Generation Z’s attempt at the devil’s advocate: performative neutrality
In a political era that requires hasty action and organization, both youngest and eldest generations are left scrambling to their devices to do everything to create peace. However, there’s a plaguing mindset that exposes why there’s been difficulty making progress.
Both Generation Z and Generation Alpha were projected to be the most active and politically literate, but according to multiple statistics that’s not necessarily the case (especially amongst young men).
Growing up in an era where you have access to an online sphere feeding you multiple forms of information, it’s difficult to learn to differentiate between truth and falsity. Coupled with the pressure to stay out of the public eye and diminish any forms of personal expression to avoid being seen as “cringy,” this leads to young people falling back on the safety net of playing the Devil’s advocate, following the mistake of their elders.
Observing how common it is to argue just to “win” and get the last word in, as well as the with the swinging pendulum amongst young people in terms of politics every two to four years, it makes one wonder, “Do young people really have their own opinions, or are they curating these opinions not because of their personal experiences, but because of someone else’s?”
As someone a part of Generation Z myself, I’m asking the question based on what I’ve observed from my peers. When listening to my generation converse in topics and debates, there is passion and there are ideas, but there are no clear stances. I’ve observed that the younger generation is full of potential leaders, but there’s a lot of fear and hesitancy: the fear to stand out and put what you really think out in the public.
The younger generations end up repeating the same ideas from their elders, hiding their own unique substance.
When it comes to playing the devil’s advocate, one could notice that young people want to be neutral as possible to avoid being labeled extreme, explaining the behavior of silencing or diminishing their own opinions to coddle others.
But at a certain point, there needs to be an understanding that you can only be so neutral before being viewed as an opportunist. Being “neutral” only benefits the neutral party because said party has access to both opposing sides. generation Z needs to do self-reflection to understand that this behavior is untrustworthy, and benefits no one in the end.
To play the devil’s advocate, one would have to go against their personal beliefs to favor a differing opinion (that’s usually popular) to either further discussion or worse: to rebel just for the sake of being “different” than the rest of your peers.
It’s crucial for Generation Z and generation Alpha to be able to properly develop their own views based on their experiences while at the same time recognizing others’ experiences at a healthy balance.
When it comes to political discussions, generation z is observed to want to generate a space where everyone’s ideas can run without push back. In a government with a two party system (speaking solely about the United States), you have to be able to make a clear-decision on some issues, especially matters pertaining to social equality. You cannot both-sides a conversation pertaining to social equality. You just cannot. I understand the young generation wanting to appeal to both their restrictive families and to society’s urge to progress, but it’s impossible to be socially progressive while making exceptions for regressive thinking.
I do believe there are nuances where two subjects can be true at once, but young people have the tendency to blend uncorrelated topics together to make a point. A person who is able to express their genuine opinions based on their experiences and their current knowledge is one that would gain healthy trust amongst the public.
At first, this article was made to heavily criticize this flaw amongst Generation Z and Generation Alpha, but I wanted to introduce empathy into the conversation because young people are seldom given grace at this time. We are in a state of the world where people can no longer ignore even the simplest aspects influencing their lives like before.
I do believe the public is starting to wake up after witnessing the horrors of the current administration in the United States. Right now it’s time to put the Devil’s Advocate cape down and speak from the heart.
