Hello Friends,
This week’s reading is a deep dive into Gen Z, a designation used to describe those born between 1996 and 2010. As we approach Election Day, we are particularly interested in learning more about where Gen Z stands politically. What are the issues that you care most about? What do you think about our political system and about the politicians currently in office? What is your vision for the future of the U.S. ?
1.Please explore the texts listed below and then respond to them in a new blog post. Make sure the title of the post includes your name and the term Gen Z. In your post, identify at least three specific things that stood out to you from your reading. To what extent do these portraits of your Gen Z align with your own sense of who you and your peers are? What would you like to add or change to these descriptions of Gen Z? What do they get right? What do they miss? If you had been interviewed for any of these stories, what would you have added? How do you FEEL after reading these pieces? Do they evoke any strong reactions? I am looking forward to reading your posts, which are due by October, 28th. We will be discussing these works during our call on Wednesday, so be prepared to share your responses orally as well.
Kim Parker and Ruth Igielnik, “On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know about Gen Z So Far”
Rishika Dugyala and Kamran Rahman, “Gen Z Rising: 6 Things to Know about Gen Z, Politics, and 2020”
Kate Bubacz, “Gen Z is about to go to the Polls, Many for the First Time. Here’s What They Care About”
All Things Considered, NPR (Radio) – “Gen Z Voters on the Issues that Matter Most to Them Ahead of the Election”
2.Using the Buzzfeed piece (the one with the portraits and quotations) as your model, you will be interviewing three members of Gen Z about their feelings about the upcoming election and sharing selections from their responses in a carefully composed post that should be uploaded by Sunday, November 1st.
You may choose to stick with the model Buzzfeed uses and pair photographs with quotations. This might mean capturing screenshots over Facetime, asking respondents to photograph themselves, meeting friends outside for masked interviews, or interviewing members of your own household. I’m sure your classmates would also be willing interview subjects. You might also choose to present your interviews (or selections of your interviews) in video or audio form. The choice is yours. No matter what format you choose, you will need to prepare for your interviews ahead of time. Compose a list of questions you want to ask. You can use the articles listed above for inspiration, but also feel free to add your own questions. Remember that our goal is to learn more about what issues matter most to members of Gen Z and about how they feel about the political process. If you are intending to use the Buzzfeed model and share selected quotations from the interviews, I would suggest making an audio or video recording of the conversation, rather than trying to write their remarks down. Alternatively, you could send your interview subjects the questions and ask them to respond in writing. Figure out what strategy works best for you!
