Gen Z has a reputation for being delicate and naive, but new evidence suggests the stereotype is accurate, and they may be more vulnerable and sensitive than other generations. In short, they are snowflakes.
According to research out of Montclair State University in New Jersey, this generation, including people in their twenties and thirties, views everyday threats as more severe than those of previous generations.
Scientists have blamed the group’s “present mental health crisis” on the deluge of information they get via social media, email, and push alerts.
In addition, the group concluded that millennials and Generation Z saw the world in stark black and white, with little opportunity for nuanced consideration of the possibility that their environments may be both safe and harmful.
Generation Z is experiencing a mental health crisis and is overestimating the degree of safety in their environment due to recent events such as significant school shootings, climate catastrophe, parental pressure, and social media, according to the research.
The new research seems to rely on millennials’ life experiences shaping their worldview, leading them to define “risk” as “the presence or lack of safety in a circumstance.”
Last year, scholars gathered for a round table to debate whether the so-called “Snowflake Generation” is more emotionally vulnerable.
Half of the men and 40% of the women who took the “Highly Sensitive Person Scale” test at Czech universities reported being more sensitive than their parents.
However, the SRA (The Society for Risk Analysis) stated that current research has “revealed that the disparity in risk assessment has led many young people to feel anxious, depressed, and even suicidal— especially young girls and women.”
Further studies are necessary to ascertain the impact of Gen Z’s reactions and perceptions of their environment on their mental health.
The SRAnews release highlights that this has contributed to an increase in youth anxiety, despair, and even suicide. It goes on to say that there should be greater communication with Gen Z on the fact that there is a degree of ambiguity around the risks and dangers in their daily lives.
