The world is changing at an astonishing speed. We live in turbulent times. Social, educational, relational and work paradigms have been challenged. And to understand these confusing ups and downs we must look at the world in a radically different way. We must cross the threshold of our comfort zones to understand these last two letters of the alphabet, as the Y or millennial generations and the new gen Z are known. We will only understand them, assimilate change and be protagonists if we look at them beyond what they seem, knowing that within each of these people there is something interesting to discover. Only with an appreciative look will we manage to move deep springs in their hearts and see value in this new way of interacting with the world.

What interests them? What are their priorities? How do they see their future and what skills do they have? How do they communicate with the world? What are their values based on? Why is this leap not comparable to previous ones? Are classrooms, companies and society prepared for them? Fundamental questions, many still without reasonably convincing answers.

Gen Z members were six months old when the Twin Towers were attacked in New York, 13 years old when the economic crisis exploded and have practically grown up with an African-American President of the United States. They do not know landline telephone, spend more than four hours connected to social networks, use five screens at the same time, have unlimited access to real-time information, have a very short attention span and their social relationships are on network and are evidently more superficial. Gen Z, it seems, will force us to rethink or transform model educational . New experiments at teaching are heralding the end of lectures. The lecture is dead!

73% of Zs aged 8 to 11 use YouTube. In fact, 33% do their homework online. 79% of Zs aged 12-15 use a smartphone, more than 70% of 16-19 year olds use Instagram.

This generation represents 26% of the world's population. The data are disturbing. In the next 30 years, 40% to 50% of jobs will disappear and be automated, especially trade and office jobs. If anyone thinks this is not a revolution, please explain it to me. There is no way out of the impasse at the moment.
It is an evolving generation. It is a mobilized generation that wants to change the world. They aspire to be real agents of change. 26% do some volunteer activities and 76% are concerned about man's impact on the planet. A relevant fact, at least for me, is that 60% want a employment that has a positive impact on the world.

It is a generation that is evolving and that forces us to continue analyzing them, getting to know them, discovering their thoughts, habits, interests, values, behaviors, concerns, demands and expectations.

Only if we understand them and if we join the wave of change with commitment, with responsibility, with courage, accepting the challenges that come our way, with good sense, with greatness, generosity, integrity and trust, will we achieve a positive outcome. We will understand them if we are able to look at them and seduce them from inspiration, not from obligation, from affection and not from imposition, mainly from example. 72% of Zs do not intend to take orders from a boss, ever. They are willing to undertake and be their own bosses. The development of the Gig Economy (Economics collaborative) will help. Gen Z has written off the concept of a fixed work as dead.

Gen Z, even if they are not aware of it, is writing the story of the end of the world as we know it, driving deep and intense social changes. The rules of the game have changed, and as everything is mutating and it is not known if what is taught/learned now will be useful for the future, the core topic of change (in my opinion) is in reinforcing the training in competencies (virtues) to nurture critical thinking and fundamental values, and thus offer a broad perspective and integral vision to the person, which helps to build a fairer, more humane world and, above all, a better world.