Council Post: Covid-19 Could Have A Silver Lining For Millennials And Generation Zers

Known as the Ecom Warrior, Matt Lepre is an Australian digital entrepreneur and thought leader targeted toward Millennials and Gen Zers.

While Covid-19 wreaks havoc across the globe, could this cause the shift that the younger generations need? I’m betting millions it will.

A harsh upbringing caused me to become determined to succeed from the time I was a teenager, and my work ethic has been pretty solid since. But many of my peers, who had more stable and abundant family lives by comparison, seemed to resemble the common complaints about millennials and appear expectant of a low-output, high-return lifestyle.

Optimism remained with us millennials after the 2008-2012 financial crisis, even with my American and European brothers and sisters who got hit a lot harder than we did in Australia (due to China’s hunger for our natural resources at the time).

Even though American and European millennials suffered more, I think many of us first-world millennials were able to turn a blind eye to it. Our refusal to accept hard times probably contributed to the economic recovery as our confidence paid dividends at retail tills around the world. This time, however, it’s impossible to escape the carnage. Covid-19 effects all of us, and I believe it could shake up the entitlement that can exist among young people.

For Generation Z, it could be an even harder fall. The economy was strong and employment was low before Covid-19, particularly in Australia and the U.S., and the world they were entering as young adults seemed so positive. Now life is full of uncertainty — even for the most educated generation in history — and those service industry jobs that put most of us through high school or university are gone.

But I’m so proud of the younger generations and how they appear to be responding to the crisis. What I’m witnessing is a group being resourceful, turning their backs on the traditional university-to-job path and looking to a more future-proof economy with e-commerce. What’s more, they are looking to supplement their previous plan of pursuing a profession or even flipping it on its head entirely, parking it as an option altogether and looking at a whole new way to live.

When Covid-19 took hold earlier in the year, I wondered how it would affect my mission to empower young people to take more control of their financial lives through e-commerce. I watched with trepidation to see if they would follow their parents and batten down the hatches. Well, they certainly took solace inside their homes, but with nowhere else to turn, even more time and energy was spent on their devices (as if that were even possible). The result was my Ecom Warrior training platform thrived and what was especially impressive was how young the new community was. Although I originally designed it with university graduates in mind, many high school-aged students are now getting on board. I even have some who are now the breadwinners for their families struggling through Covid-19. I’m telling you, no amount of zeros in my bank account could light me up more than knowing that right now in the midst of this crisis, we are making that kind of difference in people’s lives.

So millennials and Gen Zers, take note. As you are all now painfully aware, your brand name clothing, group chats, participation medals and parental reassurance will not be enough for you to ride through this storm and come out a winner. If you were fortunate enough to have been sheltered from a harsh life until now, this will be a rude awakening for you. For others who, like me, had a less fortunate welcoming into the world, this crisis will only exacerbate the challenge or sharpen the diamond. But do not fear. This is our time to shine. Our grasp on technology can shield us from the attack like Captain America’s shield fends off bullets. And, like Stevie Rogers, we can even use the shield as a weapon.

Now is our time to step up and show our communities that years of advanced education delivery systems, music and art programs and zero lag gaming have primed us to be resourceful and come up with the solutions to help ourselves, our families and our planet. Whether it’s starting your own e-commerce business, introducing new tech to empower your favorite charity or producing a film that alerts the world to needed change, I now call on my millennial and Gen Z brothers and sisters to follow your kin onto the battlefield and lead yourselves and the world through this crisis.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?