We’re going into the NYOTA archives to find some of our favorite interviews and articles that weren’t originally shared on the site.
Words by Arielle Ostry
What are Gen Zers best known for? Bringing back the low-rise jeans of the 2000s? Pioneering highlighter pink front pieces as an everyday hair look? These are superficial style choices that seem to be dominating the Gen Z generation thus far, but these bold hairstyles and denim preferences reveal very little into what makes us – as a generation coming into adulthood and active societal participation – tick.
As a Gen Zer myself, I’d argue a couple of things that are undoubtedly true about who we are: we’re diverse; we’re progressive, and we’re the first generation to be digital natives.
I came across this phrase and felt it was so fascinating – a digital native. We don’t recall a world without the Internet. We barely remember the ancient flip phone. We’ve always lived in a world that has been connected digitally, and we know how to use it. Social media becomes your oyster when you’ve had some sort of social media account ever since you turned 13 (or potentially even earlier – just don’t tell Twitter). And while we can consider the pros and cons of this constant connectedness and nonstop engagement, there is no question that because of the revolutionary, virtual world we grew up in, Gen Z is built different.
We value different things. We have different priorities. We think differently when it comes to politics. And we most definitely get creative when it comes to taking action in the digital space. Nothing is off-limits. The world is becoming our digital oyster, with social media the way we can take strategic, coordinated action. How thrilling is that?
Like almost everyone my age, I’ve been on TikTok for a while now. And I love the funny skits, dumb dance trends, and magical videos churned out by the Washington Post TikTok as much as the next girl.
But in light of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ and abortion bills popping up in states all across the country, I’ve also been noticing calculated action being taken by countless young people on the app. I’d like to point out one TikTok account in particular: Gen-Z for Change. Through the account and its network of creators, the community has shared accurate COVID information with over 12 million people, stopped Starbucks from replacing union leaders they fired, removed the critical race theory tipline in Virginia and abortion tipline in Texas by overloading it with fake claims, and collected over 150,000 signatures to bring a refugee family from Afghanistan over to the United States.
This is all relevant, consequential work being done by our country’s newest generation of young voters. And it’s all being done with a distinct Gen Z flare that I find noteworthy.
It appears to me that outright disgust for the restrictive actions of a conservative minority and a penchant for mischief is the perfect combination to awaken Gen Z’s rage. And digital organizers like those at Gen-Z for Change know how to channel these feelings with a message that inspires results.
During Donald Trump’s second presidential campaign in 2020, Gen Z kids and K pop fans on TikTok deprived the former president of a large crowd at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma by registering for hundreds of thousands of tickets and then staying home. The Trump campaign, claiming over 1 million ticket requests, had only 6,200 attendees. This was a devastating blow dealt by young people, some of which couldn’t even vote yet.
This act wasn’t a one-off thing. Organizers and content creators on the app introduced additional actions users could take to stir up trouble for the Trump campaign while he was running for re-election, and this mentality has transcended to other current issues – namely, Gen Z’s recent attacks on the critical race theory and abortion tiplines.
I’d argue that the roots of this kind of scrappy yet coordinated digital action can be traced back to the early days of the #MeToo movement when Actress Alyssa Milano triggered a firestorm of tweets when she encouraged others to reply to her tweet with the phrase ‘me too’ if they had ever experienced sexual violence or assault. The phrase, first coined by Tarana Burke as far back as 2006, achieved a new life and extraordinary reach through social media.
Another movement comes to mind: Black Lives Matter. In the wake of George Floyd’s horrific murder in 2020 came the black squares on Instagram, the endless book and documentary recommendations, and the idea that supporting a community of targeted minorities meant you need to do more than just agree with the movement’s message. The online world inspired organized action because we all saw the video capturing George Floyd’s death. We came away with a list of ways to act: taking the time to educate ourselves, opening our pocketbooks to charities, organizations, and black-owned businesses, and showing up to the demonstrations honoring the lives taken too soon and demanding a better path forward.
We saw abuse and felt moved to act. And when we saw our peers doing the same, we felt compelled to go even further; be bolder; call for solutions that will improve the lives of those living in our communities, instead of sitting back and letting them be stifled.
It’s not to say we’ve fixed what’s broken – far from it. But Gen Z has found its voice. We’re honing our digital tools, and we’re looking for every opportunity to call out abuse where we see it, inspire action where it’s needed, and build a future that we can be proud of.
So whether it’s another abortion-reporting tip line or some outrageous bill targeting transgender youth, best beware. Gen Z is ready to raise hell. And to us, that’s what the Internet was built for.
This article first ran in Issue 27: The Digital Issue. Read more from the issue here.
