Jodie Foster's not the only one who thinks Gen Z workers are 'annoying.' They say they're misunderstood.

Jodie Foster told The Guardian that she's previously pointed out grammar mistakes to Gen Zers.

Steve Granitz/Getty Images.

• Jodie Foster recently called Gen Z "annoying" in the workplace. 
• Her comments reflect broader criticism of Gen Z, who've become known as entitled and lazy workers. 
• But Gen Zers say this reading of their attitude misses the point.

Jodie Foster recently called Gen Z "annoying" in the workplace, causing a stir on social media.

The 61-year-old actor shared her thoughts on Generation Z in an interview with The Guardian published on January 6, saying: "They're really annoying, especially in the workplace. They're like, 'Nah, I'm not feeling it today, I'm gonna come in at 10.30am.' Or, like, in emails, I'll tell them this is all grammatically incorrect, did you not check your spelling? And they're like, 'Why would I do that, isn't that kind of limiting?'"

Though Foster's interview with the outlet covered several other topics, including her support for younger actors, her critical comments about Gen Z were singled out and reshared by news outlets and social media accounts that reposted them on X, formerly Twitter, where they went viral.

Generational differences are a popular topic of discussion, and the actor's representation of Gen Z aligns with a lot of criticism of the generation that's been bubbling up online, labeling them lazy and entitled workers.

Her comments, however, did not address the common rebuttal that Gen Zers make when their attitudes to work are called into question: that they are simply seeking out a better work culture.

Gen Z has gained a bad reputation as workers

Some X users came to the defense of Gen Z, saying their young colleagues are very productive. But many agreed with Foster's comments about the generation, arguing the Gen Z workers they know lack work ethic and discipline, yet expect a lot. Some even agreed with her perception of their grammatical skills.

"They use commas instead of periods, and they never use question marks," one X user wrote.

Gen Z has long been depicted as lazy and ill-equipped to do their jobs. Business Insider previously reported that many Gen Zers are struggling to navigate workplace interactions in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some companies have provided training in soft skills, including writing emails, to support Gen Z workers.

Many young people have expressed dissatisfaction with traditional work and the 9-to-5 routine, sometimes resulting in backlash, and cementing the idea that they're not as willing to work hard as previous generations.

Gen Zers say this perception of them is missing the point

There seems to be a discrepancy in how younger social-media users view Gen Z's attitude to work, compared to the wider public.

No one better exemplified this than Brielle Asero, a 21-year-old who went mega-viral and made headlines when she posted a TikTok crying about the realities of a 9-to-5 job. In the comments, viewers expressed solidarity and agreed that work culture needed reforming. But when her video spread to other platforms, she was widely derided for the attitudes expressed, Rolling Stone reported.

In response to the stereotype that they are lazy and entitled workers, Gen Zers have started to push back, suggesting that they've been misunderstood and saying that their main objective in criticizing traditional work norms is to forge a better culture.

In October, 20-year-old musician Zoe Wynns shared in a social media video that she didn't want to work a 9-to-5 job. Despite people calling her spoiled, Wynns told BI she thinks Gen Z is very hardworking — she's happy to put in the hours to pursue music, she said, but she doesn't want to get trapped in a career that doesn't fulfill her.

Another Gen Zer, Andra Berghoff, said in a TikTok that she left her first corporate job after a few months. She told BI that "corporate life is soul-sucking," highlighting long hours and "higher ups who refuse to even listen to their employees" among other things. She added that Gen Z is "pushing back on the unfair standards of work that haven't reflected the change in times for decades."

@hopeyoufindyourdad #greenscreenvideo @Internship Advice for Students I personally cannot stand sitting in a toxic office that’s fluorescently lit cold and cold with little to nothing to do all day. I’m glad that gen z is starting to fight back against corporate 9 to 5 jobs, especially when we have already proven that work from home jobs are just as productive and for me personally I was more productive at home than I ever was in office because in the office I didn’t feel like I need to prove that I was doing work. #genz #collegestudent #corporatelife #worklife #workfromhome ♬ original sound - Andra

Surveys have shown that Gen Zers are more resistant to toxic workplace culture than their older counterparts, and some Gen Zers have even led union action to promote a fairer work culture, according to previous BI reporting.

In referring to Gen Z as "annoying" in the workplace, Foster has aligned herself with the many critics of the generation in the workforce. For young workers, this criticism may be seen as just more proof that boomers are missing the point.

Representatives for Jodie Foster did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

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