New Delhi, India

Millennials, the generation of people born between 1981 and 1996, have been blamed for many things, ruining Airbnb, tattoos, mayonnaise, McDonald's and so much more. Don't believe us? Just go on Google and search "millennials ruined", you'll see. Now, a recent survey attempted to find who's the biggest fibber of all the generations. Turns out, millennials take the crown for being the biggest liars in the workplace and on social media.

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What the study found: Millennials vs Boomers vs Gen Z

Online casino PlayStar conducted a survey of 1,306 participants, split equally between males and females, to explore their propensity for lying in different settings.

As per a report in New York Post, the results revealed that millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, were the worst offenders, with 13 per cent admitting to being dishonest at least once a day.

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Also read | What the 'hell'? Gen Z more likely to believe in damnation after death, finds study

In contrast, only two per cent of baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, confessed to telling a daily fib.

Even Gen Z did better. Generation Z, the young ones, born between 1997 and 2021 and Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980 displayed similar levels of deception, with only five per cent in each group owning up to daily dishonesty.

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What do millennials lie about?

The survey did delve into the specific areas where lies are most prevalent. Nearly one-third of millennials admitted to lying on their resumes this year and the workplace was identified as the hub of deceit. Almost 40 per cent of millennials confessed to lying to their boss in order to avoid embarrassment.

Furthermore, 23 per cent of millennials and 21 per cent of Gen Z individuals admitted to lying on social media to impress others.

What pushes millennials to lie?

The focus on money, image, and fame among millennials might explain their higher propensity for lying, as indicated by a 2012 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Also read | Despite prioritising sex, millennials are less 'sexually free' than Gen Z, survey finds

However, the survey found that the majority of respondents, 79 per cent, claimed to have never told a lie online.

Nine in ten Gen X respondents or 89 per cent, 86 per cent of baby boomers also reported high levels of honesty on social media.

Is there a gender angle to lying?

Interestingly, yes. As per the New York Post report, the survey uncovered a gender difference in lying behaviour. Men were found to be 10 per cent more likely to lie on social media compared to women.

In general too, more men — 26 per cent —confessed to telling a daily lie compared to the slightly lower number of women —  23 per cent. However, the survey challenged the common misconception that women are better at detecting lies than men.

Overall, the survey highlighted that the majority of people struggle to identify when someone is lying, with 97 per cent of participants performing poorly in lie detection.

However, the survey also revealed that lies are not always malicious, with 58 per cent of respondents admitting to telling untruths only to avoid embarrassment and 42 per cent doing so to protect their privacy. Additionally, a significant portion — 42 per cent — confessed to lying to shield someone from reprimand or punishment. So, all in all, it's not all that bad.

(With inputs from agencies)

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