The 8:05

Getting to Know ‘Generation Z’

Headshot of Michael Armini
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Nearly a decade ago, in November 2014, Northeastern released a public opinion survey on the views of Generation Z, which is made up of people born after 1996. At the time, our survey was fairly novel. Even the term Gen Z was just beginning to gain traction. Today the moniker takes its place alongside Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and other generational cohorts.

Our current undergraduates—and prospective undergrads—are all Gen Z, which is why it’s worth spending a little time to understand them. What makes them tick? What do they care about? What do they expect in their college experience? According to more recent survey data, members of Gen Z have a few top priorities:

  • Mental Health: In what is likely a positive development, Gen Z’ers are very comfortable talking about their mental health. There is little to no stigma left. Unfortunately, only 15% of Gen Z’ers rate their mental health as “excellent,” compared to 52% for Millennials when they were the same age. That’s quite a drop. Many colleges and universities (including Northeastern) have dramatically increased campus mental health resources.
  • Social Justice: Myriad surveys show that Gen Z is politically attuned and increasingly active. Their significant social media consumption often manifests in “brand activism” such as boycotts. Most surveys show that their top issues are climate change, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ rights. They despise what they deem to be “performative,” making them more action-oriented than Millennials. (A growing percentage of Gen Z’ers are forgoing driving, in part to reduce their carbon footprint.) 
  • Conflict Avoidant: It’s not a surprise that the term “ghosting” is often associated with Gen Z. As the business commentator Simon Sinek has spoken about, many Gen Z’ers would rather quit their jobs than ask for a raise. “They’re not afraid of quitting, but they are afraid of asking for things.” I would posit that experiential learning is one of the ways we can equip Gen Z students to lean into difficult interactions.

Opting Out of College?

While the so-called “demographic cliff” has many in higher education concerned about future undergraduate enrollments (most schools don’t have Northeastern’s demand) The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article over the weekend about Gen Z students opting out of college and instead pursuing careers in the skilled trades such as plumbing, welding, and carpentry.

The Journal article cites data that enrollments at vocation schools is surging. This is due, in part, to increasing wages for skilled trade workers. The article also tells the story of a 20-year-old named Tanner Burgess from San Diego. This paragraph jumped out at me: 

Though he’d originally figured he’d go to college, the route began to feel less appealing during the pandemic, when he watched his parents—both tech workers—gaze at their computers all day and realized he didn’t like the idea of spending his life seated before a screen.

A screenshot of a Wall Street Journal story header for a Lifestyle/Careers article with the title 'How Gen Z is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation'. There is a featured image showing a person wearing a welding protection helmet and glasses.

Gen Z Jargon 

One of my favorite things about Gen Z is their language. Every generation has a lexicon, but I find some of the Gen Z terminology to be particularly amusing. Here is a brief glossary of terms I’ve picked up from my 18-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son: 

  • Dirty: This is actually a complimentary term, often used in sports. Here’s a recent conversation I had with my son: “What do you think of Manchester United’s new midfielder?” “You mean Kobbie Mainoo? He’s dirty.” Yes, in this context, “dirty” means someone is a very good player. What if they’re even better than very good? “Did you see how Caitlin Clark played in the LSU game?” “Oh yeah, she’s filthy.”
  • Bop: This term exists in the musical realm. I was in the car recently with my daughter. Needless to say, she controls the music. As her favorite Kelsea Ballerini song came on, she cranked up the volume and said, “This song is a bop!” Apparently that means it’s a great song, worthy of increased volume. 
  • Slaps: A more generalized positive term is simply slaps. As in: “This burger slaps!” Or “Northeastern’s London campus slaps!” I honestly can’t fathom the etymology for this one. 
  • Drippy: This is about sartorial splendor. When meeting my son for dinner recently I was wearing a new coat I got for Christmas. Apparently he thought it was pretty stylish because he said, “You’re looking drippy tonight, dawg.”

Final point on Gen Z jargon is that, if you’re not a member of Gen Z, be wary of using these terms. Nothing prompts a teenage eye-roll faster than a Gen X’er or a Boomer complimenting someone’s rizz.

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