That’s so extra! Over-45s use Gen Z jargon to deal with the kids at work, survey shows
Does your use of modern slang hit so different that they are targets? Or are you just basic?
Older workers are increasingly using Generation Z phrases like these to connect with their younger colleagues, a study found.
More than one in three middle-aged people say they use the language of those new to the workplace to fit in. And even one in four over-65s has adapted their vocabulary to the young.
The research doesn’t register whether the over-45s’ efforts actually work, or whether Gen Z — teens to their mid-20s — find it “cringe.”
New expressions include “I feel it” to show that I agree, “beats differently” to describe something much better than usual, or “sleep through” to describe something being overlooked, such as in: ‘My boss went to sleep because of my skills. ‘
A study found that older workers are increasingly using Gen Z phrases to connect with their younger colleagues
Other slang adopted by the older generation includes “goals,” which can be used to compliment an achievement, such as “those are goals,” and “extra” to describe something over the top.
And “base” is now a critical term to describe someone who is devoid of any interesting or distinctive features or flavors.
Simon Wingate, managing director of the jobs website Reed – who conducted the survey – said: ‘When people use a shared language at work, it’s about feeling closer to their colleagues.
“It is a natural development that new expressions of younger employees are also adopted by older employees who want to create an interface with their younger colleagues.”
But researchers also found that some older workers use slang as a way to tease Gen Z. More than one in 20 people over 45 said they used new phrases as a joke.