Aubrey May

Gardner

Milky Jalapenos

1 November 2019

Anxiety in the Z Generation

“College seniors, in a survey last fall by the American Psychological Association,

reported the worst mental health of any generation” (Piore). In fact, the Z Generation has become

known for their high rates of anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is defined as excessive,

persistent and unreasonable stress about everyday things. While all generations experience stress,

why is it that the Z Generation struggles with anxiety so much more than previous generations?

While experts agree that there are probably several different contributing factors, they disagree

about which ones are most influential in the dramatic rise of anxiety among the Z Generation.

Some argue that social media has been at fault, others that the speed and constancy of change

puts the Z Generation in a state of constant fight or flight, and still others that the cultural

differences between generations cause conflict that brings on anxiety.

Anxiety has become a huge factor in today’s society. In the past, mental disorders were

not talked about, whereas nowadays it is a common subject of discussion for Gen Z-ers. Stress is

a normal and healthy coping mechanism that can make you more alert and careful. Some may

stress over a big presentation but once it is over, the stress leaves. But for three percent of the

population it doesn’t leave (Bouillon). Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as GAD, is

anxiety that might not be brought on by anything specific but is always present. GAD may cause

chest pains, nightmares, edginess, difficulty concentrating, irritability, the inability to do

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everyday things and much more. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder might stress about

money, family, work and/or relationships. Everyone stresses about these things, but for those

with GAD it might be persistent, excessive, or unreasonable and sometimes all three. Persistent

means it doesn’t go away. Excessive implies the stress is greater than the norm and unreasonable

means they shouldn’t have a reason to be anxious about it.

GAD is diagnosed by the help of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (DSM-5). There are six general guidelines in the DSM-5. First, excessive anxiety must

be present more often than not in a six-month period. Second, it is hard to control their

anxiety--they can’t calm down. Third, adults must meet all three criteria mentioned above to be

diagnosed with GAD; whereas children from the ages of 6-18 only need to meet one criteria to

be diagnosed. Fourth, the anxiety must cause impairment in everyday activities that result in

missed deadlines for school or work. Fifth, GAD cannot be due to medication, drug abuse, or

conditions like hyperthyroidism. Lastly, GAD cannot be more accurately diagnosed as another

mental disorder such as a social phobia or panic disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder seems to come from genetics and environmental factors. It

also is twice as prevalent in females than males (Bouillon). People with anxiety are constantly

thinking of the worst possibilities (See Figure 1).

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(Figure 1) De Recat, Olivia. Cartoon. ​New Yorker.​ The New Yorker Collection. 21 Jan. 2019.

Web. 22 Oct. 2019.

This cartoon image by Olivia de Recat is a realistic representation of how a person with anxiety

thinks. In the cartoon, it mentions all the things that could potentially go wrong along with the

consequences to self and others. While it is beneficial to recognize factors such as traffic and

timing, those with GAD tend to repeatedly obsess over the details to the point where it

completely consumes their thoughts. This overthinking causes a lot of stress that is difficult to

relieve. It also encourages self-doubt and creates unreasonable pressure.

There are multiple arguments as to why the Z Generation seems to have so much more

anxiety than previous generations. A high school biology teacher, Kelly Chavis from Buffalo,

New York, believes smartphones are the reason for the rise in anxiety. Chavis performed an

in-class experiment to see how many notifications the students got in one class period without

replying, “​Students used a whiteboard to tally, in real time, every Snapchat, Instagram, text, call

or other notification that popped up” (Chavis). The results were astoundingly high. During one

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class period a student had received 150 snapchat notifications. Chavis concluded, “Research now

points to smartphone-driven social media as one of the biggest drivers of stress” (Chavis).

On the other hand, Adam Piore, in his article called, “Generation Z Gets to Work,”

declares the increase of anxiety is due to the constancy of change:

​Opinions about what’s behind this general rise in anxiety vary widely. But most agree

that a combination of factors are at play. Roberta Katz, senior research scholar at

Stanford University, who spent the last two years researching a book about Generation Z,

says the insecurity that seems to be one of the defining hallmarks of this generation is a

function of a quicker pace of change, and the fact that change is unrelenting (Piore).

Building upon this theory, other researchers emphasize that not only is change occurring all

around us in our fast-paced world, but it is also continuous--it never stops. Where previous

generations could count on certain societal rules to remain true, Generation Z doesn’t have that

assurance. For example, a Millennial was taught by his/her parents to work hard and chase their

dreams and everything will work out. Yet Adam Piore discusses that while he dreamed of being

a photographer he had to be more practical--recognizing that times had changed and many

Millennials were out of work, despite following all the “rules” for success. So, instead, Piore

chose actuarial science. Although he loved photography, “To him, the virtual guarantee of future

work was one of the career’s most appealing attributes” (Piore). In the current generation, you

aren’t guaranteed a good paying job, “GenZs are about to hit the streets looking for work in a

labor market that’s tighter that it’s been in decades” (Piore). Most kids are always told to go to

college and get a good job. This principle is taught by parents and schools, although in the article

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“Generation Z Gets to Work” it says, “A college degree is no longer enough to ensure a dream

job” (Piore). This can cause a lot of anxiety for some, considering they grew up thinking they

were guaranteed work if they graduated from college and got a degree.

In the same article, Roberta Katz also lists other significant changing factors that add to

Gen Z’s stress, “They are growing up in a different environment. They are really well aware of

climate change. They are dealing with threats of gun violence that are very real. And the pace of

change is like nothing we have experienced” (Piore). Adam Piore and others believe this fast

change in the labor market and the environment is a main factor of the anxiety in Generation Z.

It seems to be that most things are out of their control and that is extremely unsettling to many.

Mary Donohue provides a different viewpoint in a TED Talk where she gives the

audience a detailed insight on different generations and how their style of thinking and the way

they address life experiences affects how they see today’s world. Some Baby Boomers and

critics believe the rise in anxiety is unreasonable and that issues the Z Generation obsesses over

shouldn’t be such a big deal. Donahue says this shows there is a disconnect in how former

generations such as the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and the Z Generation

approach anxiety and world problems. For example, Baby Boomers grew up with the radio and

newspaper. Due to this, they aren’t good with technology because they were surrounded by

auditory entertainment and learning styles. Whereas Generation Z is the first group to grow up

with technology throughout their whole life. Their version of a pacifier is technology. As a kid,

whenever they threw tantrums they were given some sort of technology. Technology is

Generation Z’s soother. And why do they need something to calm them down? Because they

have a fear to be alone due to the fact they are the first generation to grow up in a world where

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they are most likely to be mass murdered by their neighbor or to be involved in a school shooting

(Donohue). Donohue mentions that Generation Z has never entered a school without learning

how to go on lockdown, which has made the Z Generation instinctively go to their phone,

whether it is a positive or negative experience, to be connected with others. Donohue’s argument

demonstrates the positive and negative sides of technology. While Donohue suggests technology

is Gen Z’s soother, Chavis suggests that technology, such as smartphones, is the leading cause of

the rise in anxiety.

Before doing this research, I had heard most people say that technology was the biggest

factor contributing to the rise in Gen Z anxiety. After researching the topic, I would have to

agree with Adam Piore that the constant and relentless change around us is why Generation Z’s

anxiety is so high compared to other generations. His article supports my personal experience

with anxiety, which suggested that constant changes in the world--specifically those that

threatened my personal safety--were the biggest influence. All I hear about in the news is school

shootings, abductions, sex trafficking, and mass murders. It controls my everyday life because

these things happen everywhere and seem out of my control to prevent. I also agree that change

can be scary and overwhelming. Yes, everyone stresses about their future but ours is unknown

considering climate change and intense competition and constant change in the workforce. I

believe all of these claims contribute to the high rates of anxiety although, ultimately, I stand on

the side with Piore that the speed of change is the biggest influencer.

After hearing the different viewpoints from researchers as to why the Z Generation has

more anxiety than previous generations, it is clear that all of their views are valid and play a part

in the anxiety challenges we face in the Z Generation. The solutions to these issues aren’t simple

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but could be improved with individual effort, professional counseling and within communities.

Technology isn’t going away so we need to learn how to cope with it and exercise more self

discipline so technology doesn’t take over our lives. For the constant change swirling around us,

we need to do as much as we can to succeed--control what we can, such as going to school and

being unique so that we can set ourselves apart and progress in the workplace. With climate

change, the government needs to step in and make serious changes if we want a healthy Earth.

Lastly, we need to all learn how to work together and understand others situations and cultural

backgrounds to be able to get along. Anxiety is something the Z Generation and future

generations are going to have to deal with. All things considered we need to put solutions into

action and if extra help is needed, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may help and medication from

your doctor could be prescribed.

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 Works Cited

Bouillon, Bertrand. “Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - causes, symptoms & treatment.”

Youtube. ​Youtube, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2019.

Chavis, Kelly. “Warning: Reading this on a smartphone may cause anxiety, researchers say.” ​Los

Angeles Times.​ Los Angeles Times. 7 June 2019. Web. 7 Oct. 2019.

De Recat, Olivia. Cartoon. ​New Yorker.​ The New Yorker Collection. 21 Jan. 2019. Web. 22 Oct.

2019.

PIORE, ADAM. “Generation Z Gets to Work.” ​Newsweek Global,​ vol. 172, no. 19, June 2019,

p. 22. ​EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=136936631&site=pov-live.

Donohue, Mary. “How to get along with Boomers, GenXers and Millennials.” ​Youtube.

Youtube, 13 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 Oct. 2019.