Gen Z Culture From A Gen Z

The Texas sun was beating on Kelli Nusspickel’s face. She looked behind her and backed up her Lexus out of the spot from in front of her house.

She let out a sigh and smiled. “Thank God I went to driving school” she said. “Well, and for such a beautiful day”.

Kelli Nusspickel, 19, is a part of Generation Z. This consists of anyone born from 1997 to 2012.

Generation Z is also known as some of the last people to know a world without the power of the internet at their fingertips. While also being the most adapted to technology.

Kelli Nusspickel, 19, Instant Messaging her friend over the popular app Snapchat.

With the access to technology, social media, and the internet, Generation Z has a distinct place in the world.

“The culture of Gen Z is chaotic,” Nusspickel said. “Very outspoken, social, kinda chaotic, lots of memes, and social media based”.

Memes have actually been around far longer than the internet, dating back to as early as 79 A.D. Although now with the internet, the spread is more instant and shareable.

“Gen Z humor really comes from a lot of memes but also Twitter, TikTok, that all steamed from other places like Tumblr and Myspace” Nusspickel said.

“It is just odd and chaotic”.

A noticeable trait of most Generation Z humor seems to also been influenced by the day-to-day. More likely the darker parts.

“You know I’m a high school senior and it sucks not having a prom, graduation, etc., but you know memes and if you make fun of yourself it makes it better” Nusspickel said. “Mental health, crazy events in the news, it just is better to cope with humor”.

Nusspickel, enjoying being at a park in her town. The city in which she lives has allowed for people to return to small public parks such as this one.

Generation Z has grown up in a whirlwind of events from Columbine and 9/11 to Sandy Hook and so much more. Even now experiencing a global pandemic.

“School shootings came to a point before school shut down that every day you would hear that someone opened fire in a school” she said. “You hear it so much at this point, Gen Z is very desensitized to events like that and even like this with Coronavirus.”

This desensitized generation, coupled with their humor, leads to the culture they have grown today.

“It kind of just comes from the mentality of Gen Z that you just got to laugh at it because if you get down in the stuff we’re so used to, you can’t live.”

The internet’s relationship with Generation Z also goes beyond with humor. Deep connections are also made in an online setting.

“In 2013 that is when Youtube kind of blew up, and YouTubers as well” Nusspickel said. “This was an opportunity to share with your friends these videos and gain memories from that. You also found yourself getting connected to the content creators as they went on their journey”.

Social Media and apps like YouTube, have created these spaces for entertainment and connection.

TikTok, now being arguably the most popular app among this generation.

“Tiktok is the peak of Gen Z” Nusspickel said. “Overall if you’re on that app, on the good side of it with the good content, that is what Gen Z looks like”.

The app is owned by a company in China called ByteDance. Users can upload videos doing absolutely anything, as long as it falls into community guidelines. Users are also able to share videos to their friends through the app or over text.

Generation Z is in some ways defined by this app. The humor leans towards their preferences and the ability to share so much is tempting.

“It is easy to be viral on TikTok because it is so random” Nusspickel said. “Going viral in general is random, but TikTok really showcases that.”

Generation Z and Millennials are both victims of bad reputations among older generations for their ways of living.

Yet for Nusspickel, she says she does not hear their criticism.

Nusspickel is proud to be a part of Generation Z as she looks to the future.

“I couldn’t image growing up in any other generation”, she said.

“My soul belongs in Generation Z”.