In these comments it's just more generation vs generation BS. We're attacking the wrong group. Like 10 people have 90% of the money in the world. Someone dancing on Tiktok or being on their phone more isn't the problem.
I use TikTok (I know...). There, when there's rivalry, it is frequently 'gen Z' the one bullying 'millennials'. They criticize the way they use technology, their fashion sense, their attitudes, their musical tastes, etc. Studies are noticing that 'gen Z' tend more to the right-wing, so I guess there's a part of them also criticizing previous generations for being too leftists or whatever.
I use the quotation marks because this whole generational thing seems to me arbitrary and U.S.-centric. I'm in the years that are considered the transition between these two generations and I share characteristics with both. It's silly how serious we've taken this thing.
I've noticed the same thing between many generations regardless of chronology. I've also noticed it outside of the us. I think the root issue is that groups of people want other groups of people to be angry at.
Generation Z is generally alike to Millennials on political and social issues.[5] Generation Z has been reported to be "progressive and pro-government",[6] though this narrative has occasionally been challenged, particularly in Europe.
The generation is largely in favor of LGBT rights, gender equality, and access to abortion. Economically, Generation Z has a more favorable outlook on socialism than previous generations.
Gen Z varies largely by country on whether to make it easier for legal migrants to live and work in their home countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_views_of_Generation_Z#:~:text=Generation%20Z%20has%20been%20reported,equality%2C%20and%20access%20to%20abortion.
R.E. politics, the tail-end millennials (me) grew up during the death of education which I think is a huge factor. For every good part of our education was two dying branches of it. Funding going down, extracurriculars being cut, food quality going down, strikes in colleges for pay and I mean so, so many others. And I grew up in California where education was a heavy focus, especially for anyone who wanted to get out. But despite all the shortcomings of our education system, we had teachers who cared and some students who wanted to learn, these teachers were mostly all within a decade of my age now and so they were fairly young and politically minded. Some were Teach for America staff so they were literally just out of college, I'm sure many remember what it's like to have that mindset. We also grew up in the Obama years so we had the full range of "holy shit first black President representing us!" to "oh God he bombed Syria" which pretty heavily politicized us (and then we got Trump who appointed Betsy DeVoss as Sec. of Education which set that politicization further). I can't speak for all millennials of course but I feel like all this led to us being hyper-aware of our politics making it especially easy to see the insanity that Fox News peddles, and more recently the transition of CNN from biased but informational to Fox News lite. All in all it's a pretty strong foundation for young leftists to form some convictions.
It seems to me that Gen Z did not have these foundations by design. In 2016 with the appointment of Betsy DeVoss as Secretary of Education our school system was absolutely butchered. Fox News wasn't even under the guise of news anymore, it's just "pundit" talk shows providing "statistics" that they use to push hate. They grew up with the tail end of Obama culling any possibly early sense of hope that the millennials had. That apathy only further onset when Trump was elected, but not just apathy. Since in red states where the changes to education hit the hardest it became identity politics, now the identity of an individual has become politicized, something that has only been exacerbated by our media. IMO that's why the events of Kyle Rittenhouse went down how they did, a child was politicized by their area and family and instead of being politically minded about it they made it about some identity that doesn't exist. And nevermind the societal changes they grew up with, as they're the first generation to grow up fully inundated with technology and the Internet, getting barrages of >1 min clips that can never tell the full story.
I agree with you overall in that millennial and gen Z are closer generations than most, but I do think there are some important distinctions that likely influenced how each of these generations grow up to interact with the world. I also think that it seems likely that these polls probably won't get as many responses from certain demographics due to potential lifestyles. Someone in a liberal city may not answer the poll because they've got the city life to live, whereas someone who gets the poll and they're done with their school day and the neighbors are 40 minutes away.. sure, nothing better to do let's fill this out. So I don't think Gen Z is entirely set to be conservative, however I do think their elders have been heavily gearing up to try and brainwash them with their archaic mindset. I don't particularly see a reason why a group of highschoolers would campaign for conservatives otherwise.
I don't have a problem with zoomers, but I will make fun of them for using TikTok. It's an unhealthy social environment. I know a zoomer who struggles with tiktok addiction and always does more poorly after using that app. They've been braver and kinder since they quit it.
So if they're not going to save the world, nothing they ever do amounts to anything. Worse, the whole thing worked (the Zoomer quit Tiktok and they feel better now) so that was obviously bad.
And now, and please do mind that has nothing to do with age: Your argument is dumb and you should feel bad. In fact the first thing is Boomer talk, the shit they tried to get us with. Fuck that.
Picking on younger generations is healthy and natural: They're still figuring stuff out and it's a good way to give some teachings while everyone has a chuckle. What's not healthy and natural is leaving them with neuroses where silent expectations, judgements, unwillingness to see their side etc. are the usual weapons: Don't carry a dagger behind your back, doubly so don't be unconscious of it, instead, open-carry a super soaker.
Unlike you I do not, in fact, fear five-year-olds. And it's not because of fear or principle. It is because I am not a craven, sadistic lunatic who feels the need to harm children to prove a point.
I shall look forward towards your experience report picking that snowball fight with a whole primary school, then. Also primary school is like 6-10, at least over here. They can throw.
Yeah that’s been my experience as well and I work for a bar. Most of my coworkers in that generation have been easier to get along with, easier to communicate with and don’t visibly panic at a “dead inside” joke. Direct contrast to my last workplace with more millennials/boomers. Ive yet to cop inter-generational shit talking from zoomers so they sure won’t get it from me. Plus look what they did with memes.
