Eleven | Gen-Z and the Existential Vibe Check

Generation Z, or Zoomers (1997–2012), officially reaches adolescence this year.

The idea of growing up was always painted in broad strokes of freedom — with age came independence, and as the years progressed, so did our understanding of what made the world tick. And it was the sheer magnitude of this possibility that propelled all the years that followed — each experience, each failure; all of it was supposed to lead to the pinnacle of that utopia. But what I didn’t expect back then was to find this rage in my utopian dream.

Now, every month heralds something new — a new technology, religion, or philosophy, and we are left scrambling in the midst of this abundance of data, of information that is as merciless as it is plentiful.

The overwhelming urgency of every cause permeates our own narratives, making it impossible to distinguish what truly matters when everything feels like an emergency. It is raw data everywhere we turn, data that quantifies crisis and measures loss-news cycles, social media trends, opinion pieces, and self-help books which have invariably led to Gen-Z developing a keen sense of emotional detachment as a coping mechanism.

“The temptation for this generation to retreat back to the safety of childhood and lack of work, worry, and need must be a direct result of the immediate overwhelm of information that came from their individual discoveries of the internet and its grasp on everything.”
– Kaley Kriesel, The Daydreamer

This particular shift in how the world is perceived is illustrated by the growing normalisation of memes, parody songs, and the dynamic revival of satire on serious issues like crime and war - all of which are rooted in the fundamental question — how do we navigate through all this?

Do we better ourselves or fix the world? How can we do both? Will choosing one make us a bad person? Are we fuelling the apathy that will be our doom?

And it is inside this barrage of questions that we notice a persistent lack of stability, an incessant proclivity to make everything more ‘convenient’ and ‘quicker’ as we succumb to a metaphorical tug-of-war between agency and apathy, progress and paralysis.

It goes to show we are witnessing a major paradigm shift in how the world is viewed and understood. With the constant supply of data and real-time reporting, coupled with platforms that provide free rein to any legal user, the narrative and, consequently, the presentation of major world events are persistently manipulated and shared in a vicious cycle-a cycle that presents the story on a brutal stage where it is butchered with a million different critiques, to the point the original story is a mere assortment of the popular opinions that survived the onslaught.

At this point, new technological advancements often prompt us to reconsider the very foundations of our collective moral compass. There is no black and white anymore - we have come to dwell in the grey regions of human understanding, and it is here that we redefine what is right and wrong, what is legal and illegal, and what is moral and immoral.

Every generation has had to deal with its own revolution, its own doubts about employment, and threats to its livelihood.

And yet, what Gen-Z faces is unprecedented in how the relentless march of technology, especially the rise of social media, doesn’t just threaten livelihoods but our identities. What started out as a means to improve efficiency has morphed into tools that define our sense of self.

Our identity is moulded and shaped in real-time, and with every new trend or conversation, we’re nudged to evolve, often in ways we have no agency in choosing. ‘Influencing’ is now a viable career, and we are so easily influenced in spite of how critically we think through our lives.

With a monumental increase in exposure to the world, we’re forced into a cycle of self-optimisation-whether it’s through the latest productivity hacks or the need to stay impartial and mentally fit in an age of constant distraction. And yet, no matter how hard we try, there’s always another version of us to become.

It feeds this state of continuous flux, constantly refining who you are and how you fit into a rapidly shifting social and technological landscape to the extent that the entire notion of personal identity teeters on what is true and what “fits in.”

A tweet can become a statement of who we are in that moment, a meme can define a mood, and every scroll through a social media feed asks us, “Is this how you want to be seen? This is how you can.”

What follows are desperate attempts to shut down thinking, to believe the world is okay, and a final effort to retain hope in the future and happy times after. If the present is so exhausting, there must be a light at the end of the tunnel-we tell ourselves. We place our hopes in the inherent symmetry of the world. It has worked for the world so far; why shouldn’t it work for us?

“I think it is so crucial for us, especially with the age that we’re in, to persistently find a way to make our own identity. Thanks to social media, everyone looks the same. The internet tells us that we want the same things; the same iPhone, the same bags, the same lifestyle, the same goals, read the same books and watch the same movies. It is so important for us to sit back once in a while and think, “What if we don’t?”
— Ib, It’s IB!!

As our identities constantly evolve with every piece of media we consume, we come up with justifications to explain why it’s perfectly normal for an echo to be louder than its source sound even when it simply is not. We joke around, laugh a little too loudly, and blame the system for our bad grades but romanticise the little studying we do. We defend our actions in praise of individuality and acceptance even when it is not called for.

The hypocrisy is glaring, but so is the grief.

Perhaps our downfall is beckoned not only by apathy but also by the rampant commodification of identity, activism, and even kindness. We have come to normalise a world where every deed must have a commercial benefit, where every action must be strategic and business-orientated.

This commodification is fierce and unyielding in how it is intrinsically linked to consumerist mechanisms which in turn, raise the bar for societal validation. Social media platforms have started to illustrate how personal branding has shifted from a tool of professional growth to a cornerstone of social existence.

I think the decision to better yourself outside the realm of social media is a bold one. Who you are in person is infinitely more important than a profile. Build your character. Creating accounts online comes second. Bringing intentionality into those spaces will benefit you in the long run.
– Maggie, Girly on the Beach

Activism too, has been rendered almost obsolete unless the movements align with the aesthetic and storytelling norms of platforms, reducing valid crises to meagre soundbites and hashtags.

Crises have been present throughout human history-the silent generation tackled the Great Depression, baby boomers navigated the Cold War and economic stagflation, and millennials and Gen-X adapted to the rapid rise of digital technology. What sets Gen Z apart is the immediacy and amplification of these issues in a world that is online 24/7.

We didn’t just inherit the usual struggles that come with growing up; we’re tasked with navigating climate change, political instability and economic uncertainty. We’re constantly told that we need to act ‘right now’ - whether it’s saving the environment, fighting for social justice, or addressing mental health issues.

It makes you wonder whether Gen-Z’s rage is self-imposed or systemic.

Are we angry with ourselves for not being equipped to deal with it, or are we disillusioned with the global systems in place that were supposed to aid our search for solutions?

The education system in many countries is largely disconnected from the realities of an evolving job market, healthcare resources remain inaccessible or unaffordable, and governments fail to address the rampant exploitation of social and economic inequities. This goes to show that much of this collective anger stems from internalised inadequacy exacerbated by social media and this external systemic betrayal, which feels never-ending.

We’re expected to be self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and socially responsible, at the altar of an unrelenting set of demands.

It’s like the race has begun the moment we open our eyes every morning. Everyone’s trying to get you to be the model for an experiment they once failed at. It’s “ marks matter” until you’ve graduated high school, after that it’s “ a degree ain’t enough to give you a job”. So you split yourself into different people — one is the good student, the other tries to create content because — “ What if my reel goes viral like theirs too? “ another one is searching for a plan B because you can see yourself getting back at square one once this race is over.

There’s no prize because you have no idea where you are running to, and even if there is one, another race has started already and now it’s even harder to run, for you have a trophy in your hand.
– Poorwa, Poorwa’s blog

The responsibility is daunting, and we often feel like we’re standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure of how to move forward because the repercussions of every decision we make are also judged and critiqued in real — time. In a world where external validation further dictates our credibility as a person, the pressure to move through life, like it’s a game of deadly chess, is immense.

If we must battle the world at every turn, when do we grow up? How do we find our identity when the world is telling us to constantly adapt?

“Instead of convincing ourselves or the world what we are and aren’t, I think we’d be a lot better off living the unlived lives within us.”
– Niv, Niv’s Nook

It isn’t all bad. One cannot deny that this forced evolution also gives us the power to reshape the world in our own image. Every iteration of ourselves is an opportunity to challenge the status quo, and question systems that didn’t work for us. We’re not stuck with any one version of ourselves - we can be someone new tomorrow, and maybe that’s the greatest gift we have. In a world that’s constantly changing, the ability to reinvent ourselves is a tool we are equipped to wield in ways no previous generation could.

Sometimes we’re praised for being so brutally honest and willing to speak up for what’s right. But often we’re told about our privilege and how we’re letting it all go to waste. Stories of ‘ when we were your age… ‘ preface our conversations with elders, and we succumb to the existential crises we’ve carved out for ourselves as we search for meaning in a world that offers a multitude of answers to questions we never asked.

Are we creating pain? Are we thinking up this sense of voidness because we don’t have any real troubles like our parents or our teachers did? But who gauges the realness of exhaustion, anyway?

What we’re afraid to think - the unspoken question that looms over us - is simply, will we always be this angry?

Will we go ‘ when we were your age… ‘ and curse the future too? What with all the productivity hacks and aesthetic workplaces, it often feels as if we’re romanticising the present because the past and future come with ultimatums of their own, and in true adolescent fashion, we procrastinate on responsibility and accountability.

We’re a doomed generation, and we’re as connected in that as we’re lost. And as we continue the path of finding ourselves in fractions, we continue to lose ourselves in chunks to the rapid and constantly moving world. And yet, the fractions we get are mosaics of proof that even though Gen Z may be lost, we’re here and trying to make it better for everyone’s sake, because that’s our only option.
– Devangi, Just penning down my thoughts

We may feel lost, but we’re also the most connected generation in history, and perhaps, it is in that connection that lies our power. Even though we don’t have all of the answers, we’re learning how to ask better questions as we define what it means to come of age in a fractured and incredibly hyperconnected world, where everything we do or say is monitored, judged, evaluated, and publicised.

At the end of the day, we’re all eleven again, and our one dream is to “ experience all the life we have ahead of us “ because surely — the real world must be different, right?

I’d like to thank my incredibly thoughtful ✨Gen-Z✨ friends — Kaley, Maggie, Niv, Ib, Devangi and Poorwa for taking the time to read and lending their own voices to Eleven, a piece of chaotic short prose that grew into an even more chaotic article. They’re artists, writers and creatives in their own right — please take a moment to check out their blogs (given below)!

• Kaley Kriesel, The Daydreamer
• Maggie, Girly on the Beach
• Niv, Niv’s Nook
• Ib, It’s IB!!
• Devangi, Just penning down my thoughts
• Poorwa, Poorwa’s blog

Originally published at http://myrandomspecificthoughts.wordpress.com on January 19, 2025.