In the context of work, the digital divide has become less about access to devices and connectivity and more about skills and mindset. Many experienced professionals have never learned more than the rudimentary basics of email, web search, and Microsoft Office. Instead, they lean hard on nearby colleagues or the IT help desk when things go wrong.

By contrast, young people have already demonstrated a competitive edge in the virtual workplace. They come equipped with a more intuitive grasp of digital technology and the initiative to troubleshoot problems via YouTube tutorials, social media, and subreddits.

As a generation, they’re also bigger gamers. As more and more work takes place in virtual reality—and one does not have to share the somewhat eccentric vision of the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg articulated last year to believe that it will—being familiar with massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like Fortnite and Roblox, not to mention the ability to manage multiple digital identities, is set to make that edge keener still.