Have some sympathy for Gen Z

Every generation thinks it has it harder than anyone else, but Generation Z — the young people who are now graduating from college and enter [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( [Gen Z Really Does Have It Harder Than Millennials]( — Allison Schrager Every generation thinks it has it harder than anyone else, but Generation Z — the young people who are now graduating from college and entering the labor market — may actually have a point. Photographer: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images A few months ago I saw [a tweet]( from a professor who wrote that when he taught in Lebanon at the American University of Beirut, one of his students complained that her parents “have no idea how complicated and stressful the world has become.” When he pointed out that her parents had lived through the Lebanese Civil War, she said, “Yeah, but we have like the internet and stuff.” It sounds absurd, but Gen Z actually does have it harder than previous generations — even if not on par with a violent civil war. Their college and high-school lives were rocked by the Covid pandemic and now, just as they’re trying to get their careers going, they’re entering an uncertain economy where a recession is likely. Both of these experiences can have a lasting impact. Graduating during a recession can mean lower earnings for decades. And a Covid-dominated college term robbed them of important socialization and the chance to learn how to manage their time and interact with adults. Thriving in today’s economy is still possible, but to do so, young people are going to need to let go of the idea that they have been taught from birth that the world is unforgiving and allows no room for mistakes. Read the [whole thing](. [A Rocket Just Made China’s Juggling Act Even Trickier]( — Clara Ferreira Marques [FTX’s Balance Sheet Was Bad]( — Matt Levine [Only the US Can End the Ukraine War and Protect Europe]( — Max Hastings [Sam Bankman-Fried’s Apology Is as Hollow as His Empire]( — Lionel Laurent [If China Invaded Taiwan, What Would India Do?]( — Hal Brands [Mass Layoffs in Big Tech Are an Old-Guard Mistake]( — Stephen Mihm [Trump Reminds Republicans He’s Not Going Away]( — Timothy L. O’Brien [UK Housing Market Is Getting Desperate Once Again]( — Merryn Somerset Webb [Republicans Really Do Have Plenty to Celebrate]( — Ramesh Ponnuru FYI [Opinions]( exist in other places, too, including: - [YouTube]( and [Apple Podcasts]( (or your favorite audio platform) - [Instagram]( - [TikTok]( - [LinkedIn]( - And still on [Twitter](, until further notice. This is the Weekend Edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a roundup of the most popular stories Bloomberg Opinion published this week based on web readership. Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022