The ‘eloquent, purposeful, and clear-eyed’ response from the pupils of Stoneman Douglas School to the killing of 17 of their friends has evoked admiration (mainly). The reaction does seem different with this mass shooting, as if teenagers have had enough. An insightful piece in Slate (URL below) notes some of their tactics:
*Give Donald Trump Precisely 5 Percent of Your Mental Energy
*Don’t Waste Time Fighting People Who Don’t Share Your Values and Goals
*They Don’t Seem Hellbent on Having Leaders
*They Expect to Win
This generation is known as post-Millenial, Generation Z, the Plurals or just the Internet generation, since they grew up with it – mid 1990s to mid 2000s – though the dates are fluid.
They all have Pluto in Sagittarius which spanned those years, so will hold strong opinions. Sackoian & Acker are on point for this: ‘An ability to perceive the fundamental causes of problems connected to the wider social order. Have little tolerance for hypocrisy and social injustice. Sometimes they become revolutionaries if they feel that existing institutions are unworthy of their respect.’
The late 1990s to early 2000s also have Uranus Neptune in Aquarius so are keyed into high-tech communication and have a broadly humanitarian outlook, with not much concern for tradition or approval.
The ones who have been speaking out at Stoneman Douglas are 17 and 18, so will have the redoubtable Saturn in Taurus square Uranus in Aquarius; and in 1999 square Neptune in Aquarius. Those born mid 2000 have Saturn Jupiter in Taurus. Plenty of Fixed planets give staying power. By 2001 the Saturn opposition Pluto was in place, which gives a different kind of endurance.
I’d think the Pluto in Sagittarius combined with Uranus in Aquarius is what marks them out as different.
There is, of course, always a negative side to any energy. Pluto in Sagittarius can be over-opinionated, ‘a religious fanatic bent on imposing his view on others.’ (Remember Al Quaeda kicked off under Pluto in Sag). Self-righteous and strident (Maggie Thatcher had Pluto in the 9th which has same effect.)
The negative side of Uranus in Aquarius can make them erratic and unreliable in friendships; not keen on conventional committed relationships; and prompted to hold impractical social ideals.
Jupiter Saturn in Taurus isn’t all good – Dick Cheney has one.
Uranus square Saturn – can be autocratic, dictatorial and inconsistent.
What is certain is that Generation Z will make their views known with considerable force. Sometimes they’ll be right and sometimes they won’t.
Who are Generation Z and why are they different?
Their formative experiences have been the post-9/11, post financial crisis and increasingly globalised world. The way they communicate, consume information and search for answers is totally dominated by the digital world – they are utterly dependent on IT and could not envisage a workplace without smartphones, streaming media and cloud computing (even if it’s a manufacturing environment they’ll still expect to be able to WhatsApp their friends at work – why wouldn’t they)?
Theirs is a world where communication is instant, bitesize and informal. Use of email in an office environment will seem to them like writing a letter would be for those in their 30’s and 40’s.
Their idea of the workplace and work is more flexible, less permanent, career focused but less traditional and more about having experiences and being involved in the zeitgeist. There will be no stigma attached to moving around multiple employers, they’ll do it seamlessly as ‘career multi-taskers’.
They will crowdsource information and answers, they won’t want the bloke in the pin-stripe suit who says he’s an “expert”, they’d rather ask Suri or their followers on Instagram.
from tumblr:
e-s-s: you know, when i said i wanted the real world to be more like harry potter i just meant the teleportation and the butterbeer, not the entire plot of book 5 where the government refuses to do anything about a deadly threat so the teenagers have to rise up and fight back
I’ve been telling my friends with high school kids to remind them they only have a few years to go until they can vote. That they should remind their friends to vote.
If every kid in that school hit the polls at 18, they could definitely make a difference, especially if their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles joined them in voting.
At our local high school, the sudents wanted to walk out to the parking lot for a moment of silence and solidarity, and the principal came on the intercom and announced any student who left the building would be suspended.
The principal was born in the 80’s, whatever that generation is. The latch-key generation?
Was the principal wearing his cap gun and holster?
Yes, latchkey kids.
That principalwatched too many ABC afterschool specials. Now he thinks the “problem” has been solved in a teachable moment.
I bet those teens won’t play nice the next time around, since it didn’t get them anything but ignored this time.
There are school head teachers born in the 80’s now? Blimey. 1980’s and early 90’s are Millennials, by most definitions.
I always make sure I take my children with me when I vote. My parents didn’t take us. I think that early disconnection is significant, there was a feeling that the polling station is for them, not us. There was a general misconception that children weren’t allowed in polling stations (at least in the UK). So many elections in recent years mean that my almost 11 year old, late Pluto in Sag child is very familiar with the process!
He’s 37. Ancient to the kids, lol!
Maybe 70’s were latchkey kids? I know it wasn’t 60’s. Still stay at home moms and home cooked meals then.
The 70’s were all about boring TV shows and … disco!
There are a few stay-at-home moms these days…but they are much wiser and limiting family size to 2 kids.
As an almost retired astrologer, who specialized in baby and child astrology, it has come to seem to me that every generation, with their many differences and opportunities to learn and grow through the transits, is absolutely perfect to deal with the circumstances they will encounter when they are adult. Does this give credence to a higher power or consciousness..? A greater scheme…? Perhaps everything is perfect, just the way it is.
Generation Z as in Generation Zeitgeist is pretty apt for this new lot emerging.
Many will have Pluto in Aquarius children. Hold on tight, it is going to be an amazing ride!
Movers and shakers. How quickly they organized and established goals and agendas – even to receiving funding to the tune of millions. The GOP and NRA should rightfully fear them.
Great read! I’m a high school teacher. My own sons were born in ‘92 and ‘96.
Future looks good with these kids.
When the waters get murky and there looks like there is no hope at times, it’s encouraging to see there is a batch of souls that have been sent to try and steer us out of the grimy waters into more hopeful ones. Better yet, they have been given an intuitive BS detector by the powers that be to see through the likes of Trump and his ‘fake news’ ethos and the rest of his ilk throughout the world. Interesting times, Indeed.
Fascinating. Thanks for looking at this, Marjorie! They will be an interesting group to watch.