I was 13 when COVID-19 struck in my eighth-grade year, and we were forced to move all classwork online. Restrictions hadn’t been lifted by the end of August 2020, so I started my freshman year of high school via laptop. I hated it then; remote work and I never really got along. Not that I was having frequent computer issues or anything like that; rather, I felt so overwhelmingly disconnected from my schoolwork.
Dragging myself from my bed to my desk to log on for a soulless seven hours each morning felt like trudging through tar. Eventually, I would stay in bed, log onto a Zoom call, turn over and go right back to sleep. Which was not at all a reflection of who I was as a student before the lockdown, or who I am as a person. I had always cared about being present in class and actively engaging in the material. It was like my entire brain had gone flat the second we transitioned, and it stayed that way for a very long time. Not a super fun way to start my high school years.
Thankfully, once the mandates were lifted and we were allowed back into school, masks or not, my approach to academics received what was akin to an electric shock. I felt that familiar desire to engage and listen and care. Crazy stuff, I know.
Not a single part of me desires to go back to that way of learning or working, ever again. So nowadays, whenever I’m approaching the topic of internships or future roles, and I find out that the position is remote, I feel like the wind’s been taken out of my sails. I love working in person, and I don’t think that it’s an uncommon feeling among my generation ‒ and yet, when I bring this up to older generations, they’re shocked.
I value human connection, and work is no exception
In 2025, it was reported that only 23% of Gen Z employees say that they would prefer complete remote work, as opposed to the 35% reported by millennials and Gen X. I suspect some of the reasons relate to Gen Z being considered the “loneliest generation.” According to the 2025 Cigna Group Report, 67% of us reported being lonely.
We’re used to using our phones, laptops and other devices as a primary form of connection in our personal lives; I don’t feel that it needs to seep into our work life, too. There’s something to be said about waking up every day and having to put in a physical effort to get to work.
By the time I’ve pulled into the parking lot, I’ve already switched my mindset from whatever is currently occupying my personal orbit into work mode. And I take great pride in that. It also allows for a much easier separation from work and life. If I spent all of my time working at home, the line between my safe space and my workspace would blur considerably.
I value human connection in all aspects of my life, and work should be no exception. Even if I happen to spend my whole workday checking my email and typing things up, I would much rather do that in a physical office, surrounded by other people, than at home.
I’m also well aware that my attention span is not where it should be, and it can be quite the challenge to maintain a one-track mind at home, where there’s an abundance of distractions. It can be especially hard for people my age, who likely haven’t moved out on their own yet and don’t have that sacred home workspace. Parents, siblings, pets ‒ there’s always something or someone lingering nearby. In 2025, nearly 1 in 3 young adults still lived with their parents, according to a report by Realtor.com. Doesn’t really make the best environment to work, unfortunately.
Detroit is the place to be
It’s also so much cooler to work somewhere like downtown Detroit, which is where I’ve spent the majority of my summer, courtesy of my Freep internship. I enjoy looking out of the window and seeing all the different architecture in a place I hadn’t spent a lot of time in before. I like viewing the hustle and bustle of human life, and getting to see it at work is phenomenal.
And not only is the work environment pretty fantastic, but the social environment is too. I’ve gotten to form connections inside of work that I never would have otherwise, and experience a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship. There’s something profound about that, and I don’t take it for granted. Having a physical presence inside of your work makes a difference.
Gen Z might spend a lot of time on their devices, but that’s not all we are. At least, I’m not.
(Special to future employers: Disregard all of the above. I absolutely will take remote work, if offered.)
Kyla Lawrence is a college student, and a Free Press opinion intern. This summer, she worked in the office five days a week. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it in print or online.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Remote work is for the birds. Gen Z loves an office. | Opinion
Reporting by Kyla Lawrence, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kyla Lawrence, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
