From a Gen Z Perspective: Depression and the Future
Anthony Tran, 27 October 2020
In the United States, Generation Z aka. “The Zoomers” is the generation of technology, and compared to every other generation, “has an easier and better life” than everyone else which is why we see a rise in depression and suicide becoming the second leading cause of death for the privileged generation. The reality of it all is you may not know that your child, or your peers (If you’re generation Z also) are suffering silently or maybe under immense stress that although you overlook, can be the last time you may see that individual. Generation Z although having knowledge and technology at their fingertips, does not mean that they are having it easier than every other generation.
Generation Z Origin Story:
Generation Z knows as the Zoomers were born from 1996-2015 and there is big talk about how this generation is more connected to the internet which has opened Pandora's box ranging from cyberbullying to memes that hide the painful cries of a generation, but in reality, we don’t acknowledge that this generation has gone through the most life events than any other generation in the span of 27 years. The Zoomers were blessed with the first smartphone but were stricken with 9/11 leading to a war in the Middle East instilling fear in the generation. Although there was war foreignly, the generation had its first taste of war via the rise of school shootings leading to the constant fear of not making home to their family. It’s an issue where you as a child expect to go to school every day and learn with a constant fear of a trigger being pulled. Another milestone was the election of the first Black President who was elected twice which instilled change but also left a civil division from then on which is still prevalent today with our current president Donald Trump. The Zoomers had its big technological boom but was hit with a recession, and watched millennials not being able to afford a place to live, not being able to get a job due to the choice of degree, seeing that college is becoming more expensive from the effects of the recession; the Generation learned to be wiser with money. Climate change has made it harder for Generation Z to enjoy the weather and has polluted the earth due to the decisions of previous generations which instilled the duty of trying to fix and undo what has been done, but there is hope with the rise of electric cars thanks to Tesla. In the current year of 2020, Generation Z has experienced a fear of going to war(US-Iran Conflict), a major wildfire(Australian WildFire), Racial Injustice(George Floyd), a major pandemic (COVID-19), and a loved social media platform almost being banned for connection with China(TikTok) amidst a presidential election on the horizon. When looking at the factors that may have influenced the Zoomers we might as well name them the Gloomers because of how much they have gone through in such a short amount of time, and not add on the events that might be affecting the Zoomers personally such as family or other stressors. These events shape the world that we live in, and our Zoomers are taking the brute force of it all because they don’t have a say in these events and have to live through them which shapes their mentality and can lead to depression and suicide rates we’re seeing.
Generation Zoomers Gloomers or actually Realistic
With Zoomers being hit with multiple stressors, researchers have tried to pinpoint what is the biggest stressor on Generation Z which came with multiple answers, but all related to the prospect of life stability. Research on Millennials and Generation Z around the world, by the Deloitte research group in 2020, showed the world the outlooks on the future and key ideals of both generations; one of the sections studied was stress which is shown in Table 1. There were a total of 8,300 Zoomers surveyed from around the world on their thoughts which shows that the main stressor may originate from school and social media. From the table, we can see that school is a big stressor for many Zoomers, and this might be the expectations put upon them to succeed or gain financial stability, and the recession that had happened in 2008. (Deloitte p.2)
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Table 1: Stressors of Gen Z and Millennials (Deloitte 2020) |
In another study by the Pew Research Centre in 2018 showed that Generation Z teens weren’t pressured to do drugs, drink, or sex, but in reality was pressured to be a well-rounded individual and get good grades in school being the main pressure among teens.(Table 2.) The constant fear of failing, or not fitting in may stem from previous topics such as the rise of the internet which has led to social media, and with an awareness of the surroundings, getting good grades might be a way to achieve financial stability.
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| Table 2: What is pressuring teens? |
Social Media
I want you to check your phone, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter; I can assure you that you or your child might have one of these apps. Social Media has connected our society and has become a way to portray our perfect life, and a way to keep tabs on other people creating a perpetuating cycle of expectations. The American Psychological Association had conducted a survey in 2018 on Generation Z, and one of the highlights was the impact of social media and the thoughts of social media from the generation. The researchers noted that “Despite high percentages of Gen Zs feeling stress from different causes, only half (50 percent) feel they do enough to manage their stress; one in four Gen Zs (25 percent) say they do not feel they do enough.”(APA 2018) which can show us that there are two sides of a coin when it comes to the impact of social media. Social media could be used as a way to vent, and stay connected with friends, but also can be a medium for cyberbullying and high expectations; however, it depends on how the individual uses the platform.
What’s the point of this?
As a Zoomer myself, I think that the biggest issue my generation including myself pertains to mental illness, and the amount of pressure we have to go through only to suffer silently without anyone knowing. I believe that even if your friend or a stranger is the nicest person and happiest person in the world, it may be just a front which is a method to protect themselves, or not burden you. How I know this is that I’ve done this many times, and I can assume that you’ve heard or said the lines, “I’m fine.” when you really aren’t. The point of this article is to bring awareness to the issues that my generation has to go through and give verification to my generation that it’s understandable the amount of stress, and expectations put on you, but there are ways to cope such as with self-care and opening up. In the survey by The Economist,” 70% of respondents thought anxiety and depression were a major issue among their peers” which shows that we are aware of the need to address mental illness in our generation.(Economist,2019)
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| Table 3: Suicide and homicide death rates among persons aged 10–24: United States, 2000–2017 |
What can we do?
Suicide is prevalent in our generation, and a study from the CDC from 2010-2017 showed that suicide rates have surpassed homicides and is the second killer of the generation.(Table 3) As a nursing student, we learned to not beat around the bush on the topic, and be direct about suicide because it may be possible you are wasting precious time or not getting anywhere by doing this, so even if it sounds harsh or confrontation asking, “Do you want to kill yourself?”, or anything between those lines gets the point across. This also allows an avenue to discuss with the person about what’s on their mind, and possibly save their life. (MayoClinic) I had a friend that tried to kill herself recently due to feeling lost in the world, and not knowing what to do with her life after college; had I was not direct about the question and checked up with my friend who knows what could have happened.
I think that checking up on your friends and getting “deep” with them helps relieve pressure and expectations from the world because it allows both of you to vent your frustrations or worries about life. For males, it’s okay to let down your bravado and discuss with your “bros” about what’s on your mind because we’re human not superheroes who can keep everything to ourselves. Speaking up about your problems to someone, venting it out through art, writing in a journal, or any other possible way to let out your emotions is good self-care.
Social media as mentioned, is a double-edged sword, and how we approach it will dictate how we’ll feel. Sometimes personally, when social media is too much, I just deactivate or take a social media to cleanse for a few weeks, so I can recoup my mental health, and get away from expectations to work on myself, but some may need to use social media as their work to which I respond, use it in moderation.
Finally, knowing and sharing the available resources in our communities can aid our generation to be better off, and ease the pressure put onto us. An important resource that anyone with a phone has access to is the Suicide Hotline which provides a judgment-free zone, and professional help for friends and individuals who have suicidal ideation. If you are feeling lost about your situation and need help, you can also call the National HelpLine which will refer you to the proper help pertaining to mental and substance abuse disorders. Both of these lines are also toll-free. If you go to Cal State LA, there is professional help such as a therapist that is free because it is included in your tuition.
Resources
SAMHSA(National Help Line):1-800-662-HELP (4357)
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (Online Web Chat Available)
Cal State LA CAPS: 323-343-3300
Common Ground: 1-800-231-1127 (Also has Web Chat/Text)
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