Relationships are challenging. They demand vulnerability and a strong ability to handle the friction of balancing your own desires with someone else’s needs. But for Gen Z, those early romantic experiences—and the social resilience they foster—are becoming more rare.
Just 56% of Gen Z reach adulthood having been in a romantic relationship, versus 75% of older generations, per a survey from the Survey Center on American Life.
Without those difficult discussions and give-and-take, Gen Z is arriving on their first day of work unprepared to tackle office challenges, says Tessa West, a New York University psychology professor who studies employee-boss communication.
“Things that used to be obvious norms—how to speak to a boss, what time to arrive—this younger generation lacks those basic guidelines,” she told .
It’s not only dating—Gen Z is socializing less overall. They drink less, go to fewer parties, and have fewer in-person interactions than any prior generation. The COVID pandemic and social media age have created a more severe shift than what author Robert Putnam described in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Many Gen Zers have lost the skills needed to build the social judgment required to handle the modern office’s complexities and friction.
Though other factors play a role, West’s research found a direct connection between the drop in romantic relationships and job performance.
“Skills like being able to handle things well in a relationship directly predict how well you’ll do them at work,” she noted.
A February 2025 study on loneliness and workplace performance also found that people without the social skills and support from close relationships are more prone to loneliness, less productive, and less ready to manage the modern office.
This is a worsening issue, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Gen Z—born 1996–2012—will make up nearly 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030, around 50 million people.
Growing up without friction
West, author of Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works for You, said multiple factors affect Gen Z’s social skills at work. For starters, they grew up in a time when online communication is standard, pushing aside in-person interaction.
Another factor is overparenting. Career platform Zety reports 1 in 5 Gen Z job candidates bring a parent to interviews, and some parents even join salary negotiations.
All of this creates problems for Gen Z with basic workplace tasks, West said—like how to ask a boss for a raise or PTO.
“You pick up many skills in those early relationships that you use at work,” she said. “Negotiation and compromise are big ones.”
She noted that building relationships—romantic or platonic—helps develop key skills like handling awkward conversations, managing anxiety, and navigating tough social situations.
“It’s the close relationship and the struggle of forming a new bond with someone—having to work through all kinds of potential awkwardness—that builds those skills,” she explained.
Generational clashes
This often manifests in the office as poor communication. Gen Zers might choose to email their boss instead of having in-person talks about challenges, West said.
Many Gen Zers also use AI as a crutch for conflict resolution. Over half see ChatGPT as a coworker or assistant, per a 2025 Resume.org survey, and about a third rely on AI for relationship or tough life decision advice.
“Older generations get frustrated by that behavior and might react negatively,” West said. “It just makes the problem worse.”
West says both older and younger workers need to address communication gaps and other antisocial workplace behaviors. Bridging the divide requires a mutual reset: bosses should make implicit office rules explicit for younger workers.
“Both sides have to meet halfway,” she said. “Older workers need to focus on clear communication and resetting norms, while younger workers need to be open to learning.”