MILLENNIALS
AND
GENERATION Z
By: Amparo Potenza
PSYCH 326 V03 12:50 PM
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We live in a world that is constantly changing. Throughout the years, there are always
rises of new ideas, inventions, cultural moments, and events that heavily impact people. Their
thoughts, attitudes, and mentalities are influenced by experiencing these rises. A “generation” is
a group of people who are born and live during the same time period and are known to share
similar experiences that shape their thoughts, morals, and values. The years that define a person’s
generation are the years in which they grow up from childhood to adulthood, as a generation is
usually referred to the groups of people that are born over a 20-30 year period. A generational
cohort is known to have its own era of cultural moments, historical events, and technology that is
mostly familiar and unique to the people who grew up in that time frame. The widely known
generations are the Greatest Generation (1910 - 1923), the Silent Generation (1924 - 1944), the
Baby Boomers I (1945 - 1955), the Baby Boomers II (1956 - 1964), Generation X (1965 - 1984),
Generation Y (1985 - 1999), Generation Z (2000 - early 2010s), and Generation Alpha (early
2010s - recent). Each of these generations were deeply influenced by the different societies at
their respective times and shared collective experiences. Generation Y and Generation Z are
consecutive generations and each cohort encountered defining moments from their formative
years that affected the individual. The special characteristics of these eras make these generations
different from each other.
Generation Y, also more commonly known as millennials, are born in the years of 1985
to 1999, right before the second millennium. Their generational cohort is the largest generational
group in the history of the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2015, there
were approximately 83.1 million millennials in America alone. They represented one quarter of
the population of America. They are also known to be one of the more ethnically diverse than
previous cohorts. 44.2% of this generation are part of a minority or ethnic group. According to
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Pew Research, approximately 39% of millennials ages 25-37 have obtained a bachelor’s degree
or higher, which is a higher percentage than previous generations. They are known to be the first
generation to be introduced to and raised in the world of internet and technology. Some
stereotypes of millennials include being fiercely independent, having a “‘me first’ attitude,”
being dedicated to their work, and craving rewards. They experienced infamous and significant
events in American history such as the news of the Columbine Shooting, the terrorist attacks of
9/11, and the financial crisis of 2008. The rapid-changing culture millennials grew up in and
these events would have an impact on their lives.
I conducted an interview with my sister, who was born in 1989, making her part of
Generation Y. I asked her how her childhood and teenage years were like. The first thing she said
was that she and the kids were not afraid to play outside. She remembers going out to play in the
park a lot. Her favorite games were playing tag, jump rope, and dodgeball. She would also
always bike with our mom, play handball, and basketball. She reminisced about waking up on
Saturday mornings and watching cartoons like Animaniacs, Pokemon, Hey Arnold, and Arthur.
She also really loved the sitcoms Fresh Prince of Belair, Family Matters, and Friends. She
remembers when Pixar movies came out, such as the first Toy Story. She loved watching these
movies and other Disney movies as well. My sister said she was also a huge fan of the rising
popular boy and girl bands at the time, which included Nsync, Spice Girls, and Backstreet Boys.
Before 16 years old, she said the go-to hangout spot was the mall. Going out to Manhattan was
considered a “big girl” place to hang out, and was only allowed to venture there when she
became a junior in highschool. She would also love going to cafes and the museum. She said
loved learning new things and exploring new places.
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I asked my sister what were the things she cared about the most when she was younger.
She said that she cared about her friends and family the most, since she had a close relationship
with our mom and her friends. At the end of childhood, she believed she started caring more
about her grades and education since highschool was the next step. At the end of highschool, she
joined a lot of clubs and balanced all of them to look good for college applications, while trying
to maintain a high GPA. She ended up being the salutatorian for her grade in highschool. She felt
like what motivated her was to please our mom, who is an immigrant from the Philippines, and
herself. She wanted to impress our mom, who was strict about us getting good grades and put a
lot of pressure on her to do her best. My sister said she also wanted to do her best for herself
because it felt rewarding when she overachieved. She said it got to a point where her grades
became her number one priority, and this brought both ups and downs. She remembers being
proud of her work, but also being too hard on herself sometimes. This feeling of pressure also
came from how much she cared about others liking her. I asked her on a scale of 1-10, how much
did she care about what others thought about her. She said, “a 9.” It would upset her when she
thought people did not like her and became a people pleaser. Eventually, she found her group of
high school friends who were diverse and “true,” and still friends till this day. I asked my sister
what gender roles were like at this period of time and if it affected her. She said many times
people told her to be polite and look presentable since she was a “lady.” She was told not to
speak or laugh too loudly. She remembers she was not able to wear what she wanted to wear
when she was younger because she could look too “boyish.” She remembered it made her feel
insecure. She would hear these comments from authority figures in school and also a lot of
family members, who it was harder to hear from.
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I asked my sister if there are any cultural moments or historical events that she feels
influenced her heavily. She quickly answered, “9/11.” She said she was 12 years old and
remembers that she just did not feel safe anymore in her home of New York. It made her realize
that what her school was teaching, that the US is impenetrable, was false. She remembers not
only herself, but everyone being terrified. She said that any package or anything left on the side
of the ride, even a plastic bag, could frighten people into thinking that it was a bomb. She also
mentioned that it was something similar to the scare of anthrax in candies on Halloween. Doing
fun activities outside were not as attractive anymore. There was an extreme rise of paranoia that
something harmful could happen. She remembers there was also a rise of more racism towards
people of different ethnicities after the terrorist attacks, and this made her feel more unsafe as a
person of color. Another historical event my sister felt impacted her generation was the financial
crisis of 2007. She feels like this collapse really affected her cohort. It made it hard for her and
her fellow classmates and students near her age to find jobs when they came out of college.
Those who had college degrees, like herself, were expected to not find jobs right away since
there were not enough vacancies for people after the economy crashed. A lot of people were
expected to be hit with debt after their schooling, and my sister said that it was true for her and a
lot of her peers. Lastly, my sister said a big cultural moment in her life that she felt changed the
game for her generation was their exposure to the internet. She said this was a huge deal and was
so exciting for her and her friends. She remembers aol.com, and the ringtone saying, “You’ve got
mail!,” and how excited she was to hear that tone. My sister said that she remembers making her
screen name for the first time and making a custom design for her screen. She said even though it
seemed so simple, this was one of the first ways of expressing yourself differently. She
remembers there being chat groups online. She found this very exciting since it opened the world
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to different people who you could talk to or become friends with. She realized as she got older
however, that this was a naive feeling because she didn’t know how harmful talking to random
strangers on the internet could be. My sister said she remembers being able to go onto different
websites and waiting for different pictures online to load, and being “wowed.” She remembered
thinking that she did not need to go to the library anymore to look up stuff. Anything she wanted
to know was just a click away. She also loved how she could just print out her work, instead of
typing on a typewriter. She said she remembers getting her first cell phone and how big of a deal
that was to her. She got her first Nokia for her 15th birthday and cried. She said she did not have
to worry about her parents listening on the other side of the landline. My sister said the Internet
was a new and innovative invention back then. Everyone, including herself, was more
appreciative of it back then. She believed that the internet and things felt simpler than today.
The final part of this interview is when I asked my sister what she felt like was her
“coming of age” moment and her biggest influence. She said when I was born, which was when
she was 13 years old. She said she had to babysit me all the time, which hindered her from
hanging out with her friends a lot. She felt like she had more responsibilities than a lot of her
friends. She said she realized she was trusted by our parents to do this and had to act like an
adult. She remembers being scared at first but realized she had to grow up. Since our parents are
healthcare workers and had a lot of shifts to support us, my sister would take care of me a lot,
while maintaining her school clubs and schoolwork. I also asked her who her biggest influence
was and she felt like she doesn’t have just one person. Our mom and her spent a lot of time apart
when she was a child. She was raised by different families at the same time, and as she got older,
our mom and her would move around the country a lot. Now, my sister said she doesn’t feel like
staying in places for too long, yet doesn’t like being forced to change. She said she likes having
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different experiences and working to her best ability to achieve her wants. At the age of 32, she
has traveled across the world, as well as lived and taught English writing in four different
countries, including England and Vietnam, where she lives right now.
As heard from the interview, millennials experienced some tragic events that made some
changes to their lives. The first infamous event not only this generation remembers, but the
whole world, were the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11th, 2001. Four planes
were hijacked, where two flew into the twin towers and one crashed into the Pentagon in
Washington DC. Almost 3,000 people died and about 6,000 were injured. These attacks sent
shock into everyone. Many millennials were between the ages of 5 to 15 years old when this
incident happened, and were old enough to remember this event and what it meant for the
country. It increased paranoia about the country’s future and many questions were raised if this
was going to start a war and if worse things were to come. These attacks occurred during the
millennial's formative years and it made them question their safety as they got older. Many were
confused, frightened, and also questioned our country. But, the attacks also brought a sense of
unity and patriotism across the nation, as many honored the people who lost their lives or risked
their lives. Another tragic event that had an impact on young millennials’ safety was the
Columbine high school massacre in 1999. Two high school students went on a shooting spree in
their school. 15 staff and students were killed, and 24 others were wounded. This event is
considered to be one of the deadliest school shootings in the history of America and shocked the
nation. It caused a debate on gun control and violence in school and in public, which is still an
argument that remains till this day. Millennials were at a young age when this shooting
happened, but like 9/11, it changed their perspective on their safety and ruined their innocence
from a young age.
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There was a great increase in political engagement, volunteerism, and civic duties to help
survivors and better the country after these events, where many millennials grew up to be
involved in. Many became curious more about global and political issues from a young age, as
they were forced to mature faster from such traumatic events. This exposure to such issues
increased with the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009, also known as the Great Recession.
According to the Federal Reserve, this recession was a deep decline in economic activity as
“stresses in financial markets” reached their peak and gross domestic product fell tremendously.
This caused unemployment and job losses for many. Most millennials graduated during the time
of this recession and had lasting effects on them. Fewer jobs were available for them after
graduating and there was a decrease in savings. Many millennials were hindered with student
loan debts. According to the Federal Reserve, in 2013, $20,926 USD is the mean student loan
balance for 25 years old post graduate students. Unemployment rates for millennials increased to
19%, specifically for those between the ages of 16 and 24 during the recession. Many millennials
were looking forward to advancing in their education and careers, but this collapse made it
extremely difficult for many to go forward in a poor job market. This disruption of the economy
made millennials want to have some sort of change in the economical and political environment.
This was seen in the 2008 election where they helped elect Barack Obama as the first black
president of the US. Many millennials were aged 12 to 27 during this election, and the force of
the youth vote allowed them to be part of the political climate. Millennials today have been
approaching to be the largest generational cohort in the voting electorate. Today, they make up
51% of the electorate and their voter turnout increased throughout the years. According to Pew
Research, there was a 5% increase in millennials voting from 2004 to 2016, jumping from 46%
to 51%. Millennials have and will continue to be a big part of making decisions for the future.
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Millennials were the first ones to really be introduced and grow up in a culture of internet
and technology. Just like my sister said, these new innovations changed the world as soon as it
was introduced, but millennials adopted these at such a young age. Before the rise of the internet
and new technology, children at this time would go outside, play, and watch cartoons on the TV.
But, many young millennials got their first cellphone when they were older children and
teenagers. It changed communication style from email to instant chatting. It also became easier
for many to look up information on the internet. Millennials would regularly go online to look
for most of their entertainment. According to Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, 50%
play video games, 45% use instant messaging and download music or videos, 37% use social
media and watch TV online. According to Pew Research, from 2006, 41% teenagers and young
adults engaged in social media. This number increased to 84% as of 2018. The first social media
site to become popular was Myspace.com. It was a website where users created their own profile
page and it reached one million monthly active users by 2004. More social media platforms were
created that surpassed Myspace.com. One of the other most popular social media platforms for
millennials at the time, and remains to be popular today, was Facebook. It was invented in 2004
by Mark Zuckerberg, initially just for Harvard students, but it quickly became popular during its
first year of release.. There were five million users from 2005 and increased tremendously
throughout the years to a whopping one billion as of 2012. According to Harvard Institute of
Politics, 83% of millennials reported having a facebook account. The internet has had a hold on
this cohort, as nearly 100% of millennials, and as most of the world, use the internet today,
according to Pew Research.
Millennials became of age due to these historical moments and technological
advancements. As soon as the tragic events of the Columbine school shooting and 9/11 hit,
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young millennials were forced to mature faster. They learned at a young age that their safety and
lives could be in jeopardy at any given moment. From these traumatic experiences, there comes
resilience, which is a value that millennials share. It also gave them a bigger strive to work
harder and build a better future for their generation. It also made them value family and loved
ones more as the possibility of losing them increased. Unfortunately, the financial collapse was
another obstacle that hit them and would hinder many future advancements in their education
and career. This made millennials value their career, stability, and independence more, as this
recession made it harder for them to achieve that. Many valued making better changes for the
future of America to prevent and fix more problems in the system. This was made easier with the
rise of the internet, where it was easier to advocate for issues and spread messages online. It also
allowed for millennials to find some sort of balance in their lives as it gave them some ease. The
internet made it easier to communicate, learn, find connections, and explore new things.
Generation Z, more commonly called “Gen Z,” are born in the years of 2000 to the early
2010s. They were born in the second millennium. This generational cohort is the most ethnically
and racially diverse group than all the other previous generations. According to Pew Research,
52% are non-Hispanic white, 25% are Hispanic, and 14% are black. 6% are Asian, and 4% are of
another racial identity, or mixed with two or more races. Gen Z are also expected to be the
generation with the best track of education. Rates of members of this generation completing a
highschool and college degree has increased. They are more likely to not drop out of high school
and college. Those who were no longer enrolled in high school in 2018, 57% continued to enroll
in a two or four year college. This is 5% more than millennials in 2003 at the same age. Gen Z
has other names such as iGeneration, Net Generation, and Screenagers. This is because this
cohort was born into the booming age of social media, internet, and technology. Some
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stereotypes of Gen Z are that they are glued to their screens, are anti-social in real life, and are
more sensitive emotionally. They have experienced and continue to live through serious and
distressing events. Like millennials, they have witnessed more school shootings. They have been
strong participants in activism such as with climate change, the Black Lives Matter movement,
and LGBTQ+ issues. A shocking event that has changed the whole world and the course of a lot
of young Gen Z members is the eruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. These moments that
happened during this cohort’s time have heavily impacted their lives and continue to till this day.
I conducted an interview with my childhood friend, who was born in 2002, and is
currently 19 years old. I asked her how it was like being a child and a teenager in this generation.
She said she enjoyed being a child and a teenager during this time. Growing up, she listened to a
lot of pop culture icons like Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, P!nk, Lady Gaga, and Queen,
on her computer and iPod. She watched a lot of anime on the internet, which are Japanese
cartoons, and listened to a lot of Japanese music from these shows. She also enjoyed playing
video games from a young age. These hobbies and interests continued into her teenage years and
till now. She said she had big dreams when she was younger like being an astronaut and an artist,
but now is studying to be a doctor. She also cared about doing well in school, but had trouble
focusing and would always study last minute. In middle school, she felt like she did not care
about how her classmates thought about her. She enjoyed and was open about her interests.
When she became a freshman in highschool, she started to think her interests were cringey. She
said she became more insecure in herself. She thought that she was too loud, had an ugly haircut,
and felt like she had to change her personality. She said she wanted to hide her true interests and
“put on a mask.” She thinks it was because she went to a Catholic high school that was
predominantly white, and she is a Filipino minority who did not blend in with the crowd. She did
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not want to look like a nerd or be an outcast. She said she felt better when she found her group of
friends and felt comfortable in her skin. She cared a lot about what her parents thought, who are
Filipino immigrants that are part of Generation X. She said she felt and still feels a lot of
pressure from them. She felt like they restricted her a lot from a lot of things teenagers do, like
hanging out with her friends. She was forced to watch her little sister from a young age, like how
my sister had to babysit me. She said because of their strictness, she felt “emotionally and
mentally drained.” She felt like she needed to obey them and please them, which affected her
confidence and security.
I asked my friend about her experience in gender roles as a Gen z individual. She said she
felt like she grew up with traditional heteronormative standards. She felt like she was forced to
be feminine and dress girly, and it made her feel “icky.” She felt this pressure mostly in middle
school and highschool. As she got older, she realized that she preferred looking adrogynous and
having a gender neutral style. She said sometimes she likes being feminine or being masculine,
specifically saying that she dresses however she feels comfortable. She said she also received a
lot of sexism from her parents. She remembers them saying, “You don't know that because
you’re a girl,” or “You can’t do this because you’re a girl.” She felt like her dad “mansplained” a
lot of stuff to her. “Mansplaining” is a 21st century term which means when a man explains
something to a woman in a condescending way. She said she feels like her parents made her feel
insecure and ashamed to be a girl. In Filipino culture, she said the parents are regarded as right
no matter what, even though they contradict themselves from time to time. They would yell at
her for simple mistakes and make her feel guilty for doing so. She felt confused, scared, and
dependent on them.
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I asked my friend what historical moment was a big influence on her. She said right away,
“the pandemic.” She said that the pandemic was just so sudden and it felt like no one knew what
to expect. All of a sudden her whole school was sent home, thinking that they would only have 2
weeks off, but that turned into a year of online schooling. She said she remembers the time where
her favorite highschool teacher was sent to the hospital for Covid, and when he passed away. Her
home became a more tense environment because her parents were tired healthcare workers. Her
schooling became more stressful as it was a hard adjustment when it became all online. She said
it felt weird wearing masks at first, but now it is just the new normal. She said she remembers
having a lot of alone time. This gave her more time to think about things and she realized how
much more she needs to appreciate. Things got harder for her mental health and she struggled
with depression during the quarantine. She also said that this pandemic also showed her that
sometimes people do not care about others and you can only do what you can to protect yourself.
She said this in regards to masks, where a majority of people did not choose to wear masks, even
though that was the only way to protect themselves and others from being exposed to the virus.
She said she remembered how poorly the pandemic was handled by the former president, Donald
Trump. She would see so many criticisms of how the government handled the pandemic on the
internet and on social media. On the news, she would see the number of infections and deaths
due to Covid increasing each day.
I asked her what was a way for her to escape the stress of the pandemic. She said playing
video games, watching anime and movies, talking with her friends on Facetime, and watching
videos and Tiktoks, and exercising helped her get rid of some stress. Though the internet made
her stressed out with all the terrible news, she depended on it for these things. She said
facetiming her friends really helped her out because she remembered that everyone is going
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through the same thing together. She felt like her relationships grew stronger because it was
easier to keep connected with people online. She said she remembers scrolling through Tiktoks
for hours every day. Even though it seems like a waste of time, she said she was exposed to a lot
of new ideas and learned a lot of information, along with laughing from these second to a minute
long videos. She remembers at the same time of quarantine, she would see a lot of Tiktoks that
were about the BLM, #StopAsianHate, and #MeToo movements, as well as the Trump and Biden
election. There were a lot of Tiktok creators that advocated for these activist movements and
informed users through their videos. She said this made her more aware of her racial identity and
of the issues going on in the country and the world.
The pandemic affected people worldwide. It changed the way we live on a daily basis,
from wearing masks everywhere we go to getting tested frequently. People had to practice social
distance of 6 feet from each other to prevent infection. The first quarantine in America had lasted
for months, and many were forced to work or do school from home, which was a big adjustment
many struggled with. The virus spread quickly, and according to the Center of Disease Control
(CDC), there were close to 390k deaths in America alone in 2020. There was an average of
60,000 new cases reported daily this year, but it increased to 100k and soon 200k cases daily in
the next year. It caused panic, anxiety, and scared people all over, especially Gen Z who was hit
hard with this virus. The pandemic took a toll on their education, careers, and mental health. A
research organization at University of Chicago conducted a nationwide poll on Gen Z
individuals, aged from 13 to 24, during the pandemic. 65% of Gen Z said that education is
extremely important to their being, and 46% said that the virus made it harder for them to pursue
their education and career goals. Only 36% of millennials shared that concern. The pandemic
also reportedly made it harder for Gen Z to “have fun, maintain mental health, maintain good
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relationships, and be happy.” 55% said it was hard to have fun. 49% said it was hard to maintain
mental health. 45% said it was hard to maintain good relationships. 46% said it was hard to just
be happy. 56% of individuals aged 18-24 reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. 25% of
young adults of Gen Z were more likely to substance abuse than 11% of older adults and
generations. 26% reported having suicidal thoughts, compared to 11% of older adults and
generations. According to the American Psychological Association, the year where the pandemic
started till now made it more difficult for Gen Z to make important life decisions because of the
uncertainty they felt for the future. They also lacked employment opportunities, and according to
the International Labor Organization, many individuals in this cohort worldwide have had their
employment options diminished rapidly at a rate two times more than previous generations.
Many young people have delayed or stopped looking for employment. Covid-19 clearly hindered
and stressed out members of Gen Z.
Gen Z has also witnessed and been victims of more school shootings, and even has been
called the “School Shooting Generation.” The problem of gun violence in schools has gotten
worse over the years since the Columbine shooting in 1999, yet publicity has been watered down
because now it seems like a “new normal” because of how frequent these shootings are. There
have been 231 school shootings since then till 2019, and in this period, there have been 304
fatalities and 485 people injured (Vigderman). There were more deadlier mass shootings than
Columbine. In the school shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, 32 were shot dead by a senior
student and 23 were injured. In 2012, 20 young children and 6 staff members were shot and
killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, with the perpetrator shooting himself after. In Parkland,
Florida in 2018, a student was armed with an AR-15 and fired in Stoneman Douglas High
School. He killed 17 people and injured 17 others. This shooting devastated the nation, and
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triggered advocacy from the youth, members of Gen Z, who called for better gun control. Many
were upset about how easy it was to access guns and rifles. Many politicians and government
officials, such as Donald Trump, blamed these shootings on “bad mental health,” rather than the
issue of the easy access to such weapons. A demonstration and peaceful protest against gun
violence in schools was enacted on March 24, 2018. It was called “March for Our Lives,” and
was led by students across the country. Students all over the nation walked out of their
classrooms at a certain time to show their support for more gun control and safety in their
schools. At a young age, members of Gen Z became active participants in the political sphere.
This is one of the first moments where many realized the leaders of the US and other places were
not the best choices for government.
Many of the youth of Gen Z have become active participants in activist movements.
According to Pew Research, 67% of Gen Z reported that climate change should be considered a
top priority to make sure our planet is sustainable for the future generations, compared to 71% of
millennials. 37% of Gen Z said climate change is their top priority for their personal selves,
compared to 33% of millennials. 32% of Gen Z said they have taken action to address climate
change concerns. 70% of Gen Z said that the government should be more activist and solve more
issues concerning the people. A majority of Gen Z view the Black Lives Matter movement as an
influential event in their lifetime. 68% said that this movement, which happened at the same time
as the pandemic, had a major impact on them. Many took some sort of action with this event.
12% attended a protest, 41% used social media to spread awareness, and 46% made more effort
to learn about what they can do to advocate for racial justice. Gen Z has also been known to be
the lead in fighting for LGBTQ+ equality. 21% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBT, according to a
survey done by Gallup. This is twice the rate of LGBT members in Generation Y. Many youth
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LGBTQ+ members of Gen Z face higher levels of discrimination in housing, schools, and work
than previeous generational cohorts, according to the Center for American Progress. This
resulted in increased rates of mental health issues, avoidance behaviors, and financial struggles
among the community. 42% of youth were suicidal due to this stress and 94% said that due to
acts in politics, such as the anti-trans bills proposals, negatively affected their mental health.
Many youth members of Gen Z participate in marches or rallies across the country to advocate
for LGTBQ+ equality.
The advancements of the internet and living in the age of social media has influenced
Generation Z. It is the culture of this cohort. Social media has been used to make connections
with others, play games, watch movies and shows, and create and share their own content. Some
popular social media platforms today are Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat. 41.5 million Gen Z
members in the US use Tiktok as of 2022. 44.5 million use Snapchat, and 37.3 million use
Instagram, according to eMarketer. Gen Z has had some sort of presence on social media for a
majority of their lives. 66% said that social media is an essential part of their lives. According to
Forbes, 97% have said that they use social media as a source of commerce and inspiration on
what they want to buy. 65% use social media for entertainment, and 61% use social media for
specifically watching video content. According to a social media survey by Hill Holiday, 71%
said that social media has had positive effects on relationships and friendships. 61% said social
media has increased their self-confidence. However, there have been negative effects as well,
such as 41% of Gen Z members feeling sad, anxious, depressed, or insecure due to social media.
Generation Z came to age early due to these tragic historical events and important
cultural moments that occurred during their youth. Similar to millennials, members of Gen Z
experienced a loss of innocence when they were struck with devastating news such as the school
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shootings, where it was realized that students and kids can not be safe in their own learning
environments. They were forced to make big adjustments and adapt to a new way of living once
the pandemic hit the world abruptly. The virus affected their safety, their schooling, their living
style, their motivation to do well in school, and their opportunities to advance in their education
and careers. This is similar to millennials and how they struggled after experiencing the financial
recession. Many members of Gen Z experienced extreme stress and mental health issues. Many
youth Gen Z members became more aware of political and global issues that concern the future.
From these struggles and issues, they evoke more of an emotional reaction and activist response.
They value activism and things being done to fix issues. From growing up in the world of social
media and the internet, they are highly informed and like being aware of what is going on. They
value support and acceptance of diversity, different cultures, and different identities. They value
their education as well. Due to being social media natives, they value staying connected with
others, social interactions, and instant gratification or validation.
Millennials and Generation Z have many similarities, since they are consecutive
generations. Both have experienced traumatic events that forced them to mature at an early age.
Both have had the most exposure to the internet, social media, and technological advancements
that have changed the way they live compared to previous generations. Both are known to have
more similar progressive opinions on activist matters. However, Gen Z is more proactive than
millennials when it comes to participating in activist movements. Though living and growing up
in similar environments, there are some differences. Millennials grew up with less and more
limited access to the internet. Their reactions to technological advancements are greater than
those of Gen Z and would consider them more new and inspirational. Gen Z has had more
experiences with such advancements, and would expect more. Gen Z is more social than
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millennials. Millennials are more career focused than Gen Z, as Gen Z values more creativity
and keeping connections. Both generations communicate through social media and digitally, but
Gen Z is more addicted to their devices as they have not experienced a world full of technology
for not long.
Knowing what these two generations have gone through helps in knowing what to do
when dealing with patients from these cohorts. Millennials are known to be less trusting of
institutions and authorities. It is important to create a good relationship from the start with this
cohort. It is important to try to relate to them and be friendly and open-minded with them. It is
also important to learn how to communicate with them digitally. It would also be important to
listen to them as millennials are more likely to determine their own care options for themselves,
but still give them clear feedback and be honest with them. Gen Z are more likely than
millennials to trust healthcare professionals. They do not hold many boundaries when it comes to
social media and data privacy. They would be more open to healthcare providers when they
know it will benefit and help them. It would be important to be friendly, open, and honest with
patients from this cohort. Digital access to their own patient data and mobile access to the
healthcare provider would be important for members of Gen Z, since they rely on digital devices.
Similar to millennials, they would value being part of making decisions for their health. For both
these generations, there should be more of an emphasis on the importance of mental health and
wellness as a whole. Therapy should be more encouraged and accessible for these cohorts, as
many members from both generations struggle with their mental health.
Growing up in a certain generation makes up a part of a person’s identity and who they
are today. Each generation experiences life-changing moments and new experiences that have
profound effects on the way they think, behave, and live. These events have effects on their
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future and influence what kind of person they will be. Yet at the same time, people from different
generations who grew up in different cultures still relate to certain aspects. Millennials and
generation Z both experienced serious events that changed their lives in different ways. Both
have struggled from many obstacles from a young, but they have overcame them and adapted to
new circumstances, and that is what life is about.
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