Taboo IV - The Younger Generation

Product Information

So, how careful should workers of all stripes be about these posting trends? It’s a fine line to walk – and one that we may not yet know enough about. Along with not seeming supportive of employees, Kimberly O’Brien, an industrial-organisational psychologist and professor at Central Michigan University, says that any employer that decided to bring up an employee’s social media posts about mental health would be risking a messy legal battle. “Looking at an employee's social media and making a work decision based on what they post falls under employment law,” says O’Brien. Mom, you wouldn't believe how many people my age talk about mental health," she said. "It's not a taboo subject anymore. I know a lot of people at work and friends outside of work who see therapists or take medication for anxiety and depression." An increase in employer support for psychological wellness programmes may be a positive indicator that expression is increasingly acceptable. “It depends on where you look, but between 60% and 90% of workplaces have some sort of health promotion. And that may include stress reduction of some sort, and stress is just one part of mental health, but it's somewhere that they're moving,” says O’Brien. Idowu: I think it’s a massive and amazing tool for creativity, because you have to encapsulate so much in such a short space of time. What do you think of the rising awareness of mental health – and do you wish you had the same awareness when you were younger?

Both Hibbs and Strohschein express optimism that changes in how we discuss mental health, pioneered by millennials and taken further by Gen Z, will contribute to greater progress around both mental-health and disability accommodations. They suspect we’re reaching a moment of de-stigmatisation in which employer expectations around mental health are shifting, expedited in part by the coronavirus pandemic’s normalisation of disability accommodations.Richards: Absolutely not! [She looks horrified.] My sons aren’t gen Z, they’re in their 30s, but they can’t buy homes. House prices have been crazy over the past 20 years. The support and validation Selwood has received from strangers and family alike has made him less afraid of repercussions, including at work. “If, for instance, my boss sends me, ‘Oh, I’ve just seen your TikTok, for the clients, would you mind not posting about [it]?’ I'd literally be like, ‘No…’ It would be like someone expressing their love for the LGBTQ community and your boss telling you, ‘Can you please not talk about that, because I don’t think it’s appropriate?’ It is appropriate, because it is a fact of life. Everyone has mental health, just like we have physical health,” says Selwood. Idowu: I’m still partial to cola cubes. There’s a sweet shop in Greenwich that sells old-fashioned sweets. Whenever I pass it, I go in to buy some cola cubes. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you were 30? Their courage is just amazing’ ... Maggie Tata. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian Do you think young people are overly sensitive and privileged?

Gibson: I think they’re much more aware and have a greater empathy and understanding of people’s journeys. So I use words like sensitive in a positive way, not in a Piers Morgan snowflake way, because they’re not snowflakes. They’re resilient and adaptable and more aware of their world’s issues. Why do you hate selfies?

Tata: Oh God, that’s a good one. Invest, invest, invest! Multiple streams of income. That’s it. You can’t just have a nine-to-five job any more. You have to do lots and lots of different things. Idowu: Because the tyres might burst. What I mean by that is that we have to think ahead and plan for possible eventualities. A lot of generation Z, they leave everything to literally the last minute and don’t think about the possibility of anything going wrong. But we were brought up in a generation where things could go wrong. Technology wasn’t reliable. Cars weren’t as reliable. Electrical stuff wasn’t reliable. So we had to leave plenty of time in case things didn’t go right. That’s carried over in our attitude. How do you even use a paper map? Richards: Getting your foot on the property ladder if you possibly can is a good idea. Paying into a pension. It’s awfully boring and, of course, when you’re at that age, you never think you will need it, because you never think you will be old, but age does come. And travel. Meet new people, educate yourself about different cultures. That will set you up for being a decent, balanced person. However, Selwood says he’s not worried about the risks – and research suggests he’s not the only member of Gen Z who agrees.