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The Myth of the Digital Native: A Cautionary Tale for Employers Betting on Gen Z Tech Skills

Employers in every business segment have been told to expect something extraordinary from Generation Z—they are digital natives, born with a device in their hand, tech savvy from day one, intuitively fluent in software, platforms, and tools that previous generations had to learn the hard way. Core software skills were assumed rather than taught. Today, that assumption is unraveling.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Source: Shutterstock under license.

For more than a decade, employers in every business segment have been told to expect something extraordinary from Generation Z. Afterall, they are digital natives, born with a device in their hand, tech savvy from day one, intuitively fluent in software, platforms, and tools that previous generations had to learn the hard way.

As Gen Z entered the labor market, hiring managers and HR teams quietly adjusted expectations. Training budgets were trimmed. Onboarding timelines shortened. Core software skills were assumed rather than taught.


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About Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee

Pat is a well-known evangelist for inkjet productivity. At McGrew Group, she uses her decades technical and marketing experience to lead the industry toward optimized business processes and production workflows. She has helped companies to define their five-year plans, audited workflow processes, and developed sales team interventions and education programs. Pat is the Co-Author of 8 industry books, editor of A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge, and a regular contributor to Inkjet Insight and WhatTheyThink.com. Ryan McAbee is Chief Analyst at Pixel Dot Consulting LLC.

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