this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2024
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"In fact, Gen Z might just be the most risk-averse generation on record. Fewer Gen Zers got a driver’s license, drank alcohol, or had sex as teenagers than their parents did. The same young adults now report skyrocketing rates of anxiety and other mental illnesses, with some estimates finding that as many as 1 in 5 18-to-24-year-olds have been diagnosed with depression. Timidity—not to mention self-conscious neuroticism—is increasingly the norm.

"An ongoing study from Montclair State University argues that some of this risk aversion is due to the current political climate—or perhaps young people’s perception of it. “Gen Z’s mental health has deteriorated due to a worldview that the society and environment around them are crumbling,” writes justice studies professor Gabriel Rubin. “Rights are being taken away, the Earth is burning, maniacs could kill you with a gun, and viruses could shut down society again.”"

See also, for counterpoint: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2024/06/18/gen-z-thriving-entrepreneurship/

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

Interesting. There is a strong correlation between social media use and mental illness. I wonder if maybe there is some link at play here.

Unlike Millennials, gen z had social media as soon as their parents let them. I wonder if the social pressure of trying to maintain a presence on socials might be influencing the risk aversion.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago

There's nothing like "Gen Z" or "Gen X". Stop this bullshit that's not more grounded than astrology. There's cultural development in society, but it's not restricted to an age cohort.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 hours ago

I can attest to this. My kids and nieces/nephews are all reaching high school and they are so chill compared to my generation. They're not interested in booze, sex, drugs or being out all night. They're happy at home gaming together online or coding or something. It's good really, we were not risk averse enough

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

Is this another one of those articles where gen-xers and boomers blame the kids for the inevitable downfall of "western civilization"?

[–] [email protected] 94 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

18-to-24-year-olds

Weird grouping with Gen Z being 3 years older than the max

But the way they use the computer and internet shows they aren’t risk adverse, just different risks

The anxiety is probably because like millennials, they’ve been told the world is ending their whole lives and instead of doing anything about it we’ve just made the middle class poor

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Don't forget the rapid fire misinformation they are addicted too. Manipulation is off the charts

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 hours ago

People like Tate and Peterson have done immeasurable damage to Gen Z... Instagram was deeply damaging to women's mental health but the manosphere has done damage that will probably never be undone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago

Hey look, it's a description of me! 🙃

[–] [email protected] 25 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

I hate these articles that try to paint entire generations of people with the same brush.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

All the pussies from that generation are too scared to be older than about 25. They’re all too lazy to be born before around 2000-something.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I think there are some things we need to learn about people that grew up on the unregulated internet. I normally hate generation generalizations but Millenials (at least us 80s kids) were the last people who got to grow up without the internet being omnipresent in our lives before we hit puberty.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 hours ago

You make an excellent point.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

People love to scapegoat the parents of the prior generation but I believe we're gonna find out the plastics or some other environmental toxin had a substantial impact and causal Relationship with this sort of thing.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 hours ago

Yes, or it could be the incredibly obvious fact that it's a generation that grew up on media and technology that amplified fear and anger for profit and with corporate powers leveraging the most advanced technologies in the world to seek, compete for, gain, and hold attention as much as possible in almost every waking moment.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

Well if that's true, I sure hope they don't become leaders in creative industries. There's already a lack of risk taking in favor of bland bullshit that tries to have mass appeal.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Sorry to say that from the Gen Z I know they're even more into big brands and "collabs". It's disheartening how much more deeply they've been sucked into the big corporate marketing machine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago

Oh, hell, and you'll be judged if you don't conform. No other shoes than Nike, no other phone brand than Apple, no other earphones than AirPods, hell, I even got made fun of for my choice of wireless carrier (I went for the cheapest - rather than one providing unlimited data for apps like TikTok and SnapChat plus 5GB for other traffic for €17/month until the EU banned that crap, I chose 300GB for €12/month. But, it was the cheapest, so...)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

There's a big difference between not wanting to be a (teenage) parent and not having any imagination?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

This article is focused on traditional measures of risk (drinking and sex) and is ignoring novel forms of risk... Gen Z appears to be extremely active in the gambling markets (particularly sports and political) in a way that older folks simply haven't engaged in.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 6 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Maybe that's why so many American young people voted Red in this election.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 12 hours ago

Keep them scared, keep them voting Republican.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 11 hours ago

In normal circumstances I'd understand that, but describing Trump particularly as risk-averse is kind of an interesting take imo

[–] [email protected] -1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

If it's from MSU, it can safely be ignored.

Source: I went there. Gained nothing but a piece of paper. Lost time, money, and effort.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 hours ago

Skill problem.