Generation Z: The Most Diverse by Far, Yet Still Hateful

By Alexandra Moody

By now, I’m sure you’ve taken your fair share of history classes. In those, you’ve definitely learned about all of the generations’ discrimination by race, gender, orientation, religion, etc. And for years and years it was such a hard-hitting topic. But in the rise of gen z, it has become a less hate writhing topic and more of an embracement move.

Generation Z has been pegged as “the most diverse by far”. Said to be the most accepting, due to its contrast in races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, education, etc.. I’m mixed. My mom is white, and my dad is Hispanic. My mom is a second generation American, her grandparents immigrating from Germany. On my dad’s side, I’m a first generation American. He immigrated from Colombia. But as some of the most hateful of my generation would call his untimely deportation fate.

Earlier this week, a video featuring two Carrollton, Georgia students went viral. In the video, the students used a hurtful racial slur, proceeding to provide a recipe on “how to make (n-word)s.” They had cups of water each labeled with awful stereotypes, pouring them in a sink.

The media was split. Many supported the girl who posted the video of the students, drawing attention to them. But the rest bashed her for ruining their lives. The boy in the video was removed from all further promotion at his wrestling academy and his membership was terminated. They were both expelled from their high school. Many people on Twitter also reached out to the colleges that the girl in the video was accepted to, hoping to persuade them to revoke her admission. However, it was revealed that the colleges, both the University of West Georgia as well as Georgia State University, did not accept her into their school. Both students were quick to be doxxed, as well as a large number of Instagram profiles being created cat-fishing them, primarily the female.

I live in Georgia. And to get even more personal than that, I live relatively close to that area. The school they attend is in my GHSA sporting region. We play sports against them. Over the years, my school, as well as the seven other high schools in our region truly fear the power of the Carrollton Trojans. They’re some of the best athletes in the state of Georgia. To wake up to “Carrollton” trending on Twitter, and then seeing the reasoning behind it, was upsetting.

Carrollton High School is very diverse, the population being 46.9% white, 29% black, 17.2% hispanic, 5% mixed, 0.4% American Indian, and 1.5% not specified. (schooldigger.com). To see students in a school so diverse be so hateful is unsettling.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Over this “coronacation”, many other incidents have been publicized of people posting videos on TikTok, having discriminatory tendencies, but claiming them as dark humor.

So how could the most diverse generation be the most hateful? We have the power to change the future and how society sees each other, but it’s turned over by people like them. The southern states are likely to soon turn into swing states rather than full republican. They finally take down the Confederate flag and open their eyes to what’s around them. And that’s thanks to the rise of our generation. Generation Z.