In Response to the Insurrection: A Desensitized Generation
Terrorist attacks, mass shootings, economic collapse, racial injustice, and a deadly virus are just a few of the national and global tragedies that have permeated the lives of Generation Z. Born into 9/11 and its aftermath, Gen Z was thrown into a country that is seemingly in a constant state of turmoil.
Last week’s domestic terrorist attack and insurrection at the Capitol, though disgusting and devastating, was not particularly unexpected for Gen Z. A quick scroll through TikTok or Twitter brings to light the humorous, yet dark, content being mass-produced by Gen Z. A Twitter thread asking people to “name a place with tighter security than the Capitol” and a TikTok telling congress to “just lock the door, turn off the lights, and huddle in the corner. idk maybe they will just move on to the next room. sincerely, the k-12 American student body” are some notable ones. We don’t think these tragedies are funny, we’re just desensitized.
Our lives began in the uncertainty of the post-9/11 era, shortly after we saw our parents terrified of losing their homes and jobs during the 2008 Great Recession. We grew up practicing active shooter drills and hearing of the mass murder of students all across the country. More recently, we watched the senseless killing of Black people by law enforcement, and a deadly virus sweeps the nation and the globe. Yet, Gen Z doesn’t mourn each new traumatic event, as each news cycle features something more disturbing than the last, we cope through jokes because we’d rather laugh about the absurdity than cry.
Gen Z used Tik Tok to troll and embarrass Donald Trump’s campaign by registering for thousands of seats at his rallies with no intentions of ever attending. Rather than lamenting tragic events, Gen Z jokes about how difficult future AP U.S. History exam questions will be. When anti-vaxxers expressed their concerns about the COVID vaccine, Gen Zers took to TikTok to share why they were not afraid of taking the vaccine; with reasons ranging from having “licked a pole in Brooklyn” to not washing the clothes they thrifted before wearing them. As domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol, an unprecedented event, Gen Z stuck to their comfort zones and posted humorous content throughout the day comparing law enforcement to sorority recruitment or changing the lyrics of songs to poke fun at how events were handled.
Yes, other generations have also gone through these tragedies along with us, but there are stark differences. For Gen Z, these national and global events have defined our lives since the day we were born. We are being traumatized more frequently than ever before, but we move on almost instantly. Gen Z has grown up around more technology than any other generation. And with such early access to social media, uncensored information has been shoved down our throats every day. This causes us to make a choice: do we choose to process, or do we choose to scroll. For the majority of us, we choose to scroll because the next day we are faced with another traumatic event yet again.
Gen Z will continue to cope with trauma in this bizarre way that is likely mysterious to other generations, but Gen Z is a generation stronger and more determined than ever before. Gen Z is passionate, Gen Z is angry, and Gen Z will change the world. For brands looking to engage Gen Z and companies looking to recruit us, take the time to understand our trauma, understand our experiences, and build a connection with us that fosters true feelings of belonging.