This fact is evident everywhere: Gen Z is conservative, especially among men. For a project, I was asked to find public data from Mexico, and although it seems the trend also applies to our country, there isn’t much information available.
I’ve been observing young people for several years, from when they were millennials to now, when they’re Gen Z, and the Alphas who are already hot on their heels.
One marked difference I see is that the Zs are completely devoted to capitalism. They don’t question it anymore. Millennials used experiences instead of possessions, a little, yes, because they can’t afford long-lasting possessions like a house, but also because of a bit of resistance to the idea of owning and a “surrender” to the ephemeral. The Zs, on the other hand, don’t go through that conflict; they have other, more present ones that take away more of their peace, and as Renata Salecl says, personal change doesn’t leave time for social change.
A few years ago, we were mega-optimistic when we learned that the Zs capitalized on their hobbies. Through millennial eyes, that meant they were following their passion, right? Well, surprise! Rather, from a very young age, they’ve been immersed in the game of spending, owning, and showing off outfits, experiences, trips, and workout clothes (and don’t get me started on the age at which Alphas start wanting money for Robux). The capitalist system indoctrinates beautifully.
My friend, the trendy pop philosopher Byung Chul-Han, says that the positivization of the world is depriving us of the ability to create antibodies; there’s no immune resistance… in other words, “positive thinking” is inherent to the system itself. So, if you’re going to be an adapted, happy, positive young person, you have to get into the game of owning and spending to belong.
What does this have to do with conservatism then?
Conservatism is preserving things as they are (or were); returning to the traditional, to the familiar. The thing is, there’s so much dislocation and chaos in the world that Zs want to return to those spaces they were sold as safe: owning things, spending money, getting married, having children, being housewives. The rules are already written; you just have to follow them. I recently heard that this is why teenagers are more likely to fall into cults: when you’re just figuring out who you are and your brain isn’t yet developing, these organizations already come with a list of how you have to behave; and that’s it, you follow it and become a part of it.
On the other hand, experiencing non-monogamous relationships, indulging in passionate love, or engaging in diverse or eccentric interests from a very young age are risky things they no longer want to experience; they no longer want to be hurt. They grew up in a pandemic, with their phones in hand and anxiety at its peak. They don’t want to drink alcohol because they might be criticized if they drink badly and be recorded; they prefer to have a good time with their friends at someone’s house; the new mandate is to be fit and skinny (yes, again).
It’s not that they’re consciously more religious; it’s that spirituality offers a safe place, a certain calm amidst the chaos. It’s not that they want to get married because they believe in the Church; it’s that family is a “simple,” viable, and possible solution to sorting out things they can’t sort out in their heads and emotions.
I won’t even talk about the political rise of the right around the world, because I’m not a political scientist or expert; but add this to what we know and see happening, and boom! A perfect cocktail of conservatism.
This doesn’t mean that the Zs are more or less screwed than millennials or alphas; but it does mean that their social formation was profoundly affected, and the consequences are dozens. This is just one of them.
