One in four Gen Zs are scared to handshake.
A survey found 24% of people aged from 14 and 29 report getting social anxiety from the traditional greeting. We asked two of our resident Gen Zers their thoughts.
Are those snubbing handshakes right? Yes, argues Abena Oppon, and no says Oscar Stevens…
Abena, 23:
The reports of Gen Zs social inadequacies have been greatly exaggerated. As a member of Gen Z, I find that the majority of us conduct ourselves in a professional manner, even if handshaking is not part of that deal.
Besides, handshaking is often awkward. It elicits all sorts of mental panic: who puts their hand out first, how long do you shake for, and of course, how firmly do you grip?
It’s used as an antiquated display of dominance between men. When you’re a woman it’s even worse – it’s basically a given that one of you will either embarrass the other.
The people that encompass the 24% of the statistic likely haven’t had a job or been in a scenario that requires handshaking. Youth unemployment is the highest it’s been since Covid, when current 14-year-olds were in primary school and those born in 1997 were barely in the workforce.
Many of us entered the pandemic as children and left it as adults, where we suddenly were not even allowed to touch each other, so many of us were not given that transitionary period.
Nobody taught us how to shake hands.
Oscar, 24:
My generation are renown for pushing against tradition that has stood for centuries before them. But Gen Zs being scared to handshake? Come on!?
They are the basis on which deals are made, congratulations are given and very British goodbyes are said. Sure, Gen Zers were social distancing (thank you, Covid) during their formative years. But five years have passed since then, and judging by how eager Gen Zs are to plaster themselves online, it’s astounding that the human touch appears so petrifying.
Overcoming fear is part of adulthood. And overcoming a fear of handshakes is part of growing up.
If we acknowledge that people are too scared to handshake, are we accepting childlike behaviour? If so, what next? Celebrities hiding behind their parents because they are too shy, the G7 conducting negations over Snapchat group because they can’t disagree in person?
It is just all nonsense. As a fully-fledged member of Gen Z myself, I understand that the world we live in is very different and frankly a lot more difficult than that of our parents. But when stats like this come in, it makes us seem like a generation of mopes and losers. So please for the sake of the rest of us Gen Z, that 25%… GROW UP!
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