A Coming Of Age In The Trump Era
Image: Aaditi Lele
An ill-timed four years, clear backpacks, and metal detectors: the future of Gen-Z. A handful of months after President Trump took his seat in the Oval Office, I took my first in a high school classroom, inaugurating my four-year journey with millions of others. As my four years paralleled the Trump Presidency, I found the two augmentingly intertwined as the Presidency fostered the Gen-Z mindset, ripe for 2020.
According to Pew Research Center, in 2020, 1 out of every 10 eligible voters is aged 18-23. Up from 4% in 2016, the next presidential election marks the first where this generation will play a significant role. The forecasted influence of Gen-Z comes as no surprise. In fact, in the 2018 midterms, younger generations (Gen X, Millenial, and Gen Z) outvoted the older generations (Boomers and elders) for the first time. Over halfway through a contentious presidency, the Trump administration has inadvertently precipitated the growth of an immensely cognizant and engaged youth through disheartening realms of inaction and neglect but wrongfully written them off for 2020.
There’s no way to tell how Gen-Z will vote in the coming elections but political science research has shown that a generation of voters is shaped for life by what happens during their teenage years and early 20s: whether their president is popular, what tragedies occur, and what issues define the era. So, the influence of growing up in the Trump era could come to define our generation for decades to come.
That leaves us with one question: What will be the lasting impact of the Trump era on the future of Gen Z?
Today, the influence appears two-pronged. On one hand, Trump-era policies have driven Gen-Z to become activists, advocates, and organizers on a myriad of token issues such as gun violence, climate justice, and immigration. But the motif of a teenager with a bullhorn doesn’t tell the whole story. Youth activism has been coupled with an opposing impact: disinterest. The divisiveness, rumor mills, and phenomenon of Trump fatigue haven’t discriminated against Gen-Z. In fact, they have turned an already disillusioned generation away from politics altogether.
For one, the Trump presidency has led Gen-Z to pick up the bullhorns, organize, and strike. Defining issues are clear: gun control and climate change. With 2/3rds of the youth vote supporting stricter gun regulation, it has become a key issue. And from the moment President Trump began delivering speeches at the NRA promising to “protect the 2nd Amendment rights under siege,” students flowed into the streets. A New York Times article characterized students at the marches as “eloquent young voices, equipped with symbolism and social media savvy, riding a resolve as yet untouched by cynicism.” Not only did the activism define Gen-Z as a spirited generation distinct from millennials, but it also spread slogans, viral videos, and sentiment across social media which spilled over into the feeds of age groups beyond Gen-Z. Coupled with gun control, the future-driven Gen-Zers are at the forefront of the climate change movement. With the mass of strikes being led by politically engaged teens and young adults, the era has defined the trend of mass political engagement.
While the problems plaguing my generation in this era have driven many to engage, vote, and lead, they have also had the opposite effect: they have inspired disinterest and apathy. A phenomenon many refer to as “Trump fatigue.” Many Gen Z-ers have turned away from politics as a result of the divisiveness, and all-encompassing nature of politics in the Trump era. In fact, many feel like they are living in a perpetual campaign rather than a presidency. However, the activism and engagement of my generation far outweigh their occasional disinterest and will be the defining factor in 2020.
Coming of age in Trump’s America will define my generation for a lifetime. Inadvertently, the new Gen-Z mindset has become Trump’s foremost legacy and will soon manifest in 2020 and beyond.