CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

first up

Welcome back! This week, we’re wondering what it will take to make a dent in the Gen Z mental health crisis.

In December 2021, the US surgeon general warned that the youth mental health crisis had become “devastating.” Two years later, the data still points to trouble.
  
This isn’t for lack of awareness: Gen Z’s struggle with mental health is reported in the news, is talked about on social media, and is the subject of many research studies and surveys (like these reports McKinsey published about the impact of social media on mental health, Gen Z’s perceptions of mental health stigmas, and the effect Gen Zers’ mental health has on their work). 
 
Why, then, has there been little progress toward making Gen Zers feel better? As McKinsey partner Erica Coe put it during a recent appearance on The McKinsey Podcast, “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what is helpful and what isn’t.”

In this case, Coe is talking about the explosion of “digital mental health solutions,” or platforms and apps that help supply mental health resources, education, and access to providers. About 22 percent of Gen Zers in a recent McKinsey survey reported using digital mental health tools; among them, 80 percent stopped using the tools after a while, suggesting that the platforms might fail to engage Gen Z audiences. (Hmmm ... sound familiar?)   

It’s not just mental health start-ups that have an opportunity to make things better. Employers have a chance to step up in a way that can help improve people’s lives and help attract talent. Around three-quarters of Gen Zers globally said that the availability of mental health resources (therapy, well-being programs) is one of the top things they think about when choosing which companies to work for, according to McKinsey research. But it’s not enough to just offer mental health resources to employees: eighty-five percent of respondents in another recent survey said they don’t use mental health benefits, mainly because they don’t understand how to. 

While Gen Zers may still be learning how to navigate employers’ benefits, they don’t shy away from speaking up about their mental health challenges—and that’s a good thing. 

“Peer support has really changed. Young people aren’t as quiet about whether they go to therapy, take medicine, or if they’re having difficulty,” observed Harold Koplewicz, founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, who spoke on The McKinsey Podcast with Coe. “They share that information. Knowing how their peers have overcome struggles can be very helpful.” 

VISUALIZE IT

The pandemic exacerbated gaps in test scores for students of color.

WAIT, DON’T SCROLL

‘Mildly disengaged.’ Employees who are doing the bare minimum make up about a third of a company, on average.

A seat at the table. What’s the difference between a team that looks for hires who are a “culture add” versus a “culture fit”? Huge.

Tourism’s tech makeover. Despite the global tourism boom, the industry faces labor shortages that threaten its growth. Chatbots could help.

NOT US; STILL GREAT

Networking 101. Incorporate a bit of finesse into your networking . . . or end up with an empty contact list. [FT]

iProf. Harvard’s computer science department is rolling out generative AI bots to help students learn coding skills. [Inside Higher Ed]

CROSSWORD

Would you take a class taught by AI? Let us know your thoughts by emailing newideas@mckinsey.com.

— Edited by Alexandra Mondalek, editor, New York