Generation Z is controversial to say the least. They are looked down upon by the older generations, yet they are able to snap back at any negative comment a person makes about them, so it is definitely fair to say they hold their ground. Although as a part of Gen Z myself, I feel like I have the ability to truly see the good and bad that surrounds the actions and words of people who are a part of this age group.

Personally, I think our generation has a lot of good traits, but also a ton of issues that come along with us. Every pro also seemingly comes with a con. For instance, we are extremely technology savvy, as we have grown up using and adapting to electronics as they evolve. Although this has caused us to become extremely reliant on it, as many teenagers are addicted and have an altered view of reality due to the information they are fed from all of the social media and other sources they constantly view online. Junior Nathan Waldbaum thinks that, “Generation Z is over reliant on social media and can be easily manipulated and even brainwashed by what they see on the internet.” I concur with this statement, as our generation has a major problem with believing almost anything they see on social media without fact checking it somewhere reliable. There is also so much one sided information out there, and often our social media algorithms just continue to feed us biased information that supports what we already believe. This has created very heightened tension between people with opposing opinions.

Yet there are some positives to this generation. Many people are advocates for change, and are really striving to make the world a better place because we have seen what has happened to it from past carelessness. We are continuing to strive for equal rights and opportunities for all people, and more of us try to see people for who they are, not how they look. Senior Izzy Logan states that, “Generation Z has a lot of potential: we have the ability to shape the future of our culture. We have to start loving people first and be intentional with one another before we can see the change happen we all so boldly advocate for.” What Izzy said here rings true: “we have to start loving people first”. So often this generation will be the first to advocate for becoming better human beings, yet we are the first to post a hateful comment on Tiktok, or make a spiteful remark on an Instagram post that we don’t agree with. It makes one wonder if this generation the most hypocritical of them all? It will be very hard for us to get the work done to make progress if we refuse to acknowledge anyone who doesn’t validate our own opinions.

In the end, it will be interesting to see where the future of the Gen Z population goes. According to sophomore Katy Staub, “Generation Z is not ready for the ‘real world’ and to be an adult because of all that Covid has done.” So it will be interesting to see where a generation of kids who are somehow more sheltered yet also somehow more independent than ever will go.