Why Gen Z turns everything – even murder – into a joke
A psychologist explains why dark political humor doesn’t prove young people are nihilistic, but rather reveals what happens when moral seriousness no longer feels credible.
The recent arrest of Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has sparked a wave of memes on social media. Gen Z, or young adults born between 1997 and 2012, has turned a serious event into a source of dark humor and mockery. These memes, often characterized by their unconventional and unserious tone, have received reactions from social commentators and political pundits who view them as evidence of nihilism and moral indifference among young people.
However, a closer examination suggests that Gen Z's humor is not a rejection of value, but rather a refusal to participate in conversations that feel disconnected from their broader economic and political frustrations. This alienation is a result of growing up in an increasingly online world, leading to deep levels of social isolation and psychological distress among Gen Z. Young people are pessimistic about achieving the American Dream and question the value of higher education, making them skeptical of institutions and traditional narratives about values.
Discussions about values require a certain level of seriousness for them to resonate with their audience. When seriousness is suspended, as seen in the jeers directed toward commencement speakers, the message is rendered inert. Similarly, humor offers an escape from these otherwise serious conversations. Gen Z's creation and circulation of memes provide a means of escape from discussions about the value of a CEO's life, particularly in cases where demands to condemn Mangione appear to ignore inequities within the American health insurance system perceived as corrupt and unjust.
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