A millennial woman's surprise discovery about how Gen Z are educated has sparked discussion among viewers online.
The woman, who is known on TikTok as @millennialcorpmom, shared her shock at one stark difference between her schooling experience and that of many people in Gen Z: the absence of formal computer classes. The video, posted to the platform on October 19, has since gone viral with over 75,000 views, sparking a lively debate among viewers from various demographic cohorts about whether they had computer classes and if not, why.
"I was thinking about how millennials were the generation that had to learn how to use computers in school, but since those things are not taught anymore, Gen Z and younger are expected to already know or learn somehow," the 37-year-old woman, who wants to keep her full identity private, told Newsweek.
The woman, who works in the tech industry near Boston, Massachusetts, told her digital audience that basic computer skills like using shortcuts for undoing and saving tasks—skills that were part of her school curriculum—are no longer formally taught to students.
She pondered whether this gap has significant implications for the workforce, as younger generations are expected to possess these competencies without structured education.
"Did you know that there's no more computer classes?" the woman asked viewers. "So millennials, we had computer class, and what we learned in computer class were things like control-Z undos and control-S saves.
"But kids don't have that anymore," she added.
The woman recounted a recent experience where she was hanging out with some Gen Z individuals who were unaware of these fundamental shortcuts.
"I found out about it because I was hanging out with some Gen Zers, and they said, 'Oh yeah, did you know that you can do control-Z and that undoes the last thing that you did?' And I jokingly said, 'Yeah, and then you just do control-S, and it saves,' and they were like, 'Really?'"
This anecdote led her to realize that Gen Z did not learn these skills through formal education but rather through what she termed as "osmosis." She wondered aloud how younger generations were expected to acquire these essential skills without structured lessons.
Her observations have struck a chord with many, highlighting an evolving educational landscape that some worry could be leaving students unprepared.
One viewer commented: "Gen Z CompSci grad here: there was a push for more tech-savvy people entering the workforce (see programmers), but that meant sacrificing computer literacy (it was assumed common knowledge). We now have a bunch of young people trying to find office jobs who can do amazing things with code and can bypass parental controls with their eyes closed, but balk at filling out a spreadsheet."
"Gen X here. You had to be taught Ctrl-Z in a class? In my class we were taught programming on punched-cards," another added.
"So you're saying that we millennials are responsible for teaching computer skills to both Boomers and Gen Z in the workplace? Awesome," a third viewer said.
Another added: "Older Gen Z here and we definitely had computer classes. We also learned how to make a game and it was part of our grade."
"This explains why I had to explain to a 21 year old how to screen snip at work," another said.
Another added: "Since when? I'm a teacher and I am pretty sure ICT lessons are still happening in primary classes at least. Because kids know how to use tablets and touch screen but typing and other fine motor skills."
The woman weighed in on the viral attention her candid video has received, saying that it has resonated widely because of a perceived generational skills gap due to Gen Z lagging behind when it comes to basic computer literacy.
The woman said: "This all strikes a chord because there is a gap there that is causing problems in the workforce, especially."
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