Back in My Days: Resiliency or Passivity?

By: Cesca Villapando

Older generations often bank on their resilience and adaptability during hardships, frequently contrasting it with the behavior and mindset of Generation Z. Gen Z is notorious for being perceived as a snowflake—easily offended, strongly opinionated, entitled, and emotionally invested in social issues. With the stereotypes attached to the generation come the gaps in effective discussions in mental health. In recent years, Gen Z has made their mark in the media scene with various advocacy for mental health awareness and access to medical support. 

Born in the digital era, Gen Z distinguished itself as digital natives with constant access to the Internet (Chillakuri, 2020). The spontaneous nature of Gen Z in expressing their experiences online has made them influential in communities, says Ekasari et al. (2024) in their research. The freedom to initiate conversations on mental health poses benefits for an open discourse, as (Hassell & LCSW, 2023) puts it, such discussions are essential for encouraging people with mental health conditions to seek help, and for others to better understand and accept them. But what happens when such conversations have to be translated to the ‘language’ of an older generation? 

It cannot be denied that the younger generation’s openness to share their sufferings and personal stories online makes them more susceptible to misinterpretation and judgment. The mental health corners of the internet are vast, and also contain misdiagnosis and trauma dumping. Fabienne de Cartier wrote for The Varsity, the high engagement people get on social media for posting traumatic experiences fuels them more to continue uploading. Such actions further make space for the pressure that older generations put on Gen Z to conform to their ways of exhibiting resilience. 

The stark difference between the eras each generation grew up in accounts for their adapted survival instincts. (Steinem, 2024) enumerated the traits attributed to each generation and the reason behind them; Baby Boomers were raised in a time when the “tough-it-out” attitude was more prevalent than seeking therapy, whilst Gen X carried that taboo mindset as their early independence deprived them of emotional support and they were described as the generation who chose to deal with things on their own over being vulnerable. 

It all comes down to the extent each generation allows itself to break unhealthy cycles, rewire culturally-embedded stigma on mental health, and learn from each other without animosity. 

REFERENCES

Cartier, F. de. (2023, September 4). Opinion: Gen-Z’s online trauma response is not unique to this generation. The Varsity; The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880. https://thevarsity.ca/2023/09/03/opinion-gen-zs-online-trauma-response-is-not-unique-to-this-generation/

Chillakuri, B. (2020). Understanding Generation Z Expectations for Effective Onboarding. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(7), 1277–1296. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-02-2020-0058

Ekasari, S., Haji, W. H., Ishak, O., Nurdiani, T. W., & Wulansari, M. (2024). Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Performance in Gen Z. International Journal of Education, Social Studies, and Management (IJESSM), 4(2), 812–818. https://doi.org/10.52121/ijessm.v4i2.378

Hassell, T., & LCSW. (2023, October 31). Is Mental Health Just a Trend? | WTCSB. Www.wtcsb.org; Western Tidewater Community Services Board. https://www.wtcsb.org/is-mental-health-just-a-trend/

Steinem, G. (2024, November 14). Peachey Counselling and Family Support. Peachey Counselling and Family Support. https://www.peacheycounselling.ca/blog/2024/generational-differences-in-mental-health