How do our teenage sons envision the future?

Findings from The Voices of Gen Z Report

If you are like me and have to look it up every time a “generation” is mentioned (Am I Gen X? I think my parents are Boomers? Who is a Millennial?), then let me tell you that our current teenage sons are a part of Gen Z. There is growing interest in the generations as separate units but also compared with one another. According to some, this is a moment in time when we have the most generations alive and co-existing, providing different perspectives but also comparisons of functioning at different points in time. This interest in the different generations has provided survey data and other research that can help our understanding of our teenage sons. The Gallup-Walton Family Foundation has published THE VOICES OF GEN Z REPORT. (Comment below and I’ll email you the pdf.) The survey was conducted by Gallup in spring 2023 and included over three thousand Gen Z’ers, meaning ages 12 to 26 years old. While the data included boys and girls, there are five findings that I think are important for parents of teenage boys:

1-Gen Z is generally optimistic.

I wrote in an earlier post about orienting towards the future, and in this survey, 82% of Gen Z believe they will achieve their goals. The report notes an influence of mental health on this, however, with those who rate their mental health as ‘poor” being much less likely to have this belief. Of course this makes sense, as we know that mental health struggles impact all aspects in life, including the view of the future. But as a psychologist and a parent of teenage boys, it is reassuring to see that this generation is mostly optimistic about the future.

2-Girls are more likely than boys to want to pursue postsecondary education.

In this study, 57% of middle and high school boys (compared to 70% of girls) expressed a desire for continuing education after high school. It should not come as a surprise, given what we know about education, declining college attendance rates of males, and other options for post high school employment. However, this should lead to a conversation, or series of conversations, with your teenage son about his plans and goals after high school and if that includes postsecondary education.

3-Mental health and academic performance seem to be related.

Students who reported their mental health as “excellent” (as opposed to “good” or “only fair or poor”) were also likely to report having excellent grades. Of course, this is only survey data, so it is general and based on the student’s self-report but it does seem to indicate a link, meaning if we improve one maybe we improve the other as well. The survey also noted that engagement with schoolwork (i.e. feeling successful at school, getting to do what they do best at school) correlates with better overall wellbeing. We need to examine the educational settings of our teenage sons and figure out what works best for him, if we want to try to improve mental health and academic performance because they seem to be related.

4-Adults matter to teenagers.

It surprised me to see that only about a third of those surveyed strongly agreed that there is an adult in their lives who encourages them to pursue their dreams. One third! Even if you keep in mind that this is Gen Z’s perception, that is TWO-THIRDS who may not feel as supported and encouraged as we would like. We know the protective value of having adults (parents, teachers, coaches, mentors) in our teenage sons’ lives so we need to try to help them recognize that support and encouragement.

5-Making enough money to live comfortably is a top aspiration among Gen Z (and their parents).

It might not surprise you that more than two-thirds of those in Gen Z identified money as one of their three most important goals for the future, with two-thirds of parents identifying this as well. We need to talk to our teenage sons about money and how their career goals can best be reached. In addition, we need to help them identify their strengths and help them create a realistic future that will provide them with what they need.