Generation Z - Is there something different about this generation?

[IwegalBadnik]

Based on the premise that Generation Z includes those born between 1996 and 2014 (based roughly on the consensus of dates I found looking around), I would surmise that this bunch tends to be a bit more reluctant on most fronts--absent embracing technology.

In my experience, the people of Generation Z do tend to be more conservative in their approach to life in general. Politically and religiously, Generation Z seem to reflect trends similar to those of the Millennials (that is, more liberal than not). Considering that a good portion of these individuals are still just above/not at voting age, I would say that it is probably too early to tell how this generation truly speaks at the ballot box. My suspicion is that they will be more similar to the Millennials on these two fronts than different.

Nevertheless, the generation that comes to mind as analogous to me for Generation Z would still be Silent Generation--those who were either young adults or children during the Great Depression, World War II and the aftermaths of both. They seem quite parallel.

 

[BT 075]

Everyone who owns a smartphone is basically doomed. There's hope yet for those who do not.

 

[Trilby]

If the generation that won World War Ii was the Greatest Generation, then Boomers are the worst generation (though their music was good) and Millennials are the result of the Boomers' awfulness. Gen X is fairly decent though, they're more individualistic than Millennials as a rule, but nowhere near as self-centered as the typical Baby Boomer.

Well nice to hear that then, since X is where I am.

As a general rule, these are the guidelines I use for the generations.

Baby Boomers: 1945-1963

Generation X: 1964-1984

Millennials: 1985-2000 at the absolute latest

Gen Z/Homelanders: 1998 at the earliest to 2008 at the latest

Looks about right.

 

[stillscenein2016]

I'm Gen Z (born 1998).

We're weird. I would not say as a generation that we're conservative by any normal person's definition of 'conservative' -- we're just weird. We broke the Overton window and believe what we like, regardless of what part of the political spectrum it's technically on.

Almost everyone I've met in my generation (and that's a lot of everyones) is some brand of left-wing by any traditional definition, but that brand of left-wing varies from SJW-stereotype to communist to libertarian to various types of Third Position-based insanity to a Sanders-Stein-based worldview. The most consistent positions seem to be 'drugs should be way more legal than they are' and a very strong position on feminism, either for or against.

We're also very, very political for a bunch of teenagers.

 

[DirkBloodStormKing]

Gen Z is probably either going to be very liberal or very libertarian. In my experience, most Gen Z types have at the very least been socially progressive or socially libertarian in some way or form. Probably going to lean more on the latter because they are growing up in times where everyone is skeptical and flat-out critical of both sides of the political spectrum and a general distaste and distrust in government and media.

 

[Lensherr]

If I may :powerlevel: a bit, I was born in 1996 and would be considered either a very late Millennial or very early Gen-Z-er depending on who you ask. As someone who despises Millennials and converted to conservative/libertarian thought my senior year of high school, I believe that Gen-Z's conservatism is a result of having to deal with them and Baby Boomers in positions of authority; to them, liberalism is the establishment, and there's nothing kids love more than being edgy to piss it off, and the Overton Window has shifted so far to the left that right-wing thought is considered risque in most mainstream circles.

 

[Florence]

I'm Gen Z (born 1998).

We're weird. I would not say as a generation that we're conservative by any normal person's definition of 'conservative' -- we're just weird. We broke the Overton window and believe what we like, regardless of what part of the political spectrum it's technically on.

Almost everyone I've met in my generation (and that's a lot of everyones) is some brand of left-wing by any traditional definition, but that brand of left-wing varies from SJW-stereotype to communist to libertarian to various types of Third Position-based insanity to a Sanders-Stein-based worldview. The most consistent positions seem to be 'drugs should be way more legal than they are' and a very strong position on feminism, either for or against.

We're also very, very political for a bunch of teenagers.

Fellow Gen Z-er here, and I've gotta say I agree. Most of my friends aren't particulary conservative (for example, I supported Cruz during the election whilst everyone else was raving about Bernie) but they're pretty anti social justice, probably because millenials have publicly shat the bed multiple times and there's a strong desire to not do that.

 

[ghost886]

well, it's important to note that white millennials (1984-2004 births, going by harvard) are still about as republican as white baby boomers. at least in regards to how they voted. similar attitudes towards obama's presidency too. there are differences in social attitudes but it hasn't really affected partisanship that much.

 

[vertexwindi]

Im Gen X, we dont care about anything, lol

"... we're the MTV generation." "We feel neither highs nor lows."

 

[The Jumping Dwarf]

I was apparently born right at the edge between Millenials and Generation Z. I'm just happy that I can identify myself as Generation Z because Millenials are utter cancer.

 

[ghost886]

Based on the premise that Generation Z includes those born between 1996 and 2014 (based roughly on the consensus of dates I found looking around), I would surmise that this bunch tends to be a bit more reluctant on most fronts--absent embracing technology.

In my experience, the people of Generation Z do tend to be more conservative in their approach to life in general. Politically and religiously, Generation Z seem to reflect trends similar to those of the Millennials (that is, more liberal than not). Considering that a good portion of these individuals are still just above/not at voting age, I would say that it is probably too early to tell how this generation truly speaks at the ballot box. My suspicion is that they will be more similar to the Millennials on these two fronts than different.

Nevertheless, the generation that comes to mind as analogous to me for Generation Z would still be Silent Generation--those who were either young adults or children during the Great Depression, World War II and the aftermaths of both. They seem quite parallel.

well, the older half of the silents might have grown up poor. but they also grew up in a time of falling economic inequality. also attitudes towards sex and drugs became a lot more conservative in the 1930s. i do see some similarities to some forgotten aspects of the 50s though. like the heroin use epidemic in the cities and immigration crackdowns under eisenhower. maybe if economic inequality somehow starts to reverse again over the next 20 years the comparison between the two generations will be more obvious.

 

[Trilby]

"... we're the MTV generation." "We feel neither highs nor lows."

You might as well say we're "Middle of the Road" here and get it over with. Still it's nice not to rock the boat much.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

My personal fear is that Generation Z will get stuck politically in echo chambers like Millenials have, only have it far worse. Since everyone can find a media outlet/forum tailored to their exact specific political tastes and people who blindly agree with them all the time, it's easy to get sucked into a cult-mentality like we so with so many of the cows on this site. It's not like how things were even just 10 years ago where everyone was much more jumbled up on common sites and had to talk to each other.

On the flip side, I bet Gen Z is going to produce A LOT of great lolcows.

 

[AnOminous]

My personal fear is that Generation Z will get stuck politically in echo chambers like Millenials have, only have it far worse. Since everyone can find a media outlet/forum tailored to their exact specific political tastes and people who blindly agree with them all the time, it's easy to get sucked into a cult-mentality like we so with so many of the cows on this site.

We need to yell things at them to make them think right. Like "WAKE UP SHEEPLE!" And "JULAAAAAY!"

 

[Steve Mayers]

My personal fear is that Generation Z will get stuck politically in echo chambers like Millenials have, only have it far worse. Since everyone can find a media outlet/forum tailored to their exact specific political tastes and people who blindly agree with them all the time, it's easy to get sucked into a cult-mentality like we so with so many of the cows on this site. It's not like how things were even just 10 years ago where everyone was much more jumbled up on common sites and had to talk to each other.

On the flip side, I bet Gen Z is going to produce A LOT of great lolcows.

The political echo chamber effect started offline. In the 90's with the proliferation of talk radio shows, and the rise of partisan cable news networks like Fox and MSNBC.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

The political echo chamber effect started offline. In the 90's with the proliferation of talk radio shows, and the rise of partisan cable news networks like Fox and MSNBC.

Right, but those forms of media aren't nearly as interactive. When you combine an echo chamber with the ability to interact with other people who believe the same thing, it becomes super toxic and cultish. Talk radio and TV aren't interactive. You can watch them and agree, but can't interact with the other viewers at the same time and organize.

 

[The Great Chandler]

"SUCC MAH DIC(tm) YOU UNDERAGE LITTLE SHITS"
http://thoughtcatalog.com/brook-johnston/2014/09/generation-z-can-fck-right-off/
I'm pretty sure this is satire, but I have the feeling some millennials would actually be LITERALLY SHAKING over this.

 

[Lackadaisy]

I'm pretty sure each generation is just as faggoty as the previous one.

 

[DancinTim]

As a general rule, these are the guidelines I use for the generations.

Baby Boomers: 1945-1963

Generation X: 1964-1984

Millennials: 1985-2000 at the absolute latest

Gen Z/Homelanders: 1998 at the earliest to 2008 at the latest

My economics teacher would always go on about how students graduating from hs in 2016/2017 would be very young Millennials but would also be very old Gen Z, I think it's very interesting that there are people who are in between two different generations.

 

[FuckGenerationZ]

Considering this is my own demographic after all, I noticed that they aren't really as SJWy as Millenials. There's even reports suggesting that they think "more Conservative" than Millenials. On the other hand, they're also more "glued" to mobile devices. What's up on your guys' minds?
Edit: There's also the study that Gen Zs are less likely to get into risky behavior and are more financial aware.

Generation Z are LOSERS!!!