Young university graduates are struggling in the workplace because their addiction to social media robs them of social skills needed to ace job interviews and get along with colleagues
- Experts claim that young university graduates are lacking basic social skills
- These include things such as communication and empathy, due to social media
- Another expert claimed helicopter parents are also to blame for lack of skills
Recent university graduates struggle with workplace skills such as small talk and socialising due to their overuse of social media, experts claim.
Renata Sguario, founder of human skills organisation MaxMe, said lacking basic communication skills made job interviews tougher for young Australians – and even if the young person got the position they would struggle in the workplace.
Recent university graduates struggle with workplace skills such as small talk and socialising due to their over-reliance on social media, experts claim (stock)
Renata Sguario, founder of human skills organisation MaxMe, said lacking basic communication skills made job interviews tougher for young Australians (stock)
‘Generations that have grown up with the internet and rely on texting to communicate are finding the adjustment to the real world of work and face-to-face interaction particularly challenging,’ she told the Daily Telegraph.
‘Australian businesses are struggling to secure the pipeline of talent they need to rebuild and thrive beyond the pandemic.’
Sguario said businesses wanted soft skills such as empathy, communicating with impact and self-awareness but universities were doing very little in teaching students these things.
Adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said a combination of social media and helicopter parents were responsible for the lack of these ‘soft skills’.
‘That’s the problem, many of them are just not very good socially and I think the parents are covering for them,’ Dr Carr-Gregg said.
She said even if the young person did get the position they would struggle in the workplace (stock)
He compared it to kindergarten children clinging to their mother, but he pointed out they aren’t small children anymore.
He said parents act as their child’s social secretary, stopping adults from knowing how to make new friends.
Dr Carr-Gregg added mobile phones at school robbed kids of the chance to have deep conversations with their peers, and he thinks NSW should ban phones in schools.
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