It’s Mental health awareness month and we at Convo strive to have conversations that will take you a step closer to wholesome wellbeing of the mind, body, and Spirit. In this case, we seek to destigmatize mental health, promote self-care practices, and offer support resources for those in need.
Today we are going to focus on Gen Z’s mental wellness. This generation has been labelled fragile and very sensitive. Are they?
Facts about Gen Z
Until recently, I believed I was a Millennial, only to discover that I actually belong to Generation Z, which typically encompasses those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. This new “discovery” I’m now for team Gen Z, and setting the facts straight.
A common phrase any Gen Z has heard in their conversations with the old folk is that “we have it easy” and it was a lot tougher in the olden days. Though technological advancement has made it a lot easier to live, a new set of challenges came along that threaten to push one to the edge.
Finding balance in a rapidly changing world can be challenging for anyone, regardless of age, but there is the assumption that this generation is unable to cope.
So, what is different for this generation, you ask? Well……
Challenges Facing Gen Z
Digital addiction has to be one of the major issues facing Gen Z. Social media pressures which create unrealistic expectations. This lead to feelings of inadequacy and the fear of missing out on all the cool stuff fellow folk are doing. Consequently, this has made people engage in really irresponsible behaviors. All in an effort to fit in. The ability to distinguish real from fake seems to have skipped this generation. The generation has become dependent on a tool we have no mastery over. The master becomes the slave.
Not to forget the information overload. The amount of false information out here is simply bonkers. I recently saw a TikTok “fitness” trainer claim that bananas are bad for your health, and this is not even the craziest thing I’ve heard. Knowing how to cherry-pick from all this is no easy task.
One thing access to information has brought is awareness. We are able to attach names to challenges that our grandparents didn’t even have names for.
Job security is also one of the major challenges facing this generation. With increased automation of operations and large population, landing a conventional job is ever more difficult, with the cost of living at an all-time high even those who do land conventional jobs live from paycheck to pay check.
However, this is a generation of creatives and those that are able to find their niche thrive. Not many are this lucky.
The political elites also seem to be making policies that work against this generation, with few breadcrumbs that do little to appease the needs of the generation. As far as representation is concerned, that ship has sailed, looking to the political class that promised milk and honey only to get stale milk.
These are just some things ailing this generation, there are a lot more, some unique but most to all generations. So the question remains, are we more fragile?
Is there an Issue With Gen Z?
I would say louder, one thing access to information has brought is awareness. We are able to attach names to challenges that our grandparents didn’t even have names for. More diseases both physical and mental have been indexed over the past decades.
We’ve been taught how to be more vocal about thoughts and feelings, something older generations did not have the luxury of, especially when it came to men and feelings. This is an advantage as we can seek help when we need to.
That said, the issue facing Gen Z is not of fragility but of identity. Self awareness is the root of evil for this generation.
Identifying strengths and weaknesses, having a value structure and living a purpose driven life needs to be addressed. If there is to be any hope for this and the generations to come, the question of Identity has to be addressed.
