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Gen Z’s technological know-how hasn’t spared them from the challenge of using some of the most basic technology.
Some members are struggling with scanners, printers and even a file system on a computer, a consequence of employers continuing to use old tech that predates their tenure in the workforce, according to Futurism.
“There is a myth that kids were born into an information age, and that this all comes intuitively to them,” said Sarah Dexter, an associate professor of education at the University of Virginia. “But that is not realistic. How would they know how to scan something if they’ve never been taught how to do it?”
The challenges have been given a name: tech shame and HP found that young people are 10 times more likely to feel it as compared to older colleagues, according to a November survey.
“The assumption is that because Gen Z and even millennials spend a considerable amount of time on technology that they are technology savvy,” Debbie Irish, HP’s head of UK and Ireland human resources, is quoted as saying. “This is a huge misconception. Sadly, neither watching TikTok videos nor playing Minecraft fulfills the technology brief.”
Content creator Max Simon, who makes TikTok videos about corporate life, told The Guardian “you don’t need an instruction book, like you would with a printer” to use social media platforms,
“Content is so easy to access now that when you throw someone a simple curveball they’ll swing and they miss,” he added, “and that’s why Gen Z can’t schedule a meeting.”
Maybe it’s time for employers to be prepared to train their employees or ditch the ancient tech.