Every day, like most students here, I traverse the halls and stairways of McCaskey East and JP. On one particular morning I was bumped into 6 times on my way to homeroom, and got only a single muttered “sorry.” 

That same day, as I traveled from 6th to 7th period, my shoes were stepped on twice, I was walked into by a young gent on his phone, and approximately 3 doors were closed, unheld, in my face. Not a single person acknowledged my existence. I get it, we all have places to be, like McDonalds or the bathroom, but some days it feels as if chivalry is truly dead, and Generation Z has killed it. 

But it goes further than the hallways. In several of my classes, long seconds of silence ring out after each question the teacher asks. Discussing with my peers, I find that this isn’t an isolated issue. One anonymous student commented, “Mrs. has to call on us one by one to get anyone to talk…nobody’s gonna answer any questions otherwise.” 

This culture of apathy and outright impoliteness permeates our school and generation as a whole. “Nobody opens the door anymore,” Says another anonymous student, and adds, “and nobody talks in my classes, there is no engagement whatsoever…If I was a teacher, I would quit on the spot.” 

But what is the root cause of this profound lack of motivation to learn, grow and be a good citizen? Why do the youth drag their slipper or croc-covered feet about, eyes drooping, clad in pajamas and sweatshirts, ears plugged with AirPods as they shuffle from class to class only to sit in silence or furtively glance at their phone from minute to minute? 

Many of us won’t be surprised by this, but according to a survey from the74million.org, 42 percent of Gen Z, or people born from 1990-2010, report battling with depression and feelings of hopelessness. They are also 3 times likely to report mental health issues so severe they have considered suicide on one or more occasions at an astounding 18 percent, or about 1 in 5 Gen Z-ers. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of Gen-Z has only worsened. At a pivotal moment in the growth and development of many teens, they were told to stay inside. For many (if not most) members of Gen Z, this exacerbated mental health issues for those who had them, and caused mental health issues for those who did not. 

A lot of Gen Z retreated to their phones and social media to stay connected, and according to a nationwide survey from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, smartphone use has greatly increased for 70% of Gen Z as a result of the pandemic. Excessive smartphone use affects almost every aspect of health negatively. It interferes with healthy sleep (in a recent survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 93% of Gen Z is sleep deprived due to social media), mood, stress levels, and overloads the mind with so much stimulation and drug-like neurotransmitters that everything else seems “boring.” 

So yes, the mental health of Gen Z is looking grim. 

Does this explain some of the apathy? It makes sense you’re disengaged in class when there is a 1 in 5 chance you want to kill yourself, a 2 in 5 chance you’re depressed or anxious,  and a 9 in 10 chance you aren’t sleeping enough. Not to mention a smartphone in your pocket that gives you the same amount of dopamine as heroin. How can a teacher compete with that? 

But does it excuse the complete lack of regard for others? No. It’s still exceedingly important to treat each other with respect, care, and courtesy. We are all just trying to get through the day. So please, hold the door open for the person behind you.