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3/15/26

The Future Of America

By: Rilynn Reigles (Managing Editor)

From future teachers to police, to business owners, to one day even a future president or two, Gen Z will be the people running this country and instead of tearing them down, we should be building them up. 

Generation Zoomer, also known as Gen Z, is oftentimes labeled as lazy, unthoughtful, and careless. But what so many fail to realize is that even though this generation is different from every other generation, Gen Z is still the future of America. 

There are so many things that GenZ is doing to continue to build up this country, from being one of the first generations to have so much diversity in so many different aspects of life, to GenZ having access to social media at all times, this generation is affecting America in so many ways - good and bad. There are so many pros and cons of the children of Gen Z. 

Pew Research Center says this about Gen Z: “They are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to be enrolled in college.” Explaining that this upcoming generation is on a different kind of educational path, where many GenZers will be enrolling in further schooling after the essential 12 grades. Along with this, Pew Research also says, “Perhaps because they are more likely to be engaged in educational endeavors, Gen Zers are less likely to be working than previous generations when they were teens and young adults.” This is incredibly important because it shows that Gen Z is very focused on their future careers and schooling, showing their strong drive to get a good education.

 Though just because Gen Z is working toward their futures with a strong education, this does not mean that they are not going to face challenges throughout their lives. Now, though technology can be useful in the day-to-day, the world of the internet is often negatively affecting Gen Z. Younglife did a story on how technology is affecting Gen Z, and they say, “People laugh about FOMO, but it is a real thing that drives adolescents to feel left out or to push themselves to keep participating when they need to rest.” Younglife explains that having constant access to technology and being able to continuously see what others are doing gives GenZ/Alpha an urge to do everything they see on the internet, which can lead to things from exhausting situations to deadly situations. 

There are so many things Gen Z is bringing to America. From good to bad, there are so many different bits and pieces of this world that are affecting this generation. 

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Fruita Middle School is currently housing well over 600 Gen Z and Gen Alpha students. There are so many different minds and bodies in this school, and the administrators, counselors, and teachers (along with the students) are constantly seeing how the brains of this generation are working.   

Ms. Blackwell, one of the seventh-grade social teachers and student council/senate teacher, has provided some insight about Gen Z and how they are preparing the future. When asked about what good things she has seen about these young adolescents, Ms. Blackwell says, “They are more willing to hear other perspectives.” She explains that the students of FMS are more understanding and empathetic to other points of view and themselves. Along with this, Ms. Blackwell was asked about what she notices when Gen Z is presented with feedback/criticism, which she says, “they want to do well, but they need to slow down and review the feedback.” Mrs. Blackwell explains that Gen Z desires to fix their problems as fast as possible and has a need to do well in their classes (and other parts of their lives), but we also need to take a moment to make sure that they are not making the same mistakes over and over again. 

Mrs. Spore, the counselor for students with last names M-Z, has gathered a lot of information over the years about Gen Z and the upcoming Gen Alpha. When asked about what she has discovered emotionally with Gen Z, she has said, “Gen Z doesn’t just sweep things under her rug.” When asked to further elaborate on this, she explains that Gen Z really tries to learn about mental health and its importance. Along with this, Mrs. Spore has also provided information on some of the negative things impacting Gen Z. “This generation is raised on technology.” Says Mrs. Spore. She clarified that Gen Z always has access to the internet and says that they are severely impacted by the opinions and comparisons that come with social media, which can be challenging because it can seriously impact students’ mental health. Furthermore, Mrs. Spore discusses what she believes will come out of this generation.“I am encouraged and feel like [this generation] wants to learn. To better our communities.” She explained that she believes this Gen Z will go to many different places with the amount of effort and desire they put into their work and goals.

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There is so much that adults say about this generation. From good and bad. To uplifting and demeaning, they seem to have a lot of opinions about what Gen Z and Gen Alpha are doing as a whole. But what about the adolescents who will soon transfer into their adult lives? What do they feel about this generation? What are the thoughts going through their head when they hear someone, specifically older than them, comment on their generation? 

Marley Cordova, an eighth-grade student here at FMS, has disclosed some of the thoughts and feelings she specifically has on this generation. Marley says, “So far, it seems we mostly care about people we love.” Marley explains that most of us surround ourselves with people we care about, but also people who care about us back. This means so much, because Gen Z builds strong relationships and they desire to see the world from so many different perspectives and opinions, not focusing on simply one viewpoint. 

Along with this, Marley also discussed what she wants adults to know about Gen Z. She says, “We are tough, and we aren’t easy to push around.” When elaborating on this, she explains that despite what it may look or sound like, Gen Z is strong and capable. - That we can accomplish so much. 

“Our generation will change the world for the better!” -Marley Cordova, eighth-grade student. 

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There are so many things about Gen Z and Gen Alpha that will change this world. So many different individuals will have an impact on this country. So many souls who will impact the Earth. With the help of good mentors, like coaches, teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents, there are so many adults shaping the lives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. With strong morals and safe communities, together we can all help shape the future of America. 

Sources:

• PewResearch: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far/

• YoungLife: https://relate.younglife.org/technology/navigating-digital-anxiety/