"In fact, Gen Z might just be the most risk-averse generation on record. Fewer Gen Zers got a driver’s license, drank alcohol, or had sex as teenagers than their parents did. The same young adults now report skyrocketing rates of anxiety and other mental illnesses, with some estimates finding that as many as 1 in 5 18-to-24-year-olds have been diagnosed with depression. Timidity—not to mention self-conscious neuroticism—is increasingly the norm.

“An ongoing study from Montclair State University argues that some of this risk aversion is due to the current political climate—or perhaps young people’s perception of it. “Gen Z’s mental health has deteriorated due to a worldview that the society and environment around them are crumbling,” writes justice studies professor Gabriel Rubin. “Rights are being taken away, the Earth is burning, maniacs could kill you with a gun, and viruses could shut down society again.””

See also, for counterpoint: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2024/06/18/gen-z-thriving-entrepreneurship/

  • ZeffSyde@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    I dunno, I worked with a Gen Z aged dude that thought blowing his life savings on a down payment for a new Camaro was a sound investment because it was going to be the last ICE Camaro ever made.

    I wanted to go into the points that a new car depreciates the second it leaves the lot, the cost of upkeep between now and the years it would take for the car to POSSIBLY gain value, but I knew they wouldn’t listen.

    Last time I spoke with him before he was fired he was trying to decide whether it was a better idea to ship his collection of Pokemon cards to California to get professionally graded or to take the trip himself.

    Dude definitely took risks. He definitely had some NFTs in his portfolio.

    • P1k1e@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Every generation has dipshits man. I know broke Millennials who even now try to hold onto BMWs they can’t afford to maintain or fuel, just for the clout