Young people in Generation Z, those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, face a lack of discussion skills, according to Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon. Ms Mahon raised concerns about this generation’s ability to manage disagreements in the workplace at the Royal Television Society Congress in Cambridge. She attributed this development in part to the fact that young people had less contact with people with different opinions during the pandemic.

Impact of short videos: Changing communication among Gen Z

According to the Daily Mail, Mahon emphasized that many of these young people are finding it difficult to accept and discuss different opinions in the wake of the pandemic. A large part of this development is attributed to the intensive use of short videos on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. This is not just a challenge for the workplace, but also a fundamental change in the way young people perceive communication and the exchange of opinions.

“Yips” phenomenon: Young generation and the loss of control due to algorithms

Many young people today are less tolerant of other people’s views than previous generations, according to research conducted by Channel 4, as reported by the Daily Mail. The study called this phenomenon the “Rise of the Young Illiberal Progressives,” or “Yips.” Additionally, Ms. Mahon presented new research that shows many young people associate their heavy consumption of short-form media content with a feeling of loss of control. The reason: If algorithms determine which content is consumed, this could lead to a feeling of loss of control among users.

Brits in video fever: over five hours of daily consumption

Finally, Ms Mahon pointed out an interesting development in media consumption in the UK: people there spend more than five hours a day watching video. The use of short video content has increased, as has the consumption of longer formats, and gaming is also increasing, according to the Daily Mail.