Episode: 571

Episode Title: Why Gen Z Craves Connection

Gen Z are digital natives who crave a true human connection—and they won’t move forward without it. Here’s why, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 571 show:

This is The Perna Syndicate and I’m your host, Mark Perna. How connected do you feel with the young people in your life? This could be at home, in the classroom, or at work. Is there an actual connection there, or not so much?

Gen Z is the first generation that will not move forward without a human connection. They just won’t. They have to know that the authority figures in their lives are on their side—that we care about them as people—before they’ll throw their heart and soul into whatever we’re asking them to do. 

When I talk about human connection, I mean a face-to-face, belly-to-belly moment of contact that leaves both sides feeling seen, heard, and valued. What makes this challenging is that Gen Z interprets connection somewhat differently than other generations. 

Part of this is due to the digital world they’ve grown up in. Because of the fragmented connections of social media, young people are craving a relationally genuine, fully human connection—whether they realize it or not. 

This is why they’re silently asking three questions of every adult who is part of their life in some way. Do you see me? Do you hear me? And finally, do I matter?

If they feel that the answer to any one of these questions is no, they’re gone. We’ve lost them. But the good news is, they respond quickly when we make the time to connect. 

This week, we’re going to talk about strategies to connect meaningfully with our Gen Z children, students, and coworkers. See you tomorrow for more on The Perna Syndicate!