Generation Z is all about new information all the time. We constantly have a need to be “cognoscenti” basically a need to know everything. Is it a bad thing? Is it bad that we have all the information we could ever want right at our fingertips? Does this make us feel entitled…are we? Being one of the most influential and large generations on Earth, we have power, just as generation Y. But is that always a good thing?
Being part of the generation Z we have access to every source of media we could ever wish for, we have it all at our fingertips. We have the ability to share our opinions at the touch of a button, influence others around us, and create a change faster than any generation before. We are the generation of speed. But it that a good thing…? Has one sense of the word taken away from another… According to Business Insider, “Gen Z-ers multitask across at least five screens daily and spend 41% of their time outside of school with computers or mobile devices, compared to 22% 10 years ago, according to the Sparks & Honey report. "They suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) more than millennials, so being culturally connected is critical," researchers wrote.” That’s insane. Let’s be honest, we can all look at our phones right now, which you probably have readily accessible, and see that we have so much going on. You go from Instagram, to Facebook, to Twitter, to whatever it is, and then it starts back over. We aren’t social in the sense of face to face anymore. We have become embedded in our smartphones. Every day I walk and look around at the hundreds, literally, hundreds of people that rather look at their phones and seem in gulped in that than have to look at another human and interact. What is that? Have we lost the common knowledge of social interaction? I will say without question that although we may have one of the most influential generations, we also have one of the most off-putting. I remember vividly the first day I had class at USF and I turned to chat with the girl beside me before class started, she looked at me, answered the question I asked, and then looked back down at her phone as if it was an inconvenience to have to talk to me. That’s what our generation is full of, believe it or not. We are an independent generation, we don’t like working with each other, we are singular. We don’t want to interact…why, why? Why have we taken away one of the most basic human needs of human interaction and turned it into a plague of social media, Netflix and independence? How can you grow on your own all the time, how can you develop? Being a part of Gen Z can be liberating, we are knowledgeable, driven, and independent, but when is it too much? Why does our generation feel the need to make everything a debate, make everything controversial? Can’t we just agree to disagree sometimes and move on? Can’t we keep our opinions to ourselves…? No. We can’t, but only if we have a media outlet. I have had many instances where I talked with people over controversial ideas and they wouldn’t put out, but next thing I know they post a 600-word post on Facebook going off with these “supported articles” that only appeared for their view. Here is the thing people, there will ALWAYS be more than one side. Nothing in life is one sided. So don’t shut out the possibilities to learn from other people. Gen Z can’t do that, we are hard-headed. We are always right, (in our opinion) and we will always find proof (yea, proof, okay because nothing is bias) to support what we are fighting for.
Gen Z, I have one thing to tell you, this is from me, my opinion, my belief. You aren’t always right, just like no one is always right. You are not always in the right to share your opinion, just like no one is always needed to share theirs. And Gen Z, lets fight to make our generation look like we can be better than all the rest. We have the potential, we have the tools, we just need to work together, grow, build ourselves up to a higher standard. We need to develop as a whole. We need to prove we are the best generation. So stop segregating, demonizing, hating, polarizing each other. Stop acting like “if you don’t agree with me you’re wrong” because they have their own opinion. Everyone does. So let them keep it, let them hold on to what they know, what they believe, stop trying too forcible, and I say forcibly because there is always room to grow from debate, change someone’s opinion if they just won’t listen to you. Be better than that. Be better than you think you can be, because you have the power to change the world.
