What is Generation Z? Generation Z, often known as Gen Z or Zoomers comprises of people born between the years 1996 and 2010. Gen Z is currently the second youngest generation, with Millennials before and Generation Alpha after. The first Gen Zers were born when the internet had just achieved widespread use; they are also sometimes referred to as “digital natives” – the first generation to grow up with the internet as a part of daily life.
This generation’s identity, what most would like to think, has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, a shifting financial landscape and COVID-19. Now the real question strikes, is this Generation Z shaping, or has it shaped the structure of the society for the other newer generations to come? Or has it already disfigured the structure built by the older generations? The answer to this question may vary through the mixed perspective of the Millennials or even among the adults from this generation. Just like the two sides of the same coin, the idea of Gen Z is both something to look forward to and at the same time, some views are concerned about the ideology and values of the Gen Zers.
When we look at the brighter side of this generation, there is indeed an infinite number of opportunities and accessibility that the youth of this generation possess at the palm of their hands. The generation is not only capable of thinking outside the box but also can alter the box according to situations and their preferences. There is no doubt that this generation has been named the “digital natives” for the reason of how exclusively they have harvested the use of social media and squeezed every bit of data which has shaped this generation profoundly.
You could be at your residence sitting on your comfortable couch and making millions. Was this possible during the 90s? The answer is crystal clear. People of this generation have the knowledge of the outside world at the tip of their finger which can be accessed with just one click. Teenagers now are starting up small and sustainable businesses and are self-employing themselves. An example that we can draw from Nagaland is the online thrift stores that are booming through Instagram and other social media platforms. Interested in music but can’t afford music classes? This generation has seen youths who have been self-taught to do things that they were once not capable of just with the right use of the internet and its various platforms.
Here, an example of one of the most influential platforms is YouTube. People create different types of channels to teach, entertain and influence people while earning simultaneously. This is not only bound to music as there is nothing that you cannot learn through the internet. There have been disputes made and disputes ended just with one single tweet.
This generation has built an empire for itself where they all are the kings of their own game. Streaming, coding, online marketing, hacking, content creation, etc. there is a list of accessible platforms that this generation has created to sustain themselves. If nothing else, this generation has definitely opened all paths of opportunities and that opportunity comes rumbling at their doorstep with a single click, which is something no other generation could have done. You can live for passion, and earn through your passion. However when there is gossip about the ideology and values that this generation holds, is it that we are losing our roots? Are we so caught up with our pace that we have lost our own cultural footprints?
The concerns about the social, cultural and religious ideologies of this generation can be a topic of debate and a question that this generation needs to ask themselves. But what can be said with a firm and bold stand is that this generation who likes to think outside the box has no limits or bounds to their thoughts and imagination. So if you as a Gen Zer have a passion for your field, then you should embrace this opportunity to live beyond the box and break the matrix.
Vivek Patel
B.A. 6th Semester
Modern College
