11 Life Skills Gen Z Refuses To Learn That Hold Them Back In The Real World
Sometimes it's the most basic skills people don't learn in school that take them the farthest.
Andrii Nekrasov | Shutterstock.com As our society continues to shift and evolve, it’s unsurprising that our collective values change as well. But even though each generation grows up with their own specific values, priorities and points of views, the importance of learning certain life skills stays constant. While research shows that Gen Z values skills like resilience, problem solving, and critical thinking, there are some absolutely indispensable life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that hold them back in life.
Despite seeming subtle and simple, there are specific life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that hold them back in the real world, contributing to generational resentment and even personal struggles like financial stability or career growth.
These are 11 life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that hold them back in the real world
1. Reading cursive writing
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While standardized curricula have ditched cursive lessons for many younger generations of students, that doesn’t mean Gen Z adults are protected from having to read and comprehend cursive in their adult lives. Whether it’s a co-worker’s handwriting at work or the return address on an important package, there are certainly still people using cursive in their everyday lives that Gen Zers never got the opportunity to learn.
While it’s sometimes not intuitive to pick up on, cursive handwriting is still one of the life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that hold them back in the real world, keeping them from doing things as small as reading a Post-it note to more significant issues like not comprehending important directions.
2. Reading physical maps
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With a reliance on convenience and accessibility, it’s not surprising that Gen Z opts to use their phones to navigate over physical maps. According to an Ordnance survey, over 83% of Gen Zers rely entirely on their phones to get around, unable to read or comprehend a paper map for navigating purposes.
While the ability to read a physical map may not be a life skill Gen Z needs to use regularly in their daily lives, it could save them from an unfortunate situation if they get lost and don’t have access to a phone. Especially when traveling, an experience that young people tend to prioritize in their spending habits, being able to read a paper map and navigate without cell service is incredibly important.
Unfortunately, it is still one of the life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that holds them back in the real world.
3. Driving a car
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According to statistics from the Department of Transportation, many Gen Zers are generally uninterested in getting their driver’s license at 16 years old, as they are combating anxiety around driving and cost barriers to owning a vehicle.
While this isn’t necessarily an issue for Gen Zers who live in big cities with public transportation or for young people working remotely, others who rely on transportation apps or people in their lives to give them rides can be holding themselves back in the real world by not learning this skill.
Learning how to drive may be a socially accepted norm for teenagers at this point, but it’s also a life skill that many adults take for granted. Driving gives them the freedom to connect with others, get to work every day, and venture out of their cities in ways that can boost their social and emotional well-being.
4. Checking their bank statements
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Considering Gen Z is much less likely to balance their checkbooks or regularly comb through their bank statements than older generations who grew up on the practice, they’re more prone to missing unsuspecting charges and unnecessary subscriptions. While financial literacy is a skill many young people don’t have the opportunity to learn in school, it’s still one of the life skills Gen Z seems to refuse to learn that holds them back in the real world.
According to a Motley Fool Money survey, nearly 50% of Gen Z and millennial respondents believe they are overpaying for subscriptions, yet they still aren’t bothered enough to review their accounts so they can figure out which ones to cancel.
5. Managing their screentime
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It’s no secret Gen Z grew up amid the ever-evolving digital landscape, with access to smartphones, the internet, and social media from an incredibly young age. Not only has this changed society — from beauty standards to modes of communication and social norms — but it also affects their emotional well-being and coping mechanisms.
While Gen Z is largely cognizant of the psychological consequences of increased screen time, as a study from Preventive Medicine Reports explains, they’re more likely to set boundaries around technology at work than in their personal lives.
According to research commissioned by Eden Project Communities, Gen Z is now characterized as “the loneliest generation." They combat isolation and lack belonging as a result of spending excessive time on social media.
6. Talking comfortably on the phone
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According to a Uswitch survey, nearly a quarter of Gen Z people never answer the phone, ignoring the ringing and opting for more convenient and detached modes of communication like text messaging. While talking on the phone is certainly becoming one of the life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that holds them back in the real world, psychologist Dr. Elena Touroni explained that it's more than just discomfort that keeps them from picking up.
Gen Zers never adopted the habit of speaking to friends and family on the phone from a young age. Instead, they grew up with the convenience of instant messaging. Now they typically associate phone calls with “bad news,” sparking instant anxiety and dread when the phone rings.
Coupled with the increased frequency of scam callers, Gen Zers would prefer to simply sift through their missed calls from unknown numbers later rather than pick up during their busy day. In professional settings, this discomfort can cause tension between Gen Zers and their older counterparts, which could possibly be solved with a more empathetic approach to teaching phone etiquette and comfort.
7. Delayed gratification
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With social media and access to the internet, seeking instant gratification has become a habit for many young people, Gen Z included. From learning new skills to connecting with others and even trying out a new career, everything is at their fingertips — making longer, traditional pathways to or goal-setting feel outdated and frustrating, according to research from Antrepreneur.
Coupled with the deterioration of longer-form media, changing social and professional norms and validation-centric social media platforms, it’s not surprising that Gen Z isn’t as committed to seeking the achievements possible with the ability to handle delayed gratification as older generations were, especially when they can get just about anything almost instantaneously online — no matter how toxic that may be.
From seeking external temporary validation and attention on dating apps, to expecting instant praise in their careers and even seeking out instant self-help fixes for larger complex issues, Gen Z is missing out on the opportunity to nurture long-term projects, goals, and relationships in ways that sabotage their emotional well-being, sense of identity, and self-worth.
8. Maintaining balanced relationships
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According to a study by the University of Cumbria, there are still several psychological and emotional consequences to one-sided relationships that Gen Zers are struggling to cope with. Although they may be more willing to acknowledge the ways these unbalanced relationships contribute to larger societal issues like “cancel culture,” they still have difficulty finding a balance between their in-person social connections and the parasocial ones they cultivate online.
Especially when it comes to impulsive spending decisions, many of Gen Z’s parasocial relationships negatively affect their financial stability and comfort — influencing them to make purchases in search of the social belonging and community they’re yearning for.
The University of Cumbria’s research also noted that participants felt drawn to “win and lose” within parasocial relationships, admitting their emotional well-being has been negatively affected by maintaining these connections.
9. Mental math
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In a world full of technological shortcuts like savvy new calculators and smartphones, it’s not surprising that mental math is one of the life skills Gen Z hasn’t perfected without the opportunity to practice it constantly. Of course, it’s not just Gen Z who struggles with this life skill. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, average math test scores for teenagers have been consistently dropping since 2020.
While other generations might take the extra time to learn how to do mental math at work or when making purchases, Gen Z is conditioned to reach for their phones — subconsciously overlooking opportunities to practice critical thinking skills like mental math in favor of convenience.
10. Sewing
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While old-school hobbies like sewing are experiencing a resurgence among younger generations due to the economic conditions they’re currently living through, many of the life skills Gen Z refuses to learn that hold them back in the real world are habits and behaviors their parents might have opted not to teach them or pass down.
Ironically, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center, Gen Zers lead the pack when it comes to climate change advocacy and a commitment to sustainability — even enough to challenge their pre-existing consumerist habits like buying into fast fashion. However, they haven’t collectively adopted habits like sewing that can help decrease their spending on new clothing.
Whether sewing becomes a hobby that improves their alone time, helps boost their emotional well-being, saves them money, or increases their sustainability-focused activism, it’s a life skill that could improve Gen Z’s experience in the real world that many haven’t adopted yet.
11. Basic household repairs
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From plumbing issues to plastering botched hanging jobs in their walls, many Gen Zers don’t know how to repair their living spaces. Without the basic life skills their parents likely had, saving them money on hiring someone for basic repairs, Gen Zers spend more on top of their already all-consuming housing costs — costs that collectively exceeded the recommended 30% of their income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, “rent-burdening” many young people.
While it’s not always their choice not to learn these basic life skills, especially growing up in homes where both parents were working and had little free time to teach them, choosing not to learn them now is still holding back many Gen Zers who could truly benefit from saving money on services and extra housing expenses.
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.