Everyone is talking about Gen Z, but very few are listening: Bharat Jain

His debut book, Gen-Z: An Incomplete Book (Gen-Z: Ek Adhuri Si Kitaab), grew out of years of simply being around the generation everyone seems to have an opinion about. "I have many Gen Z youngsters in my family and I interact with this generation regularly. The more I observed them, the more I realised something: everyone is talking about Gen Z, but very few are actually listening to them,” he said.

That gap between talking about and listening to, he said, is where the book was born. He added, "We judge their screen time, lifestyle and choices, but rarely ask what's happening behind that screen. Their pressure, loneliness, confusion, dreams and silent struggles inspired me to write this book."

The title itself carries the book's central idea. "Because Gen Z itself is an incomplete story," Bharat said, adding, "They are still discovering who they are, what they want, and where they belong. Their pages are still being written. And maybe we are judging their story too early."

Asked about what sets the book apart, he was clear that it isn't meant to instruct. "This book doesn't try to teach Gen Z how to live. It tries to feel them. It's written for Gen Z, but equally for parents, teachers, mentors and everyone who wants to understand them better,” he said. 

Bharat is also upfront about where his understanding of the generation comes from. He doesn't have Gen Z children of his own, and said, “But I have many Gen Z youngsters in my family and around me. My understanding comes from spending time with them, observing them and, most importantly, listening to them without judging."

In the end, he said, the book has one simple hope riding on it. "I just want one thing from this book. When a Gen Z reads it, I want them to feel, 'Finally, someone is trying to understand us.' And when a parent or an older generation reads it, I hope they feel, 'Maybe, before judging them, we should listen to them’,” he said.

"If this book can start that one conversation between two generations, for me, its purpose is fulfilled," Bharat ended.