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Ask a Boomer or Millenial what they think of Gen Zers and their observations are far from flattering: Overly sensitive, socialist, disengaged, dependent on technology. 

But those stereotypes have little basis in reality, according to the book, Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America, released earlier this year. 

John Della Volpe, author and director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School, analyzed the generation’s stressors and biggest motivators 鈥� and found Zoomers are more action-oriented, politically engaged and optimistic than portrayed.

Zoomers show up at the polls in historic numbers, for instance, while experiencing higher rates of depression and anxiety than older peers. Young people in the U.S. have grown up in an era marked by record gun violence, the opioid epidemic, threats to fair elections, the pandemic, economic recession and police brutality, Della Volpe notes.

鈥淩ather than melting 鈥� just kind of turning away, when you see all this chaos, which would be what a lot of people would expect,鈥� Della Volpe told 蜜桃影视, 鈥淸Gen Z] has actually become more focused, more motivated, potentially more angry, and more concerned about creating justice, not just for themselves, but for all those who are vulnerable across the country.鈥�

In 2021, 61% of Zoomers agreed the government should do more to reduce poverty; 64% agreed basic health insurance is a right, according to the Harvard Institute of Polling. Both rates are up about 20% when compared to 2015鈥檚 results from millennials. 

And in the words of Alex, a Black high school student in the Midwest, Gen Zers 鈥渃an be extremely effective leaders, as many of us have been educating ourselves on social issues for a lot of our lives.鈥� 

鈥淲e are more empathetic, tuned in to the news, and educated,鈥� Alex told Della Volpe. 

Zoomers are also painfully aware of the differences between themselves, born in the late 90s and early 2000s, and people born prior who would not have had the experience of fearing death at schools, theaters, or grocery stores.

鈥淎n older generation would not understand walking into a classroom and thinking about how easy it would be for someone to shoot it up,鈥� said Grace, then 20, naming what she thinks older generations fundamentally misunderstand in one of Della Volpe鈥檚 focus groups. 鈥淭he same daily weight on an adult鈥檚 shoulders over bills or taxes is what children feel about living or dying.鈥� 

Below, explore five myths media and older generations get wrong about Gen Z: 

1. Myth: 鈥淶oomers don鈥檛 show up at the polls鈥�

In both the 2018 and 2020 presidential election, Gen Z鈥檚 turnout broke records. When over a third of eligible young people cast a vote in 2018, it nearly doubled 2014鈥檚 rate. 

Young voters, according to hundreds of focus group findings, are overwhelmingly eager to address some of society鈥檚 most pressing challenges. 

鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 my responsibility鈥�to do everything I can to make the world even just a little bit better. Even if it鈥檚 not the world that I would like to see, I cannot in good conscience allow the status quo to continue,鈥� a Gen Zer from Western Pennsylvania notes in the book, explaining why she鈥檇 vote despite not being fully supportive of Biden. 

鈥�…Clean and healthy environments, access to quality education, those are values that this generation just doesn’t compromise on,鈥� Della Volpe said. 鈥淎nd currently, my perception is that there’s only one party developing solutions to address these issues, these systemic issues, including racial justice, policing, we can make a long list鈥� any party that does not address those issues will become irrelevant in the future.鈥� 

2. Myth: 鈥淕en Z is too soft or sensitive.鈥�

There鈥檚 a perception that Zoomers 鈥渕elt鈥� under the pressure of the moment, perhaps because they are twice as likely as Americans over 30 to experience anxiety and depression 鈥� likely in part due to the social and political trauma they鈥檝e experienced. They鈥檝e experienced chaos without healing across divides for a common goal, Della Volpe explained.

53% say they had little interest in doing things; 48% had trouble concentrating; and 28% thought about self-harm or believed they鈥檇 be better off dead, according to a Harvard poll conducted over two-weeks in March 2021. 

Simultaneously, there鈥檚 incredible empathy and resilience among young people eager to , talk about mental health and 鈥渟eek help and closure鈥�, Della Volpe said, to find ways to thrive.

鈥淚 dropped out because the cause of my depression and anxiety was taking so much of my time that I wasn鈥檛 getting any work done,鈥� Katherine, then 19, said in a focus group. 鈥淢y new homeroom teacher was really, really supportive, and helped me鈥�so I could actually get towards graduating鈥� just having someone to talk to saved me.鈥�

3. Myth: 鈥淵oung people don鈥檛 want to have hard conversations.鈥�

In the thousands of conversations Della Volpe has held with young people of varied demographics across the country, he cannot remember a single time the group turned contentious. 

Often, he said, they found the meetings therapeutic.

鈥淭here are so many opportunities to have meaningful conversations about income inequality, climate, sexuality, racism鈥�Search for those opportunities and try to engage, keep an open mind,鈥� Della Volpe said. 鈥淵oung people would welcome debates and different points of view.鈥�

One way he imagined this happening more regularly in schools is to open up cafeterias, parking lots, or auditoriums for conversations or listening sessions where young people could vent, talk through what they鈥檙e witnessing in the world. 

鈥淭he direction of the country is also a new weight and a new challenge to them. So it’s helpful for parents and teachers to look for opportunities to engage in those conversations, rather than run away from them,鈥� he added. 

4. Myth: 鈥淕en Z is all liberal or socialist.鈥�

Young people are not fully aligned politically. While a third support socialism broadly, only 15% identify as socialist. About 45% support capitalism 鈥� a rate that climbed to 54% among people shown a definition before sharing their opinion. 

When shown definitions of traditional socialism, support dropped to 24%. 

As one group of undergraduates explained, they鈥檙e looking for a form of capitalism that rewards everyone, not just the most privileged and wealthy. Zoomers look to learn from capitalist economies where healthcare and family are still prioritized, in places like Norway. 

鈥淲hile everyone’s becoming more progressive, there’s a sense of pragmatism and diversity that exists kind of below the surface,鈥� Della Volpe said. 

5. Myth: 鈥淶oomers can鈥檛 deal with face-face interactions.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 because [they] have grown up behind a screen or with a smartphone in your hands. I don’t think that’s a zero sum game,鈥� Della Volpe said of the assumption. 

Growing up with unprecedented access to the internet created a generation both adept at technology and emotionally intelligent. Gen Zers are communicators, comfortable with the nuances of remote work, how to leverage social media and express emotion or share resources on TikTok.

鈥淲hat I’ve found, especially my qualitative research, is this personal agency 鈥� this ability to not just speak in developing relationships with friends, but also to use your voice to speak out for justice,鈥� Della Volpe said.

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