The Gen Z Factor
Artwork by Mikayla LoBasso
Since I was born in 2001 I am deemed a member of the Gen-Z collective. My generation’s childhood consisted of the ever addicting Poptropica (or Club Penguin, if you were that kid), child stars turned pop icons (i.e. Ariana Grande), various iconic TV networks including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney, and of course, the internet. The majority of my generation would be college students or fresh out of school by now, which means that the majority of us have experienced a lot of things, both good and bad. It would be fair to say that the internet and social media practically raised us and participated in our development as humans. I would dedicate most of my humor solely to YouTube and Twitter as those were the two sites that I frequented the most. The beautiful thing about the internet is how endless it is. There is an endless amount of content to look at, people to meet, places to explore, friends to make, and opportunities to take advantage of. The amount of relationships that I have made over the years with people online versus real life is amazing. The internet may be a lot of things but Gen-Z has definitely made it possible to use as both a medium of entertainment and a tool.
Older generations hate on Gen Z because of the fact that we are “soft, crybabies who complain about everything and think that the universe owes us anything we want because we say so”, which is anything but true. If anything, Gen Z and millennials are the most vocal and prideful generations to ever exist. The thing that makes us so special is that we are not afraid to be the ones to speak out about our trauma, our struggles, and the screwed-up ways of the world. The amount of teen to 20-something individuals who make YouTube videos talking about “taboo” topics such as sex, assault, marriage, body issues, gender and sexual identity, race issues, and world issues is astounding and only getting bigger every day.
The one thing that gives us the leg up on older generations is social media and technology. Our parents and grand-parents complain and nag about how social media is ruining us, holding us back, and dumbing us down. In hindsight, this is true to a certain extent, but I believe social media is only negative when you use it in a negative way. I feel that things must be balanced and with something like the internet it can be easy to get caught up in the bullshit of comparisons, “likes and followers”, and filters. On the other hand, social media can be an excellent tool to promote your brand and other people’s brands. The beauty of the internet is that almost everyone is on it. If you can figure out how to use it to your advantage, whether it be starting a business, showcasing your skills, promoting and building your brand, or advocating for a particular cause, then I don’t see why people shouldn’t be on the internet. Again, you need balance. Obviously being on the internet 24/7 is terrible for your health, physically and mentally, but so much good has come from social media. Older generations do not fully understand that. Luckily, times are changing.
Being a Gen Z person has not always been fun. While I was blessed to grow up with the internet, I feel that it has also cursed me and others. I will admit, I am a much more confident and social person behind a screen than I am in person. I think many people in my age range are familiar with always having your phone on hand when in public; that way if you are walking or having to be in a space where you do not know anyone, you can easily pull it out and pretend to be texting or checking YouTube, even though your phone is off or “dry” scenario. Our phones have made us more connected but isolated at the same time. I will admit that I have had moments where I would much rather listen to music and scroll through Tumblr, or watch YouTube videos, instead of watching tv with my family. Pulling out the phone and pretending like you’re interested in what’s on your screen can be so addicting and tempting, especially when in public or even with people you care about. I have gotten so dependent on my phone that I can’t even eat meals or do other activities without having it on my person.
When I was younger, I spent hours on Instagram hating myself and comparing myself to other girls that went to my school. I would always complain of how ugly I was, how fat I was, the fact that I would never be as pretty or popular as the other girls online. It took me a while to realize that people only portray their best selves online for a reason. It’s easier to create a different persona online than it is to show the real you because nobody would like the real you. At least, that’s what I tried to convince myself. Now, I barely post on the internet, if at all. I only follow people that I respect and look up to and avoid the things that make me insecure. Some days, I am able to leave my phone in my drawer or out of my hand and focus my attention to other hobbies such as writing, painting, video games, or just other people. I am teaching myself how to be more present and not look at my phone all the time. To be fair, I have seen more kids my age and younger be social with other people and strangers compared to older generations, both online and in person.
I have a lot of faith in my generation. I know that for older people, Generation Z is seen as cringy, delusional kids that only care about TikTok and like to mooch off of their parents but that is only a stereotype that makes up a very minuscule percentage of us. I find it so humorous how our parents call us spoiled and ungrateful, yet we were only born into what we have now. It is not our fault that the world is the way that it is. Plus, many of us that are considered adults have grown and experienced the traumas and vicious cycles that plague our families. Just look at all the TikToks of teens and young 20-somethings “joking” about their toxic relationships with their families and their environments. Older generations did not have that exposure or the courage to speak up against what was wrong. They accepted it and took it out on us. We actually addressed it.
I believe that Gen Z will be the one to change everything we know about gender roles, expectations, and norms about life and philosophy. We’re already taking the steps to make sure our voices are heard, and our stories are shared. We have the potential to go above and beyond.