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

first up

Welcome back! This week, we’re talking about making friends.

The key to happiness—and staying healthy—is having warm relationships, as Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, explained in a recent edition of McKinsey Author Talks. That’s a big problem for Gen Zers, who report feeling more lonesome than other generations.  

Whether social media, a housing crisis, or other factors are to blame, Gen Zers are staving off loneliness by doing their best to make connections IRL.  

For some, that means spending boo koo bucks on pricey, exclusive social clubs, which offer access to restaurants, events, and other social hubs. Clubs like these have been a fixture in cities like London for years but are newly popping up in other urban centers, such as New York. Some Gen Zers are looking for an even more immersive social experience and are packing their bags for adult summer camp. 

Just like when millennials made CrossFit the new church, Gen Zers are in search of so-called “third places,” or physical spaces outside of home and work where they can meet people. For boomers and Gen X, shopping malls or places of worship or religious community centers often served as third places. But some of those spaces may be harder to find today or may not appeal to Z babies. 

The thing about third places is that they usually succeed in bringing people together if those who use them have some shared values or interests. Take a coffee shop: while it may seem like a place to meet new people, its primary function is to sell coffee (one iced lavender oat milk latte, pleaseeee). Said another way: it doesn’t have the “social infrastructure” to help create those organic interactions lots of people want. If the coffee shop hosts a community meetup or open mic nights, that’s a different story. 

The good news is that Gen Zers don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars a year on a swanky private club or live in a big city to make new friends in person. Young people are organizing running clubs, walking clubs, and even horological clubs by posting about them on social media and encouraging enthusiasts to show up and make connections. Volunteering is another great way to meet like-minded people without spending money. (Gen Z volunteers about 31 hours per year on average, a little behind millennials, who volunteer about 36 hours a year.)

Even brands are investing in community building, as McKinsey senior partner Kabir Ahuja and coauthors explore. One example out in the wild could be a lifestyle brand that hosts free public workouts in parks to help boost athleisure brand awareness and create deeper brand loyalty. Real estate developers are thinking about this, too, whether it’s turning office buildings into hybrid spaces or including community-use spaces in the high-rise apartments of the future. 

Go forth and link! 

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CROSSWORD

— Edited by Alexandra Mondalek, editor, New York