"In fact, Gen Z might just be the most risk-averse generation on record. Fewer Gen Zers got a driver’s license, drank alcohol, or had sex as teenagers than their parents did. The same young adults now report skyrocketing rates of anxiety and other mental illnesses, with some estimates finding that as many as 1 in 5 18-to-24-year-olds have been diagnosed with depression. Timidity—not to mention self-conscious neuroticism—is increasingly the norm.
“An ongoing study from Montclair State University argues that some of this risk aversion is due to the current political climate—or perhaps young people’s perception of it. “Gen Z’s mental health has deteriorated due to a worldview that the society and environment around them are crumbling,” writes justice studies professor Gabriel Rubin. “Rights are being taken away, the Earth is burning, maniacs could kill you with a gun, and viruses could shut down society again.””
See also, for counterpoint: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2024/06/18/gen-z-thriving-entrepreneurship/
There’s nothing like “Gen Z” or “Gen X”. Stop this bullshit that’s not more grounded than astrology. There’s cultural development in society, but it’s not restricted to an age cohort.
Maybe that’s why so many American young people voted Red in this election.
and here the rest of us thought the tumblr “guess i’m gonna die” memes were just silliness. guess they meant it, huh.
I hate these articles that try to paint entire generations of people with the same brush.
I think there are some things we need to learn about people that grew up on the unregulated internet. I normally hate generation generalizations but Millenials (at least us 80s kids) were the last people who got to grow up without the internet being omnipresent in our lives before we hit puberty.
That’s already a statement that doesn’t apply to me and other “Gen Z” people I know. Which doesn’t make it a false claim or an irrelevant point. The changes between milestones / turning points in the western world aren’t irrelevant, but people often take them as isolated pieces of information and then value them too much. It’s an important aspect about a human being, but it’s only one of many uncountable aspects that is superficial on its own.
Generational theory at best serves as a nice sentimental touch that encourages older rich people to feel less entitled and spoiled, because they “didn’t have the iPhone when they were twelve” (a product that wasn’t available when they were twelve).
If it’s from MSU, it can safely be ignored.
Source: I went there. Gained nothing but a piece of paper. Lost time, money, and effort.
So if you wanna know my personal story, I was given the feeling that even looking at a girl directly was sexual harassment, when I was 12 years old.
Now do 1+1 and figure out why Gen Z is “timid, self-conscious neurotic”. And I say it again, human contact is essential for mental wellbeing, as humans are incredibly social creatures. Yes, contact without physical contact is not to be considered proper contact.
