A generation lasts 20-30 years and every generation has their struggles, so what are Gen- Z’s?  As all generations go through challenges, Gen Z has struggled because of the pandemic, causing students to take online classes, and has hurt adolescent and adult social skills.  They have struggled from the use of social media. The GEN Z age goes from 1997-2012, making the ages 12-27 years old.  

Social media in many ways is entertaining and fun, but we don’t always use it to our advantage.  Social media can also hurt people and society. Social media is a known distraction because we get so addicted it can disrupt sleep, expand exposure to bullying, and even cause peer pressure. Also, Gen Z struggles with shootings, many of which have been in schools.  So students always worry about it happening again.  In 2023, there were nearly 350 shootings across the country.  Since the pandemic, we all have been more dependent on the use of technology and social media.  While having social media isn’t always bad, we should all be less reliant on the use of snapchat, tiktok, instagram [etc]. 

Gen Z also struggles with their mental health.  A study from ipsos, a market research company, talks about surveys that they sent out giving us information on mental health issues that we averaged across 31 countries. Specifically they say that “49% of women in Gen Z are feeling so stressed that they felt like they couldn’t cope/deal with things.  In addition, 28% report having felt stressed to the point that they couldn’t go to work for a period of time. On average globally, 41% have felt depressed to the point they were sad or hopeless almost every day for a couple of weeks or more.”  Gastaldi, the Director of Public Affairs for Ipsos in Brazil said that women are more alert and are more concerned about their health issues then men. Women tend to feel more comfortable admitting that they are going through hard times. In Brazil, “Young women are the most likely demographic to report struggling, with almost three in five (58%) Brazilian Gen Z women and close to half (48%) of Brazilian Gen Z men report being severely depressed to the point they felt sad/hopeless almost every day for a couple of weeks or more.” Women are not the only people who suffer with mental health problems, but it is more commonly shown. 

All in all, this generation has faced hardships and has struggles.  Technology is not affecting only one generation, but is affecting many and all generations have faced their own challenges. 

If you are struggling with mental health, please contact your guidance counselor here at school or call 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. 

https://988lifeline.org/