{"id":87549,"date":"2020-05-05T09:44:53","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T13:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=87549"},"modified":"2021-07-09T16:36:42","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T20:36:42","slug":"life-after-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2020\/05\/05\/life-after-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Life after pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Corey Seemiller, associate professor of leadership studies in education and organizations, examines the potential political, economic, psychological, sociological and social impacts of the coronavirus on Generation Z.<\/p><\/div>\n

The coronavirus pandemic may have many members of Generation Z questioning leaders, adjusting to remote learning, considering the freelance economy as a career path and determining the social causes they care the most about.<\/p>\n

These are some of the potential outcomes raised by Generation Z expert Corey Seemiller, associate professor of leadership studies in education and organizations<\/a> at Wright State University.<\/p>\n

The insights come in a series of articles written by Seemiller titled \u201cHow COVID-19 Could Change a Generation Forever<\/a>.\u201d The articles are posted on The Gen Z Hub: Leading the Conversation on Generation Z. The website features articles, blogs, research, videos, podcasts and book reviews.<\/p>\n

Seemiller along with generational researcher Meghan Grace have written four books on Generation Z, who were born from 1995 through 2010. Members of Generation Z are generally characterized as open-minded, compassionate and responsible. These qualities are believed to play an important role in shaping their perspectives and behaviors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens in our late teens and early adulthood has a profound impact on how we behave later on,\u201d Seemiller said in a recent Newsweek magazine interview.<\/p>\n

In her articles, Seemiller discusses the potential political, economic, psychological, sociological and social impacts of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on Gen Z. Some highlights of each article are below.<\/p>\n

Political<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Critical events during the adolescence and young adulthood of Generation Z include the 2016 election with a change of party in the White House and the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it seems like perhaps COVID-19 and the response to the pandemic will have farther-reaching and longer-lasting impacts, given its magnitude,\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

Seemiller said many members of Generation Z have great trust for adults, especially those closest to them. However, she said, they also question what they hear from adult authorities they don\u2019t know about the political versus health response to coronavirus, wondering whose guidance they should trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is easy to see how those in Generation Z might just not know what or who to believe,\u201d said Seemiller. \u201cPerhaps in the future, these young people may be even more skeptical of political responses and seek out scientists and experts instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Generation Z is already concerned about the economy, health care, jobs and security, Seemiller said, and coronavirus has given many of them a reason to increase their support for policies on universal health care, living wages and universal basic income as well as preparedness for future global crises through investment in research and scientific advancement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this generation skews far to the left politically, will their policy beliefs create an impetus for them to show up and vote?\u201d Seemiller said. \u201cThere are also a number of those in Generation Z that situate themselves in the middle, politically. So for those who were on the fence about their candidate of choice, how might their support or lack of support for the president\u2019s response influence who they vote for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Economic<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cMany older members of Generation Z have no idea where their income will be coming from and that a disproportionately higher number of young people have lost their jobs,” Seemiller said. “Not only are younger people in entry-level, retail and hospitality jobs, which have been cut, many of those planning to launch their careers in other industries are facing downsized organizations with hiring freezes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four of five Gen Zers have shown an interest in the gig economy, the labor market that features short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who end up doing contract work to get by now may find that they simply stay in the freelance economy once employment opportunities resurface, either because they enjoy it or have built their own brand and business,\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

Gen Zers, both those living at home and older members sheltering-in-place with family, have spent countless hours in front of a computer screen on schoolwork instead of attending classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill this generation relish the eventual move back to in-person schooling or will there be a newfound interest in online education?\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the college level, there is speculation that we may see a rise in Gen Zers taking online classes,\u201d she said. \u201cThose who may have been hesitant before have now been thrust into mandatory distance learning where they may have come to realize that it is not as anxiety provoking as once thought.”<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven this rise in exposure to online education,\u201d she said, “it seems plausible that this generation may be drawn to remote work in the future for the same reasons they like it as students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Psychological<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Because of coronavirus, some members of Generation Z are missing final high school sports seasons and potentially losing out on college scholarship opportunities. College students who took out loans are missing the traditional college experience, and many college seniors eager to enter their career field they spent years studying for are being laid off before the work even begins.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough these examples may seem to pale in comparison to illness and death, intense feelings of loss and grief are not bound to what others deem the most significant,\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

Many in Generation Z also had feared going to school because of the potential for a mass shooting to occur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill those in Generation Z be emotionally ready to return to a physical site for school after feeling the safety and security of staying home with families?\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

Seemiller also questions whether Generation Z will be quick to return to shaking hands and attending concerts and sporting events for fear of catching coronavirus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a more realistic than optimistic generation, will this be fodder for them to proceed through their lives feeling a dark cloud is always above?\u201d she said. \u201cOr will this massive crisis lead to a generation of resilience whose members can harken back to a time in history that they survived?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sociological<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With today\u2019s panic buying and supply shortages, Generation Z has been exposed to instances of hoarding. This generation, \u201cwhich has preferred renting instead of buying, may have a change of tone after this pandemic as they realize the dangers of not having critical items in times of need,\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill this generation forego a big purchase in the future and instead fill the pantry with canned goods?\u201d she said. \u201cOr will they temper the need for excess and help recalibrate purchasing practices for us all?\u201d<\/p>\n

Many Gen Zers, though, have volunteered to help others during coronavirus, making protective masks on 3D printers, creating public service announcements for young people about COVID-19 and grocery shopping for elderly people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see Generation Z \u2014 the ‘We’ generation \u2014 continue to engage in their communities as they grow older,\u201d said Seemiller. \u201cBut as this generation tends to favor social change over providing short-term service, being able to see gaps in the social structure during this crisis may be incredibly informative for them as they determine the causes they care about most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Gen Zers have also watched their parents and older loved ones handle the stress of jobs and finances, try to acquire food and supplies, and put other pressing obligations aside to assist with educating their children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis balancing act likely won\u2019t go unnoticed by young people,\u201d said Seemiller. \u201cAs a generation that already had expressed a desire to hold jobs with high work-life balance and flexibility, navigating this crisis as a family now may reinforce how to best balance their commitments to face adversity with their own families in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many Gen Zers are feeling isolated and digitally hyperconnected. They are eager to reconnect with friends in the real world instead of the virtual one.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter distancing restrictions are lifted, the notion of being \u2018zoomed out\u2019 may be the impetus for many young people to put down their devices more often and take advantage of the opportunity to connect in-person with others,\u201d said Seemiller.<\/p>\n

More information about Seemiller\u2019s research on Generation Z is available at thegenzhub.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Corey Seemiller, associate professor of leadership studies in education and organizations, examines the potential political, economic, psychological, sociological and social impacts of the coronavirus on young people. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":62590,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,4839,2104,744,725,715,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-coronavirus","category-teacher-education","category-education-human-services","category-home-news-sidebar","category-news","category-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87549"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87581,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87549\/revisions\/87581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}