Gen Z is stepping into their political power: being elected into Congress, serving as delegates, and protesting for a ceasefire in Gaza. This generation of young people aged 12 to 27 showed out at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, but they have some major concerns as they do it. According to Gen Z attendees at the DNC, money and the U.S. economy is one of the most pressing issues in this election.
The DNC has been as much about Gen Z’s ascension as it has been about Kamala Harris’s nomination. From content creators giving speeches to “Hotties for Harris” parties, the Democrats have been courting the progressive youth vote in hopes of once again earning their support in November.
Political scientist Melissa Deckman’s upcoming book, “The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy,” sheds light on this generation’s growing political participation. Deckman’s research reveals that Gen Z particularly women and LGBTQ individuals, are increasingly spearheading progressive activism and participating in politics at higher levels than their straight male peers, creating a historic “reverse gender gap.”
However, recent polling suggests that the youth vote remains closely contested. A survey conducted by the GenForward project at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics found that among voters ages 18-40, Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump by just one percentage point (38% to 37%). Interestingly, Trump had a 2-point advantage among Gen Z voters ages 18-26, while Harris led by the same margin among millennial voters ages 27-40.
“[The economy is] something I think is in the back of young Americans’ minds for almost every decision, and something I think about all the time,” 24-year-old Jessica Siles told Reckon. “It’s definitely helped decide for me what areas I can and can’t live in.”
Affordability is influencing the life choices this generation is making. Christopher Lockridge, 22, said high education and living costs influenced his decision to pursue online classes instead of attending an out-of-state university.
“Originally I chose to go to Tennessee State University, but I think housing for Tennessee State was like $45,000 a year, which is just terrible. Like, why do I have to pay $45,000 just to live on campus, a year? Plus the books fees, school fees, computer fees, everything else,” he said. “That’s putting us in debt.”
Siles and Lockridge are far from alone. While experts say the economy isn’t down bad, Americans are struggling to afford essential needs like healthcare and housing. According to a survey published by Credit Karma in 2022, about 30% of Gen Z lived at home with their parents, and were planning to stay there long term. U.S. Census data shows the numbers are higher, with over half of young adults 18 to 24 living at home.
“We should be looking at moving back home with our parents as a way to get a head start in life and less as a shameful thing. It’s not our fault that the economy is the way it is. Gen Z is just doing the best we can,” social media content creator Brownie Bitez told Reckon in April.
According to a Voters of Tomorrow poll of Gen Z voters in swing states released at a young voters panel at the DNC on Tuesday, jobs and the economy is overwhelmingly at the top of mind for young people, with 53% of respondents saying this issue will most influence their decision in the Nov. 2024 election.
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., the first Gen Z member of Congress, emphasized the importance of young voices at the convention: “The vice president wants a lot of our voices to be heard, whether it’s on the stage, at the big caucus events or at a lot of events across the DNC.”
The Democratic Party’s efforts to engage Gen Z extend beyond traditional political outreach. They’ve enlisted content creators and influencers to spread their message on platforms like TikTok, where a third of social media users under 30 get their news, according to an Axios analysis.
But no one knows more about what matters to this generation than Gen Zers themselves. This week, Reckon spoke with Gen Z attendees at the DNC to listen to their concerns. Here’s what they said:
Healthcare and abortion
Mary-Pat Hector, 26, is the CEO of Rise, a youth-led voter education and engagement organization. She said that as an expecting mother, she sees reproductive justice as one of the most pressing issues in this election, especially as a Black woman from a state with some of the worst Black maternal mortality rates
“Growing up in a state like Georgia, we’ve always heard that deciding to start a family is a life or death decision, specifically being a woman of color.”
Siles said abortion rights and healthcare are also issues she’d like to see addressed by the next president.
“We have to restore and expand access to abortion, and protect healthcare, and protect voting rights. We have a lot of work to do on a lot of issues, but hopefully we have a healthy planet with healthy young people that can afford to live in the communities they want to live in and working together to protect them,” said Siles, who lives in Orlando, FL.
Mental health
According to the Voices of Gen Z study published by the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation this year, Gen Z is facing deep anxieties, and experiencing the worst mental health conditions of any generation. Per the report, only 44% of Gen Zers feel prepared for the future.
“Mental health is not talked about nearly enough and it’s something that kind of affects every single one of us,” said 21-year old Jada Kelly, attending school in North Carolina. “We need to make sure that they’re [anxiety and depression] addressed and highlighted, especially for the youth because of the amount of pressure they’re enduring nowadays, it’s just so much.”
“Sometimes it feels taboo, but this generation now wants to start having an open dialogue about mental health. So once that’s being taken care of, I believe that it will be more of a positive slope for our generation,” said 23-year old Kayla Brown from Philadelphia.
“I think access to mental health care, though, is something that we really need to see protected and expanded. And I mean, we know that there is one candidate on the ballot, Donald Trump, that just wants to make it harder for young Americans to get healthcare, so that’s not the solution,” said Siles.
Making noise and making change
One thing is for sure: Gen Z wants to be heard.
As the young generation enters the political realm, they are ensuring they stick to their values and fight for the change they want to see. The first Gen-Z elected public official, Bushra Amiwala, for example, told Reckon earlier this week that she purposely skipped the DNC because the administration was not aligning with her stance on the war on Gaza.
“I know that when it comes to politics, I want my values and morals reflected in what I do. So whenever I participate in protests or organizations I want it to be intentional in what reflects my morals and I think that goes for other young people as well.” said Kelly. ” When it comes to activism, they want to mirror things that kind of align with their passions.
The future of America and representation
The individuals Reckon spoke with all had varying hopes for the future, with the common theme of wanting to feel represented.
“I don’t feel like it’s more of a Democratic [or] Republican thing with the youth anymore because they feel like ‘if neither one of them are going to benefit me, why should I vote for you?’ So they will risk not voting because they feel like neither one of them are going to benefit or pretty much help them out,” said Lockridge, a Chicagoan who cites that he feels young people do not feel heard by older adults, which is creating a generational gap.
“Although I’m fighting for communism, I know this is like a lifelong commitment and I don’t think I’ll see like the end of capitalism in my lifetime, but I do think it’s really important that the time that I am here to fight for what I want to see be done in the future, if not for myself then like the future generations,” said Maria, a 20-year-old who traveled from Los Angeles, Calif. to participate in the March on the DNC protests.
“I want to see representation in different spaces and just seeing us stop having ‘the first’ of everything, but already having presidents coming in that have already fulfilled that role so that DE&I is a norm,” said Kelly.
“In the future it would be great to see people regularly picking up the trash instead of littering, and having a better care for our planet Earth because we do only have one. And I believe [in the future] mental health is prioritized with corporations, meaning it’s more regularly talked about, regularly discussed, and prioritized as an employee,” said Brown.