Although sewing and other old-school hobbies are slowly reemerging among younger generations, they're still largely seen as basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master. They take commitment to master, and, of course, time and money to practice, which can be a struggle for younger generations who have grown up with an emphasis on speed and convenience.
However, coupled with their values of sustainability, recycling, and being climate conscious, basic life skills like sewing are becoming a necessity for many Gen Zers. Rather than feeding into a consumerist cycle and fast fashion, they have the opportunity to recycle and reimagine their current closets, but it takes a bit of self-discipline and commitment to learn.
4. Talking comfortably on the phone
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There are many reasons why Gen Z prefers not to talk on the phone, consistently choosing to text or use social media, or even declining calls from their closest relatives and friends.
For generations like baby boomers, opting for phone calls reflects their values. They view talking on the phone as one of the more sincere forms of communication. However, for Gen Z, their avoidance is rooted in social anxiety, stress, and convenience.
From a young age, Gen Z was enthralled with texting their grandparents from their iPads or sending instant messages in a flash, but in adulthood — coupled with their strange entrance to adult life amid a global pandemic — phone calls are much more anxiety-inducing.
5. Doing basic mental math without reaching for a calculator
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With the convenience and accessibility of technology, it's not surprising that many Gen Zers struggle with mental math in workplaces. It's one of the basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master without practice, but it's not necessarily only their age cohort that struggles with these skills.
According to research from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, average math scores among teenagers have been consistently declining in classrooms since 2020. It's clear that older generations like Gen X and baby boomers had years to practice these skills at work, in the classroom, and in their personal lives, while younger ones, immersed in technology and online convenience, simply reach for their phones to do basic math.
6. Having face-to-face conversations at work
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Considering Gen Z grew up almost exclusively online and in a tumultuous social climate early in adulthood, it's not surprising that they struggle with basic social skills that other generations had the opportunity to develop and practice from a young age. From the workplace to their in-person interactions with strangers and even crafting personal relationships, many young people are struggling with isolation and loneliness as a result of their social anxiety.
According to research from Harmony Healthcare IT, over 60% of Gen Z currently struggles with social anxiety. While they are more likely than other generations to discuss this struggle and seek support to mediate the stress associated with their anxiety, they're still suffering from isolation and loneliness at heightened rates compared to others.
Because of their isolation, continued social anxiety and stress, face-to-face conversations at work and home are some of the basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master.
7. Handling basic household repairs
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When you don't own your own home, don't learn from your parents, or don't have the time to commit to truly learning and practicing basic life skills like household repairs, you never learn to excel at them. Why would you learn how to fix a leaking pipe or restart your laundry machine if someone else is there to do it?
According to research from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Gen Z largely dominates the renting industry, spending the majority of their incomes on housing, with no collective plans to invest in homeownership.
They have maintenance staff, plumbers, and on-call staff who fix household issues for them, so they never truly have to learn if they purchase their own home. In many rental complexes and homes, landlords would prefer that Gen Z renters call their maintenance companies rather than try to fix the issues themselves, which takes away an opportunity for them to learn by choice.
8. Planning a grocery trip and sticking to a budget
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Regardless of your age, you've surely been there: walking aimlessly in the grocery store, with no list, trying to figure out what you're going to eat for the next week. Not only do you almost always forget something, but you also end up spending way too much time and money, which is why you come prepared now.
However, Gen Z tends to struggle with that problem when they are physically in the grocery store, as they shop entirely online for most of their groceries, clothes, and essentials.
According to a Power Reviews study, more than 83% of Gen Z have shopped for groceries online in the last 3 months, with 94% admitting they're more likely to purchase new items from the comfort of their phones. Of course, this study also reveals that many of these respondents shopped in person during this time, contributing to their high food spending.
Limiting their grocery budget and shopping only in person are among the surprisingly hard basic adult skills to master, but many are willing to splurge for the sake of convenience, nutrition, and organic options.
9. Using basic manners in social situations
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Of course, manners and basic etiquette are largely a societal construct, shaped by decades of traditional values, but many people argue they're among the basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master.
Considering many individuals from this generation entered adulthood during a tumultuous time, it's not entirely surprising that many missed out on foundational social in-person experiences that other generations had to hone these and other communication skills.
From working in an in-person office to taking phone calls and meeting new friends, their nontraditional entry into adulthood shaped many Gen Zers' basic life experiences and skills, making it more challenging to re-enter society and live up to the rigid etiquette expectations that other generations have now adopted as second nature.
10. Cooking simple meals at home
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According to a survey by FindingTheOne, nearly two-thirds of Gen Z admit they lack basic cooking skills, and many prefer to eat out to avoid cooking at home.
Gen Z also largely values spending on experiences in their daily lives, so they're often willing to overspend on things like eating out at a restaurant if it means seeing their friends or engaging with an existing community they're part of.
However, this reliance on eating out over home-cooked meals can be both physically and personally detrimental, according to a Nutrients study, especially now that cooking at home is one of the basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master.
11. Reading a physical map without using GPS
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Of course, many Gen Zers don't leave their homes without their phones, so their lack of knowledge around reading physical maps generally doesn't affect their daily lives. However, if they're lost or trying to navigate without it, many would struggle to find their way.
Even in the classroom, many Gen Z adults didn't grow up with print maps and textbooks, despite research from Bay View Analytics suggesting that many teachers consistently argued for reintroducing them for the sake of learning, student efficiency, and general understanding. They didn't have the opportunity to learn with the accessibility of digital GPS services and maps, and they didn't feel the need to learn.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies, focusing on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human-interest stories.
