Em, a graduate from Pratt Institute, encountered a bleak job market for sculpture majors during the pandemic. After shifting to coding and facing rejections, they became disheartened by mass tech layoffs. Struggling to find stable work, Em reflects on their dire financial situation and growing mental anguish. Their experience embodies the broader distress felt by Gen Z, characterized by anxiety and hopelessness in the wake of unique global challenges. This generation is noted for their high levels of stress, burnout, and an alarming rise in unhappiness, particularly as expressed in recent reports on societal well-being.
When Em graduated from the Pratt Institute in May 2020, two months into the pandemic, there were simply no jobs for a sculpture major, even in New York.
Their story speaks to a panic and despair pervasive among members of Gen Z. Lately, I find that the tone people over 30 most often use when talking about today's young adults is less a reflexively finger-wagging "kids these days" and more a genuine sympathy.
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