COVID-19 and the Younger Generations

Millennials and Gen Zs have been known to go against the grain since they were born. That statement hasn't changed with the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Multiple news stories have shown the outright defiance of the younger generation during the countrywide lockdown. One of the most notable news stories comes from an Ohio born student, Brady Sluder, who went to Miami, Florida for spring break. His response to the outbreak? "If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying,". As reckless as this behavior is, it's not uncommon. Many college students have expressed their disappointment and frustration as the outbreak continues to prevent them from going on spring break, but aren't stopping their travel plans. But what generation are these students? They're all Generation Z.

Generation Z, or Gen Zs, range in ages between 8 and 23 years old (source: Bloomberg News), which means they were born between the years of 1997 and 2012. Millennials, on the other hand, range in ages between 24 and 39 years old (source: The Federal Reserve Board), which means they were born between the years of 1981 and 1996. Although there are many similarities between these generations, such as political views and high motivation in the workplace, there is one notable difference when it comes to their reaction to the virus: common sense. Millennials are striving to work together to prevent the spread of the virus by working from home and practicing social distancing as health professionals have strongly urged. Mairead McArdle, a National Review reporter, tweeted "We and our anxiety issues are holed up working from home [...] and yelling at our parents not to go outside. It's Gen Z you want". And she seems to be right.

As we continue to see the spread of COVID-19, we also continue to see the drop in gas prices and airline tickets. Gen Z kids seem to be taking advantage of these prices, but not thinking about the possible consequences of their actions. Most of these people have a dangerous mindset, preaching that they only live once and that they don't want to stop living their lives. It's an understandable way to live, but not in this unfortunate time that we're living in currently, especially because of how the virus can show itself. A study by Jeffery Shaman and his colleagues of Columbia University in New York showed that 86% of COVID cases in 375 Chinese cities between January 10th and January 23rd were classified as "undocumented". This means that these people were either asymptomatic (not showing any symptoms at all) or had very mild symptoms. With this study showing us all a rather staggering statistic, it's not preventing the younger generation from doing exactly what they want, even though they may be putting others at risk.

We are all guilty of having this attitude at one point or another in our lives, none of us are selfless every second of every day. As this devastating virus and key turning point in history continues to go on, we urge you to please use common sense and listen to medical professionals. Keep yourselves and others safe; only you can help prevent the spread of this virus.