Generation Z, which includes those born between 1997 and 2012, faces major challenges in forming and maintaining friendships, aspects that have a lasting impact on their lives. Several surveys, including those from institutions such as Dartmouth College, highlight the social difficulties facing this generation.
The importance of social connections in everyone’s life is supported by numerous studies that highlight their crucial role in belonging, health, wellbeing and happiness. For Generation Z, however, the task of forming and maintaining friendships is proving to be complex and presents unprecedented challenges.
In the context of the pandemic, restrictions and lockdowns related to Covid19 have had a significant impact on soft skills. Social isolation measures that restricted facetoface work and teaching at schools and universities ultimately made this generation’s social interaction more difficult.
Experts point out that these limitations have impacted Gen Z’s ability to form and maintain friendships, which is an ongoing challenge for these young people.
The pandemic has disrupted Gen Z social relationships
Joyce Chuinkam, senior research manager at Los Angelesbased market research agency Talk Shoppe, noted that friendships have suffered from a lack of consistency during the pandemic.
In interviews with Millennials and Gen Z, Chuinkam examined the impact of the pandemic restrictions on their friendships. Responses indicated that the volatility of social relationships undermined these generations’ ability to form and maintain solid friendships.
Miriam Kirmayer, clinical psychologist and friendship expert, pointed out that shared and constant experiences such as school and work are crucial for the formation of friendships in Generation Z.
Many young adults of this generation entered the workforce without the opportunity to make friends in traditional ways, such as at school. These young people have to deal with the good and bad experiences they may have.
These social experiences are fundamental to the formation of the individual, a process that has been undermined during the pandemic. As such, Gen Z may face difficulties related to “first moments”.
This lack of social “probation” has resulted in a failure to develop essential social skills that are now needed in the postpandemic era.
Gen Z realized that many of the skills needed to make friends and build strong relationships weren’t properly acquired.
Based on these findings, a study conducted by Janice McCabe, an associate professor of sociology at Dartmouth College, pointed to behavior considered “antisocial” among college students.
Developed through interviews over several years, the study found that the pandemic was negatively impacting participants’ ability to maintain existing friendships and make new ones.
The lack of facetoface social interactions during this challenging time has significantly impacted students’ social lives.