The paradoxes of youth

Courtesy of CDD20

By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

The world many of us inhabited growing up is not the world that young people experience today. We should also probably say that there never was ‘one’ world, but rather my world and your world. Similarly, today the new generation of young adults face a great diversity of experiences. However, while accounting for the many differences among individuals, we nevertheless see a broader shift across the generations.

Today, the experience of Gen Zers is incredibly paradoxical, contradictory even. This is why we often see two extreme, yet opposite, narratives and caricatures about them online. The danger being that to only view one of these perspectives, either because of algorithmic content or our own predilections, we miss the complexity of their existence. Moreover, much of this is affected by the ubiquity of technology in our modern lives. Technology is here and its coming ever closer. We cannot put the genie back in the bottle. All that is left for us now is to determine whether it will be used for good or evil. Both options, as is ever the case for humans, are possible.

The paradox of voice and positivity

First, let’s talk about voice. Today, young people have more voice than ever in that social media has allowed them the opportunity to express themselves on a great number of things. They do not have to just passively consume mass media and global narratives. Now, they can be part of that conversation. My Instagram feed (or at least the disposable 24-hour stories people like to post) is testament to this fact as students frequently voice their opinions on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Russia and Ukraine, and domestic politics here in Korea. They do so unapologetically and often with a great deal of passion. They also talk about their own politics, their own identity, and how they are creating that. Their views have the possibility of being seen and shared by hundreds, thousands, even millions. A Tik-Tok or a reel can go viral and amplify their voice in ways in which previous generations could never even have dreamed of.

The paradox occurs, however, when you consider their voice, or rather their lack of it, in institutions. Their agency in real-life political and economic institutions is greatly diminished. The organizational structures of power look both inaccessible and wrong-headed to the young. They see an old way of running the world that is largely incompatible with their own values. Democratic systems that present binary choices, often between two elderly men, do not appeal to them and seem archaic in both function and structure.

Second, are the current generation positive or negative? Again, we are presented two extreme representations but the reality remains paradoxical. Gen Zers are incredibly positive about their own generation and peers. They see themselves as having adopted greater tolerance and acceptance to different ways of being. They are compassionate, proactive, political, and creative. And at the same time, they are pessimistic about the world they have inherited from the generation before them. Generational division is exacerbated by young people seeing climate change being the result of decades of bad decisions; racial and gender inequality being baked in to society by malevolent actors; and banks and institutions putting into place economic factors which make the idea of owning a house incredibly difficult. This is the world they are born into and thus they express great negativity about the environment they face but far more positivity about themselves. They have a loud voice, one we hear often, but not one that is capable of achieving much in the way of change considering the current institutional structures.

Social codes online

These attitudes, particularly across generations, are articulated on social media and we see a notable difference in the ways in which people express themselves. Every society, every club, every organization has different codes of conduct and behavior. Do you wear a tie? Do you call people by their first or last names? Are you meant to be quiet or loud? And so on. Many of us grew up learning to inhabit and navigate these different cultural contexts, habitus in a Bourdieun sense, in the physical world. Now, with much of the modern world taking place online, we need to be cognizant of the digital social codes young people have adopted. The way we use hashtags, the way we type, the emoticons we use, the memes we share, the tagging (or not tagging) of friends is all very specific to a generation. Breaking these social codes, whether consciously or unconsciously, can result in notable estrangement.

Let’s start with emailing. Something part of daily-life for so many of us. We sit and fire off a number of emails throughout the day and it’s often a required part of our job. Young people, however, rarely send emails and want to do it even less. Often, the only people they will ever email are their professors. When doing so, they find them incredibly wordy and stale: having to state their class and identification, providing a small greeting or salutation, expressing their problem or situation, and then signing off. It’s all very time-consuming for them and, more importantly, not in accordance with a way they are used to communicating. The teacher, for some young people, is akin to a human Alexa or Bigsby. Someone you ask for information. And when speaking to an electronic device like that around the home, none of the formality or salutations are used.

And then there are all the generational social codes around punctuation and capitalization. Full-stops (periods) often signal anger or aggression to young people while capitalization feels loud and noisy. Young people today will use asterisks either side of a word to emphasize it and often deliberately make letters lowercase to soften their message. For many Gen Zers, they believe they can express themselves better through text than verbal communication.

This is when things become "relatable" to them. They look for content that is relatable, that resonates. It is not necessarily about what is right or wrong, what is challenging or simple, it is about being relatable. If it is “relatable af,” then it is shared and communicated with others, thus building the chance for collaboration and greater connection.

No singular view

The paradox of Generation Z's existence is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by the intersection of technology, societal changes, and evolving cultural norms. They find themselves navigating a world characterized by both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges. They are celebrated for their outspokenness on issues such as climate change, social justice, and human rights. Yet, this activism coexists with a perception of political apathy and the ease of online expression not always translating into tangible offline action. The juxtaposition of vast potential and economic precarity adds a layer of complexity to their experience. They embrace retro aesthetics, such as the resurgence of Y2K fashion and cultural products, while simultaneously living more and more online. The paradox arises from the tension between the empowering opportunities and daunting challenges that define their era. The old world is dying, and the new world is yet to be born. Now is the time of Gen Z.

Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He is also the host of the Korea Deconstructed podcast, which can be found online.