Each generation experiences its own individual triumphs and tragedies. Some feel that generations are shaped by the times in which they grow up. It makes sense. If you grow up in times of instability or war, these things will impact you as much as prosperity. Child psychiatrist Professor Sandeep Ranote certainly believes this is true for Gen Z, who were born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s. She shared the ‘five Cs’ that Gen Z has lived through that absolutely shaped who they are.
Speaking with The GuardianProfessor Ranote explained the “five Cs” Gen Z has gone through. “Young people are going into a world with huge challenges that certainly I didn’t have. I call it the five Cs: they lived through Covid, climate change, cost-of-living, cyberspace, and conflict,” she said.
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The COVID-19 pandemic changed life completely for the entire world. People had to isolate themselves in their homes and limit contact with others. There were massive layoffs, and other jobs switched from being in-person to remote very quickly. Something as simple as going to grab some groceries became a huge ordeal.
No one felt the effect of Covid quite like Gen Z, though. A study published in Current Psychology found that while Gen Zers tended to be more resilient than those in older generations and more flexible in some ways, they had a stronger disposition to mental health issues. Essentially, they were more susceptible to being depressed and anxious because of the changes Covid made to the world.
Many in Gen Z were preparing to graduate from college or high school and had those special events taken away from them because of Covid. Others lost jobs they had just started at the cusp of their professional careers. Gen Z grew up right in the middle of Covid, and will likely never be the same because of it.
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Climate change is, of course, a challenge that did not begin with Gen Z, nor will it end with them. However, studies show that Gen Z and those of a similar age are particularly affected by the environmental crisis.
Pew Research Center pointed out“Compared with older adults, Gen Zers and millennials are talking more about the need for action on climate change; among social media users, they are seeing more climate change content online; and they are doing more to get involved with the issue through activities such as volunteering and attending rallies and protests.”
Gen Z has experienced the climate going through a variety of dangerous changes and watched while older generations have done very little to prevent them from happening. There’s no doubt that this constant worry about the planet they call home has proved to be traumatic for Gen Z. Now that they are adults, it’s largely up to them to decide what happens next.
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CNBC collected data from the U.S. Census Bureau that stated up to one-third of adults who are Gen Z and millennial-aged live with their parents. Additionally, according to a Bank of America survey“Over half (52%) of Gen Z reported that both they don’t make enough money to live the life they want and that the high cost of living is one of the main financial challenges this generation faces.”
It would be false to say that each generation hasn’t had its own financial problems to deal with. For example, previous generations went through events like the Great Depression and the Great Recession. It just seems like all of these previous shocking events have combined and culminated to create the perfect environment for Gen Z to face a severe cost-of-living crisis.
As the cost of living continues to increase around the country, Gen Zers are finding it more and more difficult to afford rent, make a down payment on a house, keep up with essential bills, and even buy groceries. As they grow into adulthood, Gen Z is not finding the American dream that they were promised.
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Few things have changed the world as much as the advent of the internet and personal computers. Admittedly, most of these innovations came about while millennials were growing up. So, why do they affect Gen Z so much? Because they’ve never known a life without them. While millennials grew up alongside the internet and watched cell phone technology become more sophisticated, Gen Z was born into a world of smart screens that allow them to stay connected online constantly.
A study from McKinsey Health Institute found that Gen Zers did not necessarily use social media more than older generations. However, they did have more negative attitudes towards it. Gen Z was also the generation that reported the most issues with mental health. McKinsey insisted that their findings showed no causation, although they are intriguing.
Living their lives constantly online appears to be taking a toll on Gen Z. Research like this from McKinsey shows that they don’t even like it that much, but consider it a necessary part of their lives. This can’t be healthy, and would certainly be considered a challenge.
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Gen Z has certainly seen its fair share of conflict. There have been personal conflicts like cyber-bullying, and worldwide conflicts like wars. Gen Z has seen plenty of pain as they have navigated unprecedented conflicts that no one could have quite imagined. From political volatility led by two separate Trump presidencies, to humanitarian crises around the world that may have never touched them personally but certainly left a mark, it’s no wonder that Gen Z is so resilient.
As Christopher S. Chivvis and Lauren Morganbesser summarized for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “Gen Z came to political consciousness amid the tumult of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the later years of American’s global war on terror, the pressures of great power competition with Russia and China and the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war have marked their formative years.”
Gen Z has experienced a significant amount of conflict in a short amount of time. Quite honestly, it probably feels like the world defaults more to being filled with conflict than it does to being peaceful at this point to them. This has certainly not given them a healthy perspective of the world.
These five great, life-altering challenges have shaken Gen Z to its very core. The generation has been left reeling, feeling like they will always be seeking to catch up in a life more distorted than anything they could have ever imagined.
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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
