By: Jada Law, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – Generation Z also nicknamed as “Gen Z” has made a name for themselves these past couple of years. This group ranges between the years of 1997-2012 and has arguably become the most “controversial,” as well as heavily talked about generation.
Gen Z is specifically known for their outspoken opinions and breaking down the toxic generational barriers that some believe have plagued the world for years. This has caused them to notoriously gain the title of “woke,” which means to be hyper-aware and knowledgeable of social and political issues.
There are informative findings that can give insight into what makes this group stand out from the rest. For starters, they are uniquely diverse. Gen Z has gained recognition for being an extremely racially and ethnically diverse group of individuals. According to PewResearch.org, one in four members of Gen Z are non-hispanic white, 14% are Black, 6% are Asian, and 5% are another race or two or more races. Additionally, Gen Z happens to be the first generation of digital natives. They have little to no memory of a world that wasn’t reliant on technology.
Their political values share qualities leaning towards the more progressive side compared to older generations.
“My main political concern as of late has been the election. To know what the future of our country will look like is so scary.” Barnard University student, Keiah Welch, said. She goes on to explain how she has seen the United States fund wars to kill people from other countries, which led her to bring up the point that if the government can murder individuals from other countries, what makes us think that they won’t put harm on their own citizens?
Lewis University student Aaron Hill felt that the safety of immigrants is a current problem in the United states.
“My main political concern is the bussing of multiple immigrants here [United States],” Hill said. “And it’s not immigration that’s the problem but it’s more like what are we going to do as far as giving them homes and places to stay? In some places homes are already expensive as is. For an immigrant to be here without some place to stay is kind of dangerous.”
There was also concern expressed for the healthcare realm especially with how it affects marginalized groups.
Nursing major at Joliet Junior College, Jodi Yancy, stated, “There’s a lot of distrust in that system where a lot of them don’t seek the healthcare that they need. We need to make healthcare more accessible as well as destigmatize it.”
An issue that needs to be addressed for many Gen Zers is the increased prices due to inflation.
“Inflation has gone up tremendously,” Peter Hassan, Cyber Security major at Joliet Junior College, said. He went on to further explain how food, clean water, and shelter is constantly going up, and that so many people can no longer afford that which is why poverty is becoming a common factor now.
Veteran, Khaleel Evans, also gave insight on how he watched prices increase as he got older.
“When I was 17, frozen pizzas [at the grocery store] were only four dollars, those pizzas are $10 now.” He continued by mentioning that most people go to the grocery store because everything is supposed to be cheaper than ordering take out. But, nowadays you are paying the exact same price for both.
Tiyanna Carter, a student at Lewis University, felt that even though prices are going up the minimum wage barely is.
“Everybody is so close to being homeless,” Carter said. “How do you expect people to live when they aren’t getting paid enough?”
Evans believes while world issues may not get worse, they won’t improve either.
“I think certain things can be contained [the issues previously stated] but I don’t think the world is gonna get better,” he said.
However, Jodi Yancy sees things just the opposite.
“I can see us [United States] progressing and moving forward,” Yancy said. “But, in order to do that we’re going to have to realize that we’ve made mistakes and realize what things are wrong.”
As the older generations begin to retire, the world is being handed to the younger generation. They have expressed worries for the state of this world. With their awareness of modern day issues, Gen Z has been viewed as a possible step into political progression in the future.
- Kathy Anne English’s “Paint America” Exhibition Displayed at Perkins Center for the Arts
- WATCH: What’s Good in South Jersey? Equip Training Ministries
- Intense Weather Patterns in NJ: Is This the New Normal?
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
