Whether it’s the way we dress, the language we use, our use of drugs, or the way we act, it’s a fact that our generation has been forced to grow up too quickly. 

We are Generation Z. We were born into the decade where crop tops revealing our midriffs are nothing new. People aren’t fazed by the presence of skin or tight clothing.

You’re treated like less than if you don’t participate in activities that thirty years ago would be considered adult constricted. Why? 

We’re like this because we were born in the midst of Columbine and 9/11. We remember hearing about the events of Sandy Hook while school was in session. 

The threat of tragedy and violence has always been in the back of our minds.

If you are anything like me, you explore the “what if” far too often, but ultimately thinking that horrific occurrences could never happen to you, or at HHS. 

Over the past twenty years, these rare occurrences are getting less and less rare. In turn, they become less and less shocking.

It is appalling that situations like this can happen and rarely discussed beyond the day’s news cycle. The cold truth is that none of us are truly safe from this epidemic. 

Undeniably there is some fear in all of us. I end everyday so drained of being scared of what others might do in this world. Why should some students have to fear that they may leave for school and never return home?

Somedays I feel the need to hug my mom extra long before I leave for school or look at what my brother is wearing as we drive to HHS, just on the off chance I have to identify his body. 

We’re scared. The honest truth is we are scared. 

Society makes it seem as if Gen Z are only good for their social media skills, being able to hide behind a text and present a fake presence with a selfie. Adults in this day in age think we are addict to our phones, and don’t care about the events going on in the world. And as that may be true for some, do they really know what we do? 

The Parkland shooting has sparked an unnoticed passion that lies within our generation, resulting in protests, peace rallies and our communities fighting for a change, all student and teenage led. 

The fact that students have been leading our country to change is proving that Gen Z has untapped potential, opening the door for a level maturity, resulting in some of the youngest participants of our generation to grow up too quickly.

 We’re researching and constantly learning. We’re planning walkouts and calling our local congress. We are creating change. We have the world at our fingertips. And when you think that we’re tweeting and posting our lives away, have you ever thought that maybe we’re not?  

Whether older generations realize it or not, the kids in today’s society aren’t alright. For teenagers and students living in Gen Z, the saying “when it rains, it pours” truly applies. 

When one problem gets placed upon us, they tend to pile up then after. 

A 2015 study from The Independent showed the rise and fall of Generation Z’s “risky” behavior. It showed that our generation’s teens are becoming less and less involved in the use of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, teenage pregnancy and unprotected sex, but are now suffering from eating disorders, self-harm, and lack of sleep are at unpredictable levels. 

According to Mentalhealth.net, these self-harming tendencies are described as “a physical expression of emotional distress or mental stress.” These characteristics can induce anxieties and undeniably create an increased level of worry for events such as school shootings. 

As a generation, our most prominent problems cannot be seen. They are talked about, but never heard. Our problems have been brushed under the rug. When will it end?