Gen Z’s Paradox

NinetyEight comprises 6 Gen Zs, but what makes us actually Gen Z?

Bryant has an unintentional daily 3am bedtime from scrolling YouTube videos and binge-watching anime. Rachael will likely skip a week of groceries to then use the money to buy concert tickets. Mariel runs a TikTok account for her rescue cats and strictly follows TikTok recipes for dinner. Esme avoids driving at all costs (despite living in LA) and will rather convince her gf to drop her off than figure out parallel parking. Gia practically lives out of suitcase, living the digital nomad life to the absolute fullest.

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As for me, I’m your typical ‘cusper’ behaviour. I’m far from being the trend setter and sit in the pockets of being a trend observer. Social media is mainly used as my way of keeping up with friends around the world and getting inspiration for my next weekend plans. Like many others, I’m a proud and overbearing dog mom with a big ol’ question mark of if I want to be an actual parent in the near future.

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... so is there one thing that makes us Gen Z? Not really, besides being born between 1996 and 2012. The media has pigeonholed Gen Z into a few keywords: snowflake, lazy, ruined by the internet, and loud. While most Gen Zs would strongly disagree with those characterizations, we do share qualities that tie our generation together: informed, resilient, overwhelmed, and considerate. Regardless of what the media has portrayed Gen Z to be, or the generational qualities we see to be true, over 60% of Gen Zs from the Koi Pond* believe that being Gen Z “is just a label” and that we as individuals have so much more to offer. 

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Silas (2009) says “There is no one way to be Gen Z. We are all individuals with different backgrounds and stories.” Similarly Rae (1998) says, “[Gen Z] aren’t a monolith. While some trends are generational and there are larger culture shifts happening, stereotyping and making assumptions based on someone's generation rather than actually getting to know them as an individual is rude.” 

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Same Same But Different. 

The generations before us have all undoubtedly been trailblazers in their own eras as they pushed boundaries to get us to where we are today. However, our unifying strength as a generation lies in the collective understanding that empowered individualism is the bedrock to shape a more dynamic future. 

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Part of the fervent advocacy for empowered individuality is because Gen Zs “recognize the strength of their own opinions, and are largely open to the opinions and perspectives of others” –  Liv (2003). The opportunity for online discourse and the technological literacy amongst this generation has equipped us with more knowledge, resources and information to make choices and opinions that form who we are as people. While some may see the use of online platforms as being “overly vocal”, it’s given Gen Z the confidence to reject societal givens and forced us to think more critically about what we believe in, and why we believe in it. As a result, it’s created an economy of autonomy within this generation to, “no longer take ‘that’s just how we’ve always done it’ as an answer” – Angelica (1997).

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One of the biggest differences in the way Gen Z approaches individualism is that different ≠ bad. 

In our current society that seemingly always feels divided (politically or not), we are forced to stand firmly on our own two feet – a possibility that is made attainable only because Gen Zs have prioritized developing individual core values. It’s easy to get swept away by societal norms or long-held beliefs; the utmost challenge is to find self awareness in determining your own compass. There’s a mutual will to respect each other’s ‘compass’ and approach different perspectives with kindness. “We are stronger because we are comfortable in our identities and demand respect [from each other]” – Meredith (2001). 

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A Present to the Future. 

Just like any cycle in life, we’re constantly thinking about what’s next. As attention gradually shifts towards the rising generations, we asked Gen Zs, “what do you hope Gen Alpha and Gen Beta take away from us?” 

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“Hold boundaries that protect your sanity, f*ck arbitrary rules, live a life you'd be proud of looking back on” – Kat (1997). 

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“I hope they find the same resilience and hunger to make the world a better place” – Nevellie (2006). 

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“Carry a strong sense of self. Never be what they want, be who you need to be” – Jonny (1998). 

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“Never stop caring about other people” – Laurel (1997). 

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“It is a rapidly changing world – don't hold onto anything too tight apart from your own identity and sense of self” – Liv (2003). 

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Gen Z has mastered the art of holding space for the individual self while championing the idea of communal kindness and resilience. We recognize that Gen Alpha and Gen Beta are inheriting a complex world but they too, deserve a chance to shine their light. If anything, we hope that as a generation, we’ve set the foundation to be unafraid to explore and develop character-building moments. We encourage those after us that protecting your sense of self is valuable and the catalyst to a different future. And though some might argue that the approach is selfish, the rules can be rewritten – that it is possible to be kind, respectful and lift your community up while finding your identity. 

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We’re proud to be a united Gen Z front, but even more proud to be recognized as individuals. So the life lesson from one generation to another is as simple as Samuel (2004) puts it, “don’t be afraid to be yourself, there is too little time to care about what others think”. 

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