Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future

by Jean M. Twenge

After spending much of their formative years on Zoom, Gen Z favors choice and flexibility. “I actually love going into the office—it feels more organic,” said Ginsey Stephenson (b. 1999). “But I don’t know how anyone went into the office every day.” Recent college graduate Sam Purdy says he doesn’t want to be “stuffed in a cubicle” every day. “You’re going to see us prioritize things other than work and push back on things like [having] to be in the office.” When David Gross (b. 1981) announced to his advertising agency employees in 2021 that they would be returning to the office full-time, they responded with complete silence. “Is the policy mandatory?” asked one young man. After working from home during the pandemic, the idea of getting dressed in business attire, commuting to an office, and staying there for eight hours five days a week sounds exhausting to many.