Fact or Fiction: Does Generation Z value anything other than Tik Tok?
Lazy, entitled, vapid- these are just a few of the choice words I’ve heard my grandfather, a member of the Baby Boomer Generation, toss about when discussing Generation Z. Generations before us, specifically Baby Boomers, did not have the privilege of owning handheld devices with the abilities to answer the most taboo of questions within the blink of an eye. Prior generations also did not have the pleasure of having their favorite cuisines delivered to them, with a simple touch of a button, or experience the convenience of “Alexa” shutting the lights out so you can continue binging “The Office”. It might be easy to claim that the advancement of technology has left my generation socially inept and unproductive members of society that only seem to value the latest Tik Tok trend. One would even assume the Gen Z community doesn’t engage in politics, care about climate change, or encourage their fellow peers to embrace their voice. I mean, why would they? Why would any adolescent prioritize melting ice caps over their strategy sessions to increase their Instagram followers? How could an 18-year old have the capacity to encourage gun policy reform when it doesn’t involve taking a selfie? Well, these acerbic assumptions are misconceived. Members of Generation Z are engaged in policy reform, activism, and are progressive participants in the race to save our planet. Gen Z is not hindered by today’s technology but has decided to utilize it for our society’s welfare.
Misconception #1: Gen Z is too busy with their noses buried in their phones to care about current world events, like climate change.
“We had no power in creating the systems that are destroying our world and futures- and yet we are and will be paying the biggest price for the older generations’ recklessness.” — Jamie Sarai Margolin[7]
Believe it or not, teens today do not only acknowledge climate change but are vigorous in its advocacy. An exceptionally vocal 18- year old, named Greta Thunberg, publicly shamed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly for their insouciance regarding climate change. [1] Along with demanding action from influential leaders, she planted herself outside of the Swedish Parliament to evoke a more significant climate change response. Her courage inspired other students across the globe to also strike and force lawmakers to acknowledge their cause. Another honorable mention belongs to Jamie Margolin, another young climate change activist. At age 14, Jamie began “organizing lobbying efforts and public demonstration” to encourage tangible change.[2] Believing her attempts futile, she founded “Zero Hour”, an activist group that focuses on promoting climate change’s exigency by organizing marches, rallies, and public demonstrations. These two courageous, outspoken teens display only a fraction of the youth that fiercely care for our earth’s welfare, although they have successfully built and used their platforms to amplify their cause.
“People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money fairytales of eternal economic growth.” — Greta Thunberg[8]
Misconception #2: Baby Boomers are unwavering in their belief that Gen Z is “lazy” and “unproductive”.
“Lazy” is the last word I would use to describe David Hogg, Jaclyn Coring, Emma González, Cameron Kasky, and Alex Wind. Unfortunately, the teenagers mentioned were a part of the tragic massacre that killed 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. These five teens initiated the #NeverAgain campaign, which resulted in thousands of students walking out of their classrooms in protest to support stricter gun regulations and promote youth engagement in politics.[3] These dauntless teenagers have participated in tours, online campaigns and appearances, and have become notorious supporters in advancing gun restrictions. During this trailblazing campaign, a student claimed: “No one should feel unsafe in a school where you’re supposed to learn about life. If there’s another mass school shooting, I will fly to Washington, D.C., and I will not move until change happens”. [9] Admirably, these students refused to cower in fear and wait for reform- they have taken their fate into their own hands. Gen Z is not the generation to idly twiddle their thumbs and wait for action.
Misconception #3: Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z’s technology usage is not always aligned with selfish gain.
Society has assumed we have abused the resourcefulness of today’s tech. However, Marley Dias and her activism debunk that falsehood. At the young age of 11, Dias founded the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign; its objective: “to collect and donate 1,000 books to her peers that featured black girls as the main characters”.[4] Her desire for diverse representation was fueled by her being “sick of reading about white boys and dogs”.[5] Along with her successful campaign, she is mentioned in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and even went on to publish a book called “Marley Dias Gets it Done: And So Can You!” Additionally, Yara Shahidi, a young actress, employed her spotlight to become an activist for diversity and female empowerment in education. [6] Shahidi then developed Yara’s Club to provide a digital safe haven for high schoolers to discuss their hardships. Shahidi and Dias are just two examples of young people growing frustrated with adversity which motivated them to make an impact. Members of Generation Z will not be waiting for others to change the world, we are the ones getting our hands dirty.
Misconception 4: Generation Z is “selfish” and unwilling to help others.
As well as activism, Generation Z cares about their families and wishes to support them. Society rushes to judge my generation for their incessant “selfishness”, but I’ve witnessed time and time again just how selfless we can be. For example, my friend, Amy, dropped out of college to work full time to help her loved ones. She selflessly postponed her dream to become a nurse because her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Members of Gen Z, like my friend, Kat, care about their job performance. Kat never fails to deliver amazing customer service and strives to engage with every customer. As well as my friend, Dihya, a senior in high school that works 30 hours a week to help contribute to his family, financially. Not only do I admire his work ethic, but he also spends his free time taking care of his mentally disabled brother. This goes to show that Gen z is not just concerned with their own agenda, but prioritizes the well-being of the people closest to their hearts. We are not apathetic “kids”, but adolescents trying to remove the taint of hostility in the world. Finally, being friends with these self-sacrificing young people has only inspired me to go the extra mile to help my fellow neighbor.
To conclude, I’m not claiming Generation Z is perfect and spends every free moment engaging in activism. However, you also don’t have to present a speech in front of hundreds of people or organize a massive protest to make a positive impact. Yes, these young activists I’ve mentioned are not shrinking away from the world’s dysfunction but trying to heal its fractures. Although, you don’t have to create such an impact that generations to come will read your name in history; sometimes, it’s enough to look after the person beside you. These young, brave activists are trying to lead the way to a better life for generations to come. In the future, I wish for a better understanding when it comes to my generation; Generation Z is not perfection, but I dare you to claim that we don’t care.
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[1]https://youtu.be/TMrtLsQbaok
[2] https://www.insider.com/young-activists-climate-change-guns-greta-thunberg-2019-9
[3] https://www.insider.com/young-activists-climate-change-guns-greta-thunberg-2019-9
[4]https://www.insider.com/young-activists-climate-change-guns-greta-thunberg-2019-9
[5] https://www.insider.com/young-activists-climate-change-guns-greta-thunberg-2019-9
[6] https://www.insider.com/young-activists-climate-change-guns-greta-thunberg-2019-9
[7]https://assembly.malala.org/stories/jamie-margolin-zero-hour
Memo
My autoethnography focuses on the contact zone between Generation Z and society’s perception of us. There are more than a few false notions about my generation and I wanted to use this opportunity to shed light on the members attempting to better our world. My audience includes Baby Boomers and society as a whole. I believe formatting my autoethnography into an opinion piece allowed me more freedom than a traditional essay. Hopefully, my autoethnography allowed my audience to see that Gen Z is so unbelievably different from popular belief. We are hard-working, we are resourceful, and we demand change.
I chose two community-based texts and one text written from an outsider’s perspective. Greta’s speech spoke volumes and evoked such a powerful emotion when I first watched it. Her passion for climate change is so intense, which is why I think people were so surprised to learn her age. She proves you can be a young person and not be blind to what’s happening in the world. In my autoethnography, I decided to quote a part of her speech that I found impactful. Another community-based text was Jamie’s piece, another display of someone so young, but filled with a fiery desire for action against climate change. I wanted to use a quote from her article that resonated with me and showcased her passion in a few simple sentences. The last text I used was an article written about young activists and their aspiration for humanity’s improvement. I referred back to this source multiple times because these members of Gen Z are using their voices in such a powerful way, it's nothing short of amazing.
I feel my autoethnography aligns with Pratt’s definition, however, our content differs in tone. Pratt’s example is slightly impersonal and outdated. With my autoethnography, I am associated with Gen Z and proud to be grouped with such a group of tenacious, young people. I wanted to show how Gen Z has turned today’s technology into a tool, and not a toy.
I think the execution of my autoethnography is similar to Said’s. He lists the misconceptions others have rushed to place upon the Palestinian community and thoroughly debunks each falsehood. My autoethnography does just the same, although, my version did not include the harshness of exile and racism. We both possess the desire for our communities to be viewed with clarity.
Comparing autoethnographies, I think Jordan and I share slim similarities. The most apparent would be the reclaiming of one’s voice. I believe, like Willie, instead of wallowing in pity, I am standing tall and practicing my freedom of speech. I think that’s the beauty of autoethnography; being able to tell your version of the story. It allows us to squash preconceived notions and speak our truth.
