Reflections on Gen Z’s image
When
I
typed
“Why
is
Generation Z…” into Google, the
first autofill suggestion was “so
soft.” The second was “so sensitive.”
Next
was
“entitled,”
followed
by
“different,”
“anxious”
and
“stressed.”
It feels like Gen Z — which is
largely agreed to include anyone
born from 1997-2012 — is quickly
surpassing Millennials as the least-
liked generation.
Article after article details how
damaged we are by any number
of metrics, most using outdated
phrases like “Ok boomer” we are
supposed to find relatable. We’ve
been called the lonely generation,
the pessimistic generation, the
saddest generation. For all of these
various issues, there has been one
essential culprit: social media.
There are certain parts of this
narrative that I really see myself
in. I’m probably what someone of
an older generation would call a
liberal snowflake and am fairly
active on Instagram and Snapchat.
Especially in high school, I was
very preoccupied with tangible
markers of success like grades and
test scores, supposedly another
marker of our generation.
Even on the statistical level, I
seem to fit in. Studies have shown
we’re less likely to get our driver’s
license, date or spend as much time
with friends; I didn’t get my license
until I was 18 and didn’t have my
first boyfriend until I was 20.
But there are other Gen Z
stereotypes that I really don’t
connect to at all. For example, I
don’t see this sad, social-media
obsessed loner in myself, my
friends or my classmates. I talked
to Nick Brdar, the president of the
Wolverine Support Network, about
my concerns. He struggled with
his mental health earlier in high
school, but by the time Nick got to
college, he was looking for a way to
maintain his positive mental state.
Through WSN, he’s been able to not
only help himself but also channel
his longtime passion into a type
of advocacy to help others. So, of
course, he’s heard the narrative
about Gen Z before.
“I definitely struggle with it
because … social media does have
harmful impacts, especially on
teenagers’ and adolescents’ mental
health,” Nick said. “So there’s
that. But I also am well aware that
social media isn’t the one thing
causing people’s mental health to
look differently in this generation.
… When an article is portraying
that as the full story, it’s definitely
frustrating to me.”
We have a lot to be anxious
about — a global pandemic, the
threat of global warming, conflict
in the Middle East, an economic
downturn as we get ready to
enter the workforce — but I’d say
we’re remarkably well adjusted,
all things considered. Of course,
there are the Greta Thunbergs
and David Hoggs of the world who
are already creating change on
the international level, but even
in my own small social circles,
I’m constantly amazed by acts of
resilience in the face of adversity.
There was my roommate who aced
her test after contracting COVID-
19 and quarantining in her bedroom.
Or my friend who (like myself) has
received one internship rejection
after another this year, each time
taking a moment to readjust and
then crafting a new cover letter.
It feels like the articles I read talk
about all the times we fall down
without saying how many times we
get back up.
Part of that resilience could be
tied to our willingness to seek out
mental health resources. Mental
Health Awareness Month, which
happens in May, began in 1949 but
didn’t get widespread attention
until much later. In the early
2000s, the focus of mental health-
focused organizations like the
Mental Health Foundation shifted
from solely addressing those with
diagnosed mental health issues to
promoting positive mental health
for all.
By virtue of growing up in
an epoch of periodic economic
and
geopolitical
crises,
our
generation has taken to mental
health awareness more than any
generation before. We’re more
likely to self-report as anxious and
stressed but also more likely to seek
help.
While it is possible that we really
are the stressed and depressed
generation, another possibility is
that Gen Z is merely more willing
to open up about their mental
health. Mental health issues have
existed in every generation, but our
awareness today is causing us to
treat things that, in the past, would
have been ignored. As Nick pointed
out during our call, everyone
experiences change in their mental
health throughout their lives; what
is important is how we decide to
address that change.
Not only are we more likely to
seek help, but we’re also more open
to talking about it than previous
generations. Especially in the past
year, my roommates and I have
talked frequently about our mental
states. I’ve been out to dinner with
friends more than once when the
conversation has turned to whether
or not we like our therapists.
Millennials got the reputation
for putting only the most beautiful,
well-lit versions of their lives on
social media, though now it feels
like Gen Z is opening up a small
corner of the internet where people
are willing to drop the facade. That
corner is the home of crying selfies
(of which I have 12 in my camera
roll), self-deprecating memes and,
sometimes, admissions that we’re
not ok.
I see friends and classmates
and
acquaintances
frequently
posting about the importance of
mental health on social media. A
lot of the time, it’s graphics that list
statistics or resources you can look
to or places to donate, but what’s
struck me is how many people are
sharing their personal stories. I’ve
seen paragraphs of text detailing
peoples’ struggles after losing a
parent or a job. I know someone
who made an entire Instagram
account to document their recovery.
Thursday, June 10, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com STATEMENT
BY LANE KIZZIAH
Design by Erin Ruark
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