Tendency to view Gen Z through a negative lens — and why that must be corrected

McDowell asks audiences to write the first words that come to mind for Gen Z. Almost all words are negative: entitled, spoiled, addicted. He then points out the pattern and argues that the lens through which you see a generation shapes the way you relate to them. If this generation values anything, it is authenticity — they are sold a million messages a day through social media and their hearts cry out for someone genuine. Every young person also has a unique story; research has limits. McDowell and Wallace say they found about a dozen consistent insights about Gen Z from 800 pages of research including Barna studies.