JIGSAW GENS

Generation Z — A Legacy of Compassion & Ingenuity

Members of Gen Z (“Centennials” or “Zoomers”) have laid out a mosaic of empathy, awareness, and innovation to converge

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask everyone to support forward-thinking Americans regardless of the generation to which they belong. That’s why intergenerational literacy is so crucial. My “Jigsaw Gens” series is an attempt to help laypeople understand the vast and unique markers of American history faced by those who were born into a given calendar year. This is how we transcend ageism.

My first six installments profiled:

Hemingrebels (aka “the Lost Generation”)

GI-Gens (aka “the Greatest Generation”)

Traditionalists (aka “the Silent Generation”)

Baby Boomers (aka “Leapers” or “Generation Jones”)

Generation X (aka “Xers” or “Catalanos”)

Generation Y (aka “Millennials” or “EchoGens”)

Next up: Generation Z (aka “Zoomers” or “Centennials”).

Who They Are

Zoomers were born approximately between 1999 to 2010 — give or take a few years on either end. Among the earliest recorded usages of this nickname was by Jennie Santoro, an aviation architect for HNTB. She included it as part of a 2016 company presentation, referring to how Gen Z kids were born into a world where the Internet has regularly affected almost everyone’s daily lives. Once Zoom emerged as the most popular video-conferencing platform of the 2010s, this generation would literally *zoom* into a routine of mastering cyberspace for educational needs and other essential communication.

It’s a spin on the “Boomer” moniker — but emphasizing the “Z” (in place of a “B”) to signify their generation’s letter-designation.

Other nicknames for Zoomers could include: Centennials, in order to acknowledge how they were the first generation to be directly born into the new century; iGens, since the popularity of the iPhone and other such technology, as observed by Matt Carmichael and Jean Twenge, has had a dramatic impact on their childhoods; Tech Natives, because their generation had grown up wielding so many forms of groundbreaking technology at their fingertips; Digital Accelerators, seeing how they followed the original “Digital Natives” (Millennials) and massively escalated the trails of cyber-ingenuity that Gen Y kids had blazed; or Founders, in reference to a 2015 survey by MTV in which Zoomers admired this epithet often used throughout Silicon Valley as it relates to the likelihood that they will spearhead new industries in global connectivity.

As of the date of this writing (September 2023), there are between 50–73 million Zoomers in the United States (depending on where you draw the boundaries of their generation’s birthyears).

What They Went Through

Medium’s Chris Newman, as a Millennial, observes how Zoomers never bore witness to the stretches of time when the American economy was relatively stable. Their parents and “big sibs” who are GenXers and Millennials at least have some recollection of those “better days.” This means that the one-two punch of The Great Recession followed by the COVID-19 pandemic has jaded how Gen Z views the potential for prosperity.

Mr. Newman draws the conclusion that these realities have put Zoomers on edge about their financial security more intensely than other generations of the modern era. They save money far more mindfully than Gen X and Gen Y have; they also recognize the risky nature of entrepreneurship, which is why so many Zoomers select social media influencing as a career path. Jean Twenge, in her book iGen, echoes this view of Gen Z beholding the business world through a risk-averse lens.

Camille Prairie, in her “Open Letter to the Class of 2021,” recognizes how so many Zoomers were forced to complete their high school and college diplomas via…well, Zoom. This skews their perception of our society, adds Lou Rochdi, given how they spent their infancy and young childhoods shaken by a massive recession — and then saw their adolescence and college years marred by a global pandemic.

But their cynicism is blended with idealism. Alongside of cyber-proficiency, Ms. Rochdi lists the presidential ascent of Barack Obama and the legalization of same-sex marriage as two watershed events showing Zoomers how strides forward can be possible.

How They’re Misunderstood

Every generation has faced its own scourge of anti-youth ageism from inept adults who assume they always know better just because they’re older. Are we going to let these cycles continue to repeat?

In a November 2021 op-ed piece, Kathleen Laufenberg reminds us how the “Kids These Days” philosophy has been raging for centuries. Older generations complaining about Zoomers being addicted to video games and smart phones is the latest iteration of deceitful messaging from our current society’s elders.

This isn’t to say there should be no limits for addictive technology. Twenge makes some valid points about how parents must teach their Gen Z children (and future generations) moderation and balance when it comes to these devices. While agreeing with that perspective, George Hajal points out that Zoomers are optimizing technology for everything ranging from news to trivia to weather to music. It has its benefits — but it also must be tempered to prevent mental health crises, ADD (Attention Deficit-Disorder), and vulnerability to disinformation.

As “Digital Accelerators,” members of the Zoomer generation have immense power at their fingertips. Jasmine Siu credits MySpace — as pioneered by Millennials — and the subsequent rise of social media (e.g., Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok) as factors that have encouraged Zoomers to share what’s on their minds. In previous generations, Ms. Siu reflects, many of today’s hot topics were taboo around families’ dinner tables. Gen Z has endured years of unprecedented mass shootings and political toxicity — taking a toll on their collective mental health.

If there’s any question as to why certain Zoomers have become so outspoken and fearless in their activism, we ought to look no further than the apathy of societal power brokers throughout the second half of the Twentieth Century.

Why They Matter

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Tytus Michalski — a GenXer — praises Zoomers for being at the forefront of cutting-edge industrial transitions. YouTube has been an enriching and informative teacher for Gen Z. In the coming years, Zoomers will undoubtedly be instrumental when expanding remote work, telemedicine, digital payments, and climate activism. That latter area also extends to the next level beyond Greta Thunberg merely raising awareness — the actual climate innovation and sustainable loops our planet will need if we have any hope of surviving Mother Nature’s wrath.

At the same time, we must set examples so that free speech doesn’t go extinct while still encouraging Zoomers (and everyone else!) to speak out about one’s passions. Greg Lukinaoff and Jonathan Haidt provide an in-depth analysis of this conflict in their 2018 book The Coddling of the American Mind.

Politically, Zoomers (along with Millennials) are poised to drastically alter America’s electoral landscape. Ted Millar cites statistician John Della Volpe’s exit polling that suggests Zoomers played the greatest role in staving off a pro-Trump authoritarian “red wave” during the 2022 midterms. Had it not been for Gen Y and Gen Z, fascists would probably now have an iron-clad hold over our Legislative Branch.

Natalia Packwood says it best: We need to combat anti-youth ageism in the same way it should have been combated on behalf of previous generations, during their youth. Knowledge, nuance, and leadership are essential no matter how young (or old) the person driving it happens to be.

As with every main generational cohort, Zoomers are surrounded by two distinct “microgenerations.”

“Zillennials” (born approximately between 1994 to 1998) straddle the grey area between Gen Y and Gen Z. They merge together the feisty confrontational habits of Millennials with the hunger for intense activism amongst Zoomers.

Zillennials include several celebrities and innovators who are making names for themselves — including Maxwell Frost, Gabby Douglas, Liza Koshy, Patrick Mahomes, and Zendaya Coleman.

America’s youngest “microgeneration” would be the “Coronazooms,” or “Alphacentennials” (born approximately between 2011 and 2015). They are the youngest Zoomers and the oldest Alphas — combining the digital affinity of Gen Z with the emerging independent voices of Gen AA.

Alphacentennials boast up-and-coming talents such as Orion Jean, Claire Crosby, Paris Gilliam, Andres Valencia, and Blue Ivy Carter.

Some of the most iconic figures of Generation Z have been Charli D’Amelio, David Hogg, Jazz Jennings, Chloe Kim, and Lil Nas X.

Since the oldest Zoomers are currently in their late-twenties, millions of them haven’t even had the opportunity, yet, to make their mark on the industries in which their talents lie. Nevertheless, Zoomer activists are proving to be revolutionaries in community organizing much the same way Millennials revolutionized athletics, GenXers revolutionized entrepreneurship, Boomers revolutionized politics, Traditionalists revolutionized music, and GI-Gens revolutionized acting.

A list of historical (and contemporary/emerging) figures who’ve been a part of Generation Z:

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