See you soon, @alivitali.bsky.social !

In today’s edition of The Up and Up, I look at two new polls showing notable acceptance of political violence among gen z and break down a growing compassion recession. It’s an important window into a chilling way to grow up. I hope you’ll give it a read. www.theupandup.us/p/vigilante-...

Perhaps the most striking part of this fall's @harvardiop.bsky.social youth poll is that nearly 40% of young Americans say political violence is sometimes acceptable.

Just last night, a 19-year-old told me the biggest generational divide in his community is "support for vigilante justice" or "to just go all out and burn it down." Today, new Gallup/Kettering data shows nearly 1 in 3 young Americans say political violence is sometimes OK.

According the News Literacy Project: ▪️84% of teens describe news media negatively If we want the generation that was raised to question everything they see online to trust news, we need to rewire their habits, centering agency in the process. More here: www.theupandup.us/p/teens-amer...

AI literacy should be the *bare minimum* for all future members of Congress. Our generation is counting on it. So I spoke with next-gen candidate @alexbores.nyc about becoming the first target of a push from an $100M AI super PAC. www.theupandup.us/p/its-the-fi...

Isolationism (yes, 'America First' ideology) is rising in gen z men, but not just amongst gen z conservatives, per @ymriofficial.bsky.social. I've heard this over and over in my listening sessions: 'America has enough issues at home. Why focus on problems abroad?' It's a generational shift.

The political parenting gap amongst young women is big, and it’s relatively new.

Everyone has a take on whether Gen Z is “screwed.” So I asked them. www.theupandup.us/p/is-gen-z-s...

GEN Z TIDBITS FROM NEW MARIST POLL - D+34 on generic 2026 ballot - Most likely gen cohort to say peace between Israel & Gaza should be top priority for Trump admin - Least likely to say lowering prices should be top priority - Most likely gen cohort to say Trump was responsible for the govt shutdown

Today in The Up and Up: Teen Girls’ Interest in Marriage Has Collapsed Since the ’90s. There’s been a 22-point drop ⬇️ in teen girls’ desire to get married over the past three decades. And teen girls are now LESS likely than teen boys to say they want to get married, according to data from Pew.

I talk a lot about the two Gen Zs. Tech is a huge dividing line. Pre-COVID kids and post-COVID kids grew up in two different worlds. We’re about to say the same for pre-AI vs. post-AI.

Can’t wait for this with the one and only @katiephang.bsky.social !! Hope to see you all soon.

Progressive Gen Z women recognize the existence of male loneliness, but aren't so sure that the solutions aren't also progressive. @racheljanfaza.bsky.social discuss that and more with @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social on The Focus Group:

Always talking about the two gen Zs. Loved joining @arimelber.bsky.social with @mollyjongfast.bsky.social last night to discuss young voters in the 2025 elections.

By blaming young women for election outcomes, Republicans risk further alienating them.

There are plenty of reasons why young women prefer Democrats (more on that below)... But one thing’s for sure. Republicans aren’t helping themselves win them over. www.theupandup.us/p/genz-women...

FYI, it’s this kind of thing that pisses off young women

Gen Alpha 1.0’s politics are forming, and fast. Their worldview is being shaped by a completely different set of events than the generation before them. That will impact how they vote.

Ahead of July 4th, I checked in with young Americans about patriotism. Like Gallup, I found that less than half of Gen Z feels proud to be American. But they don't hate America. In fact, they want to love it. 🧵

We’ve entered the gloomcycle. I spoke to more than 50 members of Gen Z. Not one felt fully confident about the direction our country is going in. So what can we do about it? Thanks to @sulliview.bsky.social for sharing more. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Gloomcycle" That's what we're trapped in A new term enters the lexicon... Thanks to @racheljanfaza.bsky.social theupandup.us/p/welcome-to...

After an intense college experience, the class of 2025 is graduating into chaos.

Beyond this, @chiosse.bsky.social is part of the demo he’s trying to reach. It’s not just that he’s young… He gets the internet. He grew up on it. He knows what feels cringe vs. what doesn’t. That’s part of the authenticity he talks about. It’s lived, not just performed.

4 takeaways from listening sessions with young adults under 30: 1. The FOMO effect is real. 2. Love isn't just emotional, it's financial. 3. Saving isn't always possible amid economic headwinds. 4. Women are closing the investing gap.

The danger for Democrats and Republicans is less that young people will vote for the other side, it’s that they’ll stop believing electoral politics can deliver the change they need. That’s a much bigger problem as we look to 2028 than any poll number suggests. www.theupandup.us/p/warning-si...

Critical context in the gender gap convo

More than 1 in 10 Gen Z Americans view political violence as a viable path to change, per new CIRCLE/Protect Democracy data.

Gen Z guru @racheljanfaza.bsky.social says people under 27 were motivated to vote for President Trump out of frustration with the status quo, economic concerns and cancel culture. But now that we’re living in what Dave Portnoy calls “tariff city,” are they sticking with him?

Gen Z is frustrated by the status quo — and that drives their voting habits. As I told @tarapalmeri.bsky.social, young people are hungry for change. Politics is just one part of that equation. And yes, I think they'll vote in the midterms.

Bernie Sanders 🤝 Coachella, a smart move. In 2024, Republicans were successful at politically coding culture, while Democrats tried to culturally code politics. I expect to see more organic engagement like this from Dems this year as they work to rebrand.

Gen Z is not a monolith. Here's why ⤵️. Thanks to @postopinions.bsky.social for the video.

Spoke with the latest Gen Zer to run for Congress, Deja Foxx, for @vanityfair.com. . We discussed: - Why the moment is ripe for a generational shake-up - Building community online - Influencer candidates - And her first political memory (it's powerful) www.vanityfair.com/news/story/g...

Covid tore Gen Z in two. The idealistic early tendencies of my peers are being challenged by a rising cohort characterized more by distrust, cynicism and a glib view of the future, to the point that they feel like a distinct generation. My latest: www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

If you want to understand Gen Z, you need to read the work of @racheljanfaza.bsky.social -- here is a great op-ed she penned that considers the impact of the pandemic on younger Zoomers. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Democrats, we need to talk. This week’s social media attempts were rough. If you want to connect with young voters and gain their trust, you need to change what you’re doing. www.theupandup.us/p/emergency-...

There are two Gen Z’s