My generation, Generation Z, lands in an interesting situation, given that a lot of us have millennial family members/friends. In result, our maturation could have progressed much quicker, yet I wonder if our generation has matured in many wrong ways. 

For example, a large portion of teenagers begin smoking and drinking before they enter high school. Obviously these behaviors are not the moral standards of growing adolescents. 

Yet, the problems faced by past generations were different than those Generation Z face this day. Fortunately, Gen Z has knocked down countless walls. We have broken stereotypes and continue to advocate for social, climate, and economic change. Like it or not, Generation Z is greatly involved in the political sphere today. 

We were involved in this year’s election, social demonstrations, and raised great deals of money for numerous causes. We normalized female empowerment, we normalized being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and we normalized taking a variety of career paths (not just college) after secondary education. 

I take great pride in being a part of a generation that speaks their truth and breaks down barriers. However being a part of this generation also showed me that we are lacking skills other generations have. Most teenagers are lacking household skills such as cooking, cleaning, and the fundamentals of living. 

Millennials were able to gain these skills while growing up, yet the same cannot be said for a large portion of Gen Z. This could largely be in part to the advancement of technology; a shift in priority from the emphasis of physical lifestyle to virtual/technological lifestyle. Gen Z gained the knowledge on how to help their community, but millennials gained the knowledge on how to help themselves. 

This poses the true question: Did the atmosphere of Gen Z prevent us from growing up to become well-rounded adults?