How will Zoomers Change Politics?

Generation Z, or "Zoomers," are transforming the landscape of American politics in ways that previous generations could hardly imagine. Born roughly between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s, this generation is not only more politically active but also more passionate about social issues than any before them. By 2023, around 52% of Zoomers identified as politically active, a significant increase compared to the 38% of Millennials who were politically engaged at the same age. More importantly for the publishers of this article, Zoomers are the first generation to have ever polled a majority of American Zoomers having a positive view of socialism (in 2021), while the generation has moved to the right since then (as have all Americans), hope is still here.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone reading this that I am in fact, a Zoomer. I was born in 2006, my earliest political memories are discussions about the 'Great Recession', the one after that, feeling a creeping sense of terror as Donald Trump opened his campaign, calling immigrants, like my mom and dad, rapists.

To look at some modern examples of youth-led activism we should take the Youth Climate Strikes, inspired by Zoomer activists like Greta Thunberg, which drew over 4 million participants worldwide in 2019. The shift in attitude over climate that these protests led to, made climate action a central focus in political discussions, directly impacting policies and legislation. I remember that I was a part of a group that got my own town to pass a climate emergency resolution through organized and non-violent pressure campaigns. I even got to talk to the State Senator that had been elected that August in a Special Election, despite my own personal efforts to keep the seat Democratic (it had flipped for the first time ever in 2018 and stayed blue in 2020).

Other movements like Black Lives Matter have witnessed heightened participation from Zoomers and will stay in our collective conscious for many days to come, being some of the first causes that we believed in. A survey found that 74% of young Americans were in favor of the movement, demonstrating their commitment to issues of racial equality. The power of social media cannot be overstated; platforms like TikTok and Twitter have allowed them to organize rapidly, amplifying their voices and creating a ripple effect of awareness. From BLM in 2020, to the Free Palestine movements in 2023/24, social media, even after TikTok is banned, will change the way my generation deals with politics in a way that Millennials were only partially able to experience.

Comparing Ourselves to Previous Generations

Historically, the Baby Boomers were known for similar movements in the 1960s, in civil rights and anti-war movements, they certainly thought that they were harbingers of socialist change at some points. Except, this reputation is despite the fact that Baby Boomers, by the time of Thatcher and Reagan, tended to vote for the right-wing 'renewal' efforts, in larger numbers then their elders. The majority of Boomers were in fact, not hippies. While a large chunk was in college during the movement, the vast majority of them turned into, or aspired to be, Yuppies. Most of those who had once burned bras, draft cards, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention, eventually turned, into the neoliberal Yuppie. Especially by the '80s, the Baby Boomer generation had in fact, abandoned its radical roots and replaced it with the Yuppie 'movement'.

Consider the tale of Jerry Rubin, member of the Yippie Party (Youth International Party), a radical socialist grouping, who was tried as one of the Chicago 7, and convicted as a felon for 'inciting a riot' at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Thankfully for Rubin, his conviction was overturned on appeal, unfortunate for the movement he represented, he re-invented himself as a Broker on Wall Street not so long after his brush with the law. His desire was to give capitalists a social conscious, despite this largely good goal, he died in a car crash. His legacy of activism corrupted by what many will see as a betrayal, others will see as growing up, and I view as largely representative of the generation that idolized him (although it should be noted, that Rubin is by most definitions, not a Baby Boomer).

This begs the question, this wave of activism, seen on College Campuses, Instagram Stories, and Twitter arguments all across the country (and indeed the world); will it last, and what will it garner?

As mentioned earlier in this article, Gen Z are the first generation to have ever been polled to have a majority of them have a positive view of socialism (albeit, a bare one of 51%). Now, there are a depressing amount of Zoomers who add the prefix "national" to this, and even use the term "MAGA Communist" (found in the twitter bio of your most annoying friend, or cousin, still in High School). It is also true that this wave of activism comes after decades of the detoxification of socialism. Which is perhaps the most important part of how we may vote in the future.

What is perhaps the most intoxicatingly hopeful about the new wave of activism is that polling indicates that 60% of Gen Z voters lean toward supporting candidates who champion specific causes rather than traditional party lines. This represents a notable shift, as their interests often take precedence over party loyalty, contrasting sharply with the allegiance seen in Millennials and Boomers.

Does this mean that we will have a viable nation-wide progressive democratic socialist party in the future? Not soon, the memory of the Cold War still lingers in the minds of anyone born before 1991, and fears about China are rising quickly. That being said, Progressives are winning, while Democrats in general in this election cycle, are still pretty unpopular. Millennials, as they age, are becoming the first generation in decades to be poorer than their parents. As the accumulation of wealth from one generation to another is slowing, and even faltering, the generations of youthful ideas are having their ideas become more and more left-wing. In America, elder Millennials are becoming even more leftist on average as they age, while more and more young voters are pelted with reminders from their Instagram activist friends to register to vote. It may be that as one generation of Centrist (and then not-so-centrist) and Populist politicians are put to pasture by their respective political machines, a new generation is arising.

While Zoomers are making our waves, elder Millennials are also shifting their ideological stance. Many have transitioned from centrist or moderate views to more progressive beliefs. Following the challenges posed by the post-2008 economic climate and rising living costs, nearly 70% of elder Millennials now prioritize social democracy and progressive policies.

These changes have created a powerful convergence. As Zoomers advocate for reform, elder Millennials often rally behind these movements, forming a strong coalition. This collaboration may well reshape the political landscape, combining the idealism of Zoomers with the experience of elder Millennials.

An International Perspective

It should be prefaced that not everywhere are Gen-Z and the internet activism of our generation a force for good. In Canada, our generation are in fact the most right-wing voting bloc, and Justin Trudeau's three term government looks to come up shorthanded in its progress in developing and changing Canada in meaningful ways. While it's true that in 2021, most young voters voted for the environmentalist Greens, today, most young voters are considering voting for the AfD, the far-right nationalistic grouping that is so far-right that even Marine Le Pen believes they are too extreme.

That being said, the positive influence of Generation Z is not isolated to the U.S.; our activism is resonating globally. In countries like Hong Kong and Sudan, young people have taken to the streets to challenge authoritarian regimes and advocate for democratic reforms.

For instance, during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, young activists utilized strategic protests and social media tactics, echoing the engagement seen in U.S.-based movements. In Sudan, grassroots youth-driven initiatives played crucial roles in ousting a dictator, showcasing how this wave of activism transcends borders.

This global solidarity highlights a shared understanding of humanity and the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling pressing challenges. Even while some in the older generations despair at the inroads the radical right is making in our generation, when tested, we come back to our senses. In France, the youth where instrumental in dismantling the momentum of the far-right RN, and keeping them far, far, far away from the halls of power, even if just in the legislative.

The Road Ahead

Despite our impressive mobilization and influence, Generation Z faces unique challenges. The political landscape is often polarized, complicating the dialogue between differing generations and ideologies. Our Generation is perhaps the most divided of them all, our earliest political memories being in Toxic Trump land, and maturing politically when the sensible Centrist largely sh** the bed, we are a generation that largely believes (and has been shown, time and time again) that the politics of the sensible will leave us behind. We all know we need reform, radical, relentless change. That being said, a lot of us think those changes should be Fascism.

The Constant flow of information, whilst exhilarating to some, has led to take a coward's way out. Many of my generation are nihilists, many of us gave up on politics before we even got to vote. We all heard the insanity of the Trump Administration, and the lackluster results of 2 years of a Democratic Trifecta. We all remember the disturbingly (and sadly) nostalgic times of the Pandemic, were everything truly felt like it was crashing down. Now, everything to us is an improvement.

A lot of my generation have decided that politics isn't for them, not because they don't think things should change, but because we don't believe in the older generations capacity to lend us a helping hand. Or even, lend a helping hand to their own children, and they think, mindlessly, that we are the problem. That our constant access to information (sometimes accurate, sometimes not-so-much), our ability to raise our voices when we see someone needlessly kicked down, I have heard so many people say that nothing ever changes. They will post their black squares, and post to their stories that All Eyes Are on Rafah. Then, they won't do anything else.

Of course, this is natural, Zoomers were largely born with the 2008 Recession, the first president whose policies we were aware of was Trump, and (at least I) entered puberty during the Pandemic. All for us to come to today, where the minimum wage is exactly where it was before the youngest of us were born, as we go to college, we are keenly aware that most of us are adding to the $1 trillion Student Loan debt of our nation. Most of us will be poorer than even Millennials, and just as we got our first jobs, inflation ravaged our paychecks, and a large amount of our nations entered into recession.

Burnout is natural when our generation feels like we have no voice. All that we should know is that we have a voice that not only changes things, but will fundamentally shift American politics to the left, over the next couple of decades. If we at The Radical Times (all of us being members of Generation Z), are going to have any say about it, we all know which direction the country will head in, when we're old and grey.

Generation Z is undeniably carving out a transformative path in both American and international politics. Their unique approach to activism, combined with the evolving beliefs of elder Millennials, reflects a hopeful trend toward progressive change.

As Zoomers advocate for social justice, climate action, and global collaboration, we embody a renewed spirit of change that will define the future. Their collective voice is powerful, and their influence will resonate for years to come. Our collective voice will not and cannot be shuttered, no matter how many of us switch sides as we politically mature. No matter how loudly the minority shouts that they will disenfranchise us (like Vivek Ramaswamy wanted to, for those of us under 21), or however loudly the Trumpists say that we'll change when we graduate, after we get real jobs. No matter how loudly idiots scream, the intelligent among us will carry on.

Recognizing the strength of our activism and the challenges we encounter is vital for promoting radical change. It is essential for all generations to unite and work collaboratively, making the political sphere more vibrant, equitable, and reflective of core values that create a better tomorrow.

To steal the rhetoric of our worst president, the job of us in this generation is to build a shining city on a hill. To make a tomorrow that, when we were kids, watching Trump get inaugurated, or seeing on YouTube that the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic, could've only imagined in our dreams. Brick by brick, vote by vote, hateful mind by hateful mind, we will change this world into something even the most radical among us only believe is possible in books and op-eds.

God-willing, this generation is the change generation. The generation where history will quiet itself, for the songs of prosperity, equality, and liberty to sing once again. Many a meme during the pandemic described the feeling of waking up, checking the news, and seeing that history was being made (often for the worse). Hopefully, and at the very least in this election, Gen Z can stave off history for a second and let the quiet work of progress begin again.