Gen Z really does have it that bad

The god awful hand they've been dealt just keeps getting worse

At least once a year I’m asked by commissioning editors to dump on Gen Z. “Could you write about how they’re all lazy brats who don’t want to go back to the office?,” demanded one.

They’re stunned when I decline, and are awkwardly silent when I explain that I’ve long been sympathetic towards Zoomers. To them the 15 to 29 year olds are an easy punchline. A whole generation that can be branded entitled and addicted to screens. They seem to overlook that it’s a more accurate description for boomers, but hey.

What they all miss is that on almost every measure Gen Z have had it rough. And their lot is getting worse.

Last week The Sunday Times revealed that up to 5.8 million Gen Z graduates and students in the UK are trapped in a student debt spiral. Those who took out loans to pay for tuition and living costs between 2012 and 2023 are discovering that because of soaring inflation their debt is growing faster than they can repay it. The only exceptions are those earning more than £66,000/$89…