Gen Z: Carrying the Weight of the World
Shelly Humbach • Mar 13, 2020
Gen Z
is the newest generation to be named and were born between 1995 and 2015. They are currently between four and 24 years of age with the US population approaching 74 million. The high school students I work with are a part of Gen Z, as is my youngest child and I confess, I am fascinated with this demographic. As an Independent Educational Consultant, I sometimes feel conflicted as to post-secondary choices for high school graduates. After all, the purpose of my work is to guide students and (mostly middle-class) families through the college search and application process. But college is not the right choice for everyone, just as blue hair is not the right choice for everyone. High school students need to be teenagers and explore, test the waters, have fun, screw up. But Gen Z really doesn’t have that luxury. They are so over scheduled with the never-ending list of actions deemed necessary to get into college, that they simply don’t have time to just be and the consequences are significant. Gen Z is emotionally and physically exhausted.
My youngest daughter lives and studies in Europe and as such I am somewhat familiar with the European approach to the age-old question of what’s next, after high school. The contrast between how Americans and Europeans view post-secondary options is profound. In Europe, students finish secondary school (equivalent to US high school) and then most often, they gap a year, or two. During this time, they work, mature, gain experience and clarity on what they like and don’t like and what they are good at and not. Then, based on their recently gained knowledge, if Uni is appropriate, they attend. The vast majority of European undergraduate, bachelor’s degree programs are achieved in three years, often with an option for a masters in four. No, gen ed courses, just straight into their field of study. If the student determines that their immediate life path does not mandate a degree from Uni, they opt for a different one. Trade school, vocational school, tech school, with little, if any, cultural stigma for this choice. Further, in Europe, most Unis are “created equal”, that is, they are there to provide an education and students attend based on the courses offered, proximity to home and affordability. Prestige is not coveted. Practicality is the point.
Of course, in the United States, we have a very different higher education model, one that allows students to explore, test the waters, figure out what they like and then pursue that major. That four-year degree is what Gen Z is pushed toward with mounting pressure that this is the only path. For many, the alternate path of vocational or tech school is looked down upon. And when it comes to four-year schools, Americans are obsessed with prestige and name-brand. Parents are more than willing to (somehow) spend $75,000 per year for their child (ren) to attend Columbia, MIT, or Stanford. Knowing that these schools are extreme reach schools for most does nothing to remotely deter or quash the obsession with being admitted. In fact, the impossible odds of being admitted fuel the frenzy. I am often asked if the education at these highly selective institutions is worth it. Is it worth it to spend $300,000 for an undergraduate degree? I can’t answer that question as the answer is unique to each family and without judgment, I support them and their choices. My job is to provide current and relevant information and data to help them make an informed decision and then guide them through the process.
Whether students go on to a four-year college, begin working, or enroll in plumbing school, I appreciate and respect each unique choice.
I desperately wish that American society would support, appreciate and respect the departure from the traditional four-year experience. Students have varying needs, wants and abilities and need support, regardless of the path they choose. And while we’re at it, can we let go of the obsession with schools that virtually no one can get into? Many parents actually believe that the sole road to success and wealth is through these pearly gates. To say I disagree is quite an understatement. It matters far less where
a student studies than it does what she accomplishes
during her studies. Need more on that, read, The New York Times Bestseller, Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania,
by Frank Bruni. And if you are a young person and your parent(s) are aiming you toward one of the dozens of colleges and universities that admit less than 15% of their applicants, how must that feel? Stress much? And parents, think back to your teen-aged years. Could you have weathered this nearly unattainable expectation and ridiculous pressure to perform?
One thing I know for sure is that Gen Z is crumbling under the pressure of “what’s next?” Ask just about any high school student how much of their chosen course work stems from interest in a class versus what they are being told they have to take in order to be a successful college candidate. I often hear from parents that they need my help because applying to college today is nothing like it was back when they went. Truer words have never been spoken. They can’t begin to make sense of the variety of application platforms, the varying deadlines (what the h*** is Restricted Early Action?), she has to write how many essays? He has to interview? Is the interview evaluative or informational? She needs a Student Activity Record? Yeah, you’re right, applying to college today looks nothing like it did, even 15 years ago. Additionally, when it comes to procedure, no two schools do much, if anything, the same way. Like everything else in our culture, college admissions is competitive and increasingly complex. But the biggest problem is the pressure society puts on Gen Z to get into college. And that mandates straight A’s, varsity athletics, launching a recycling start-up, fluency in a second or third language, and leading the youth worship team. Make no mistake, children, from an early age are pushed toward the end goal of college. I recently listened to a podcast by a Gen Z expert, who also happens to be a Certified Educational Planner, like me. He spoke of kindergartners, from a private school in New York who are being introduced to the idea of college and essentially, the importance of thinking about that, when they are five. His webinar is fascinating and invaluable. Let that sink in. I don’t know about you, but when I was in kindergarten, I was just trying to get away with sticking my tongue out at Sally Jacobs and apart from lunch, really only thought about recess.
What are we asking our kids to endure? And for what? What can we do to regain perspective? I implore every parent of Gen Z to take a step back and try to appreciate what these kids are experiencing. They are fearful of lack of resources, both financial (thanks, 2008 recession) and environmental (where do I begin?). They are growing up in a culture of gun violence that is having lasting, traumatic effects on their psyche (my daughter experienced a school-shooting, so I have the right to make this statement). And to top it all off, they are being raised with a hyper awareness that they must attend a four-year college, to the tune of a minimum of $100,000. Seem heavy? You bet it is. I implore every parent of a Gen Z kid to check in with what matters and take an active, assertive step toward shutting out the harmful one-upping chatter. You’re the adult. You know what chatter I’m talking about. And if you don’t, pick up Dr. Jean Twenge’s book, IGen: Why Today’s Super Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—And What the Means for the Rest of Us.
Or watch this TedxDayton, by Dr. Corey Seemiller, Gen Z: Making a Difference Their Way.
Gen Z is different and progressive, just like every generation that has come before. The world continues to evolve as does humanity and as adults, it is essential that we make a concerted effort to support our young people, particularly in light of the unique and powerful obstacles facing Gen Z.
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