Gen Z Won’t Save Us
Gen Z Won’t Save Us
Young voters were supposed to “lead the evolution of our nation.” Yeah, about that …
Gen Z grew up on social media. The same that spreads the propaganda, the fake information and the toxic masculinity bullshit.
They also grew up with an impossible social economic context where they barely have any hope. Trump's making promises to make the country great again. What have they got to lose?
Why is anyone surprised?
What have they got to lose?
Gay marriage, contraception, porn, legal divorce? Just off the top of my head.
Their POV is that the earth is going to burn to a crisp before they're out of paying back their college debt whether the tie is blue or red.
Play an online game and hang with some teenagers every now and again and just listen in. I hear some straight depressing shit. They have zero hope for anything.
Kamala might keep the lights on. Trump might accidentally trip over a good idea. Worth a shot if you're fucked either way, right?
They were wrong, granted... but justified? Sure.
As a Gen-X I will never blame the later generations. Especially Gen Z and younger, if I was in their shoes I'd be livid. You bring me into this mess and then tell me it's on me to fix it? F U
As a Gen-Xer, we got the benefit of the boomers taking almost all the air out of the room, and their parents thinking our generation was even worse than the boomers. The boomers mostly ignored us, called us slackers, etc....some time goes by and we are getting lumped in with the boomers and the "greatest generation" and getting blamed for all the problems, so that's been fun.
They also grew up during the pandemic so they might actually be less educated than Boomers.
People are surprised that they grew up with tech and are more susceptible to the propaganda than previous generations. People are also surprised at how vile and uncaring young men have turned into, they want to “own the libs” no matter the cost. They like seeing the pain they cause
they want to “own the libs” no matter the cost. They like seeing the pain they cause
I have a hard time believing this.
When you actually talk to the kind of young, Gen Z men that regularly spout right-leaning propaganda, generally speaking, you don't see people who enjoy suffering.
You see young men who are suffering themselves, but are given no outlet by society to express or fix it, and are heavily propagandized to by fascists who know that by creating arbitrary divides, (the most common one you'll see with these young men being "men vs women," think Andrew Tate type rhetoric) they can redirect the anger of these young men from systems to other individuals and groups that aren't the actual cause of their problems.
When young men are the specific, designated target of right-wing propaganda, which explicitly tries to tell them that "men used to have it better," and actively tries to make them believe that they're not strong enough, not good looking enough, and not rich enough, then of course you'll get young men that feel, in some ways justifiably, shunned.
To put it how Jason Stanley put it in his book, aptly named How Fascism Works, "Misogyny is what faces women when patriarchal expectations are left unfulfilled."
Those expectations never need to have actually been reality, but just the very expectation that they should have those things can make them feel slighted.
But remember, while these young men are angry, sad, and scared, they still don't enjoy causing pain. (I'm talking broadly of course, you'll always be able to find some crazy dudes if you look enough) They just feel like they haven't been given what they deserve.
Just like the rest of Gen Z.
The only thing that makes them different is the fact they believe the source of their suffering is a different group of people.
I'm not excusing any of their behavior or beliefs, far from it. But claiming that young men enjoy inflicting pain on others because they hold beliefs that make them feel slighted by society is just plain wrong in the vast majority of cases.
They grew up with tech without understanding it, which is a big difference from millennials.
Millenials appear to have been peak liberal.
Watching TNG reruns nightly as an 8 year old really gave me some hope for humanity’s potential.
Same. Le sigh 😕
Just remember that according to the cannon timeline, the United States was rounding up people and putting them in “sanctuary districts” and in 2027 it’s the start of World War 3. Who knows, we may be right on track for that brighter future!
We were teenagers under dubya and the iraq war. Depending on how much the country swings into actual fascism this time, gen alpha might wind up standing for general anarchism
First generation seen moving left as it ages and a reverse tendency might be happening with the Z men while the Z women are much more left leaning. It might also be part of why Z men seem so much farther right, the women of their generation are much farther left than women of previous generations so the division is much more clear. In truth the men might not be much further right than men of previous generations were when it comes to the policies they agree with, we just didn't pay as much attention to it back then...
Just some stuff they were talking about on the radio a few weeks ago...
That's generally the consensus, that young men are roughly as conservative as they were historically, but women are more left-wing (although maybe a bit less than expected, given recent election results).
Results from Reagan's 1980 election win look fairly similar: https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-1980, excepting that women and men were voting in similar ways for each age group, and bigger margins to Reagan in the older groups.EDIT: Nevermind this doesn't actually show age by gender data.
Sure...
"Liberal."
If this is true, it might explain so much of why they were so angry.
Its never been up to a single generation anyway
When the link snaps open the entire chain is broken.
It is up to every generation.
I have been saying for the past 6 - 8 years that Gen Z is the future, they are different, they are compassionate, etc. My opinion changed on that Tuesday in a bad way.
Turns out that growing up with a phone in their hand made a lot of them particularly susceptible to right-wing propaganda.
They've been raised to believe their thoughts are valid and they should speak up, instead of shutting the fuck up and listening until they have enough experience.
Sorry, but that was a "kids these days" moment.
“Crazy how Millennials were the only ones to learn how to use computers and we apparently are also the only ones who learned to see through disinformation,”
Whoever this Dylan jackass is can piss right off. Gen-X built your fucking computers.
Well, TBF, the boomers helped bootstrap what Gen X was working with, and then there are the Elder Gods like Turing, Hopper, John McCarthy, Neumann, etc...
In any case, if someone thinks that learning computers means they can see through disinformation....LOLOLOL. This is exactly why I keep beating the drum for critical thinking and media literacy, steeped within a rich liberal (in every meaning of that term) educational program.
This is exactly why I keep beating the drum for critical thinking and media literacy, steeped within a rich liberal (in every meaning of that term) educational program.
I've actually begun work on an essay about that exact thing. One that I've put off for a very long time because the last time I dared to imply a causal relationship between the rise of Trade-Schools, where you learn to do one thing and one thing well, but have no real education otherwise, and the dumbing down of the electorate, I got shouted down for being "elitist". But with recent events, I've decided to expand on my idea and throw some more research behind it because fuck it, I'm feeling vindicated.
I'm not saying that everyone who attends a trade-school is intellectually incurious; just that a broader understanding of the world is not a part of the curriculum and it's left up to the students themselves if they want to be a well rounded individual on their own time.
It's like every generation loses the ability to do something in computer technology that was just abstracted away somehow. I as a millennial have never soldered a PC mainboard (modding an Xbox doesn't count), but I'd say that otherwise, my understanding is pretty good. And I think all of my friends understand the concepts of files.
I recently asked someone about 10 years older if he knew what partitioning and formatting means in the context, and he knew, despite initially saying he has no clue about computers, to show someone 10 years younger (who didn't know) that such knowledge was just basically required back in the day. And it's not like these terms are obsolete, the concepts are still the same, even though we went from MBR to GPT and from FAT32 or whatever to better filesystems. It's no different for phones, but not required and even hidden.
I'd say generally, the technology userbase broadened while average knowledge in the group declined, however I'm not sure whether the absolute numbers of people with a certain knowledge level actually went down.
It’s like every generation loses the ability to do something in computer technology that was just abstracted away somehow
Yes, I've been hearing computer engineers (or those with that mindset) complaining that programmers don't really understand much about how computers actually work since before I even entered the workforce, but I kind of get what they are/were saying. I'd look around at my peers nearly the entire time I've been doing this, and I'd see some that really wanted to know a lot about, well, everything, in some cases, being interested in hardware, and then there were a lot, maybe more than half, that just focus on learning whatever the herd is telling them is the newest shiny object - and this is nearly always vendor-led and a lot of it is less about sound reasoning, and more about being fashionable. These days it might be a frontend JS framework, but exchange the set of terms/frameworks and it's the same old story.
These days it is increasingly difficult to know much about the actual target hardware, if you work in hosted services like Azure, etc...
I recently asked someone about 10 years older if he knew what partitioning and formatting means in the context, and he knew, despite initially saying he has no clue about computers, to show someone 10 years younger (who didn’t know) that such knowledge was just basically required back in the day
I call them Intellectual Oligarchies. The knowledge (of any subject, not just tech) being limited to a circle of elites while the products are made simple enough to operate that the average person doesn't really need to know how it's done, just how to purchase it.
The good thing about Intellectual Oligarchies, however, is that they are open to be joined by anyone who wants to learn, or is curious about things. No formal education is required; just intellectual curiosity and the ability to read. They're entirely self-propogated; not purposefully created by some evil cabal trying to withhold knowledge from the average person. Knowledge itself is open-source, in other words. Anyone can use it if they want.
In the Greek and Roman democratic condition, people who don't exercise that "right to knowledge" lacked the context necessary to properly partake in the citizen's primary job...democratic rule.
Ars Liberalis doesn't translate to "Liberal Arts". It literally translates to "The skills of Freedom". A citizenry of a democracy needs the skills (knowledge) to properly function in said democracy; and that included studies of history, philosophy, politics, civics, etc...
I mean, Boomer grandparents did the real lifting if we're going back...
And some of the prior generation. There were some truly great minds working on this stuff that were the parents of boomers.
Why hasn't there been a push to counter the propaganda on social media with social media?
Use short form, humorous posts that integrate facts and ideas that give a different more positive take on others. I would guess there are great writers and actors that have a progressive-ish mindset that could put something like this together.
But honestly what is the reason this hasn't been done? Or if it is being done why isn't there more of a push to get it seen?
Algorithms ensure that the only content that ends up getting to your eyes is content that you already agree with for the most part. Or content that you hate so much that you have an incurable urge to respond to it with swearing and vitriol. (or at least that's why I think TikTok keeps giving me Maple Maga bullshit)
In other words, you can put up whatever you want but thanks to modern social media, the only people who will ever see it are the people who already agree with you.
why I think TikTok keeps giving me Maple Maga bullshit
I mean... it shows the garbage to you, and you keep coming back..... maybe it's time to ditch tictack
That would require ongoing funding outside of election years. These are paid for by Mercers and Kochs or the Kremlin on the right, and i don't think Gates or Cuban is too eager to fund left-wing propaganda.
If you don't control the platform, it might just be wasted efforts, although I guess they could try. But it might be that those pulling the strings can be sure that virtually no one is reached.
It's a frustratingly true response... sigh
The establishment wants to stay established, so they only use their established channels, not realizing how disconnected they became.
Why hasn’t there been a push to counter the propaganda on social media with social media?
Because the dems are also right-wing and have no credibility.
The actual left-wing is constantly pushing counter-narratives but without the massive funding of capital (eg. koch bros). No billionaire is going to fund a left-wing Prager U that talks about how billionaires are trash.
Because a lie will circle the earth a dozen times before the truth gets a foot (or whatever tf the saying is).
It is so much easier, and takes so much less time and energy to make up disinformation, than to fight it. And people on the left tend to actually care about the truth, and we also want others to understand the truth (and to gain the means for them to independently arrive at the truth), and spouting disinformation goes directly against that.
It's amazing what people are willing to do to win when you not only make it acceptable, but encourage complete disregard for ethics.
No analysis of how the older generations that turned out for Obama and Kerry went even harder for Trump than Gen Z ? Gen X went Trump by 22 percent.
Gen Z is doing their best and if you put this all on them then you're going to lose the next election too.
Depressing as it is, it's fairly typical for people to skew rightward as they get older. The problem is if Gen Z is already starting at a certain position, right now...where will they be at when they reach the age of today's boomers or Gen X/Y?
Remember: the boomers brought us the 60s. Over the years, the narrative has morphed from the boomers' parents (and reactionaries among the boomers) clucking their tongues about the 60s to: OMG, the boomers are all in for donvict, and "okay boomer" and so on. Boomer is now shorthand for Faux News and hate radio addict. Not so long ago, that target demo was the boomers' parents.
So, if it can happen to them, it is likely to happen for Gen Z, but maybe even worse.
The boomers were actually better than Gen X. The only reason we think people get more conservative is because we had a generation with reliable news. Then as they got older they kept Fox News on whenever they weren't watching something else, just all the time. They didn't realize Fox was propaganda and Gen X hasn't realized CNN was bought out years ago with the specific idea of turning it into Fox News 2.
What we need in this country is some media literacy.
"But that is far from a sturdy monolith. It can, and should, be easily conquered. All it takes is a platform that authentically offers something—anything—to youth voters. As they’ve proved, time and time again, they’ll listen."
Democrats: Sorry, we'll talk a big game and then just have 2 fuckwit Senators ruin everything. Don't worry though I promise next time will be the same!
In before Newsom or Shapiro nominee in 2028. (that is, in the far-fetched scenario we still have real elections).
They about to be thrown off mom and dads insurance and learn the hard way about the "team" they voted for.
Not to mention the fact that inflation is about to go through the roof and there will be food shortages when they start deporting migrants.
Trump Youth.
It was pretty funny seeing people putting so much faith into these kids
The funniest one was when they thought Taylor Swift fans of all people would save democracy.
"We need a good billionaire to fight the bad ones"
Ugh... this shit is why I never leave the basement willingly
If we were able to age out of authoritarian conservatism, it would have happened a long time ago. Possibly as far back as "cooking food over fire is making kids these days weak". That should never have been a strategy. Doubly so when there's a time limit to solve global warming.
Liberals solve the problems that cause voters to die. Conservatives push for the status quo, even if the status quo kills the voters. The more deaths, the more people move towards the liberals. What, right now, is killing Gen Z?
Gen Z males have been raised in this "men need to be the alpha dog - don't let anyone talk down to you - don't respect anyone" mindset throughout high school. Then, when they get out into the real world, that mindset lead them to flunk out of college, not hold down a job, and not be able to get/keep a girlfriend. With no education/money/girlfriend's house and housing prices through the roof, they have to move back in with there parents who:
A) Are liberal and thus blame it on there attitude, which makes them even more conservative
B) Are conservative and blame it on trans-mexican-CRT-cowfarts, which makes them bond more with their parents.
How do we fix this?
Just replying to thank you for that glorious combo of terms. As the dirty migrant I am, I simply had to steal it for my username.
Good luck!
For many, it would be making them more community-minded and responsible as younger kids. The combo of rarely being held accountable for mistakes or failure to meet expectations (basically, gentle parenting) and a social education from algorithmically curated content feels like it's been a major factor in developing their social/political attitudes.
The zoomers are more like boomers than any other generation. The thought that they would save anyone but themselves is ridiculous.
No, Gen Z just isn’t conservative enough to settle for Dems. Put up a progressive, and they’ll show up.
doubt it will work as well as you think
Whatever the Dems do, even if it move their platform to the furthest left in the known universe most moral puritans on the left will just lable them mainstream, or corpo shills and find a reason to stay home. Regardless of policy position or idea, the far left has always moved the goalposts between each election cycle just out of reach of the main stream.
When they refused to vote for Gore because of climate change the party moved to the left to meet those voters, and the left said fuck off. When they moved to left to get voters that refused Hillary because of corporate speaking gigs the party moved further left on corporate accountability, and the left said fuck off. When Biden moved left during his term to protect the environment, hold predatory schools and lending servicers accountable, attempted loan forgiveness, expanded overtime guarantees, etc etc etc. the left said fuck off to his predecessor. The people who claim the left will just show up if you give them x are big fat liars. Their perceived moral purity will always be more valuable to them than progress and action.
And I say this as someone that is further to the left than the party. I am also profoundly disappointed in the parties lack of moral courage. I just believe in practical progress and action, something most self righteous moral puritans absolutely don't believe in.
No. The party has never moved left beyond their rhetoric. Their actual policies keep moving right. For example, even as their climate rhetoric went left, they still broke records on fossil fuel extraction, waived environmental protections to build Trump’s wall faster, and tried to ban imports of green tech.
The real sticking point is war. The party refuses to move left enough to be anti-war, because they are beholden to defense contractors. And Americans are so sick of war, they’ll vote for anyone they believe might de-escalate.
Its the working class vs the 1%, not generation vs generation.
Sorry to break it to ya Slate (libs), Trump barely got more 18-24 votes this time than he did last time, whereas a lot of young people just didn't show up for Harris. Everybody knew young people were upset by the genocide, they said they couldn't vote for Harris because of her policies and surprisingly no matter how much Dem party dorks tried to shame them they didn't show up, just like they said they wouldn't. And now everyone is like "gen z is maga" get a grip
The sad part is I don't think most gen z voters who withheld their vote for Kamala fully appreciated what a 2nd Trump term meant, but here we are.
You're right of course. This is part of the reason there needs to be a viable workers party, to educate and uplift the consciousness of workers to counter the lies of the GOP and the criminal negligence of the Democrats.
The lads depicted are Gen Alpha 18 year olds. Gen z is mid to late twenties now. Some of them are about to hit 30...
The birth year range for different generations is fuzzy, but I can't find a single source saying that 2006 or 2007 would be considered gen Alpha. The youngest population that voted in this election is gen. Z, and not all members of Gen. Z are eligible to vote yet.
If you want salvation, seek Jesus. The one from Revelations, the one that crushes people and had his clothes dyed red with the blood of his enemies. He is the only one who will save you now. Riding a white horse, and sword in hand, truly the fifth horseman of apocalypse. Only he can bring justice to this doomed world.
If Jesus came back he would burn down mega churches and banks. Jesus with a gun.
I find the sword a weapon for gentlemen, but yeah, that's the Jesus I'm taking about, impaling conmen and their mega churches, pedophiles and manipulators.
Fuck Gen Z. Gen Y fo life!
They did good. Im sure they will.