Born into Crisis: The Silent Burnout of Gen Z

Since reaching puberty, we've all heard people tell us that we don't work enough, we scroll too much, we don't try hard enough, and we expect too much too soon. But what if Gen Z isn't lazy? What if we're just tired of living in a world we didn't wish to be born into? Compared to other generations, we didn't inherit comfort but crisis. This article isn't a pity party but a way to observe how Gen Z was shaped by chaos and survival through the lens of sociology.

We were born during or after 9/11. We grew up watching the world burn, cities getting destroyed, animals going extinct, and school lockdowns becoming increasingly normalized. With leaders failing again and again, from financial crises to global pandemics, we all realized that nothing was stable. Social media bombards us with constant bad news and trauma; it's called doom scrolling, but it feels more like drowning. Ask people how many of them were traumatized by scrolling on X, and the numbers will surprise you. Durkheim described a society in rapid change as one where people feel disconnected, lost, and unsure of their purpose. This describes us, Gen Z. We didn't lose structure; we never grew up with it.

From a young age, we were told to work, to be productive, perfect, and presentable at all times. School isn't just about learning and making friends. It's about surviving the huge pressure of succeeding, being better than everyone, fitting in, and never slowing down for fear of being left behind. We create content for free for platforms to monetize; we grind, post, study, and smile while being told we're not doing enough. No wonder we're tired.

Looking fine online doesn't mean we're fine in real life. On Instagram, we post our best pictures; on TikTok, we post funny videos, dance videos, and even memes making fun of our trauma. But in real life, how many of us are battling anxiety, depression, or even worse? Goffman said life's a stage, and we all wear masks to play roles. Gen Z's mask is curated, funny, and emotionally detached. We laugh, but we're tired; we joke, but we're scared; we pretend because it's better than admitting we live in a world slowly destroying itself. At the end of the day, you can't build a future when you're scared you won't have one.

We don't need another lecture. We don't need someone telling us how useless we are. We are tired, not lazy; afraid, not weak; quiet, not clueless. Even when we joke about our pain and trauma, we feel it deeply. We are tired because the world never gave us a break.

Works Cited

Francis, T. and Hoefel, F. (2018). True gen: Generation Z and its implications for companies. [online] McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies.

Parker, K. and Igielnik, R. (2020). On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far. [online] Pew Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far/.

World Health Organization (2024). Mental health of adolescents. [online] World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-heal