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(this is all just my opinion based on personal observations. I haven’t done research into concrete data on this so take it all with a grain of salt.) So far th

by jrsj 5y ago

(this is all just my opinion based on personal observations. I haven’t done research into concrete data on this so take it all with a grain of salt.) So far they seem even more materially oriented. Because that’s how we teach people to be. We lie to children and tell them that the most important thing in their lives and their primary source of fulfillment is a career. When in reality most of us get that from our relationships with other people, and a career is just a means to an end. And of course social media continues to reduce social interaction down its most shallow possible level. All financial considerations aside, Gen Z will probably be the most isolated, mentally ill, and least self sufficient generations in a very long time. And that’s because of the world we made for them.

blumomo 5y ago
Let’s help them create a better world. We see what they are struggling with, we as their parent generation have it in our hands.
wrfitch 5y ago
Hi, I'm part of Gen Z. Grain of salt, etc. You're being a little unfair here, implicitly describing an entire generation as overly materialistic, mentally ill, socially dependent children. Honestly, it sounds like the Gen Z people you know might just be heavy social media users, since people of any generation that use these tools poorly have the problems you mentioned. For those of us that don't use the standard social media channels, growing up around the internet was an absolute blessing, with some minor flaws compared to the benefits it provided. For examples of people that have benefited from being in this generation, look at the growing climate movement, or maker culture, which is democratising engineering in a way I don't think has been done before. Mental health isn't as much of a concern in this generation either imo; most people of my generation are far more comfortable talking about depression, anxiety, or autism than anyone else I talk to.
- HDMI_Cable 5y ago
  > Honestly, it sounds like the Gen Z people you know might just be heavy social media users, since people of any generation that use these tools poorly have the problems you mentioned. Quite honestly, who around us isn't a heavy social-media user? I'm Gen Z myself, and social-media is one of those vices where there is no 'healthy' amount to have, like drinking or smoking.
  - wrfitch 5y ago
    It depends on what you consider social media - I check Twitter and HN a couple of times a day and watch YouTube videos for maybe an hour or so, but I try to be intentional and focus on interesting content rather than mindless doomscrolling, or viewing whatever an algorithm recommends. My friends aren't all the same, and some of them spend more time than they'd like on Reddit, Instagram or Tinder, but actively avoiding social media is a common topic of conversation at least in my social circle. Deleting the apps that want you to use them endlessly (Instagram and Facebook) has caused a noticeable improvement in my mental health, and I'm interested in pushing this further. To counter your example, the mental benefits of experiencing a good whisky are worth the health detriments imo, but we can agree that chugging down bud light is terrible.
HDMI_Cable 5y ago
Yeah, I agree with you on that. I'm a Gen Z and I've noticed that social media has made the object for most people's desires material things. > So far they seem even more materially oriented. Because that’s how we teach people to be. I don't know if this is Gen Z specific, but I do that we (as a generation) focus too heavily on material items. It seems that every generation cares about consumer culture and social status when they're young, but then quickly grow out of it as they age. > And of course social media continues to reduce social interaction down its most shallow possible level. Social media really does have that effect whereby everyone is constantly "on stage" and must perform; the only problem is that the performance is about petty drama and material gain over others. > All financial considerations aside, Gen Z will probably be the most isolated, mentally ill, and least self sufficient generations in a very long time. And that’s because of the world we made for them. I wouldn't discount people's ability to adapt: once the consensus comes around on social media (the worst offender being Instagram) we'll jump ship, and mental health will slowly recover. Isolation will follow, and for self-sufficiency, when people are dropped into situations for which they aren't ready, they quickly learn and become ready.
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tha0xb2 5y ago
>All financial considerations aside, Gen Z will probably be the most isolated, mentally ill, and least self sufficient generations in a very long time. Pretty much. Generation Tidepod already has the highest incidences of suicidality, transgenders, "non-binary", and other mental illnesses.

by jrsj 5y ago

blumomo 5y ago

Let’s help them create a better world. We see what they are struggling with, we as their parent generation have it in our hands.

wrfitch 5y ago

Hi, I'm part of Gen Z. Grain of salt, etc. You're being a little unfair here, implicitly describing an entire generation as overly materialistic, mentally ill, socially dependent children. Honestly, it sounds like the Gen Z people you know might just be heavy social media users, since people of any generation that use these tools poorly have the problems you mentioned. For those of us that don't use the standard social media channels, growing up around the internet was an absolute blessing, with some minor flaws compared to the benefits it provided. For examples of people that have benefited from being in this generation, look at the growing climate movement, or maker culture, which is democratising engineering in a way I don't think has been done before. Mental health isn't as much of a concern in this generation either imo; most people of my generation are far more comfortable talking about depression, anxiety, or autism than anyone else I talk to.

HDMI_Cable 5y ago
> Honestly, it sounds like the Gen Z people you know might just be heavy social media users, since people of any generation that use these tools poorly have the problems you mentioned. Quite honestly, who around us isn't a heavy social-media user? I'm Gen Z myself, and social-media is one of those vices where there is no 'healthy' amount to have, like drinking or smoking.
- wrfitch 5y ago
  It depends on what you consider social media - I check Twitter and HN a couple of times a day and watch YouTube videos for maybe an hour or so, but I try to be intentional and focus on interesting content rather than mindless doomscrolling, or viewing whatever an algorithm recommends. My friends aren't all the same, and some of them spend more time than they'd like on Reddit, Instagram or Tinder, but actively avoiding social media is a common topic of conversation at least in my social circle. Deleting the apps that want you to use them endlessly (Instagram and Facebook) has caused a noticeable improvement in my mental health, and I'm interested in pushing this further. To counter your example, the mental benefits of experiencing a good whisky are worth the health detriments imo, but we can agree that chugging down bud light is terrible.

HDMI_Cable 5y ago

Yeah, I agree with you on that. I'm a Gen Z and I've noticed that social media has made the object for most people's desires material things. > So far they seem even more materially oriented. Because that’s how we teach people to be. I don't know if this is Gen Z specific, but I do that we (as a generation) focus too heavily on material items. It seems that every generation cares about consumer culture and social status when they're young, but then quickly grow out of it as they age. > And of course social media continues to reduce social interaction down its most shallow possible level. Social media really does have that effect whereby everyone is constantly "on stage" and must perform; the only problem is that the performance is about petty drama and material gain over others. > All financial considerations aside, Gen Z will probably be the most isolated, mentally ill, and least self sufficient generations in a very long time. And that’s because of the world we made for them. I wouldn't discount people's ability to adapt: once the consensus comes around on social media (the worst offender being Instagram) we'll jump ship, and mental health will slowly recover. Isolation will follow, and for self-sufficiency, when people are dropped into situations for which they aren't ready, they quickly learn and become ready.

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tha0xb2 5y ago

>All financial considerations aside, Gen Z will probably be the most isolated, mentally ill, and least self sufficient generations in a very long time. Pretty much. Generation Tidepod already has the highest incidences of suicidality, transgenders, "non-binary", and other mental illnesses.