I was asked, “What do you think about Gen Z? What kind of impact do you think Gen Z will have on society?” I wonder.

Generation Z refers to the generation born between 1996 and 2010.

I don’t usually think of people in terms of generations, but when I was suddenly asked that question, what came to mind was that Gen Z is “social native” in two senses.

It goes without saying that technological changes and social conditions have a significant impact on our lifestyles and ways of thinking, but Gen Z is a “social generation” in the sense that they are adept at using “social media” and are interested in “social issues.”

When I look at this generation—who have been connected to society and the world from birth—I sense that they have extremely high ICT literacy and feel a close connection to the world. These sharp-witted kids, referring to a student from the slightly older generation who sparked an online backlash due to a youthful mistake,“We don’t want to end up like that, do we? We’re careful about that,” I’m surprised by their level-headed comments. Having witnessed these online backlashes firsthand, they’re well aware of the risks. I frequently encounter children who are striving to use technology in a down-to-earth way. It goes without saying that the growing popularity of services where posts disappear after a certain period is because they don’t want their content to remain online forever.

From a young age, they’ve always had a vast amount of information at their fingertips—real-time information from both Japan and abroad, right at this very moment. They look up anything and everything on the spot.The sheer volume of information available to them is worlds apart from what previous generations—those from the Showa era and earlier—learned from books in school as children. Moreover, they don’t just acquire information; they sense its reality and even have the means to actively participate in it. It feels as though their sense of connection to the world and society is entirely different.Perhaps because they have a global perspective, they’re also highly attuned to issues of diversity and inclusivity. Just the other day, I came across a group of close friends—girls in the lower grades of elementary school—having a heartwarming conversation: “Let’s get married when we grow up. From now on, girls can marry each other, you know.”

Generation Z is a generation that grew up during the 30 years of stagnation following the collapse of the economic bubble. I think it’s only natural for a generation that has known nothing but social challenges to take an interest in social issues. Their perspective is likely quite different from that of the generation that experienced industrial success in the midst of the Showa-era economic boom.When we hold programming contests, we receive numerous proposals aimed at solving social issues—even though that’s not the specific theme we’ve set. These include eco-friendly services, simulators to alleviate traffic congestion, and so on. Watching these children proactively engage with social issues and actively strive to make a difference in society makes me feel ashamed of my own childhood.The movement by U.S. high school students calling for gun control may be symbolic in a sense. Young people know that the information they share has the power to move society. They know that technology can solve problems, that they can rally peers through social media, and that they can raise funds through crowdfunding. If the barriers to taking on challenges are getting lower, that’s a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

I wonder if the pandemic will make people even more socially conscious? After all, we’ve had a clear-cut experience showing us that society won’t get better if people just pursue their own self-interest.

The transition to the Reiwa era, the shift in technology from IT to AI and IoT, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Just as we were beginning to sense signs of change—breaking through a sense of stagnation—the coronavirus struck. This made us realize that, despite all the buzz about “Society 5.0,” we may not have even reached “Society 4.0” yet.Plagued by the “Three Cs” everywhere, we are facing the sad reality that we had completely failed to implement the very things that should have been achieved in Society 4.0—such as remote work, online education, and telemedicine.Perhaps the “New Normal” is nothing more than Society 4.0. However, I am curious to see how Generation Z—who are digitally native and are finally experiencing Society 4.0 and the “New Normal”—will envision Society 5.0.

Children who have grown up with online education, learning from home as schools remain closed. Children who are “cashless natives,” receiving their allowance via digital payments. Children who are “sharing natives,” shopping on Mercari. Children who are “telework natives,” having grown up watching their parents work from home. Isn’t it inevitable that a fundamental shift in values will emerge from these children, who are living in an era where what was once taken for granted is no longer the norm?

I’m at a loss for how to answer the question I was asked: “What kind of impact do you think Gen Z will have on society?” That’s because Gen Z is the one that will shape the future of society in the first place.

The key is how quickly we can delegate authority to that generation. I want to think about how we can empower Gen Z to thrive.

It seems that my rambling remarks about my impressions of Gen Z were featured in a commentary in yesterday’s Nikkei newspaper. I’m truly humbled.

https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO59536570V20C20A5TCR000/