 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of metrics, most using outdated 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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