"In fact, Gen Z might just be the most risk-averse generation on record. Fewer Gen Zers got a driver’s license, drank alcohol, or had sex as teenagers than their parents did. The same young adults now report skyrocketing rates of anxiety and other mental illnesses, with some estimates finding that as many as 1 in 5 18-to-24-year-olds have been diagnosed with depression. Timidity—not to mention self-conscious neuroticism—is increasingly the norm.
“An ongoing study from Montclair State University argues that some of this risk aversion is due to the current political climate—or perhaps young people’s perception of it. “Gen Z’s mental health has deteriorated due to a worldview that the society and environment around them are crumbling,” writes justice studies professor Gabriel Rubin. “Rights are being taken away, the Earth is burning, maniacs could kill you with a gun, and viruses could shut down society again.””
See also, for counterpoint: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2024/06/18/gen-z-thriving-entrepreneurship/
Maybe that’s what makes millennials different. So many of the big scares ended up being big nothings.
AIDS was going to kill everyone… except it’s a STI, and now can be almost fully managed with drugs.
Weed was going to kill everyone and make everyone else go crazy… except it’s arguably less harmful than even caffeine, let alone tobacco or alcohol.
Y2K was going to end the world… except people put significant money and effort into solving it.
The hole in the ozone layer is growing… except we put regulations in place to stop it from growing and saved ourselves.
We managed to save ourselves, as a species, from all of these things. It wasn’t until 9/11 when we didn’t really know what to do and never really recovered from it as a society.
It makes sense that that’s often where people say the 90s really ended. And it’s a decent cut-off for when someone is Gen Z. If you don’t really remember 9/11 (and especially nothing before it), you’re not a millennial.