Video summary
In his reflection on generational shifts, Simon Sinek observes that while Gen Z shares many similarities with Millennials regarding technology and parenting styles, they possess distinct advantages in emotional intelligence. He notes that younger parents are more aware of over-coddling their children—a mistake often attributed to Millennial upbringing—and are consequently better at affirming emotions and allowing kids the space to struggle. Unlike the previous generation, which was frequently criticized for being slackers who voiced opinions without taking action, Sinek characterizes Gen Z as a true activist generation. They do not merely complain; they strike, protest, speak out, vote, and even run for office at young ages like 25. While there is debate over their methods, Sinek praises their willingness to take accountability and make sacrifices regarding issues that scare or bother them across the political spectrum. Despite these positive strides in activism and emotional awareness, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning technology addiction and social isolation. Sinek acknowledges that device usage among children has become a common knowledge issue where companies hijack dopamine systems, but he emphasizes that this is not solely the fault of Gen Z but rather a result of parents granting unfettered access to devices too early. He argues that while awareness of these issues has grown thanks to research by experts like Jonathan Haidt and an understanding of dopamine addiction, the core struggle for Gen Z is loneliness exacerbated by digital isolation and the rise of AI friends. To combat this, Sinek highlights a promising initiative led by Alix, founder of Clicks, who created in-person events and developed an app designed to encourage users to spend less time on it while fostering real-world friendships among young people struggling to connect during college or high school years. Sinek also addresses the critical mistakes older generations made that Millennials should avoid repeating, specifically focusing on "rugged individualism" and a misaligned view of business purpose. He argues against building companies primarily for investors in public markets or venture capital firms, asserting instead that businesses must exist to benefit customers by making their lives easier or more enjoyable. When this customer-centric approach is followed, employees will naturally love the mission they serve, which ultimately leads to investor success. Sinek laments how incentive structures have shifted away from team achievement toward individual glory and critiques the modern version of capitalism as a distortion of Adam Smith's original vision in *The Wealth of Nations*. He traces this shift back to Milton Friedman and Jack Welch at GE during the 1980s and 90s, warning that while capitalism itself is good, its current iteration has strayed too far from being customer-focused. Ultimately, Sinek concludes with a message of cautious optimism for the future driven by Gen Z's attentiveness and activism. He believes that if society can help this generation forge genuine human connections despite technological barriers, there is hope for overcoming their struggles with loneliness. His advice to them mirrors his earlier counsel: focus on building authentic relationships rather than relying solely on digital interactions or artificial intelligence companionship. By correcting the course of business culture away from investor-first models and toward customer service, and by encouraging young people to engage in tangible activism rather than passive complaining, Sinek sees a path forward where both generations can learn from each other's mistakes while leveraging Gen Z's unique strengths as action-oriented changemakers who are ready to run for office and lead meaningful change.
Read the full video transcript
talking about groups, reflecting on the
millennial question nearly 10 years
later now. Has it been that long? Eight
years. Wow. Time flies. Given that that
was a wild day. I remember that. Well,
those millennials have grown up now.
What advice would you give to Gen Z who
are dealing with a different but
challenging climate? So, uh,
a a lot of the things I said in that
original commentary are still true.
I think Gen Z is different than
millennials.
Uh, in many way many ways the same. I
mean from the technology standpoint,
some of the parenting strand standpoint,
um I think where they have where they
have an advantage is I think their
parents, especially the the ones who are
a little younger now. Um are more aware
of overcodling their kids, which is the
mistake that millennial parents made,
right? So we're better at affirming
emotions. We're betting at kids
allowing, you know, to to struggle, you
know, things like that. Where they are
very different than millennials and the
original criticisms of millennials,
which is millennials were accused of
being slackivists back in their day when
they were younger, which is they love to
they'd love to go on Twitter and tell
you their opinion
while they're sitting in the back of an
Uber on their way to brunch, right? Like
they didn't do anything. They didn't
show up, right? where Gen Z are an
activist generation. They don't just
complain, they strike, they protest,
they speak out, they vote, they run for
office. We're having all these young
kids running for office, you know, these
25 year olds running for office.
Um, and they're they're much more
actionoriented for the things that are
scaring them or bothering them on all
sides of the political aisles. And I
think that's a good thing.
um they're taking accountability.
Whether we disagree with, you know, with
how they're doing it, that's debatable.
That's fine. But but they're but they're
making sacrifices and they're putting
themselves out there, which I think is
great.
Uh the technology addiction is still a
thing, but I think it's a thing for all
of us. I think it's pronounced when kids
grow up with it because they don't know
any different. And again, it's not their
fault. It's parents. parents who give
unfettered access to a device when a
child is young, they're setting
themselves up for some real challenges
later. I think there's lots of data now.
When when we when I was first talking
about it with millennials, it sounded
like sort of whiny, you know, lite
adults, but now you Jonathan height has
written about it extensively and there's
lots and lots of data on it now that
it's and we all know what a we all know
what dopamine is. We all know what a
dopamine addiction is. We all know that
the social media companies are hijacking
our dopamine system. We all know it.
It's like common knowledge now, right?
So, I think the awareness that they have
is good, but the advice is the same,
which is and I think what what Gen Z is
struggling with more than probably
millennials is the loneliness question.
Um, and I think partially because of
technology and isolation and because I
can have a friend online.
Uh, and now the rise of AI friends,
that's going to be a whole new thing.
Um, but I I I'm gonna double down on
what I've said before, which is if we
can find ways to help them make friends.
And I'm meeting young people who are
still in college,
um, or just graduating high school or
college, and the thing that they're
reporting is they really struggled to
make friends when they were in college.
And but again, they're an activist
generation, right? So like there's one I
there's at least one I know. Um, her
name's Alix. She started a company
called Clicks where in full disclosure I
I met Alix and I fell in love with her
mission and I I I
advised her and made a small investment.
So just for full disclosure but uh but
basically she started a company to help
young people make friends cuz she
struggled to make friends and the way
she does it is by in-person events and
she's very open how she has started an
app that she wants people to spend less
and less time on her app which is like
you tell that to an investor that you
know that's horrible. Um, so I I think
I'm I'm I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful because
they are so attentive. I'm hopeful for
the future because of this young
generation. What are the mistakes of
older generations that millennials
should not repeat?
So the doubling down on rugged
individualism.
one
uh u uh
the concept of
business existing for the benefit of an
investor whether it's a public markets
or venture capitalist. No, the business
exists to give something of benefit to a
customer, make their lives easier, make
it more fun, take them on a journey,
whatever it is, it doesn't matter. And
if you do that, the investors will win.
But you don't build a company for an
investor.
You build a company for a customer and
you make the employees love the mission
that they're on to serve those
customers. I hope they undo that
ridiculous mentality that is pervasive
in business today.
Um, I think one of the some of the
things that they I'm you know the rugged
individualism one is crazy and all and
you can see how we've built incentive
structures that are all about individual
achievement and not about team or group
achievement.
Um so I I I I don't want them to repeat
those mistakes that they have an
opportunity to rein business is not this
is not how business always capitalism as
Adam Smith imagined it when he wrote
about it in the wealth of nations wasn't
what we have now
he was customer focused he was employee
focused
and it was Jack Welch the CEO of GE back
in the 80s and 90s and an economist
named Milton Freriedman that made
capitalism what it is today. So,
capitalism is good, just not this
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