– In the past, the threshold of adulthood was the completion of studies, after which one went to work – says Monika Sońta from the Department of Management in a Networked Society at Kozminski University. – Today, this no longer means anything. Because thanks to parents who finance the phase of entry into adulthood for a longer period, young people do not have to apply to companies right away. They can ask themselves what to do next. They are not in a hurry to make decisions, for example about joining a company, or they take more frequent breaks to gain experience.
– More and more people in this generation are living without financial worries. Their most valuable currency is free time, not money, says sociologist Joanna Tkaczyk.
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Less money, more time
Marcin, a law graduate, will start his first permanent job after graduation in a few days. He was looking for a job in the state administration, where he would earn PLN 3,500. – I was interning at a law firm and not only did my superior treat me badly, but I also saw how much time the employees spent in the office. They even offered me to stay after the internship, but I didn’t want to. Working in the administration gives me a full-time job, which is a unique situation for a person my age, but it also gives me much more predictability when it comes to working hours, says Marcin.
When Zofia started working at the publishing house, she thought it would be a place that would give her the opportunity for interesting challenges and the realization of her ambitions. After half a year, she realized that she would not find any satisfaction here. In fact, her work is useless. 10 years have passed since then.
– The pandemic was a godsend. I didn’t waste time commuting, I worked from home and at the same time I did what I love: I cooked delicious food, drank coffee and found time to think, says Zofia. – I know that in my company there are development paths and courses, I could show my superiors that I care and that I’m trying to get a promotion. But that would mean more responsibilities, and I’m still trying to figure out how to have less work and more free time. Yes, I’m learning and developing, but outside of work.
Sociological research shows that the young generation, when looking for a job, pays more and more attention to what until recently was of secondary importance: whether there is a good atmosphere in the company and what relationships between people are like.
– When I asked my students what they thought about this, they weren’t surprised – says Jolanta Tkaczyk. – My son, who was looking for a job, said the same thing. I was surprised that he paid attention to the information about location and directions. He explained that good access saves time and wants to have a lot of free time for his passions.
Monika Sońta of Kozminski University notes that the 1990s in Poland saw the establishment of the “ladder” career model. The employee had to climb the ladder to his destination with the feeling that behind him was a crowd of people like him, so he could not afford to slow down, pause or hesitate because someone would overtake him. And today the career model resembles a monkey forest, a kind of pyramid made of ropes in a playground.
– Yes, the peak and the goal are visible, but there are many ways to get there. You can walk straight, but you can also take a few steps to the side and stop to rest. The goal is not only the summit, but also the experience itself. And this is how the younger generation sees their lives, says Sońta.
Kamil, who studies physiotherapy and business administration and runs a start-up in his spare time, admits that in meetings with colleagues there is no point in bragging about where one works. – Work is no longer a value in itself. It gives money, fuel for life. And I think the most important thing is how you use it and what you do in your free time.
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Who needs this later?
– They don’t like us because we’re not afraid to live (…). Now, not later, who needs later? – asks Szczyl, the voice of today’s 20-year-old generation, in the song “Dinosaur”. This “later” could be the next year, decade, retirement… Today’s 20- and 30-year-olds don’t want to put off their passions for later, just like their parents, who are busy making money.
Zofia’s passion is photography, and for several years she has been attending courses and workshops taught by renowned artists. In addition, she trains MMA two or three times a week and goes to the climbing wall. She has also written a book, which was published in small edition. And she has started postgraduate studies in philosophy. “Of course, these studies are not an investment in skills that I could use to look for a better job. It is a form of self-development,” she says.
Marcin’s passion is board games. He has a huge collection and a group of friends with whom he meets for several hours, a few times a week. Some time ago, it took him eight hours to play just one game. He also wants to have time to read fantasy literature or watch movies.
– I want to organize my life in such a way that I don’t have to take time away from work for myself: whether it’s to sleep, go to the movies or meet friends. So that I don’t have to come home and after dinner, instead of playing a board game, I sit in front of the screen or study the documents again.
Kamil goes to the pool and gym three or four times a week, and has tried yoga, meditation and gymnastics. He can’t imagine a week without a good biography.
– I learn what interests me and how I feel in different situations. In my free time, I also launch start-ups. We are a generation that is aware that we live longer than our parents and grandparents, and at the same time we know that we have a life, none of us thinks: I will only do something when I retire, he says.
– Young people have so many opportunities, attractions and distractions that their lives seem like a blender – says Monika Sońta. – And they need free time, even at the expense of work, to stop and think about what comes next, who they are. I know that for us, older people, it is a waste of time, a whim, but for them it is a necessity.
To not like parents
Not everyone is happy about the dethronement of work as one of the most important values in life. The most dubious people are employers and parents, who often call their children lazy and unambitious. Sociologists, for their part, have no doubt that young people’s attachment to free time goes hand in hand with the increase in society’s wealth, which is the responsibility of today’s 50- and 60-year-olds.
Zofia: – It’s true, I have to say it clearly: my mother deserved the lifestyle I lead. She bought me a small apartment, the rent is PLN 400. So if I earn PLN 3,500, it will be enough to live, and I know people who spend that amount on loan payments. I can’t afford it, I don’t have savings, but I don’t complain. I know I live in a bubble, but it seems like the bubble is getting bigger. Besides, I saw how hard my mother worked and I don’t want to repeat that. For 25 years I’ve been hearing the same text: I have no strength left. But it doesn’t change anything in his life.
When Marcin thinks about his parents, he sees his father, who ran a small business. He answered the phone in every situation, sometimes negotiating important contracts on the beach or on the ski slope. They often stopped the car because he had to send an email. My mother, a university professor, had classes during the day and wrote texts after 11 pm. “I’m not complaining, they were nice and active. But I wouldn’t want to work at night like my mother or bring business home like my father.”
Kamil: – I won’t pretend, money was always in the house. Maybe that’s why I’m not so greedy for it today. We can develop because we already have our basic material needs met. Our parents took care of that and we can take care of ourselves. But they don’t always understand that.
– The generation that entered the job market in the 1990s and 2000s was delighted with the opportunities it offered: new professions were created, working conditions improved, opportunities for promotion and earning money – says Jolanta Tkaczyk. – For us, capitalism was the opposite of the old Polish People’s Republic, attractive and new. This generation has grown up in new conditions, they have no references to other times. They associate work with busy parents, not with new opportunities.
Monika Sońta notes that Polish capitalism was fueled by promises: promotions, higher salaries, corporate benefits, integration meetings, business trips. “Only this generation says: I check, and it turns out that few people get this promotion. And they see their parents spending 12 hours at work, perhaps earning well, but far from feeling happy and free. In turn, the pandemic has put a stop to the use of many benefits. They have realized that it is more profitable to invest in themselves,” says Sońta.
We don’t want it anymore
Marcin is aware of his privileged position. He has time to develop himself, but he has no ambition to live in luxury. He wants to earn enough to buy a movie ticket, eat at a restaurant or have a coffee every now and then. And also buy a game.
– In the scientific literature, there is a term for such attitudes: enough, that is, I don’t want any more: to have, to have a career… – says Jolanta Tkaczyk. – This creates a natural conflict with parents, because the older generation has experienced first-hand that they have to push and fight, because that way there is an opportunity for promotion and a raise. At what cost? Never mind. And young people say: we have a different idea of life. But does that mean they have no ambition? They do, but they build their self-esteem on a different basis than their professional position or bank account balance. What they are doing is a kind of belated rebellion against their parents’ lifestyle.
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