Coronavirus has changed the world in numerous ways in the last couple of months. Every generation is being impacted by the pandemic, but for Generation Z, this can really be the event that shapes our view of the world. Generation Z is the generation that ranges from people born from around 1997 to 2012, with the oldest just graduating from college and the youngest just starting elementary school. 

Most of this generation has not seen any large difficulties throughout their life. The oldest of the generation were only toddlers during 9/11, and, as a whole, they have never experienced a life-changing world event. 

Starting with the oldest group of this generation- college students and recent graduates. Some of these people are just recently starting their job, looking for an internship, or scheduling interviews. However, the coronavirus is taking a lot of those opportunities away. They also lack experience which means that when a company is looking to cut down on employees, they’re going to be the first ones to get laid off. 

The next sub-group of Generation Z is highschoolers. Just as the older college students, this age group is feeling great uncertainty about the future during these times. As they plan to take one of the biggest steps in life, moving out of their homes, many say that Coronavirus is affecting these life-changing decisions. In a recent report, Circled In, a free college portfolio website, found that 22% of students are rethinking their plans for college and 69% believe COVID-19 will affect their college financial situation.

The youngest of this generation, the elementary and middle schoolers are also heavily impacted by the pandemic. This is a stage in their life where they make social connections to others and to develop both physically and emotionally. Staying at home in isolation is not helping in any way. This group will also grow up being more dependent on technology. There will be less face to face interactions because Zoom and other platforms have proven to be effective as an alternate. For example, there might be no more snow days in the future, if students can just have classes online.  

There is no doubt that Generation Z is going through some of the most life-changing moments of their life. This pandemic will alter the way they see the world and their lives going forward. Generation Z will most likely become more financially frugal due to the growing possibility of financial recession. Any guesses past this are unknown. This is a truly unprecedented time with the largest government intervention the United States has ever seen; there is simply no way to know how the generation will react and what changes they will make to society.