Gen Z seeks safety above all else amid constant crisis and existential threats

The shift in perspective has profound implications for the future of this generation and those to come.

- Yalda T. Uhls

After many years of partisan politics, increasingly divisive language, finger-pointing and inflammatory speech have contributed to an environment of fear and uncertainty, affecting not just political dynamics but also the priorities and perceptions of young people in the US.

As a developmental psychologist who studies the intersection of media and adolescent mental health, and as a mother of two Gen Z children, I have seen firsthand how external societal factors can profoundly shape young people's emotional well-being.

This was brought into sharp relief through the results of a recent survey my colleagues and I conducted with 1,644 young people across the United States, ages 10 to 24. The study was not designed as a political poll, but rather as a window into what truly matters to adolescents. We asked participants to rate the importance of 14 personal goals. These included classic teenage desires such as "being popular", "having fun" and "being kind".

None of these ranked as the top priority. Instead, the No. 1 answer was "to be safe".

WHAT WAS ONCE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

The findings are both illuminating and heartbreaking. As a teenager, I did countless unsafe things. My peers and I didn't dwell on harm; we chased fun and freedom.

Whereas previous generations may have taken safety for granted, today's young people are growing up in an era of compounded crises - school shootings, a worsening climate crisis, financial uncertainty and the lingering trauma of a global pandemic. Even though our research did not pinpoint the specific causes of adolescent fears, the constant exposure to crises, amplified by social media, likely plays a significant role in fostering a pervasive sense of worry.