For better or worse, I am a member of Generation Z. The selfies, Snapchats and Tik Toks; been there, done that. And, while many stereotypes about our technology-obsessed demographic are true, I feel like we often get a bad rap. So, with that in mind, I have decided to clear up a few misconceptions and truths.

Who is Generation Z?
The term Generation Z encapsulates all those born between 1995 and 2015. They are the children and young adults of today, often referred to as “Zoomers” and “Gen Zers”. They make up about 18 per cent of the Canadian population. But what sets them apart from past generations?

For starters, Gen Zers are digital natives, meaning they do not have any memories that predate the internet. Using technology as a form of communication has always been part of everyday life for them. So, to say that they were born with smartphones in their hands is not a huge overstatement.

Gen Z also happens to be the most culturally and ethnically diverse generation in Canadian and American history.  

What Challenges do They Face?
Every generation lives through their own trends, wars, and era-defining moments. Zoomers are no different in that respect, but many have referred to Gen Z as “Generation Doom” since climate change, terrorist attacks and school shootings have been facts of life for them since early childhood. Throw in a global pandemic and you get a demographic who feels like the future is uncertain, and the end always near. These apocalyptic feelings show up in the collective sense of humor of Gen Z. Many of the prominent memes from this demographic feature dark and/or self-deprecating humor.

Gen Z also seems to be struggling with mental health issues. In 2018, The American Psychological Association reported that “Gen Z is significantly more likely to report their mental health as fair or poor” in comparison to other generations. The same study concluded that 38 percent of Gen Zers feel badly about themselves as a result of social media usage.

What have They Accomplished?
While other generations have all had their teenage stars and starlets, Gen Zers have risen to fame through a different path, the way of the internet sensation. The children of today don’t look to films and television for role models. They instead look to Tik Tokers, Youtubers and Instagram influencers with large followings as trend setters. As a result, thousands of teens and young adults from every corner of the globe can make a living by posting on social media.

Although the majority of Gen Zers are children, they are no strangers to excelling on the world’s stage. We’ve recently seen the likes of incredible youngsters wise beyond their years—such as environmentalist Greta Thunberg and education activist Malala Yousafzai—take on major issues and spearhead conversations leading to change. We are starting to see more and more young people getting politically involved before they are of voting age, leading many to believe that Gen Z is a generation of activists and makers of change.

Where are They Headed?
What Gen Z lacks in work experience, they make up for in education. They are the most educated generation and have set a new precedent for attaining knowledge. Gen Zers prefer to learn autonomously and engage with material directly rather than be lectured to.  Another blessing in disguise might be their short attention spans. While data gives truth to the stereotype of today’s kids having more trouble focusing, studies also show that Zoomers are better multitaskers than any other generation.

For now, we can only speculate what our future workforce will look like. But, if we look to the past, we see that many Baby Boomers became Hippies in their teenage years, only to later become Yuppies (young urban professional) once they reached adulthood. Flash forward to today and we hear similar criticisms of teenage Zoomers.

In the end, most of these concerns come from the fear of change, which can be scary. And, while many folks may never understand what a “Finsta” or a “Stan” is, just know that the kids are going to be fine, and that the next generation will probably only confuse you more.