I was a child of the Sixties – Woodstock, flower power, student riots, long hair. When trying to explain my enthusiasm for the Beatles and Monty Python to my father, I remember his utter bewilderment, mystification and outrage at the generational shift that was taking place before his eyes. He had fought in the Second World War to make a country ‘fit for heroes’. Instead all he could see was a new generation of long-haired louts, work-shy students and promiscuous types in tight jeans and micro-skirts….
Those conversations with my bewildered father have come back to me as I have tried to understand and engage with the generational shift we are now seeing with Generation Z (those born between approximately 1995 and 2012). We are again living at a time of remarkable and unprecedented changes in behaviour, attitudes and experiences amongst young people. Now it’s my turn to be the bemused and disorientated geriatric….
Of course it’s possible to indulge in lazy overgeneralizations about an entire demographic group. The trends and statistics quoted below don’t apply to every individual. And I don’t want to join the chorus of oldies shaking their heads, “Young people these days…” But there’s little doubt that many members of Gen Z see the world through different eyes. So how have generational attitudes and behaviours shifted, and how did this come about? What have been the formative experiences of this age group, what can we learn from them, and how can we support and encourage young people as they grow to maturity?
So as a geriatric observer here are some brief observations and reflections on what the evidence shows, gleaned from various surveys and sources which I’ll list at the end of this letter.
1. Continuous smartphone use from age 10-11.
The iPhone was launched by Apple in 2007 and this catalysed a seismic shift in smartphone use and penetration of the global youth market. The average Gen Z now experiences 50+ hours per week smartphone use, and checks their phone more than 80 times a day. Their experience of childhood has been radically different from those who came before, with continuous exposure to social media, internet videos, computer games, and (often) internet pornography. The median age that young people are first exposed to internet pornography is between ages 11-13 and one survey found that only 3% of boys and 17% of girls have never watched pornography. 52% of teen boys and 36% of teen girls regularly and intentionally watched internet porn, much of it involving real or simulated rape, sado-masochism, group sex and so on.
2. More time at home alone and on screens.
Time spent alone in front of a screen has steadily increased whilst face-to-face time meeting with friends, or in any kind of social clubs or communities, has fallen off a cliff. In 2022 the average USA teen spent 12 hours per week on TikTok, nearly 6 hours on YouTube, and 3 hours each for Snapchat and Instagram. Meanwhile average time spent face to face with friends fell from 150 minutes per day in 2003 to about 40 minutes per day in 2021. And of course these trends towards social isolation were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
3. Slower social and emotional development.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there seems to be a connection between less time spent in face-to-face contact with friends and acquaintances and evidence of slower development in social skills, confidence and emotional maturity, when compared with previous generations. Gen Z are much more used to ‘helicopter parents’ than previously. Instead of wanting to get away from their parents and demonstrate their independence, they are more likely to welcome parental input, supervision and advice. Whilst many seem intellectually precocious and confident in the digital realm, when it comes to becoming independent of adult care they are much more cautious. As one commentator put it. “For good or for ill, Gen Z teens are not in a hurry to grow up. 18 year-olds now look like 14 and 14 year-olds like 10-12.” Once they leave home and go to university or college, there’s a greater tendency for undergraduate students to feel unsafe without adult supervision, guidance and protection.
4. Changing interpersonal communication styles.
Having grown up in the online world of social media, many express a preference for controlled and asynchronous styles of communication, such as texting, sending pictures and sharing Tik-Tok videos, rather than real-time, face-to-face, free-floating conversation which can seem dangerously uncontrolled, stressful and unpredictable.
5. Preoccupation with both physical and mental safety.
Gen Z tend to see the outside world as more physically and emotionally threatening compared with older generations. Unanticipated exposure to unwelcome and challenging opinions can be seen as emotionally traumatising and dangerous to mental health. Hence the preoccupation with ‘trigger warnings’ and ‘safe spaces’. At the same time there have been marked increases in rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal feelings, particularly amongst girls. In the USA the percentage of female high school students who had experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness rose from 36% to 57% in 10 years, and the percentage who were seriously considering attempting suicide rose from 19% to 30%. Similar rises in anxiety and depression have been seen amongst teens in the UK, Sweden and other wealthy countries.
6. Mistrust of established institutions including religious, academic, political and mainstream media.
There is increasing mistrust of conventional and authoritative sources of information. Much better to get up to date intelligence from social media, AI influencers, search engines and digital friends. Many are influenced by the postmodern view that all external authority represents patriarchy, oppression, coercion and potential for abuse. University students may come to regard their role as not so much to submit to academic authority and to learn from their elders, but rather to challenge patriarchy, prejudice and out-dated attitudes. They have been exposed to compelling internet narratives of social oppression, injustice, abuse and individual liberation for years. And it could be that the church leaders and Bible teachers that I’ve been exposed to are just another source of ‘patriarchy’ and abuse of power.
7. An erosion of belief in objective and external truth.
Feelings and emotions are increasingly seen as a more reliable guide to truth than education, reason or external authorities. ‘I need to find my own truth’. ‘I need to be true to myself and to my own experience’. Recognising and affirming my own subjective ‘lived-experience’ may become of supreme importance and all sources of truth must be tested by this internal standard. Others may claim that this is the ‘truth’ but is it ‘true for me’?
8. Changes in cognitive styles.
Gen Z have become extremely skilled at rapid browsing and searching internet platforms for interesting items. They have a preference for multi-tasking, rapid switching between apps and streams, sharing images, emojis and GIFs, listening to podcasts and audiobooks and searching for short-form videos and music. But this goes along with shortening attention spans and increased difficulties in sustained logical analysis and engaging with intellectually demanding material. Interestingly, book reading amongst Gen Z rose during the Covid pandemic, but there were clear preferences for fantasy, romance, super-heroes and ‘young adult’ titles.
9. Individualistic attitudes and a focus on the self and self-expression.
On the one hand there is an increased individualism reflected in the emphasis on finding my unique identity, expressing my feelings, finding my truth. Gen Z are deeply influenced by the philosophical trends frequently described as ‘expressive individualism’, the need to create and express one’s own unique identity to those around you. Yet at the same time many are committed to social justice, equality, inclusiveness, non-judgementalism, and freedom from oppression for minority groups. A recent survey of Christian teenagers in the UK, undertaken by Youthscape, asked “What social issues are you most concerned about?” The leading responses were: Discrimination (96%), Poverty (94%), and Climate change (92%). Gen Z are frequently vocal in expressing their concern about social justice and environmental issues, yet many appear to be reluctant to engage in practical or political activism, when compared with older groups.
10. Rejection of conventional sexual and gender stereotypes and roles, and acceptance of many forms of alternative sexual identity.
Gen Z are more cautious compared with older groups when it comes to engaging in physical sexual activity. They express increased fears of sexually transmitted infections, rape and teenage pregnancy. They may show a preference for ‘virtual’ rather than physical sexual activity, and this may be related to their frequent exposure to hard-core internet porn. ‘Sexting’ and sharing of intimate photos and videos is seen as normal and routine. Gender-fluidity, and exploratory attitudes to alternative sexual and gender roles are often viewed as relatively normal, unexceptional and not only to be accepted but celebrated.
In a future article I will try to explore some of the deeper philosophical and cultural trends which lie behind these generational shifts. But for now I want to ask what positive lessons older people can learn from Gen Z, and reflect on how we can support and encourage young people as they grow to maturity.
Learning from Generation Z
Instead of an instinctive turn to criticism and negativity, there’s surely much that we oldies have to learn from this generation. Here are three initial thoughts, but I welcome further suggestions and ideas.
One of the most positive attributes of this generational group is a deep longing for emotional and personal authenticity – a quest for a deep consonance between internal feelings and beliefs and external behaviour and expression. Adolescents and teens have always been sensitive to evidence of hypocrisy and insincerity in adults, but this desire for genuineness and sincerity in what we sway and do seems to be even more marked in Gen Z.
Given the tragic litany of abuse scandals amongst Christian leaders and ‘celebrities’, it is hardly surprising that many young people have become deeply suspicious about the integrity of high profile figures within church denominations and established groups. The short-lived spiritual awakening at Asbury Christian College in March 2023 has been described as “the first Gen Z revival” – led by students in their late teens and early 20s.
The event was notable for the absence of any charismatic central figures. One commentator said that young Christians were “tired of the hype, the fog machines, the prep, the leaders who disappoint…”
Perhaps a second lesson to learn or relearn from Gen Z is that unquestioning loyalty to institutions, denominations and organisations can become unhealthy. Gen Z bring a fresh recognition that all human institutions and established authorities are at risk of
corruption, hypocrisy, cover-ups and the abuse of power. Have we oldies been too concerned to protect the public reputation of Christian churches, organisations and tribes rather than to pursue truth, openness and integrity whatever it costs?
And third, their awareness and openness about psychological and emotional health is surely something that older generations can learn from. There’s reason to hope that in their preparedness to talk openly about issues of mental health and well-being, Gen Z are breaking down some of the shame and stigma which still surrounds psychiatric illness and the psychological and emotional vulnerabilities which are the daily experience of so many people.
How can we help Gen Z grow to maturity most effectively?
Here are some initial thoughts:
1. Those of us who teach and supervise young people need to take account of delayed emotional and social development, and adjust our expectations accordingly. University and college students may welcome more senior guidance and supervision than previous generations, with clearly structured learning opportunities and assistance in how to make the most of what is on offer.
2. Provide support and encouragement to develop healthy habits of reading, daily rhythms of life, face-to-face friendships and conversations, and engagement in community activities. It seems that many of the safe social spaces in which teens and young people could ‘hang out’ together, without continuous adult supervision, have increasingly disappeared. There’s a clear need for new safe community spaces to be developed for young people and it’s obvious that local churches could play a key role.
3. Some other brief headlines for suggestions to help Gen Z grow to maturity:
- Encourage ways of reducing screen time and smartphone addiction.
- Enforce 16 year old age limit for access to social media and unrestricted internet surfing.
- Encourage them to engage in cultural analysis, understanding the strange new world they find themselves in, and increasing their self-understanding.
Intergenerational friendships
Intergenerational friendships with older adults seem to be a critical factor in encouraging members of Gen Z to develop to maturity and learn better integration into the community as a whole. A close intergenerational friendship has been described as ‘like engaging in time travel’. I am learning to see what the world looks like through different eyes, and together we are increasing mutual understanding and mutual support across the generations. So we who are older need to take the initiative in reaching out in friendship, concern and love to younger friends. We need to learn afresh the extraordinary transformative potential of deep and committed Paul-Timothy friendships.
Books to read
iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood – and What That Means for the Rest of Us, Jean Twenge, Atria Books
The Tech-Wise Family: everyday steps for putting technology in its proper place, Andy Crouch
My Tech-Wise Life: growing up and making choices in a world of devices, Amy Crouch and Andy Crouch
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman
Strange New World, Carl Trueman
Websites
After Babel Substack newsletter on mental health issues in Gen Z, (an excellent resource for up-to-date and authoritative research evidence – highly recommended)
Youthscape – excellent innovative faith-based resources for those working with youth and young people