Students, teachers and community members perceive Generation Z as tech savvy, fashionable, slang-filled and outspoken. Many teachers on campus do not see Gen Z styles and trends the same way as students do.
Gen Z is more adapted to technology compared to prior generations, which Spanish teacher Amanda Vrabel believes is due to the young age Gen Z students were exposed to devices.
“I didn’t have a cell phone until I was 17. Nobody did,” Vrabel said. “The cell phone I had wasn’t for text messaging but more for just calling somebody.”
While most students carry smartphones, biology and AVID teacher Risha Shah shared how phones have evolved since her time in high school.
“When I was in high school, we used to use Razor phones, and we would have Sidekicks. They would flip up, and you’d have a full keyboard that you could type on,” Shah said.
Many teachers see the use of texting on phones and using social media to have a strong presence within Gen Z. Shah finds that those on social media, especially Gen Z, show a different side of themselves that may not be true to their real selves.
“We are putting things up on social media because we want people to think we are busy, or that we have a social life,” Shah said. “We want them to think we are really happy when deep down, that’s really not how a majority of the people feel.”
Alongside the concept of social media presenting falsities, it also creates an unrealistic pressure to be popular. Vrabel shared that she does not feel the same pressure as Gen Z on having to be the most liked on social media.
“I am pretty quick to unfollow anybody who makes me feel like they’ve really got it all together,” Vrabel said. “I think, ‘Nope, this person isn’t good for me.’ I wonder if teenagers can do that.”
There is a positive side to Gen Z’s openness online, some feel. Shah believes social media has allowed Gen Z to express themselves.
“(Social media has given them) a voice to advocate for themselves, to show who they really are,” Shah said. “They don’t have to hide their sexuality. They don’t have to hide what their likes and dislikes are.”
Shah explained that her generation was not as open as Gen Z with things like sexuality because many saw it as a taboo.
“I don’t think that was very much explored in my generation. And if it was, it was very hush hush,” Shah said. “People just didn’t know how a community would respond to them really, truly, being themselves.”
Shah, however, believes the outspokenness of Gen Z causes different personalities and rifts between groups on campus.
“Some people who are very democratic come from this kind of family, and some who are a lot more conservative come from Republican families. But if we are both being very outspoken, that can also cause people to drift apart from each other rather than bringing the community together,” Shah said. “It’s important to use social media to bring awareness but in a way that we are still supporting one another.”
According to Vrabel, Gen Z’s communication style is also different compared to past generations because of two major factors: technology and slang. She believes Gen Z’s communication style of texting can lead to misinterpretation.
“We can invent a lot of meanings and tones in our head, which can make communication over text a lot harder on kids,” Vrabel said. “You can interpret things in different ways that might not be positive.”
Shah, too, finds that Gen Z is losing important social skills because of their reliance on texting. She noticed this loss got worse after the pandemic because people were forced into written forms of speaking while in isolation.
“Students used to come in and be really excited to be here, but now I feel like sometimes they are just here but ready to go back home and be in their little cocoons again,” Shah said.
Gen Z often uses their technology to create a different learning environment from what many teachers experienced when they were in high school. Vrabel does not appreciate the constant distractions of technology being present in their classrooms.
“To think that you are not listening to a lesson and you have an earbud in and ‘whatever this class is, is not as important as me listening to my music’ is the message that we teachers get,” Vrabel said. “It is telling the teacher you are checked out.”
Another thing that differs in Gen Z communication style is their use of slang. Vrabel finds Gen Z slang as a way for them to identify with their generation.
“I notice this generation has their own fun way, like a secret lingo with codes that they all know,” Vrabel said. “If I were to use them, it would sound ridiculous.”
Chemistry teacher Alan Tan finds that while slang is a fun way to communicate, it can create a communication barrier between Gen Z and other generations.
“I don’t know what the word means, so I can’t communicate with them,” Tan said.
Fashion is another way for Gen Z to express themselves and differ from other generations. Vrabel has noticed that styles have changed for girls as they now wear tank tops and shorter shorts to school, which may not have been seen as appropriate during her time in school.
“Girls can wear more of what they want versus trying to fit any rules the school has set up,” Vrabel said. “I’m sure the school has a dress code, but I don’t even know what it is anymore.”
Shah shared that during her time in school, dress code was a much bigger concept and would be enforced more often.
“When we would get dress-coded, they would send us to the P.E. locker rooms and be like, ‘Go put on your P.E. sweats,’ or they’d have sweaters and hoodies in the office that you would have to wear,” Shah said. “There’s a lot more freedom to what people what to wear at school now.”
Tan also noticed that styles have changed over the years from when he was in school.
“I feel like when I was growing up, it got tighter, tighter and slimmer,” Tan said. “Slim fit is cool right now. Fitted stuff. Back then it was all oversized stuff.”
While styles have been changing, old ones from previous generations are also making a comeback.
“I definitely remember the flare jeans that I still see kids wearing,” Vrabel said. “That was really big throughout middle school and high school for me.”
Styles and trends have been changing from when SCHS teachers were in school, to their early years teaching, to now. From puka shells, headbands, flare jeans and oversized clothing of the Millennials to the slim fit, pimple patches, tech savvy Gen Z, teachers have found a way to connect to the both generations.
“I love Gen Z. They are a fun group of kids, silly kids,” Shah said.