By Matthew Malec, Public Discourse.
(Editor’s note: A window into the lives of young people today – how they see the world and its challenges)
Public Discourse recently hosted an essay contest for students in high school, college, and graduate school. Participants were to answer the question: What do you wish your elders knew about the greatest challenge your generation faces? This essay is the second of two winning essays. The author is Matthew Malec, a JD candidate at the University of Chicago Law School.
I’ve always loved winning. Growing up, everything from board games to Little League was an intense competition, and learning to lose with grace was difficult. As I got older and gained a better understanding of what the most important things in life are, winning took on a deeper, but still important, meaning. I want to have a fulfilling career that helps others, lead a loving Christian family, and, when the time comes, hear the words “well done” and enter into the joy of my Lord and Savior (Matthew 25:23). I was incredibly blessed to grow up in a home where what it means to truly win at life was made clear to me from a young age. Many of my peers are not so lucky. One thing I wish my elders, especially those in positions to mentor young people, knew about my generation is that, for the most part, we are not lazy or intentionally aimless. We need direction. We need to know what it means to win at life and to be supported by communities that give us a meaningful chance to do so. This requires understanding the unique challenges we face and responding with novel solutions.
Today’s young people face collapse in three areas that older generations often took for granted: shared metaphysical traditions, real-world friendships, and family life as a normative good. While Gen Z bears responsibility for its choices, many of the tools and signposts that guided earlier generations are now missing. If older mentors want to help, they must understand how the world has changed and why traditional advice often falls short.
Searching for God in the Modern World
Ultimately, Gen Z’s problems begin at the metaphysical level and spiral down from there. While rumors of revival continue to flare up, and there are certainly many people seeking truth, the data shows that Gen Z is the least secure generation in their faith in recorded history. Unsurprisingly, without a higher power defining truth and morality, people are unsure what it means to live a good life. This can manifest in several forms. Many search for meaning through an obsession with left-wing politics or embracing the “manosphere.” Others (especially men) simply opt out of society entirely, feeling like utter failures with no chance to turn things around. A healthy Christian culture would alleviate many of these problems by filling the God-sized hole many try to plug with politics. It would also encourage both genders to pursue marriage and family formation. And most importantly, it would remind people who are struggling in other aspects of life that they are worthy and made in the image of God.