A new animal / Not GenZ, but Generation COVID-19

Coaching from Sub-Zero for post pandemic / Session 2, Spring 2023 (14th March 2023)

I sincerely hope that I am too pessimistic, but it seems a reality.

Credit; Hiro Nakagawa

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I had only small class settings during the COVID-19 year and this school year (2022–23) was the first large class session experience for undergraduates; To find the mindset of students have been dramatically changed. Talked to the other Zemi member who are in the similar generation, but they all comment that “Now they are different animals.” Yes, COVID-19 generation.

<Deep Dependency>

Currently I am conducting Job-Hunting Zemi as mentioned at Session 1 this year. But Students had experience to take class mainly through Zoom and no proactive program (as they say), it looks like all action they take are always passive and they wait until “someone” guide them. I always advise them that “Your future must be driven by yourselves, and no one (indeed including their parents) can not guarantee your future. Please learn from your Alumni who stand up by their own feet and create their future”. Some came to my place in Tokyo and tried some field study. Got huge impact to change their mindset,,,, but most of them are still in the middle of straggling.

But! Observed the other cases, some already break through from the freshman year of undergraduates and could find their own way to survive in this tough world.

This may sound strange in the Bay area where this Medium web locates, but I found this tendency may be one of the largest risk for Japan to be late to recover from “the lost 30 years”.

<Away from AYOR (At Your Own Risk)>

The point above drives more heavily on Japanese mentality that someone or the central government would take care at last, which is away from AYOR (making decision at your own risk). Considering most of the current issues at this country, I am finding this aspect is the largest route cause of the most of the issues. Again, it looks very strange from friends in the Bay Area.

I always analyze that we have three ways of decision making: