Accra: Entertainment and communications expert George Quaye has pushed back against the popular narrative that Ghana's Gen Z youth are lazy, arguing that the generation is simply wired differently. Speaking on the Talk No Dey Cook Rice podcast, Quaye said the lazy label is unfair, noting that older generations have failed to adapt their communication to meet them where they are.
According to Ghana Web, Quaye emphasized that Gen Z has learned to do things easier, faster, and quicker, which has been mistaken for laziness. He recounted his own upbringing, contrasting it with the current generation's access to technology. "When I was growing up, I had a library at home. There were books that you had to actually open and read. We didn't have mobile phones. The people you're calling Gen Zs have mobile phones," he reflected.
Quaye highlighted that managers and employers who attempt to lead Gen Z workers using outdated approaches will consistently fail. He urged the older generation to learn effective communication methods. "If you are instructing a Gen Z with your kind of growing up process, it is not going to work. If there's a Gen Z working in your office and you want to give them an assignment, does that assignment come with a way to achieve it quicker, faster and easier? That is Gen Z," he explained.
Nevertheless, Quaye acknowledged a concerning sense of entitlement among some Gen Z individuals, noting their tendency to demand rewards without demonstrating competence. "I didn't grow up demanding things. I grew up earning things. But Gen Z demands even when they haven't shown the competence for what they are demanding. That is my only problem, but I don't find them lazy at all," he concluded.