“Only 2 out of 50 candidates could solve Class V math problem”: CEO on Gen Z’s skill levels

Ashish Gupta, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) based in Bengaluru, took to LinkedIn, expressing concerns about Generation Z’s proficiency in social media usage and trends at the cost of other essential skills, like problem-solving or even arithmetics.

"Gen Z Knows Reels, But Not Real Math,” Gupta argued in his post, claiming that their knowledge of social media and digital trends is not enough to prepare them to handle real-world challenges.

Gupta described his experience during a recent campus placement drive when he met over 50 students from various streams, including Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Computer Application, NDTV reports.

As part of the screening process, he asked a simple math question, which is generally taught in Class V. To his surprise, just two candidates were able to accurately answer the problem, while the rest of the group struggled.

“If a car travels the first 60 km at 30 km/h and the next 60 km at 60 km/h, what is its average speed?" was the problem posed to the candidates.

He goes on to say that the candidates had a lot of ideas on Instagram reels and social media trends, which they displayed when he asked how he would market the product his company was selling.

“This highlights a stark reality—Gen Z is highly skilled in social media but lacks fundamental problem-solving, logical reasoning, and financial literacy. If these trends continue, we may have a generation struggling with personal finance, decision-making, and analytical skills,” he wrote in his post.

He further said, “As educators, employers, and mentors, we must bridge this gap. Critical thinking and basic numeracy are non-negotiable life skills.”

Gupta's article sparked a heated debate, with differing perspectives on the topic. While some people agreed with Gupta's concerns regarding the younger generation's mathematics skills, others argued that making broad generalisations is incorrect.