Excellent analysis! However, I would note among the biggest glaring contributing differences with the Gen Z cohort compared to all other generations: their schooling. Public education remained a largely consistent apparatus of learning across most generations; until it got turned on its head for the late stage Millennials and Gen Z’ers. I submit that cohort is most weird, because their education was/is the weirdest. Long gone are the “3-Rs” and the applied concept of merit, meanwhile new genders are seemingly being defined and added by the day. Education policies, practices, atmospheres, and subject matter have all increasingly become contentious, detrimental, political and polarizing — and that has had a weird (and negative) effect on the resulting impressions of the Gen Z cohort. They graduate with a weird and demented sense of reality that does not align with any generations before them. This is new. And when paired with their addiction to all things online, it’s no surprise Gen Z and armpit Millennials seem so lost, delusional and out of touch. Our education system must wear a lot of that blame. Our education system is quick to demand cash and conditions to learning (and their school environments), but they will never accept responsibility for the resulting impacts to students who have to navigate through it all. If we are all talking about this now, just wait and see what the next generation will be like. That said, I hold declining hope for the future.
As to education, my youngest is turning thirty. A sensitive artistic person. Starting in middle school the message daily was climate crisis, the world is dying, what are you going to do with your life? Your marks must be above 90%. You must choose now or you will fail. You must go to university or you will fail. It was never ending doom and pressure. I’m sure it’s even worse now. He was an anxious wreck by the time grade 12 was over. The message of educators is terrible and needs fixing now.
My lord, Marcie. Please tell your son that a complete stranger has wished him the very best (and take some of those good wishes for yourself, as well. Coping with that as a parent must have been dreadfully difficult.)
Yeah. Those are some of the reasons why I have no respect for climate apocalypse mongers, nor for the current crop of "educators". Needlessly whipping up mass hysteria re. climate, except the climate mongers make sure the hysteria results in net profit for them, such as PM Mark Carney with his massive conflicts of interest.
Try to influence your youngest so that he becomes mentally tougher, and a hard to fool independent thinker. There is never too late for that, I have met people who in age are real adults but are pathetically unable to practice independent thinking.
They had a version of this already when I graduated in the 90's. University being the only way to get a stable outcome, courses you had to take if you wanted to be successful (like French). I think it's gotten even worse though - there's a reason my youngest has been homeschooled.
...... result of - unchecked - toxic hardcore activism, mostly of the enviro-fanatical and socio-political kind on the left side. Canadian society has a potentially fatal weakness of being far too indulgent towards and tolerant of what I call ideological shyte.
Really excellent article. I have two Gen Z grandchildren and the way you have analyzed and explained their generation makes alot of things more clear. Great journalism.
I'm not sure how much stock you can place on economics for the breadth of GenZ as they are currently aged 13 to 28 yos: some are out in the world, some should be but are still being bankrolled by mommy and daddy, and the rest are children. Likely, the contradictory data stems from class and I'd love to see that data broken out. personal experience tempts me to link the willingness to go in debt to cover living expenses with the use of their parents' money as a stopgap.
I'm a parent to 3 gen Z kids who have grown up in varied economic circumstances. I would say these attitudes accurately reflect all of my kids attitudes. Something I've actively worked with my kids is to change from externalizing outcomes to internalizing outcomes - a fancy way of saying encouraging them to believe that the actions they take influence the outcomes they experience. 1, and possibly 2 of them, originally believed things happened to them and there was nothing they could do about it. I suspect parental attitude and whether they encourage empowerment in their children influences this.
I'd also add that covid caused serious harms for all 3 of my kids. 2 much moreso than the others, but even the 3rd had some harms come from it. Changing how the fabric of society functions and classifying people into essential and non-essential and then telling them who they could and couldn't have in-person contact with has caused changes that I think it will be decades before social scientists understand it.
'Bankrolled by mommy and daddy' is a little nasty for a generation completely priced out of housing by their elders. Those working are 'bankrolling' some pretty cushy benefits for seniors, too, who get none of the guilt of personal dependence on family members -- not because they were more responsible, but because they have the political power to just expropriate what they need with no familial strings.
Excellent analysis! However, I would note among the biggest glaring contributing differences with the Gen Z cohort compared to all other generations: their schooling. Public education remained a largely consistent apparatus of learning across most generations; until it got turned on its head for the late stage Millennials and Gen Z’ers. I submit that cohort is most weird, because their education was/is the weirdest. Long gone are the “3-Rs” and the applied concept of merit, meanwhile new genders are seemingly being defined and added by the day. Education policies, practices, atmospheres, and subject matter have all increasingly become contentious, detrimental, political and polarizing — and that has had a weird (and negative) effect on the resulting impressions of the Gen Z cohort. They graduate with a weird and demented sense of reality that does not align with any generations before them. This is new. And when paired with their addiction to all things online, it’s no surprise Gen Z and armpit Millennials seem so lost, delusional and out of touch. Our education system must wear a lot of that blame. Our education system is quick to demand cash and conditions to learning (and their school environments), but they will never accept responsibility for the resulting impacts to students who have to navigate through it all. If we are all talking about this now, just wait and see what the next generation will be like. That said, I hold declining hope for the future.
As to education, my youngest is turning thirty. A sensitive artistic person. Starting in middle school the message daily was climate crisis, the world is dying, what are you going to do with your life? Your marks must be above 90%. You must choose now or you will fail. You must go to university or you will fail. It was never ending doom and pressure. I’m sure it’s even worse now. He was an anxious wreck by the time grade 12 was over. The message of educators is terrible and needs fixing now.
My lord, Marcie. Please tell your son that a complete stranger has wished him the very best (and take some of those good wishes for yourself, as well. Coping with that as a parent must have been dreadfully difficult.)
Oh he’s great now. Married and expecting his first child. And he can coach people through anxiety!
And that's how you make lemonade! Cheers.
Yeah. Those are some of the reasons why I have no respect for climate apocalypse mongers, nor for the current crop of "educators". Needlessly whipping up mass hysteria re. climate, except the climate mongers make sure the hysteria results in net profit for them, such as PM Mark Carney with his massive conflicts of interest.
Try to influence your youngest so that he becomes mentally tougher, and a hard to fool independent thinker. There is never too late for that, I have met people who in age are real adults but are pathetically unable to practice independent thinking.
Good work and luck to you both.
They had a version of this already when I graduated in the 90's. University being the only way to get a stable outcome, courses you had to take if you wanted to be successful (like French). I think it's gotten even worse though - there's a reason my youngest has been homeschooled.
Spot on.
...... result of - unchecked - toxic hardcore activism, mostly of the enviro-fanatical and socio-political kind on the left side. Canadian society has a potentially fatal weakness of being far too indulgent towards and tolerant of what I call ideological shyte.
Really excellent article. I have two Gen Z grandchildren and the way you have analyzed and explained their generation makes alot of things more clear. Great journalism.
I'm not sure how much stock you can place on economics for the breadth of GenZ as they are currently aged 13 to 28 yos: some are out in the world, some should be but are still being bankrolled by mommy and daddy, and the rest are children. Likely, the contradictory data stems from class and I'd love to see that data broken out. personal experience tempts me to link the willingness to go in debt to cover living expenses with the use of their parents' money as a stopgap.
I'm a parent to 3 gen Z kids who have grown up in varied economic circumstances. I would say these attitudes accurately reflect all of my kids attitudes. Something I've actively worked with my kids is to change from externalizing outcomes to internalizing outcomes - a fancy way of saying encouraging them to believe that the actions they take influence the outcomes they experience. 1, and possibly 2 of them, originally believed things happened to them and there was nothing they could do about it. I suspect parental attitude and whether they encourage empowerment in their children influences this.
I'd also add that covid caused serious harms for all 3 of my kids. 2 much moreso than the others, but even the 3rd had some harms come from it. Changing how the fabric of society functions and classifying people into essential and non-essential and then telling them who they could and couldn't have in-person contact with has caused changes that I think it will be decades before social scientists understand it.
'Bankrolled by mommy and daddy' is a little nasty for a generation completely priced out of housing by their elders. Those working are 'bankrolling' some pretty cushy benefits for seniors, too, who get none of the guilt of personal dependence on family members -- not because they were more responsible, but because they have the political power to just expropriate what they need with no familial strings.
I suppose this would also explain their glaring lack of work ethic - if merit is not valued.
I do feel for them. I have had similar circumstances in my young/younger years, so I do have some sympathy for them.