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Synthesis Essay
Synthesis Essay
Gardner
Milky Jalapenos
1 November 2019
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
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
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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
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
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
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(Figure 1) De Recat, Olivia. Cartoon. New Yorker. The New Yorker Collection. 21 Jan. 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
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,”
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,
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
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
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Works Cited
Bouillon, Bertrand. “Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - causes, symptoms & treatment.”
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.