No New Work Friends: Why Gen Z is Keeping Colleagues at Arm’s Length

'I get by with a little help from my friends', or maybe not. A growing trend sees younger generations shunning friendships at work, opting instead to keep to themselves.

I don't blame them. Navigating workplace friendships can be tricky. But making friends as an adult can be difficult, when the natural opportunities found in childhood have long faded away. Gone are the classrooms and playgrounds that once served as backdrops for our antics and adventures. And yet within our workplaces, there is an opportunity to make connections, and it is a route that is being shut down.

Part of this is self-preservation. For many people, the work environment is not safe. And if the environment is toxic, friendships come with risks. Something shared in confidence, or expressed at a time of high emotion, can resurface when least expected. Even in less hostile workplaces, there's always the question of motive.

Part of it might be stress. The more overwhelmed we feel, the less likely we are to extend ourselves to others in a social capacity. Rather than using breaks to bond with colleagues, most of us retreat to our earphones and mobiles, to our own worlds. Meanwhile, under the surface simmers the unspoken agreement to keep things transactional.

Emotional vulnerability plays a role too. Social media has shifted the way we interact, feeding into a hyper-awareness of how we are presenting ourselves. The idea of letting down our guards in a professional setting feels wrong, perhaps even counter-intuitive. Work is still work, yes, but an office is still a social space, even if it isn't recreational.

For those of us who were academically inclined, who immersed ourselves in our education alongside extra-curricular activities, adulthood can feel somewhat hollow in comparison. Work then, becomes the outlet - the place to think, debate and challenge ideas. And that's why, despite the trend, I still want to know what my colleagues think, how they see the world. That's how we learn from each other. Even if we never meet beyond the office walls, in an era where friendships are harder to form, I certainly won't be closing that door.