Gen Z: The Generation of Despair

**This article is written based on the OPINION of XSTSY MEDIA editors**

Generation Z consists of people born from 1997 to 2012, known for their balanced upbringing of a childhood without advanced technology and their teen years filled with the growth of social media.

Generations before received technology later in their lives and generations to come will only ever know of it. Gen Z is hyper aware of the rapid advancement of society in general happening around them during their developmental years. They are in a constant state of impending doom.

Political violence, climate change, economic struggles, mental health crisis and an A.I.-led job market are all contributors to this impending doom Gen Z carries, as half of them are college graduates, starting their adult lives.

Gen Z feels powerless in a revolution to change the trajectory of their lives and their country’s government. Learned hopelessness was ingrained into Gen Z’s mind from birth, creating a new way of seeing life and living it.

Starting with September 11, 2001, the day that changed the country forever. Some Gen Z were too young to remember this or were not born yet but grew up with this heavy heart for the attack as it’s honored each year. The following events and societal changes from this day was something Gen Z just did. An event that happened right before their time and procedures they have are immune to ensue.

In 2008, a recession hit the United States economy. Still, many Gen Z were too young to be financially affected themselves, however, they grew up watching their parents lose their jobs and homes. A traumatic event for such a young person to think anything better of the world, while still not fully understanding the severity.

Throughout their rudimentary education, they also saw the rise in gun violence, specifically in schools. School shootings rapidly increased during their sessions, instilling yet another fear at an early age in a place where you would think to be the safest.

In 2020, many Gen Z were in high school and middle school during the COVID-19 pandemic, omitting in-person learning and social interactions. Mental illnesses among Gen Z skyrocketed and third space interactions died during the pandemic.

Today, under Trump’s administration, Gen Z sees a world regressing back to unnecessary homophobia, racism and a recession-like economy.

Nonetheless, under what seems like the world is falling apart, Gen Z still finds a way to enjoy their early adulthood for themselves despite radical ideology spinning around them. This way of life resurrected the #YOLO movement, in a way that is slightly sad.

Instead of saying you only live once to fun and risky things, Gen Z is using #YOLO in a way they believe they won't live for long due to many circumstances or in a way the country as a whole will fall during their lifetime. So why not go out, why not spend your money, because you never know what the headlines will read in the morning.

In an informal survey conducted by XSTSY MEDIA, 17 out of 20 people agreed that Gen Z is the generation of despair. They also agreed with the statement that they live their lives differently or will live their lives differently due to the current pressures of the world.

Here are some anonymous opinions from the survey:

“I decided in high school to choose a career that wouldn’t be dependent on a company or industry. It has always felt like the world is ending, so at least if I work for myself and in a career that has a meaningful direct impact (therapy), I should feel as though I can be at peace in life, because I'm doing the right thing.”

Technology taking over people’s jobs is one thing but the job market itself is another. NBC News did a survey in August of people who recently finished technical school, college or graduate school. With more than 100 responses about how their job search was going, the graduates said after months of applying to hundreds of jobs, they are not even getting a response back. This invites a feeling of regret to Gen Z’s decision to spend thousands of dollars on a degree. As well as devaluing their hard work to their field of study. The impending doom then sets in on what they will do the rest of their life now that they have taken out loans and dedicated years to a practice that may seem useless.

“The future as we know it is uncertain. Houses are owned by huge companies that exploit people. Raising a kid is financially impossible. Relationships are abysmal in the gender war. A.I. is stealing every job. So I have decided to go with the flow and if any of those traditional things should come my way, cool, if not, also cool. I think this is commonly referred to as dissociation but our generation romanticizes it as stoicism.”

For millennials and Gen X, many of them have been told to find a husband or wife and settle down and if you are a woman stay home with the kids. As nothing is wrong with that, Gen Z proves that is not as important to them as a career and buying a house. Many Gen Z would probably love to start a family but the way of the world currently, only allows financial stability for themselves, if that. By not feeling the pressure to start a family or get married in their 20’s like other generations, Gen Z wants to establish themselves first and bring others into their life when they are emotionally mature and financially ready. I think this is a sophisticated way of thinking ahead for their future and being selfish for their greater good.

“I feel like life has made me and people around me very YOLO because nothing is taken seriously anymore because everything is so serious and doom. There is no respect for tradition. With the internet, we are all so connected and it gives us the freedom to do anything we could ever want. But I do feel less pressure to have a spouse and kids and I feel more focused on my education and career.”

The ultimate access to technology and knowledge we have now really proves you can be whoever you want to be. Through the internet and social media, many new opportunities have been created for people. However, the downside is all of the access. Too much access can bring that impending doom right back around. The footage of wars, assassinations and other tragic events are at our fingertips desensitizing us and allowing us to realize how corrupt things can be. Social media elaborates on the impending doom by naturally causing people to compare their lives to others. It sends a sense of pressure to their nervous system that they are not doing enough when they are just doing the best they can.

“I definitely never thought I would live past 18. I thought I would get shot in school or experience a terrorist attack at some point before then. I didn't plan to be an adult or really cared to become one and now that I am, I'm slowly but surely figuring out what specifically I want to do. I think planning too far ahead is a ridiculous concept, considering things are getting worse faster than we thought they would. My main goal is to buy federal property somewhere high enough in elevation that the new coast line would still be far enough away from me. (And) I'm far away enough from the equator that the land will still be fertile by 2100. Overall it feels like society will collapse before a full-blown environmental catastrophe hits everywhere all at once. Nobody can tell where their life is gonna go anyways so the journey and figuring it out as the plan develops is less stressful than having a complete solid plan you stick to.”

Not to discount any other generation's hardships and disparities, but Generation Z is a phenomenon to be studied. The way Gen Z has grown up shows that you don’t actually have to follow a man made agenda and rules set up to make you miserable.

Another disclaimer, nothing is wrong with getting married and having kids in your 20’s, it's just not sustainable in this day and age.

By not following the ‘how you should be living,’ Gen Z seems to be bringing back the simpler life before technology. A life that sets your own mental happiness and fulfillment as a standard before anyone else’s life they want to push on you.

I believe without these curve balls thrown at Gen Z, they wouldn’t have lived the life so many wish they could have. Danced for those who couldn't, traveled for those who couldn't, or received an education for those who couldn't.

We seem to have nothing to lose at this point and I see us beginning to live that way. Untraditional nine to five careers, jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago, college majors center around humanity and the resurrection of our simpler childhood.

Through despair we are changing the narrative of ‘how you should be living your life’ because you never know what the future holds, so why not live it to the fullest in such dark times.

Maybe a revolution could spark.

XSTSY MEDIA editors can be reached at XSTSYMEDIA@gmail.com.