What defines generation-z?
Cover letter
In my capstone project, I chose to explore generation-z, my generation, and what made us the way that we are. It forced me to be introspective in my own experiences and childhood memories, and also gave me the opportunity to reach out to other people my age and learn more about what shaped them. Everyone has a different experience and especially different goals, so I loved seeing those come through in the conversations I was having. Ultimately, I decided that the word to define my generation is “underestimated”. It wasn’t a discovery that I made until later in the process of creating, but I’m so glad I got to that final point.
In my capstone project, I chose to explore generation-z, my generation, and what made us the way that we are. It forced me to be introspective in my own experiences and childhood memories, and also gave me the opportunity to reach out to other people my age and learn more about what shaped them. Everyone has a different experience and especially different goals, so I loved seeing those come through in the conversations I was having. Ultimately, I decided that the word to define my generation is “underestimated”. It wasn’t a discovery that I made until later in the process of creating, but I’m so glad I got to that final point.
artist’s/creator’s statement
I went through a lot of ideas when going through the process of what I wanted to do for this. I had originally really wanted to explore a more physical, artistic expression of what I’ve been researching. Doing things online with technology as my medium is just not really my favorite way of going about creative expression. My original idea had been to create a collage that pieced together snapshots of music, tv shows, clothing, movies, and iconic pop culture moments of the mid 2000’s that we all lived through. I wanted to be able to have people react to them and be able to share with me their personal memories that they had associated with some of them. I was curious to see how my own personal experiences compared to others. What I ended up doing was a podcast paired together with a visual component in a video. I combined snapshots from movies that I loved growing up watching, with commercials and tv show intros that I remember. I also added in videos from my own camera roll that I thought were funny and cute. Seeing all of it strung together as a cohesive visual component was really satisfying to me, but with it also brought intense feelings on nostalgia.
When starting this project, I came up with a lot of questions I wanted to answer, and narrowed it down by the end. Some of the initial questions I had were are things actually getting more unsafe- or do parents just have more access to things to be afraid of? Why is every aspect of our lives being tracked and monitored? Are shows like Euphoria helpful or harmful?
I think it was important for me to discuss this because some say it's unrealistic or that it glorifies and glamorizes drug use- but it's what people actually go through. Why are our expectations set so high? Does it come from comparison to the media and people we idolize in shows? What actually encompasses what we are experiencing? Thinking in terms of music and celebrities being more honest on their social media. Is it better to show an unrealistic, cheery version of it? Or realistic so that we don’t set ourselves up for failure when those expectations are inevitably not met. Why do parents want to micromanage all the details? Have we been asking for help? or do they just want to live vicariously through us?
I went through a lot of ideas when going through the process of what I wanted to do for this. I had originally really wanted to explore a more physical, artistic expression of what I’ve been researching. Doing things online with technology as my medium is just not really my favorite way of going about creative expression. My original idea had been to create a collage that pieced together snapshots of music, tv shows, clothing, movies, and iconic pop culture moments of the mid 2000’s that we all lived through. I wanted to be able to have people react to them and be able to share with me their personal memories that they had associated with some of them. I was curious to see how my own personal experiences compared to others. What I ended up doing was a podcast paired together with a visual component in a video. I combined snapshots from movies that I loved growing up watching, with commercials and tv show intros that I remember. I also added in videos from my own camera roll that I thought were funny and cute. Seeing all of it strung together as a cohesive visual component was really satisfying to me, but with it also brought intense feelings on nostalgia.
When starting this project, I came up with a lot of questions I wanted to answer, and narrowed it down by the end. Some of the initial questions I had were are things actually getting more unsafe- or do parents just have more access to things to be afraid of? Why is every aspect of our lives being tracked and monitored? Are shows like Euphoria helpful or harmful?
I think it was important for me to discuss this because some say it's unrealistic or that it glorifies and glamorizes drug use- but it's what people actually go through. Why are our expectations set so high? Does it come from comparison to the media and people we idolize in shows? What actually encompasses what we are experiencing? Thinking in terms of music and celebrities being more honest on their social media. Is it better to show an unrealistic, cheery version of it? Or realistic so that we don’t set ourselves up for failure when those expectations are inevitably not met. Why do parents want to micromanage all the details? Have we been asking for help? or do they just want to live vicariously through us?
7 CAPSTONE - Process Reflection 1
I need to learn more about the actual differences in how we were raised vs. how the generations before us were raised, and what the biggest factors in difference are. I hope to speak with DW and Ms. Broderick for this project because I think they both have really good insight into what we go through as students on a daily basis. Having had both of them as a teacher, I know that they are cognizant of the challenges and obstacles that we go through and how it personally affects us and our school life. My first question that I would ask them both is how long they have been teaching. This will show me if they have been a teacher long enough to see a difference in the students they teach, or if they will have a fresh and new perspective on it. My most important question is what we can do to help it, if anything. They might consider the issue to be something that just happened naturally, and will naturally progress.
I'm still not sure of who I would want to be in contact with externally even though I know who I will be referencing externally, so I have to still think about this part. Hopefully, someone who works with people my age on a daily basis or works in a field that discusses these types of questions. Maybe someone in media that works specifically to target teens and what they use/ what trends they capitalize on.
The next steps I need to take is finding more scholarly references for this. I am really trying to get a more realistic, less psychological answer for this question, and find my answers from the root. I'm hoping to look more into youth culture and how it has evolved and then in turn, how it has changed us and our minds.
I need to learn more about the actual differences in how we were raised vs. how the generations before us were raised, and what the biggest factors in difference are. I hope to speak with DW and Ms. Broderick for this project because I think they both have really good insight into what we go through as students on a daily basis. Having had both of them as a teacher, I know that they are cognizant of the challenges and obstacles that we go through and how it personally affects us and our school life. My first question that I would ask them both is how long they have been teaching. This will show me if they have been a teacher long enough to see a difference in the students they teach, or if they will have a fresh and new perspective on it. My most important question is what we can do to help it, if anything. They might consider the issue to be something that just happened naturally, and will naturally progress.
I'm still not sure of who I would want to be in contact with externally even though I know who I will be referencing externally, so I have to still think about this part. Hopefully, someone who works with people my age on a daily basis or works in a field that discusses these types of questions. Maybe someone in media that works specifically to target teens and what they use/ what trends they capitalize on.
The next steps I need to take is finding more scholarly references for this. I am really trying to get a more realistic, less psychological answer for this question, and find my answers from the root. I'm hoping to look more into youth culture and how it has evolved and then in turn, how it has changed us and our minds.
7 CAPSTONE - REVISED Capstone Project Narrative + Research Components
Annotated Bibliography (5 entries required).
Questions:
Would you consider yourself someone who interacts and engages with teenagers more than the average person?
When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
Why did you decide to be a teacher?
Were you looking forward to working with high school ages people?
How long have you been teaching/ since you've started have you seen a difference in the kids?
What do you do to try to pick up on how kids are feeling and how to combat/ heal those feelings,
...If you do anything?
Would you consider yourself in touch with how your students are feeling?
Do you make an effort for it to be that way or not?
Why do you think people like your class so much?
What makes you different from other high school teachers that leaves such an impact?
Annotated Bibliography (5 entries required).
- Paige, DeAsia. "We Asked Teens If 'Euphoria' Is Realistic." Vice, 31 July 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjvwkn/we-asked-teens-if-euphoria-is-realistic. A vice article which has quotes from teens about their opinions on Euphoria. Gives me the quotes, and real opinions that I am looking for in what captures our lives right now and how we define it ourselves
- Ringrose, Jessica, and Emma Renold. “Teen Feminist Killjoys?: Mapping Girls’ Affective Encounters with Femininity, Sexuality, and Feminism at School.” Girlhood and the Politics of Place, edited by Claudia Mitchell and Carrie Rentschler, Berghahn Books, NEW YORK; OXFORD, 2016, pp. 104–121. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14jxn16.11. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This publication shows how teenagers actually can make a difference, no matter what they are told. I think there has been a resurgence of teen feminists who want to bring in a new wave of equality, and this highlights and explains that very well.
- MOREH, SWENDA, and HENRY O'LAWRENCE. “COMMON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEPRESSION.” Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, vol. 39, no. 2, 2016, pp. 283–310. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44504679. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This study researches whether gender is a risk factor in depression for young adults. Also, how depression can impact school and college academic performance, psychological development, family and friend relationships, and then can end up being fatal if not treated.
- “Lost in Pleasure: Mad Joy in Images of Youth Culture.” At Face Value and Beyond: Photographic Constructions of Reality, by MONIKA SCHWÄRZLER, Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld, 2016, pp. 95–112. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxsf6.8. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This is one of my favorite references I have found so far. I am really looking to focus more on my topic of youth culture in 2019-2020, because honestly what I am doing right now is very depressing and I don’t think it’s something original or special. This shows all the aspects of our lives on camera. It is mainly inspiration for how I want my project to look and the kind of essence I am trying to capture.
- Loprest, Pamela, et al. “Disconnected Young Adults: Increasing Engagement and Opportunity.” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 5, 2019, pp. 221–243. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/rsf.2019.5.5.11. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This reference is something that focuses on employment and job opportunities for young adults. I would like to see the progression of the job market for young people because I think a lot of people are changing their career paths and I wonder if there is a correlation.
- Baah, Nana. "These Photos Perfectly Capture Millennials' Open Approach to Sex." Vice, V ice, 31 Jan. 2020, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/g5xv97/tarique-al-shabazz-photography-millennials-sexuality.
- Garland, Emma. "An A-Z of Things the 2010s Killed." Edited by Esme Blegvad. Vice, 27 Dec. 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/jgee78/an-a-z-of-things-the-2010s-killed.
- Knudsen, Søren Peter. "What Is 'Skam' and Why Is Everyone So Obsessed? A Dane Explains." Vice, 5 May 2017, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/z4jexe/what-is-skam-and-why-is-everyone-so-obsessed-a-dane-explains.
- Paige, DeAsia. "We Asked Teens If 'Euphoria' Is Realistic." Vice, 31 July 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjvwkn/we-asked-teens-if-euphoria-is-realistic. A vice article which has quotes from teens about their opinions on Euphoria. Gives me the quotes, and real opinions that I am looking for in what captures our lives right now and how we define it ourselves
- "Skool Sucks: Youth Culture in the year 2019 (short film)." YouTube, uploaded by Carter Houck, 6 June 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQALwXjZ-eE.
- Goldner, Limor, and Tal Berenshtein-Dagan. “Adolescents’ True-Self Behavior and Adjustment: The Role of Family Security and Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs.” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 1, 2016, pp. 48–73. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.62.1.0048. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
- Sofia P. Caldeira, et al. “Exploring the Politics of Gender Representation on Instagram: Self-Representations of Femininity.” DiGeSt. Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018, pp. 23–42. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.11116/digest.5.1.2. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
- Dunne, Carey. “The Emperor's New Corsets: The Story behind a Voyeuristic Cult of Prep-School Self-Improvement.” The Baffler, no. 34, 2017, pp. 146–158. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44466502. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
Questions:
Would you consider yourself someone who interacts and engages with teenagers more than the average person?
When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
Why did you decide to be a teacher?
Were you looking forward to working with high school ages people?
How long have you been teaching/ since you've started have you seen a difference in the kids?
What do you do to try to pick up on how kids are feeling and how to combat/ heal those feelings,
...If you do anything?
Would you consider yourself in touch with how your students are feeling?
Do you make an effort for it to be that way or not?
Why do you think people like your class so much?
What makes you different from other high school teachers that leaves such an impact?
7 CAPSTONE - Process Reflection #2
Right now, I feel a little disappointed because I've really lost a lot of the motivation and interest I had for this project. I think because I know that there won't be a real senior symposium and an in person presentation to show my friends and family something I'm passionate about. But, I do have some ideas for my artifact. I was hoping to make something with movies, pictures, cds, magazine clippings, etc that define huge moments. I want to hear about peoples personal experiences and memories associated with those things. I'm sure they would all be recognizable to most people my age, but everyone would have a different experience attached to it. I would like to know how the project timeline and expectations for how it will end are changing right now. It is hard to get invested with something when I'm not really sure what to expect in the future in terms of how the final product will look.
Right now, I feel a little disappointed because I've really lost a lot of the motivation and interest I had for this project. I think because I know that there won't be a real senior symposium and an in person presentation to show my friends and family something I'm passionate about. But, I do have some ideas for my artifact. I was hoping to make something with movies, pictures, cds, magazine clippings, etc that define huge moments. I want to hear about peoples personal experiences and memories associated with those things. I'm sure they would all be recognizable to most people my age, but everyone would have a different experience attached to it. I would like to know how the project timeline and expectations for how it will end are changing right now. It is hard to get invested with something when I'm not really sure what to expect in the future in terms of how the final product will look.
7 CAPSTONE - Thesis, Outline, etc
Thesis
Our lives as teenagers are so hard to understand from an adults point of view because we don’t truly understand ourselves at the same time
Outline of questions im hoping to answer
- are things actually getting more unsafe- or do they just have more access to things to be afraid of
Why is every aspect of our lives being tracked and monitored?
Are shows like Euphoria helpful or harmful?
- some say it's unrealistic or that it glorifies and glamorizes drug use- but it's what people actually go through
Why are our expectations set so high?
- comparison to media and people we idolize in shows
Comparison to people in real life; teens our age who are succeeding immensely
What actually encompasses what we are experiencing?
- music, celebrities being honest.
Why is it so hard to get representation in the media?
- Shows like Riverdale vs. skins
- Is it better to show an unrealistic, cheery version of it? Or realistic?
Why do parents want to micromanage all the details?
have we been asking for the help? or do they just want to live vicariously through us?
Is it because of the 24/7 access to comparison?
- social media gives us the opportunity to compare ourselves to things and people we didn't even know existed
Why do teenagers feel so unfulfilled?
- high expectations
- vs.
- disappointing realities
Thesis
Our lives as teenagers are so hard to understand from an adults point of view because we don’t truly understand ourselves at the same time
Outline of questions im hoping to answer
- are things actually getting more unsafe- or do they just have more access to things to be afraid of
Why is every aspect of our lives being tracked and monitored?
Are shows like Euphoria helpful or harmful?
- some say it's unrealistic or that it glorifies and glamorizes drug use- but it's what people actually go through
Why are our expectations set so high?
- comparison to media and people we idolize in shows
Comparison to people in real life; teens our age who are succeeding immensely
What actually encompasses what we are experiencing?
- music, celebrities being honest.
Why is it so hard to get representation in the media?
- Shows like Riverdale vs. skins
- Is it better to show an unrealistic, cheery version of it? Or realistic?
Why do parents want to micromanage all the details?
have we been asking for the help? or do they just want to live vicariously through us?
Is it because of the 24/7 access to comparison?
- social media gives us the opportunity to compare ourselves to things and people we didn't even know existed
Why do teenagers feel so unfulfilled?
- high expectations
- vs.
- disappointing realities
FINALIZED & REVISED Research Components
Annotated Bibliography (5 entries required).
Annotated Bibliography (5 entries required).
- Paige, DeAsia. "We Asked Teens If 'Euphoria' Is Realistic." Vice, 31 July 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjvwkn/we-asked-teens-if-euphoria-is-realistic. A vice article which has quotes from teens about their opinions on Euphoria. Gives me the quotes, and real opinions that I am looking for in what captures our lives right now and how we define it ourselves
- Ringrose, Jessica, and Emma Renold. “Teen Feminist Killjoys?: Mapping Girls’ Affective Encounters with Femininity, Sexuality, and Feminism at School.” Girlhood and the Politics of Place, edited by Claudia Mitchell and Carrie Rentschler, Berghahn Books, NEW YORK; OXFORD, 2016, pp. 104–121. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14jxn16.11. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This publication shows how teenagers actually can make a difference, no matter what they are told. I think there has been a resurgence of teen feminists who want to bring in a new wave of equality, and this highlights and explains that very well.
- MOREH, SWENDA, and HENRY O'LAWRENCE. “COMMON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEPRESSION.” Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, vol. 39, no. 2, 2016, pp. 283–310. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44504679. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This study researches whether gender is a risk factor in depression for young adults. Also, how depression can impact school and college academic performance, psychological development, family and friend relationships, and then can end up being fatal if not treated.
- “Lost in Pleasure: Mad Joy in Images of Youth Culture.” At Face Value and Beyond: Photographic Constructions of Reality, by MONIKA SCHWÄRZLER, Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld, 2016, pp. 95–112. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxsf6.8. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This is one of my favorite references I have found so far. I am really looking to focus more on my topic of youth culture in 2019-2020, because honestly what I am doing right now is very depressing and I don’t think it’s something original or special. This shows all the aspects of our lives on camera. It is mainly inspiration for how I want my project to look and the kind of essence I am trying to capture.
- Loprest, Pamela, et al. “Disconnected Young Adults: Increasing Engagement and Opportunity.” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 5, 2019, pp. 221–243. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/rsf.2019.5.5.11. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020. This reference is something that focuses on employment and job opportunities for young adults. I would like to see the progression of the job market for young people because I think a lot of people are changing their career paths and I wonder if there is a correlation.
- Works Cited
- Baah, Nana. "These Photos Perfectly Capture Millennials' Open Approach to Sex." Vice, V ice, 31 Jan. 2020, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/g5xv97/tarique-al-shabazz-photography-millennials-sexuality.
- Garland, Emma. "An A-Z of Things the 2010s Killed." Edited by Esme Blegvad. Vice, 27 Dec. 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/jgee78/an-a-z-of-things-the-2010s-killed.
- Knudsen, Søren Peter. "What Is 'Skam' and Why Is Everyone So Obsessed? A Dane Explains." Vice, 5 May 2017, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/z4jexe/what-is-skam-and-why-is-everyone-so-obsessed-a-dane-explains.
- Paige, DeAsia. "We Asked Teens If 'Euphoria' Is Realistic." Vice, 31 July 2019, www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjvwkn/we-asked-teens-if-euphoria-is-realistic. A vice article which has quotes from teens about their opinions on Euphoria. Gives me the quotes, and real opinions that I am looking for in what captures our lives right now and how we define it ourselves
- "Skool Sucks: Youth Culture in the year 2019 (short film)." YouTube, uploaded by Carter Houck, 6 June 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQALwXjZ-eE.
- Goldner, Limor, and Tal Berenshtein-Dagan. “Adolescents’ True-Self Behavior and Adjustment: The Role of Family Security and Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs.” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 1, 2016, pp. 48–73. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.62.1.0048. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
- Sofia P. Caldeira, et al. “Exploring the Politics of Gender Representation on Instagram: Self-Representations of Femininity.” DiGeSt. Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018, pp. 23–42. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.11116/digest.5.1.2. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
- Dunne, Carey. “The Emperor's New Corsets: The Story behind a Voyeuristic Cult of Prep-School Self-Improvement.” The Baffler, no. 34, 2017, pp. 146–158. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44466502. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
DRAFT 2
Revised podcast script and outline
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SbbuNSBi7JTlq-J2lkNgMa2JZTIDP_H3VUaKtkVy-uw/edit?usp=sharing
Revised podcast script and outline
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SbbuNSBi7JTlq-J2lkNgMa2JZTIDP_H3VUaKtkVy-uw/edit?usp=sharing