Understanding Gen Z

Gen Z is remixing and repurposing old spiritual practices to maintain a sense of community.

They grew up with phones in their hands—and learned early not to blindly trust the Internet.

The solution is not to turn off our phones; it's to develop social, economic, and political structures that address deeper issues of social disconnection and overwork.

If our generation looked more closely at religious communities—inclusive, loving ones—we might be surprised by the care that we'd find there, no strings attached.

Millennials may be proving that coming to marriage later, with less rigid roles, is enabling the sort of marriages that Boomers idealized—and too often failed to create.

With access to seemingly unlimited social archives, young people still understand nostalgia. It might just be a bit different from their parents' version.

Many are no longer passing on the old sacred teachings, but they are imparting a new one: that everyone has not just a right but a duty to choose their own worldview.

The trend toward non-religiousness in this generation is probably here to stay. The upsides include increasing levels of tolerance.

Digital platforms don't define Gen Z—but young people's use of technology is helping them create new communities.

At some level, we are all experiencing the Web's toxic possibilities. But as with other toxins, young developing bodies and brains are more susceptible.

The right kind of A.I. can respond to any threat of violence, thereby encouraging bystanders to take action to maintain responsible online communities.

Watching my children consume their music with plugs stuffed in their ears, I wonder if we're all missing out on opportunities to engage.

Separating our conversations about school shootings from our conversations about video games will improve our approach to both.

As young people read less and less, they may be short-circuiting their reading brains.

There are upsides and downsides to social media—and I'm proud to be part of a generation tackling these issues to create a healthier future.

The messages they're getting in the media are terrifying—and the sustained sense of real threats could leave this generation with psychological scars.

Generational analysis can be enlightening—but it can also be facile and sensationalistic.

In our conversations with young people, it's become clear that technology abuse is rampant—among their parents.

Take some time to talk with the young adults in your life about recent technological changes—their responses may surprise you.

I used to worry about this allegedly cosseted generation. Then came the shootings in Parkland, and I began to see another side of these young people that humbles me.

I'm hopeful that the next generation of children, after watching us be fools for our devices, may decide it's not worth it.

There's a clear need to rethink what "impact" means, given the concept's distorting effect on students' priorities and ethics.

Young people's ability to navigate the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak.

Social institutions that nourish the arts need to offer young people aesthetic experiences that reflect their lived experiences.