Gen Z and the Fogeys: Navigating the Digital Future Together

The Digital Divide

This digitally savvy generation live in a world many of us are struggling to keep up with as technology has changed the way we go about everything. The digital tracks in the silicon sand seem to lead to a future with no discernible landmarks and where our footprints, although invisible, expose our very DNA.

Gen Z seem completely unfazed by this while us Fogeys visualise a dystopian world run by self-interested lunatics influencing our every move, thought, decision, opinion, and taste. Gen Z will ultimately have the opportunity to influence how the tech is used and might yet protect our hard-won endeavours in the inevitable scramble for power.

That digital platforms wield mind-bending clout over our political, social, and working lives, terrifies those of us who value freedom, autonomy, and privacy. As the tech re-wires our neural networks we lose even the illusion of being masters of our own destiny and risk becoming mere quarks in the AI machinery.

Stars and black holes

Having a digital intermediary between us and the world, relegates us to becoming our own interfaces, fed by algorithms, avatars, and information sink wells - tools to dig narcissistic black holes that risks burying the marvellous, magical world of critical thinking, human collaboration, and diverse perspectives.

Although AI may be clever, expecting it to respond with insightful spiritual, nuanced or subtle understandings can only lead to what has recently been termed ‘AI psychosis’ and a loneliness that runs deeper than the unfathomable data lakes our activity produces. Although not financing this ‘ship of fools’ Gen Z might yet steer it to safe port – but only if they can read the stars and not rely on pirates for navigation.

Inter-generational collaboration

The importance of our social contracts, personal freedoms, an independent press, academic enquiry, global collaboration, environmental health, historical precedent and our creative spirit needs to be understood to be valued. These insights are best shared through inter-generational collaboration, which is our best tool for informing the design of any meaningful, earth-centric future.

When Gen Z understand the value, meaning, beauty and magic of the humanities and how hard-won our human dignity has been, they will become alert to unprincipled developments that emulate our consciousness, simulate our faculties, and hobble our creative spirit.

They can also help us Fogeys to engage with and use the tech that is necessary to our comfort and might boost our own life/work development. Overcoming the fear, understanding the concepts, and discovering the wonderous applications can enhance our lives in ways we are yet to conceive.

Navigational ethics

Although Gen Z are principled, ethical, sensible, and sensitive and have a dynamic moral conscience, we can help them utilise our collective wisdoms to mitigate the noise of a vacuous and cacophonous media and the self-interest of extremists of all persuasions. Gen Z might may not be able to apply ethics to AI yet, but they might put a spoke in the wheel of those who don’t.

Like the Millennials before them, Gen Z are focussed on having purpose, autonomy and life-balance, so let’s empower them to humanise the work experience and retain their equitable worldview, The balance of power is overdue a correction and the threats and opportunities this generation face have extreme consequences for us all.

Purpose and power

While we Fogeys were wired to the moon in our twenty’s (I speak for myself), Gen Z are wired to start-up funding, crypto currency, and business platforms. They are riding the wave of innovative technology and making it work for them. Being the most informed and connected generation yet, they can work for anyone and from anywhere. One downside is that the international organisations they often work for are unconstrained by any domestic employment law so although the salaries might be high, the costs are too.

The young, skilled, and educated want to work for organisations where their individual purpose aligns with collective goals. Organisations that offer a fulfilling work experience, career progression and a vested interest will harness the talent, skill, and flex to compete in this fast-changing world. Once Gen Z are embedded, they are better able to hold leadership to account in protecting our environment, our sanity and our joy.