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What have other generations done compared to Generation Z that makes us qualify as lazy? Sure, we have not undergone a World War, the need to physically roll up a window or trade out a flip phone for a smartphone, but these things do not make Gen Z the laziest generation.  

       Our generation is tech-savvy, which is a great positive. We are basically built to be on technology 24 hours a day.   

We understand a healthy work life balance better than other generations. We prioritize our physical, mental health and overall well-being. We value diversity and cultures that set themselves apart from each other. We are extremely curious about how the world works and want the best for ourselves and our future. We still have a strong work ethic, even if it looks a little different than it used to.   

Grand View University’s football team recently won a National Championship. E.J. Peterson attended GVU back in 2009 as a student athlete for the football team. Today, Peterson is the head football coach for the GVU Vikings. Peterson talked about what it takes for a team to work as hard as they did, from his experience playing on the field, to coaching on the sidelines.   

“I had a great experience playing football here and [attending] university in general,” Peterson said. “I got done playing… I fell in love with the coaching side of things and took off from there.”   

Peterson was very fond of his time at GVU, so it encouraged his return to the university in a different way. The Vikings football team brought back the NAIA National Championship Title in December 2024. 

“It was an incredible season. I can’t say enough great things about [the team]. They embodied coming in every day and trying to get a little bit better. The work they put in, not just for themselves, but you want to talk about a team who truly put their team first,” Peterson said.   

Gen Z is stereotyped for many things, but this Gen Z Vikings football team is anything but lazy.   

Another stereotype Gen Z is widely known for is being super involved in social media. This stereotype may or may not be entirely true, it all depends on the person. Many people have social media. There are influencers, friends, family, strangers and news outlets. This creates dopamine, a chemical reaction in our brain that makes us feel good.   

“[Gen Z] have a lot of information available to them twenty-four seven. So much stuff that gets thrown at them constantly. It’s easy to get lost in that information, but I also think there is a different way of learning. It’s a lot more fast paced because that information is so readily available,” Peterson said. 

Dopamine within fast-paced media can provide us with a sort of addiction. Like a drug, social media can get us hooked whether we want it to or not. This side effect can cause emotions such as anxiety and depression. At the rate we find out about new information or observe all sorts of content in huge portions, these side effects can affect us more than before. Being raised on technology can make it hard to break this habit.   

GVU football student athlete, senior Brady Duwa, shared what it’s like learning to adapt to the side effects of social media.   

“I think a big part of it is learning when to shut [my phone] off. It doesn’t matter what you do, there’s going to be people who see the other side and talk down on it. It’s part of it. It can be a tool, but as big of a tool as it can be, it can be just as much of a negative,” Duwa said.   

As a Gen Z athlete, Duwa understands his priorities and technology limits at such a young age when it comes to addictive dopamine exposure. Other Gen Z individuals probably could not say the same as Duwa. According to The Harris Poll, 82% of all young Gen Z adults associate the word social media with addiction. Not only do their minds go straight to that, 34% of them admit to social media becoming a habit. It can get exhausting experiencing life, juggling tasks and feeding into social media addiction at such a young age.   

Peterson understands the stress a student athlete can experience while taking care of exams, homework assignments, performance during practice and games and the anxiety technology can give anyone at any age.   

“I think it’s important that we give [athletes] 48 hours off. To recharge their batteries, work on school, have a social life. I think it’s important for those guys to be able to do that. Not just from a mental health standpoint, but to being a well-rounded student athlete,” Peterson said.   

Getting a mental break from so many things going on at once is important, but especially to Gen Z. Our generation values working when they are most productive. This seems like an extremely simple concept. This idea is not only true for the classroom but in the office.  

Gen Z has entered the workforce. Our idea of a balanced lifestyle helps us prioritize our jobs, lives and relationships. Having the opportunity to take more time off and work from home creates a healthy atmosphere for our minds and overall health. We utilize this opportunity to be versatile, not lazy. We went through the COVID-19 pandemic, so a lot of us already know the expectations for getting our work done while at home. Gen Z wants to work to make a living, but not to work our lives away. Gen Z wants to survive, be happy, healthy and satisfied with our values and priorities. Other generations value a great salary and make sacrifices to work more, which is great. Gen Z should not be classified as lazy just because we prioritize things differently compared to other generations.   

“My mind always goes back to advancements in everything. I wouldn’t say the work ethic has fallen off, but things don’t take as long as they did before. There’s the same amount of work to be done, but now it can all get done quicker,” Duwa said.   

Another stereotype Gen Z has under their belt is that they are lazy because we do not have to go through the same hardships as other generations did.   

Gen Z cannot be blamed for being born into a world with so many advancements. Gen Z is a computer literate demographic. Gen Z can work remotely, enjoy streaming a series or movie on their television or mobile device, and communicate constantly by sharing text messages with our friends or posting videos and photos on Instagram and Snapchat. Duwa made a good point about having the same amount of work that needs to get done, but in the world we live in, things can get accomplished much faster than ever before with the technological advancements that have been made over the past twenty years.   

“A thing about what all those other generations went through, one generation started with two world wars and a great depression, it kind of dwindled down over time. We’ve been pretty lucky to not have to go through the hardship that some past generations did,” Duwa said.   

He is right. Gen Z would not be Gen Z without those sacrifices. They are thankful for the things people did before them to get society to where it is today. But not everything we do for ourselves should be given credit to another generation.   

“As soon as we lost the year before, going into that offseason, no one was very happy that we ended the season. That off season, the whole off season… there were so much more extra things done. We were working for something more,” Duwa said.  

The Vikings came back this past season and won a National Championship with an all Gen Z team. That should prove that an entire generation is not lazy.   

GVU Wrestling Coach Nick Mitchell knows a lot about a sport that involves hard work and discipline. Mitchell shared his thoughts of Gen LaZy.   

“I don’t think Gen Z is any lazier than any other generation. Most people are pretty lazy inherently in my opinion regardless of generation. Part of my job is to help motivate them [athletes] to be better in all aspects of their lives,” Mitchell said.   

Individuals are a product of their surroundings. If their friends are lazy, they will become that way too. If that is the only way people see life to be, they will believe and repeat what they witness.   

“Surround yourself with driven, motivated people and that will rub off on you. That’s part of why a championship culture is so important to teams and organizations,” Mitchell said.    

Not only does this quote apply to an athlete, but anyone. While in the classroom, in the gym, with your loved ones or in the office, it is important to have a championship mindset. With this mindset comes hard work and dedication. Despite all the stereotypes that suggest Gen Z is lazy, it is simply not the case. A champion mindset is not difficult for Gen Z to acquire, especially here on campus. Afterall, the GVU Vikings football team came home with the National Champion win.