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DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT STUDIES

FULL TIME

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION(COM 2107-L01)

a:Introduction

1. Statement of Problem

Those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, known as Generation Z, are assumed to be born with silver spoons. With no survival worries and living in a rapidly developing world, they, better educated and better informed, are enjoying every imaginable convenience brought about by modern technology. Liberated from labor work, they are assumed to be free and happy. But most of them feel greatly stressed due to various reasons: climate change, future uncertainty, fierce competition in the job market, and numerous pressure spread and amplified through social media. The case of Chinese Gen Zers has its own unique features, with males and female being different in both stress symptoms and causes.

2. Statement of Purpose

This report aims to explore the stress issues faced by Generation Z (males and females), analyze the underlying causes with a concern of gender differences, and propose coping strategies. Through this report, we hope to provide valuable insights and suggestions for Generation Z youths, educators, and policymakers and at the same time, to arouse the awareness of gender difference on this issue.

3. Scope of Report

The scope of the report includes:

3.1 The prevalence of stress，physical, psychological and social symptoms, ways to seek help, methods to rid pressure

3.2 seek help(friend or family)

3.3 avoid/reduce stress

4. Limitations of Report

Although we will discuss the stress issues of Generation Z as comprehensively as possible, the length and time of the report will limit the depth and breadth of our discussion. Additionally, data acquisition may be limited in numbers and extensiveness of the surveyed population, and cultural differences may affect our understanding and analysis of the issues.

5. Sources of Data Collection

the data was collected by : (November 2022) from Cigna International The "360 Well-Being" report entitled "Stressed in Singapore – Employer Opportunity,"

b:Findings and Analysis

Now that stress has become a very common phenomenon in the Z era, our group will discuss the differences between males and females who are affected by pressure. Of the 30 people we surveyed, over half (17) are females, 20 were college graduates (67%), and social media is a very large part of their daily lives, with half of the total spending more than five hours a day on it and 33% for three to four hours. TikTok and WeChat have become the apps they use most frequently, with nearly all those investigated (with an exception of only 1 person adhering to traditional paper media) obtain information and news from online channels. As for stress, more than 70% of those investigated admit having the feeling of being stressed, 8 of them (26%) even very stressed. No wonder nearly 87% of young people believe that stress is normal in their lives.The group that feels the greatest pressure is from 1995 to 1999, followed by the group from 2005 to 2010, and 60% of people think that the pressure comes from work and study, and a few people think that it is family and social media. In this regard, we focused on the level of optimism about future job prospects and how the development of technology affects life. Among them, 46.6% hold a neutral attitude towards their future work, 13.3% hold a pessimistic attitude, 3.3% feel very pessimistic, 30% feel optimistic, and 6.6% feel very optimistic.

And these stresses have an obvious impact on their bodies, resulting in such somatization symptoms as headaches, colds and stomachaches. Stress also has an impact on emotions, causing such negative emotional reactions as irritations, and therefore distancing one emotionally from others and making communication difficult.  Suffering so much as they are, over 40% of stressed people avoid seeking help, taking on everything alone. In dealing with stress, over half of Gen Zers take a practical attitude, valuing solving questions more than emotional support.

When gender is concerned, there comes another picture. Females seem to be more self-disciplined in net-surfing, with 94% spending three to four hours on social media and a bit over 40% girls spending more than five hours every day, compared with the percentage of 61% of males staying online over five hours. More males (92%) accept stress as a normal part of their life while more females (23%) feel very stressed. When asked about the causes of stress, over one third of males owe it to work, another third of them to family, and 15% of them to social media, while most females (76%) find their stress from work, with only one complains about her family. Stuck in stress, more females (69%) seek emotional support. In contrary, most males (77%) try to find ways out, attempting to solve problems rather than seeking comforts from others.

With this data support, we find males and females differ in levels and sources of stress due to gender. Although the physical health is equally stress-affected between genders, the emotional health of Gen Zers, with a particular emphasis on females, has been notably influenced by stress. Investigations indicate that female members of Gen Z are more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges due to stress. For instance, research conducted in 2019 by the American Psychological Association revealed that female Gen Zers were more prone to report feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed compared to their male counterparts. The study also discovered that symptoms of depression, such as sadness or a sense of hopelessness, were more commonly reported among female Gen Zers than males.

Compared to their male counterparts, female members of Generation Z are more prone to encounter societal pressures and concerns regarding their physical appearance and marital status. They often face the expectation to adhere to conventional gender norms as obedient daughters, virtuous wives, or loving mothers,  which can lead to anxiety over their looks, ages and social standing. At the same time, they must compete with males in workplaces as ambitious and competent employees. The double requirements from work and traditional gender roles create huge anxieties for females, becoming a major cause of stress for females in Generation Z.

Social conventions and gender-based expectations can restrict opportunities and impose extra burdens, such as the obligation to provide care or to prioritize personal relationships over professional aspirations. The prevalence of unrealistic beauty standards in media and advertising created extra anxiety over appearance. But concerns about physical appearance are not confined to females only, males also fall victim to such overly demanding appearance standards spread everywhere. But the traditional belief that a girl should dress up for him who loves her, combined with the current distorted emphasis on physical beauty, entraps females more deeply. Studies indicate that females may feel these concerns more intensely than males. This can result in adverse emotional outcomes like decreased self-worth, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. In general, female Gen Zers are more vulnerable than their male counterparts to negative emotional responses to stress. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that not all Gen Zers encounter these effects, and individual experiences can vary significantly.

Although some existing research has already indicated certain patterns, it is vital to realize that everyone's experience is distinctive and cannot be simply categorized or labeled. Furthermore, elements such as race, socioeconomic status, and other intersecting identities can also significantly influence an individual's stress levels and experiences. It is imperative for individuals and communities to address these issues with empathy, comprehension, and a readiness to listen and learn from various viewpoints.

According to a survey conducted by the China Survey and Data Center (NSRC) of Renmin University of China, young people in the age of Z are under great pressure for the expectation of earning money and supporting the family towards a respectable life. For some young people, the stress is so high that even their relationships with friends and family members are affected. To make matters worse, the intensification of academic and social pressure,even leads to the alienation of friendships and the tension between family members . And there is a big gap between women and men in this regard. Men have more such pressure to meet performance standards and promotion at work, while women have more pressure related to social expectations or social bias. Some business prejudices against women put women at a disadvantage in social work,the dual pressure of family and career force women to struggle a balance between them. All these create emotional tensions among young people, affecting their relationship with others. Some of them purposely distancing themselves from socializing with others.In addition, a large proportion of the young people in the Z generation are the only child of their parents, which means they alone must shoulder the responsibility of supporting their parents in future.The doubt about their own competence to fulfill the task further intensifies the pressure of the young people in the Z generation, making them neglect the maintenance of family and friendship. Thus help is necessary to these stress-stricken Gen Zers.

However, men and women also differ in their attitudes towards deleted for help-seeking. Social expectations and cultural perceptions of men as the strong one may prevent men from expressing vulnerability or seeking help, as this is traditionally seen as being weak. They will choose to deal with the stress alone for fear of being labeled weak. In contrast, women in today's society still find their sex a huge barrier. Women are still stereotyped as the weak sex, being "too emotional" or "incompetent," which may lead some women to choose to cope alone in the face of stress to avoid negative evaluations. According to the Pew Research Center, while boys and girls face many of the same pressures --- for example, they are equally likely to feel the same pressure to obtain get good grades, their daily experiences differ in other ways. Girls are more likely than boys to say they face a lot of pressure to look good: About a third of girls (35%) say this is the case, compared with 23% of boys. This finding reveals that although image worry is not exclusive to girls --- boy students are troubled to some degree by their appearances,he image of females is undoubtedly more important in society. Cultural concepts on the accepted images of men and women will mold the different behavioral patterns of them. To look normal and good, they will avoid revealing their own flaws. To cater to other’s opinions, they will even wear protective masks, hiding their real self behind, that is, men being strong and women weak. So it is not surprising to find that Gen Z women are more willing to seek in-person social support. They will turn to friends for talk cure or look for advice from family or professional mental health services for emotional support. The collected data indicate that free health benefits or counseling are more important for women to relieve stress. Men, in contrast, would rather confront stress in a combative posture than temporarily relieve it. They prefer to find out the hidden cause to solve the problem thoroughly

But not all stress can be alleviated or eliminated. As these pressures intensify, finding a way to balance these contradictions becomes a vital matter. Learning how to manage time will be an effective way. Setting aside separate time limitations for different tasks or using time management tools, can help balance work and life. They can also priorities, identify the most critical tasks at work and  leave the rest time for their family and friends instead of focusing solely on work. More importantly, they should foster a good habit of excising to maintain a robust body and spirit. A lot of research has found a positive correlation between excising and emotion. Regularly taking part in a sport will help keep a person healthy and energetic physically, emotionally, and socially. They can also seek professional help if necessary. First of all, Gen Zers should avoid being tech-dependent by reducing the negative effects of social media and over-connectivity by limiting screen time and supporting digital detox. Meanwhile, they should seek technology-based cooperation by turning to mental health education programs at universities and additional organizations to raise awareness and reduce stigma of being stressed. With the knowledge about stress management, coping methods, and proper time to seek help, Generation Z may become proactive about mental health. After that, they can make a plan for how high technology will be used. Time should be allocated accurately so that there is a fixed period of time for each task even when technology is not around all the time. Meanwhile,educational procedures should be adapted to Generation Zer's different learning styles and job goals. Adaptive pedagogy may be beneficial to alleviate academic stress by offering multiple electives and emphasizing skill development over job options. Educational programs can pass on knowledge and skills to students by means of lecturing, case study, group discussion, etc. (Scandurra et al., 2021). Teaching emotional intelligence and mindfulness in the classroom can prepare them to come up with real-world stress. Besides, having a positive self-image may reduce the stress of overcaring about appearance. Diversity in physical representation and societal beauty standards can serve this purpose. Self-respect and self-love are the best medicines to mental stress. Strong and harmonious relationships are another good way to relieve stress. Through online or offline supportive community creation, people might get a sense of belonging and camaraderie. To reduce the pressure on Generation Z, a gender-sensitive strategy is also needed. People of Generation Z are experiencing specific challenges calling for societies implementing dedicated mental health efforts. If implemented, a generation better prepared for today's difficulties may have more confidence to welcome the uncertain future.To help dealing with stress of Gen Z men, additional online anonymous support platforms may be needed that cater to the additional stress relief help they can receive on social media. At the same time, it is necessary to promote public awareness, remove social expectations for men to express vulnerability, and create a safe environment that encourages them to seek face-to-face support. Women could be encouraged to make greater use of their supporting networks of friends, family or professional mental health services. Regarding the image pressures faced by women in society, girls can be encouraged to accept the importance of emotionally handling problems, while support and understanding can be provided to alleviate the negative assessment pressures they may feel. The different experiences of male and female in the face of stress are highlighted to promote greater understanding and respect for their respective choices. Breaking down stereotypes and making everyone feel comfortable asking for help, whether through social media or face-to-face communication, is even more essential.

c: Conclusions

This study found that although there are commonalities in the sources and effects of stress for both men and women of Generation Z, there are also significant gender differences coming from cultural traditions, growing environment, and modern technology-occupying society.These differences require us to consider gender-specific needs when developing coping strategies.

Based on the research results, we proposed stress coping strategies for both male and female members of Generation Z, including self-management skills at the individual level and support measures at the social level. The limitations of this study lie in the constraints of sample size and geographic scope. Future research could expand the sample size and delve into the stress issues of Generation Z men and women under different cultural backgrounds.

d: Recommendations

First of all, Ministershould be increased investment in mental health services, including adequate counselling resources in schools and communities, as well as public health education to raise awareness of mental health issues. Second, the Ministry of Health can push for policies to support work-life balance, such as encouraging businesses to offer flexible working hours and remote work options to reduce workplace stress. In addition, the Ministry of Health should also strengthen guidance on nutrition and physical activity for children and adolescents to promote physical health and thus help them better cope with the stresses in their lives. To do better, the Ministry of Health needs to work with the education sector, businesses and social organizations to create a supportive environment that helps young people develop skills to cope with stress. At the same time, digital technologies, such as mobile apps and online platforms, should be leveraged to provide easily accessible mental health resources and services. Difficulties that may be encountered include inadequate resource allocation, insufficient social awareness of mental health issues, and the complexity of cross-sectoral collaboration. In addition, with the rapid changes in society, the Ministry of Health needs to constantly update its strategies to adapt to new challenges and needs.

e: References

（McKinsey）（January 14, 2022）

Addressing the unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing Generation Z

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/addressing-the-unprecedented-behavioral-health-challenges-facing-generation-z

（JULIANA MENASCE HOROWITZ AND NIKKI GRAF）（FEBRUARY 20, 2019）

Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as a Major Problem Among Their Peers

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/

Gabrielova, K., & Buchko, A. A. (2021). Here comes Generation Z: Millennials as managers.Business Horizons

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000768132100015X

Scandurra, C., Carbone, A., Baiocco, R., Mezzalira, S., Maldonato, N. M., & Bochicchio, V. (2021). Gender identity milestones, minority stress and mental health in three generational cohorts of Italian binary and nonbinary transgender people. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9057