These days, I came across something that really caught my attention: according to research by The Harris Poll, millennials they need an annual amount of US$525 thousand (approximately R$2.5 million) to be happy. This amount is more than double that of generations Z and
And what is behind these figures, I wonder? It would be access to new and expensive technologies, such as smartphones e tablets? Would it be their immediate consumerism, as they are constantly impacted by advertisements on all screens and applications? However, there are other factors that justify the cost to this generation’s happiness.
The National Bureau of Economic Research says that individuals experience 70% of the overall growth in their wages during the first decade of their working lives. If this period coincides with a slowdown, which has actually happened in recent decades, it is likely that there will be a 9% reduction in the long term. The Retirement Research Center stated, in a survey carried out in 2021, that the generation between 28 and 38 years old had the lowest average wealth compared to average income in relation to any previous generation.
Bringing data from Brazil, a survey carried out by the consultancy Deloitte points out that the main concerns of Brazilians from generations Z and millennials These are unemployment, security and cost of living. This data can be confirmed by the simulation carried out by FIDUC which shows that, for a young person to live alone in Brazil, they need to have a net income of R$5,137.88 per month considering basic expenses such as rent, electricity, internet, food and healthcare. We are talking about a generation that faced major recessions, such as the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009 that impacted the world, and in Brazil, with the economic contraction that began in 2014 and was worsened by the pandemic.
By observing this data, I come to the conclusion that the unhappiness of millennials perhaps it is not only because of the connection with technology that they have experienced since birth or the immediacy characteristic of this generation, but rather the precepts, convictions, and mainly, decisions made by previous generations.
According to Bruce Tulgan, leadership consultant and author of the book What Every Young Talent Needs to Learnthe parents of these generations are those who always keep an eye on their children and run to their rescue at the first sign of trouble.
That’s why they have difficulty in the corporate world. They were used to being treated as customers, users of services and products delivered by authorities and institutions, including schools. They do not respect the authoritarian figure, unless they are won over by them, he says.
This results in another misfortune: professional. The time when people spent most of their adult lives in the same job is long gone. You millennials They do not see any justification in remaining for a long time working in a place where they do not feel valued, and where their functions do not meet their expectations and aspirations.
I get the feeling that generations baby boomers did not take on the responsibility of developing and transmitting their knowledge about the corporate world from generation to generation, in a way that contributed to the development of resilience, the ability to develop in more difficult environments and to deal with a knot of young people in the job market. work today.
I end my reflection with two questions for 2024: Aren’t previous generations at least partially responsible for the unhappiness of their children or grandchildren? And how much can this impact on companies’ costs?
* This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Adnews
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