Gen Z may have seen enough of woke politics. This may be why some of them are turning more towards Conservatism.

While some of us Gen X parents (those who started having families late in the game) may be large influencers here. We lived through the Ronald Reagan years. We were on the brink of war with Russia. We fought against authority and establishment with punk rock, heavy metal and worked two or three jobs in college, strolling in sideways with our eyeliner still on our faces for a 7am shift after partying until 3am that same morning. Why? Because we realized the government was not going to foot the bill. We have a jaded outlook and mistrust in government and agendas and we’re vocal about groupthink (and what we think about the cult of this concept).

While we say our kids sometimes don’t listen, maybe, just maybe, Gen Z is listening.

Most of Gen Z is currently either already working getting ready to enter the workforce or a trade, on a college campus right now or sitting in a high school or junior high classroom. While the current junior high kids may not remember the impact of pandemic and staying home, the high school and college students here remember it well. Our son was an 8th grade at the time school was shut down. He did not return to the classroom until the spring of his freshman year in high school. What he returned to was different than what he remembered. Flags of all colors of the rainbow all over the place. A non-existent workload. Fighting in classrooms. Classmates who changed their name (and their gender). After all, 1 in 4 identify as LGBTQ. He saw boys on girls’ teams, girls on his wrestling team (who identified as boys), wrestling outside, in a mask. Having to COVID swab before every tourney. This did not make sense to him in such a high-contact sport as wrestling. The mask wasn’t going to help.

For Gen Z, the pandemic exposed what many regarded as government overreach and inconsistencies in public health narratives. While some supported the measures, others, like Laffey, grew skeptical, questioning the motives behind policies and the legitimacy of initiatives like the COVID-19 vaccine. This skepticism, amplified in the years following the pandemic, has driven many young people toward conservatism, particularly as the Trump administration, even to this day, continues to investigate the handling of COVID-19-related policies.”-Sarah Holliday, The Daily Signal

And now, to add to the utter confusion, the educational machine wants a reset to their great reset:

Generation Z’s Conservative Shift: Trump, COVID-19, and Social Media’s Role

(Insert Gen X cyncism here): y’all mean SEL is not improving test scores and y’all want more money to revamp this? (Cue the laugh track.)

Social media was and still is a factor:

Social media is both a battleground and a catalyst for Gen Z’s political evolution. Platforms like TikTok and X dominate how this generation consumes news, forms worldviews, and even constructs identities. Ryan Gaire, a 19-year-old College Democrats president at Binghamton University, highlighted the challenge: ‘Technology is everywhere, right at your fingertips, with TikTok and all that stuff. You can just see blatant misinformation and it’s not called out anymore.’ For a generation straddling tech-free childhoods and digital-native adolescence, social media is a powerful yet flawed tool.”-Sarah Holliday, The Daily Signal

The kids my son’s age are now on college campuses. Some, like him, have weathered the sh-t storm that was COVID. Others, have taken to their phones and the media to recite their talking points and deny any contrary opinions. Our son opted early on after seeing toxic bullying on TikTok, to maintain a low social media profile. When he hit 11th grade, he thought a full-time day at the high school was (what he says now) “bullish-it” and decided to attend community college to get an Associates in Biology. In addition to his laser focus on academics and athleticism, he received leadership awards in high school for being the guy who always helped his classmates (in 10th grade) and teammates throughout his wrestling career. To say I am proud is an understatement. But he is not immune to being swayed by the narratives on TikTok, where he prefers to lurk on occasion. Just a few months ago, he began questioning his career path because of misinformation he saw on the platform having to, of course, do with Trump.

We tried. We told him to take a breath and to tell his roommate, who is on the same career path, to do the same. Our Gen-X cynicism sometimes comes in handy.

Paradoxically, the same platforms that spread misinformation are fostering critical thinking among some Gen Zer’s. Laffey observed, ‘Younger people all over the country are kind of waking up.’ Rather than passively accepting narratives, many are analyzing content with a skeptical eye, a trend that aligns with a rightward shift as they question progressive orthodoxies and seek alternative perspectives.”-Sarah Holliday, The Daily Signal

While college campuses and the general climate amoungst Gen Z looks promising, there is still work that needs to be done:

But this rightward trend, while promising, is only a starting point. What we truly need—and should fervently pray for—is a generation that seeks Christ above all. The shift toward conservatism already reflects a hunger for authenticity and solutions that resonate with what Gen Z has experienced. Look no further than the 2024 presidential election. Yet, our deepest hope isn’t just for a generation that rejects the excesses of progressivism but fiercely chases after truth, propelled forward by piercing convictions.”-Sarah Holliday, The Daily Signal

Our Gen X cynicism (and sometimes, potty mouths) have rubbed off on our son who doesn’t understand what seeking Christ means. In his defense, my husband and I did not know what seeking Chris meant at his age, either. He was a young Marine and I was a girl wandering in the desert (literally and figuratively). We’re all flawed in this world and, as Believers, still have our vices. But our son knowing Christ and finding a young woman who is rooted in Him, is something I pray for daily as He is the ONLY one that provides the beacon of hope to the world.

To this, we say, “we’ve tried”. Some of us will continue to fight with the strongest weapon possible: PRAYER. I pray our son will know that he has a God who loves him and has made him in HIS image. I pray his peers come to the same realization. I don’t know about you, but I’m fixing to get on my knees right now.

featured image, cropped, Adobe Stock standard license