U.S. Vice President JD Vance says America is "not at war with Iran," but young people aren't so sure. Gen Z has taken to social media to share their fears – and a heavy dose of misinformation – about the U.S. entering "#ww3" following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
Unlike millennials, who grew up witnessing U.S. invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen Z has yet to experience the political culture of the U.S. engaged in a war.
This is a cohort born after 9/11, whose collective memory thus far has largely been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, their penchant for coping with humor is capturing very real feelings following the weekend's scary news.
"I wanna just live my life peacefully with my dog but I guess that's just too much to ask," said one TikToker in a video that has more than 195K views. Another wrote that fears about the conflict "really makes me wonder if I'll ever get experience being a husband and father."
"It's not just fear, it's a loss of innocence," said Kristen Harrison, Richard Cole Eminent Professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
