Today it is common to hear negative criticism, if not directly complaints, about the behavior of the latest wave of teenagers and post-teens, the so-called Generation Z. Comments such as “the zombie generation” are heard, referring to their constant use of electronic devices (even walking on the street!), the abusive tendency to hedonism, the constant search for attention through social networks, individualism, etc.

To what extent do these opinions correspond to reality? Has what it means to be a teenager really changed that much? We should not forget that to see in perspective the features of the new batch of young people we should not compare them with today’s adults, but with those of minors at least 15 or 20 years ago.

Let’s see what the evolution has been between the adolescence of the 90s and the adolescence of 2020.

The differences between new adolescents and those of the 1990s

This is a brief summary of what is known about the differences between these two generations of adolescents in terms of personality and cultural background.

1. They are not less friendly, and are likely to be more friendly

There is very little research that focuses on comparing the personality traits of today’s adolescents compared to those of the 1990s, so it is difficult to know whether it is true that “young people in the past were more respectful”. However, the available evidence suggests that this is not the case.

For example, research focused on following the evolution of the personality traits of successive generations of young people over 25 years from the late 1980s to the late 2000s shows that in this period there has been a slight and constant upward trend in the personality trait called “friendliness” , and also of another personality trait, “conscientiousness”, which is found in those who are always motivated to do everything in a planned, orderly manner and according to the rules, “as it should be”.

At the same time, the tendency to score high on the trait known as “neuroticism” (neuroticism), which is sensitivity to possible threats and the tendency to feel anxiety and emotional instability in situations of ambiguity, or to be irritated or impatient in the face of setbacks, decreases.

In short, the idea that the adolescents of the new decade are more disrespectful and lacking in respect than 15 or 20 years ago seems to be a myth .

2. Tend to perfectionism

One of the characteristics of this generation of adolescents is the fact that, given their age, they are more inclined to perfectionism. In fact, this psychological characteristic has been on the rise since the mid-1980s, and today it is at its peak.

It is believed that this is due to the pressure to build a career and good education in a scenario where economic volatility and precarious work prevails even for those with a university education.

This finding fits in with another: as perfectionism has increased in the new generations, so has its relationship with neuroticism . On the other hand, this rapprochement between perfectionism and neuroticism has come at the price of slightly weakening the link between perfectionism and scrupulosity.

As we have seen, the new generations of young people are more likely to score high on meticulousness and low on neuroticism, which seems to indicate that this increase in perfectionism is a response to the need to adapt to a very competitive environment in which the family no longer has the same capacity to protect as it did in the mid-1990s, and not just for pleasure.

3. Are involved in the protection of vulnerable groups and the environment

Ensuring the protection of minorities that are victims of discrimination and the preservation of the environment are values that were marginal in the 1990s, yet today they are widely claimed by the younger generation, at least in Western countries.

To give an example, both in Spain and in the USA the voter of 18 is much more likely to opt for options that emphasize the importance of environmentalism, anti-racism and the rejection of discrimination against women and LGTBI groups. At the same time, the mobilizations of the International Day of the Working Woman and the Extinction Rebellion movement have a clear over-representation of adolescents and post-adolescents.

4. Drink less alcohol

Generation Z youth tend to drink much less alcohol than baby boomers and generation X members, and significantly less than millennials, according to a 2018 study by Berenberg Research. This explains why non-alcoholic drinks have increased their sales in Western countries in many countries.

This is very relevant, taking into account that regular alcohol consumption (to which the adolescent population is particularly prone) is linked to many psychological disorders and has a harmful impact on their family and close social environment, as well as being associated with a lower degree of responsibility.

As regards the consumption of other drugs, no significant changes have been observed, although it is true that in some countries there has been a substantial drop in the number of adolescents who smoke tobacco … because they are switching to electronic cigarettes.

5. They come closer to science

It is often said that in matters of cultural level there is little or no progress, and that old mistaken beliefs and superstitions come back again and again, always with the same force. However, this does not seem to correspond to reality.

The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (Fecyt) gives reason for optimism, since it shows that the youngest people enjoy a greater scientific culture compared to generation X and the baby boomers .

The data from this research, analyzed by Materia (El País) show that today’s adolescents and post-adolescents are more likely to answer questions about science in general correctly. In addition, they also seem to have more confidence in the methods of generating knowledge that are typical of the scientific world, according to research by Maru/VCR&C for Vision Critical.

Conclusion

It is highly debatable whether the new generation of adolescents has less to offer society than the young people of the 1990s and those of generation X in general. Of course, important changes have taken place between one cohort and another, but this does not imply that the new culture brought by these boys and girls should be neglected .

In any case, it is worth asking whether this tendency to look askance at the new generations of young people is unusual, something that has not happened for centuries. The idea of seeing stridency in recent waves of teenagers and young adults does not seem overly original, but it makes sense if we assume that culture shock brings with it incomprehension at first, until we find new fits and starts and ways to connect.

Bibliographic references:

  • Curran, T. & Hill, A. (2017). Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time: A Meta-Analysis of Birth Cohort Differences From 1989 to 2016. Psychological Bulletin, 145(4): pp. 410 – 429.
  • Smith, M.M.; Sherry, S.B.; Vidovic, V.; Saklofske, D.H.; Stoeber, J.; Benoit A. (2019). El perfeccionismo y el modelo de cinco factores de la personalidad: A Meta-Analytic Review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 23(4): págs. 367 a 390.
  • Smits, I.A.M.; Dolan, C.; Vorts, H.C.M.; Wicherts, J.; Timmerman, M.E. (2011). Diferencias de cohorte en los cinco grandes factores de personalidad en un período de 25 años. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(6): págs. 1124 – 1138.