Survey suggests HR can better support younger workers through healthier digital practices, mental health benefits
There is currently a significant level of digital fatigue among young Canadians, according to a new survey, indicating that they may place a premium on workplaces that support healthier digital practices and more authentic in-person or high-quality interactions.
Overall, 75% of Generation Z respondents say they spend too much time on their phones, and 71% say they wish they could disconnect but find it difficult to do so, finds a Leger study.
This sense of overload extends into personal relationships. Among dating app users, two in three (67%) report having felt lonely while using these apps, despite having numerous matches. In addition, 76% wish romantic relationships would “return to real life.”
Canadian workplace values are becoming more of a priority, especially for younger workers, according to a report, according to a previous report.
Mental health, cost of living
On top of digital fatigue, many Gen Z workers also face mental health concerns, according to Leger’s study.
Three in four young Canadians (75%) say they have experienced anxiety, and nearly half (49%) say they have faced depression. Among Gen Z workers, the share of those who have gone through a depressive episode has increased by 13 percentage points compared with 2024.
The study also records growing openness to technology-based mental health support. Nearly half (48%) of respondents from Generations Z and Alpha combined say they use, or are considering using, an artificial intelligence application or tool to support their mental well-being.
Despite the high prevalence of anxiety and depression, 77% of young people describe themselves as happy. Leger characterises this as a generation that can acknowledge its emotions “without being defined by them.”
Financial concerns for younger workers
Also, in a strained economic climate, the cost of living (61%) and the housing crisis (31%) top the list of young Canadians’ concerns.
Currently, over two in five (43%) Gen Z workers live paycheque to paycheque, one in four (24%) hold a second job to make ends meet, and only 18% consider their personal finances “good.” Generations Z and Alpha aspire less to wealth than to stability and the freedom to live life on their own terms.
“Guided by the intent to move away from the often negative or stereotypical narratives surrounding these generations, the study provides a nuanced and insightful reading of their realities,” says Charlotte Fortin and Gabrielle Blais, research directors and co-leads, NextGen Study, Leger. “Behind the data emerges a portrait of young people who are clear-eyed, driven, and acutely aware of the challenges ahead.”
More than half of Gen Z Canadians feel compelled to project an image of financial stability, despite facing rising living costs and low income, according to a previous study from the TD Bank Group.
Here’s what employers are getting wrong about Gen Z employees, according to a previous report.
