海角大神

From Madagascar and Morocco to Peru this week, from Serbia and Kenya earlier this year to Indonesia and Nepal last month, youth across the globe are calling to account political and economic systems that are not working for them.

Young adults in the United States aren't taking to the streets in such dramatic fashion. But American Gen Zers 鈥� generally those between 13 to 28 years of age 鈥� are also questioning prevailing priorities and seeking alternative approaches to political and economic challenges.

Sixty-one percent of young Americans do not identify with either the Republican or Democratic party, says the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. But they value dialogue with those they disagree with: More than 37% of Gen Z respondents find such conversations 鈥渋nteresting and informative,鈥� compared with only 22% of respondents nationally.

鈥淕en Z,鈥� the Institute says, 鈥渋s positioned as the generation who can begin to overcome polarization and division.鈥�

With evolving communication apps and social media, this group鈥檚 political and social awareness and activism emerge earlier. In a 2020 study in the United Kingdom, one-third of 8-to-17-year-olds said the internet inspired them to take action on a specific cause.

This desire to make a difference for the better carries over into the world of work. According to the consulting firm Deloitte, 86% of younger workers rate 鈥減urpose鈥� highly. And more than 40% say they have rejected assignments over social and environmental concerns or work-life balance.

These views may point up a disjunction between what companies want from employees 鈥� and what younger entrants into the workforce want. 鈥淚s Gen Z Unemployable?鈥� a recent Wall Street Journal headline questioned. 鈥淗iring managers prize achievement, learning and work. Today鈥檚 youth value pleasure and individuality,鈥� it summarized.

But that鈥檚 not the whole story. Newsweek reported recently that 1 out of 5 young workers holds more than one job to make ends meet. And only 22% consider themselves to be financially stable.

鈥淭he problem isn鈥檛 [Gen Z鈥檚] lack of effort,鈥� personal finance guru George Kamel told the magazine, reflecting on the data. Many young adults completed their education during the pandemic, graduated into a shaky economy, and are now confronting the pressure of artificial intelligence on entry-level jobs.

Writing in The Guardian, Gen Z author Alice Lassman described how her generation is working, investing, and innovating. Asking that their aspirations be taken seriously, she cautioned against 鈥渢hink[ing] in zero-sum terms, seeing limited resources.鈥�

Instead, she urged seizing this moment as a 鈥渙nce-in-a-generation opportunity鈥� to 鈥渃ollectively, and apolitically鈥� ask probing questions and seek new solutions.