Grandmas of Gen Z

The youngest reported grandparent ever was 22-year-old Rifca Stanescu, but looking at the stereotypical activities grandparents do, they are becoming even younger. Whether having actual grandchildren or not, the Grandparents of Gen Z are thriving in their love of reading, crocheting, knitting, baking, and everything ‘grandma’. Elliot Larimer, a senior at Gallatin High School, interviewed and reported to share much of the same love for “Grandma Activities.”

On the topic of crocheting, a skill that not many of us have any experience with, there has been an increased involvement throughout the younger generations. Larimer mentioned, “Crocheting is definitely easy-going because you can pick it up whenever and make whatever you want.” Larimer also explains that it isn’t an expensive hobby. With so many things available to create from crochet hooks, the possibilities are endless but also affordable. Have a friend's birthday coming up? Make them a Pinterest worthy stuffed animal. Did you find a cute shirt that is way out of your price range? Try to make it yourself, and, as a plus, it is much more rewarding.

However, crocheting is not where it ends. GHS’s own extensive offerings of activities include Book Club, Story Club, Poetry Club, Board Game Club, Card Game Club, and most notoriously Chess Club. The population of chess-obsessed high schoolers has grown rampant in recent years, prominently from online influences. According to the infamous Chess.com themselves, “Since a lot more people are clicking on chess youtube videos because those videos are getting recommended a lot more, more people also start playing chess.” This depicts an irony of modern media reverting people back to a lifestyle before this modern media. Though chess is a “grandparent activity” that has been around for centuries, the generations playing the game is what’s changing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic,  the "grandma era" began to go mainstream. There was no longer any need to hide from being introverted, and once the quarantine concluded, a survey for The Face actually revealed that nearly 67% of 14-to-23 year olds said they sometimes missed lockdown life.

Even the style of some Gen-Zers has changed. A new clothing trend labeled, “Coastal Grandma” went viral, including a multitude of plain white or blue clothing and cozy cardigans. This style proves a full-circle moment by linking those aforementioned popular hobbies of knitting and crocheting to making clothes to fit this Coastal Grandma look.

Overall things are changing and the young are getting older. Expanding your hobbies and skills might just be what you need in your life, as we all know, a grandma’s love is like no other. So whether that’s baking, sewing, styling, reading, or crocheting, finding one you enjoy and can share with other people is the core of what it means to be a Gen Z Grandma.