Generation Z: Do We Care About Anything?

“I don’t really care..” and “whatever” are phrases commonly heard in the hallways. These phrases tend to show how apathetic we are to most things, and shapes the way society judges our generation, Gen Z. Generation Z consists of people born between the years 1995 and 2012. Millennials, people born between 1980 and 1994 used to be considered the “lazy” and “entitled” generation. However, now that they are aged from 23 to 37, the label has been pushed onto our generation. This year, the ones born in 1995 are starting to enter the workforce, and millennials are treating us the way that they have been treated. The reason why most people think that we are lazy and entitled is because we grew up with the internet. Many older generations also assume that we are more rebellious. However, research shows that we are more tolerant to different cultures, races, and sexual orientations. We also spend less time in malls, have lower pregnancy rates, and are less likely to drink or take drugs.

When I asked Ishita A., a ninth grade student, on her opinion if millennials cared about current events, she said, “I feel like they have not been understood well enough and are always blamed upon for ruining something or the other. In my opinion, I believe that the reason that many believe that millennials are labeled in such a poor  manner is partly due to the reason that the market is not keeping up with with their interests.” She then went on further, explaining that times are changing, and that it is important for the older generations to understand that interests and habits also evolve over time. Paoping Y., a freshman, talks about how she both agrees and disagrees with the labels. She said, “There are people who fit this label, but there are people who are completely different, so it’s not true for everyone.”

Does our generation care about politics? I asked a few people, and they recounted moments where our generation has come together and discussed current world issues. Ishita recounts how when she was in 7th grade, the election between Trump and Clinton took place. She said, “Everyone had their computers out and were heavily invested in the election.” She also said that people would often have heated discussions debating many political controversies. These are all examples of how we are open minded to opinions and how we actually care about what is happening all over the world. Paoping said, “I don’t care about politics unless someone brings it up, then I pay some attention.” David S., another freshman, commented, “I do care about politics. Most my friends don’t, [and even] make me feel disdain because of it. Even though many people do not, there are still many people who are highly involved and devote a lot of time in their lives to politics, just like other generations.” He continued on to say, “A lot of people mistake politics as only events in first world countries, such as America and other countries. For example, in America, teenagers only care about specific elections and ignore state elections and senate meetings, even if they are covered by mainstream media. I think people should care more as politics influence many different industries. Trump has evolved into a celebrity because of teenagers. People who know about Taylor Swift would probably know about Trump, but might not know about Mike Pence.”

In my opinion, teenagers do care about world politics, just not as much as the older generations. For example, there are many memes of Trump that can easily be found on Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram. These memes provide teens with little information on Trump’s most recent actions, which leads them to read the news to get more background. Because we spend so much time on the internet, we know a lot about world news.

Although heavily stereotyped by other generations, I believe Gen Z does care about things other than themselves and can be successful in leading our future world.