Working with SLPs and Gen Z
February 24, 2022
Overview
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Presenters
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Kristina Dlugozima
Incoming Capital District
Key Club Administrator
Stacy Whitehouse
Key Club Zone Administrator
Biggest Challenges Facing SLPs Today
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2/23/2022
Train Officers
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2/24/2022
Meetings
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2/24/2022
Service & Fundraising Events
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2/24/2022
Mentorship
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2/24/2022
Work with your Advisors
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2/24/2022
Work with School Administration
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2/24/2022
Ellicott City Kiwanis member and Glenelg Key Clubber work side by side
Winchester Kiwanis
recognizing scholarship
winners
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2/24/2022
Williamsburg Kiwanis family members working together
Tysons Kiwanis members, CKI members, Key Clubbers & K-Kids serve together
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2/24/2022
Generation Z
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2/23/2022
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2/23/2022
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Questions?
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Gen Z Facts
Diverse – most ethnically diverse generation – it is the first to cross the threshold of less than 50% identifying as white. Gen Z is also the generation most likely to have an immigrant parent.
Open Minded – they are more gender fluid and 1 in 5 members of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ. They are also more likely to know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns – 35% of Gen Z as compared to 25% of millennials. Seven out of ten Gen Zers say it is important to defend causes related to identity, so they are more interested than previous generations have been in human rights; in matters related to race and ethnicity; in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; and in feminism.
Dream Big – they have a renewed interest in the American Dream (emphasizes freedom and the opportunity to build one’s own life on one’s own term) and believe that a good work ethic will take them places. 81% think if they work hard, they will succeed in life. They also strongly believe in education as a way to open new doors.
Loyal – they are loyal to brands and programs that they trust and they expect these brands to stand up for the values that they believe in and they feel reflect them.
Activists – Gen Z has a passion for social change – they are organizing and feel concern over climate change, school violence, and race relations. They are willing to speak up for causes they believe in.
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How to work with Gen Z
We need to adapt to work with them. Take communication for example - most of Gen Z do not like e-mail – it is not instantaneous enough for them. What does that mean for the majority of us who primarily communicate via e-mail? Well, it does not mean call them because that is the only thing they hate more than e-mails! We need to use text messages, social media, apps such as group me which can send a message to a group that shows up like a text message.
Gen Z also has about an 8 second attention span. That means we need to communicate in short but concise chunks and we can’t bury the message down five paragraphs. We can’t train them using large chunks of lectures, we need to engage them.
Most importantly, we need to show them why Key Club and Kiwanis does great work in changing the world for the better. We need to be vocal in important causes and we need to be genuine in those vocalizations. Gen Z can see right through the pandering of a group just wanting membership or monetary support.
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Gen Z Mental Health
Mental Health – for all of the great things that Gen Z is going to accomplish and do in this world, their lives come with hardships also. Gen Z is considered the loneliest generation and is significantly more likely (at 27% compared to the low teens for Millenials and Gen X) to report their mental health as fair or poor according to a survey by the American Psychological Asspciation. 70% of Gen Z see anxiety and depression as a significant problem with their peers. Suicide rates in females age 10 to 14 has increased 150% in the last ten years. Non-fatal self harm has tripled in this group since 2009.
WHY IS GENERATION Z SO DEPRESSED?
Gen Z faces chronic stress from many factors including school shootings, student debt, joblessness and even politics.
Technology plays a role, too. Growing up in a hyper-connected world can evoke intense feelings of isolation and loneliness in some youth. It can also fuel a steady drumbeat of negative news stories, a fear of missing out, and shame in falling short of a social media-worthy standard.
The upside is that more of the younger generation are receiving therapy or treatment from mental health professionals. Anecdotally, I can also say that I have noticed a marked increase in awareness and vocalization of mental health issues and a lack of stigmatization of those who have them amongst today’s teens.
Due to this, it is important that as advisors, we understand our roles. Most of us are not trained mental health professionals and should not act as such. We can be mentors and an outlet for them and supportive but it is important to set boundaries. It is also important to realize that being authoritative is the least likely leadership style for these teens and young adults to warm up to and to respect. We need to do our best to meet our students where they are. The amount of pressure that these students are under each day is extensive and we need to make sure that our SLPs are fun, they are community minded, they make a difference but that they are not an additional burden. We also need to make sure that we are an advisor and advocate for every student – not just the ones who perform how we expect. Every student and young adult has a place in our SLPs and it is our job as Kiwanians to ensure that they feel that way so they can be the next generation of Kiwanis leadership.
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