Is Generation Covid Screwed?

Teens coming of age since the pandemic are shunning college in record numbers. The consequences for themand the country-could be dire

- By Anne Kim 

At age 19, Brian Jones seems the perfect example of Gen Z success without college and also, perhaps, of the perils that lie in that path.

During his high school years in Memphis, Tennessee, Jones began training as a barber, eventually becoming so adept at cutting hair that he decided to pursue it full time when he graduated in 2020 rather than continue his education. He quickly built a client book that included a smattering of NBA players and other celebrities who discovered videos of his cuts on Instagram. His posts @ wheat head, displaying precocious skill and creativity, sometimes earned millions of views.