This was actually written in the winter of 2017, after a class discussion of society’s perception of the youngest generation compared to those before. The following piece was a 14 year old’s perspective on the treatment of the younger generations.
All of recent history has been divided up into generations, with everyone being born sorted into a specific category. The media loves to rag on the recent Millennial (Generation Y) and Generation Z, calling them self absorbed and tech-obsessed. As a member of Generation Z, my parents are a member of Generation X, referred to as the generation of apathy. While every generation has its woes, teens growing up in Generation Z have it easier than those who grew up in Generation X because of the increased understanding of medicine and globalization of the world.
The global understanding of science improves everyday. Due to this, the general public constantly gains a better understanding of how both they, and the world around them, works. According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only 24.3% of teens have consumed alcohol. Today, teens are 23% less likely to have ever tried alcohol, than those born in the 1970’s. Education on the effects of alcohol has improved in the last twenty years, which has led today’s teens to having a better understanding of the effects of alcohol.
Along the same lines, teen birth rates have plummeted in the last 20 years, dropping from 6.2% to 2.3%, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey in 2013. This could be due to the fact that new forms of birth control (both hormonal and contraception) are being created all the time. According to Stephanie Zaza from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, new forms of contraceptives including Copper IUDs and rings/patches have risen in popularity, beginning in 2013. This access to new forms of contraception, as well as advanced education, has led to a nationwide decrease in teen pregnancies.
While there have been many advancements in health and health related education in the last 15 years, some would argue that a new hardship faces Gen Z: cigarettes and Big Tobacco. However, according to Kimberly Leonard in 2014, the rates of teen smoking have never been lower. Studies showed that people 27% of 26 years of age or older had smoked cigarettes in the last month. People between ages 12 and 17, however, only returned an 8%. While it may seem that National rates regarding drug use have been going up, things are looking good for Gen Z.
Generation Z is coming out of the shadows of Generation Z, the generation of apathy, and the Millennials, the pioneers of the internet. Everyone has their own preconceived notions of how they believe Gen Z will turn out. Whether you think that the children of the aughts will grow up to be slackers or the next leaders in innovation, we will not fit any previous mold.
Works Cited
Emling, Shelley. “6 Reasons It’s Easier To Raise A Teenager Today Than Ever Before.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 Oct. 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/easier-to-raise-a-teenager-today_n_5913274.html.
Kliff, Soo Oh, and Sarah Frostenson on June 9, 2016, Sarah. “Today’s Teens Are Better than You, and We Can Prove It.” Vox.com, Vox, 9 June 2016, http://www.vox.com/a/teens#year/1972.
Leonard, Kimberly. “Are Today’s Teens Better Behaved Than Their Parents Were?” USNews.com, 15 Sept. 2015, http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/09/10/todays-teens-use-less-alcohol-tobacco-drugs.
Margolis, Michael. “The Many Names for Generation Y.” Get Storied, 28 Feb. 2017, http://www.getstoried.com/the-many-names-for-generation-y/.
Rutter, Emily, and Vicki Dunlevy. “Interview With Mrs. Dunlevy.” 9 Nov. 2017.
Williams, Alex. “Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/fashion/move-over-millennials-here-comes-generation-z.html.
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