Nearly Half Of Gen Z Can’t Use Office Printers

Gen Z are thought to be the most tech savvy out of everyone, having grown up in a world dominated by smartphones, voice recognition software, tablets, and the ‘cloud’. 

 

However, if they have to come face-to-face with office equipment, such as printers, desktops, fax machines and scanners, very few have a clue how to use them. 

 

A report by Chicago staffing agency LaSalle Network revealed nearly half of college graduates feel they are “underprepared” to handle technology in an office. 

 

Jazmyn Castillo, 24, told The Post: “It’s kind of embarrassing - we are the technologically advanced generation.” 

 

She added: “Working the scanner, I was like, how does that work? Like, how do you scan it in. I didn’t know how to work the copier either. It’s pretty frustrating.” 

 

Hewlett Packard recently revealed 20 per cent of office workers feel a sense of judgement when they have technology issues, which is known as ‘tech shaming’. In comparison, just one in 25 older workers experience ‘tech shame’. 

 

When it comes to remote meeting issues, 18 to 29-year-olds are five times more likely to feel judged in comparison with 50-year-olds. 

 

The computer manufacturer added the problem is worse for younger people, with a spokesperson saying they are “ten times more likely to feel shame in these scenarios when compared to their more mature peers”. 

 

In fact, Hewlett Packard revealed young people are more likely to go out and buy their own technology if they experience remote working problems. 

 

Extroverts, in particular, will purchase their own equipment if they cannot understand workplace technology, with this group being twice as likely to do so than introverts. 

 

Additionally, those who have not been in the office for as long will feel a greater sense of ‘tech shame’ and hide their difficulties. 

 

Workers who have been at the company for less than two years are twice as likely to make up an excuse when they experience technical problems during a meeting compared with other employees who have been working there twice as long. 

 

Randall Wade, 26, said the younger generation is far more adept at complex technical problems, but older workers seem to have traditional office technology down to a tee. 

 

“We have an older woman; she locks [herself] out of her computer six times a day and we have to go in and unlock her. But that printer, that fax machine, that scanner — she knows all the ins and outs,” he commented. 

 

While Gen Z are more familiar with coding, working on the ‘cloud’, and connecting between devices, traditional office equipment is much more hands-on. 

 

However, once they have got to grips with what buttons to press, how to clear a paper jam, and how to print multiple copies on the office photocopier, they will find having both technological skills at their disposal very useful. 

 

As Hewlett Packard recognises: “The world we live in has changed: the places we work, the ways we collaborate, and the opportunities we take are not the same as before.” Adding to this, the technology we are familiar with has changed too. 

 

However, there will always be a place for printers, copiers, and scanners, so it is important Gen Z becomes familiar with how to use them.