- I hate mixing my social life with my work life, so I avoid company social events.
- Since graduating during the pandemic, most of my education and work life has been virtual.
- I like to maintain a separation between the two worlds because it feels more natural.
When I got the Slack notification for a social event at work, there was a little pull in my brain. I had an immediate reaction, “no,” followed by a quick brainstorming session of possible excuses and plausible illnesses I could fake.
It wasn’t the result of shunning or disdain for my company or my colleagues; I am fortunate to work with a wonderful group of people in an easy-going organization where I feel respected and valued. They are a pleasure to work with, and I sincerely value my interactions with them – but only at work.
The prospect of mixing the work and social worlds gives me a headache. I can see myself in a decorated conference room washing down a food taco with a tepid white claw; I feel like my head might explode.
I can only speak for myself, but I think many generals my age would agree that we just aren’t built to blend our work and social worlds. We are wired differently, which I attribute to the strange context in which we began our careers.
Older generations mixed their work and social life
My late maternal grandfather was the director of creative services for State Farm. I grew up on stories of him and his co-workers gathering at that Playboy club in Chicago for cigars, steaks and a glass.
When I was young, it wasn’t unusual for my parents to come home late from a work social or happy hour. They both graduated from college in the early 90s and grew their careers through nearly two decades of boom.
It was actually because of the relationship my father developed with his boss that his job was saved and we were spared the worst of the recession in 2008. So maybe I should eat my words.
But my education and work are virtual now
Gen Z is entering the workforce at an important time. The pandemic wiped out the last two years of my college life—just when I had solidified my friend groups and was getting into building a network.
I graduated in 2021 when the world was still seemingly waiting. No one was hiring, so I freelanced. After a year, I did well enough to move out of my parents’ house. My current full-time job was offered to me through a long-term freelance partner and I was never formally interviewed.
All freelance work was also done remotely. Although I go into the office a few times a month for my current gig, I’m still mostly remote.
The end result is a natural barrier between work and my social life. Work exists on my laptop through e-mail, idle texting, and occasional visits to the office. Though I sometimes wish it weren’t, seeing it bleed into my social world can feel unnatural.
Building a social life at work is not my priority
I tell my father that his company should sell all its real estate, fire up the branded railroads and company cars, and give everyone a raise. I do this mainly to get a raise from him, but also because I struggle with excessive company expenses of all kinds, including after-hours social events.
For us Gen Zers, I would argue that our unique upbringing has made us an efficient generation. We will work in the office if it makes us more productive, but we can easily switch to remote work to save money and travel time. When telecommuting gets in the way, we learn how to ballroom dance.
Gen Z likes flexibility. We are deeply conscious of the economy of time. With so much time already devoted to work, it can be hard to justify a few extra hours by having a stressed-out company talk to loud music in a bowling alley or escape room. I’d rather budget that time at concerts with people I can banter with.
I would rather create great working relationships through productive collaboration and great discussions. So for now, I will avoid all company social events.
I work for my money, but I will not work for a social life.