Value Generation

The conflict between older and younger generations is as old as humanity. Generation Z, or centennials in popular parlance, may puzzle us greatly, yet we can expect to learn as much from them as they from us. Like no generation before them, centennials’ childhoods were mostly dominated by a strange mix of apocalyptic global events, as well as the luxuries of ubiquitous technology and generous parenting. My take is that Gen Z, much unlike many emerging generations of people, isn’t preoccupied primarily with rebellion, but comes instead with an almost depressing realism towards the dysfunctional nature of the status quo and the insufficiency of systems we rely on to govern humanity. They also seem particularly attuned to the strange incompatibility and coexistence of the old and new world, cultivating an almost fatalistic sense of self-irony on the one hand and a strong awareness and drive to make use of the endless possibilities granted by technology on the other. All of this is purely anecdotal, based on my conversations among friends and acquaintances of this generation. However we may sketch the Gen Z archetype, what matters most is recognising just how much they, as any generation, are a product of the zeitgeist. Their struggles, perspectives, and virtues give us a new lens to perceive what’s wrong with the way things are and how they could be instead…