My generation, Gen Z, is known for many things including TikTok, middle parts, and phrases like “On God.” It is also known to be the most lost and misguided group in comparison to its predecessors. Being raised with social media, Gen Z has been exposed to uncharted waters, changing our view of the world. From seeing uncensored violence to overly altered face filters, we have become desensitized to what is considered “normal.”
Being on the inside, I have noticed a major shift over the past two years in this generation, as we are all becoming more cognitive and resorting back to old school ways.
When all the different social media platforms first came out, we were the guinea pigs. Without hesitation, we put in all our personal information and fell willingly down the rabbit hole. For example, when Instagram launched in 2010, I remember my mom having to confiscate my phone because I was glued to it. With thirteen years passing since then, I sometimes have to take her phone away from her! Smartphones have become a safety blanket for everyone, not just my generation anymore. Phones are used to avoid socializing with strangers while waiting in line for coffee and when at home alone, used to socialize with strangers. Makes sense, right?
Before I get off track about smartphones, I am here to say Generation Z’ers have grown restless with the current situation and are craving something much more meaningful. From an unavoidable amount of remakes coming out for film and television, to lousy clubbing songs on every Billboard Hot 100, the older generations that run these large conglomerates are losing their young crowd due to their rinse and repeat mentality. Yes, don’t get me wrong, there are still people my age that like the latest trending songs on TikTok or feel totally fulfilled posting indecent photos on the internet, but that is NOT the majority of Gen Z.
After getting the hang of social media, then getting bored of it, the majority of Gen Z is in this lost phase of not being able to relate to the world around them. We are told our peers admire all this stuff, yet we all feel so alone. Truth is what is being publicly displayed, is not the real Generation Z.
I have always said, “You can fool everyone, but you can’t fool your subconscious.”
Well, Gen Z is done being fooled. That inner voice inside our heads has finally gotten to us and we are all waking up. Every industry has dumbed down its products, but as a result no masterpieces of any kind are coming out anymore.
For example there is the unspoken “Ten Second Rule” in the music industry where your intro must be no longer than ten seconds or else you will lose the audience. Yet, why does our generation listen to Led Zeppelin or Lynyrd Skynyrd or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody? It is because certain works of art are timeless and considered “classics.”
The human race craves that “stroke of genius” no matter the generation and for some reason Gen Z has been written off. No modern-day classics have been created in recent years. From reading classic literature to watching classic cinema like Casablanca or Citizen Kane, our generation has become obsessed with the past to try and cope with the future. For in these “masterpieces” the characters are believable and the stories real.
Within the film world nowadays, it has become cool for the bad guys to win, glorifying violence, drugs, and sex. This has become overdone the past five years or so, with the same dark/cool toned color grading and actors who refuse to age gracefully. The dialogue is dumbed down as well. Lastly, if that doesn’t work, a beloved classic will get butchered into something that’s “modern”, meaning the villain will win and the princess doesn’t want true love.
The reason I am being aggressive in my descriptions of all that is wrong with what is being put out there is not to rain on anyone’s parade, it is to unapologetically say, “I know I am not the only one who feels this way.”
On the bright side, not being able to relate to anything out there is forcing our generation to innovate in new ways. We are on the precipice of our own renaissance. With new artists emerging, original music being created, and in-person, organic human connection being valued, Gen Z is paving the way for the future. The big-wigs are losing their power and the “little guy” is being idolized once again. With a new generation comes new ideas and Gen Z is finally at the age to properly execute what we have desired for so long.
Society has tried to numb us, yet this generation, I guarantee, will be the next to make the deepest mark in history as for works of art whether it be music or machinery. Boredom breeds innovation and we have grown bored.
Get ready for a new wave of literature, art, music, and inventions that don’t buy into fads, but are timeless. Generation Z is ready for its own modern-day classics. Thanks to all that we have been exposed to, we found what works and what doesn’t. We are older and wiser, yet young and ignorant enough to try and change things.
Great article. Good insight. Looking forward to some innovative work to come out. Greatly needed.
Really enjoyed reading this. It explains a lot. Waiting for you to release your novel.