11 Basic Life Skills That Somehow Feel Impossible For Gen Z To Master
Younger generations seem to be more committed to convenience than Gen Xers or baby boomers.
Jose Calsina | Shutterstock Gen Z's adult lives are complicated and complex, fueled by a number of factors like social media, a tumultuous social environment, and a collective lack of 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.
In fact, 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 somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master are changing, as young people acknowledge the struggles sparked by things like the digital landscape and come to terms with the changes they need to make to be truly successful, fulfilled, and happy in their adult lives.
Here are 11 basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master
1. Setting 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, grappling with social anxiety and loneliness, they're 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 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
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Although sewing and other "old-school" hobbies are slowly reemerging in younger generations, they're still largely some of the 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 text messages or social media or picking up a phone call, even from their closest relatives and friends.
For generations like baby boomers, opting for phone calls is a reflection of their values. They view talking on the phone as one of the more sincere communication methods. 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 mental math
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With the convenience and accessibility to technology, it's not surprising that many Gen Zers struggle with mental math in places like the workplace. 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 for teenagers have been consistently dropping in the classroom since 2020. It's clear that for older generations like Gen X or baby boomers, they had the time to practice these skills at work, in the classroom, and in their personal lives for years, while younger ones — immersed in technology and online convenience — simply reach for their phones to do basic math.
6. Face-to-face conversations at work
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Considering Gen Z grew up almost exclusively online — and within 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 craft 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. Basic household repairs
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When you don't own your own home, learn from your parents, or have the time to commit to truly learning and practicing basic life skills like household repairs, you never learn how 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 people, plumbers, and on-call staff that fix their household issues for them, so they never truly have to learn in the event that they purchase their own home. In many renting complexes and homes, landlords would almost prefer Gen Z renters to call their maintenance companies, rather than try to fix the issues themselves, taking away an opportunity for them to learn by choice.
8. Grocery shopping in person
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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, you end up spending way too much time and money — that's why you come prepared now.
However, Gen Z tends to chronically struggle with that problem if they find themselves physically inside the grocery store, as they tend to shop entirely online for most of their groceries, clothes, and essentials.
According to a Power Reviews study, more than 83% of Gen Z has 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 also shopped in-person during this time, contributing to their large spending budget on food.
It's one of the basic life skills that somehow feel impossible for Gen Z to master — limiting their grocery budget and shopping only in-person — but many are willing to splurge for the sake of convenience, nutrition, and organic options.
9. Basic etiquette
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Of course, manners and basic etiquette skills are largely a societal construct, formed by decades of traditional values, but many people argue they're one of 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 the many foundational social in-person experiences other generations had to hone this and other communication skills.
From working in an in-person office, to taking calls on the phone, and meeting new friends, their nontraditional entrance to adulthood impacted a lot of Gen Z's basic life experiences and skills, making it more challenging to re-enter society and live up to the rigid etiquette expectations other generations have now adopted as second nature.
10. Cooking meals at home
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According to a survey from FindingTheOne, nearly two-thirds of Gen Z admit they lack basic cooking skills and many prefer to eat out at restaurants to avoid having to cook in their own kitchens.
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 getting the chance to see their friends or engage in an existing community they're a part of.
However, this reliance on eating out over homecooked 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
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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, in the event that 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 that suggests many teachers consistently argued to reintroduce 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 who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
