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Gen Z About to Change the Face of the US
One in a series on Generation Z.
Generation Z, America’s youngest generation, is well on course to eclipse older generations in size and social impact.
Spanning the years 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers are the first generation to be born into digital technology, for one. They also have unique mental health issues, are more diverse than previous generations and have left-leaning political beliefs, according to various reports by Pew Research Center.
Unlike older generations, who either grew up without or came into adulthood during the rise of social media, smartphones and unfettered accessibility of information, Gen Z was born into new technology and has been defined by it more than any other.
“What is unique for Generation Z is that all of the above have been part of their lives from the start,” wrote Michael Dimock, president of the Pew Research Center, in an article about defining generations.
“The iPhone launched in 2007, when the oldest Gen Zers were 10. By the time they were in their teens, the primary means by which young Americans connected with the web was through mobile devices, Wi-Fi and high-bandwidth cellular service,” Dimock wrote. “Social media, constant connectivity and on-demand entertainment and communication are innovations (the generation of) millennials adapted to as they came of age.”
Diversity is another pillar of Gen Z, it is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in history, with 48% in 2018 being nonwhite, according to Pew. This demographic shift might signify societal and political changes, skewing toward liberal in the coming decades, as polling has shown about millennials.
Another aspect that distinguishes Gen Z from others is mental health. Depression and suicide rates for youth continue to rise, hitting its highest peak since World War II in 2017, according to annual research published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Factors contributing to increased depression and suicide rates for Gen Z include social media use, issues that play negatively in the news such as climate change, immigration and mass shootings, and a greater willingness of families and officials to acknowledge suicide as a cause of death, according to Pew.
There are 61 million Gen Zers in the U.S., and they are projected to be about 10% of the voting population in 2020, according to Pew. Add that to 73 million millennials — the generation before Gen Zers, born between 1981 and 1996 — and together, they are projected to make up 37% of the American electorate in 2020.
By comparison, baby boomers — Gen Zers' parents and grandparents, born before 1964 — will make up 28% of the voting population in 2020, according to Pew.
Gen Zers are seen as predominantly liberal Democrat, typical of the young in previous generations. But unlike earlier generations, self-identified Gen Z Republicans skew more closely to center or left than earlier generations of young Republicans, according to Pew.
“It's traditionally been the case that generations get more conservative as they get older. But Gen Z is so different that even if they do become a little bit more conservative than they are, they're going to probably change our politics and how we will act as a society,” William Frey, senior fellow and demographer at the Brookings Institution, said.
Among Gen Z Republicans, 38% say they believe climate change is caused by human activity, compared with less than one-third of millennial Republicans, Pew reported. Gen Z aligns more closely to millennials on climate change, immigration and diversity. A majority, 62%, say diversity is an important consideration in politics, as opposed to 52% of Gen Xers and 48% of baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
For example, 52% of Gen Z Republicans say they think the government should be doing more to solve problems, compared with 38% of their millennial counterparts, 29% of Gen Xers, 23% of Republican baby boomers and only 12% of Republicans in the silent generation, born between 1925 and 1945, according to the Pew data.
The eldest Gen Zers are now entering college and the workforce. With access to $44 billion in buying power, they have the power to change the world even more than their elders.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
