My generation is desensitized to violence. In a world where most of us were born after Columbine and 9/11, or were too young to understand those events, we have been surrounded by violence for our entire lives.

Gen Z started in the late 1990s. People born in 1995 would have been 4 when Columbine happened and 6 when 9/11 happened. Most of their memories during those ages are gone. 

Because of this, many of today’s teens and children only know the after-effects of these acts of violence.

Since middle school, maybe even elementary school, each year we talk about 9/11 on the day or around the anniversary. As children, we have been reminded of the violence that happened before our time.

While it is important for people to learn about the past, having it be constant from when we are young has lasting effects. One result is that many teenagers aren’t fazed by the violence they see on the news every day. 

Since Columbine was one of the deadliest shootings at the time, it brought a lot of changes to the way schools handle active intruders.

Adults in our school take ALICE training very seriously – which they should – but the vast majority of students aren’t as serious about the topic. People may view that attitude as an immature one – and it is – but that is the way our brains work. 

We make jokes about death because we have been surrounded by it our entire lives. We no longer register death in the same way that older generations do.

Ever since elementary school, we have been taught what to do if someone comes into the school with a gun: Make lots of noise, throw objects, run away in a zig-zag pattern. We learned these along with grammar and algebra. 

Because of all of this, there are many people who are part of Gen Z who want to make the world a better place for future generations.

Whether it’s advocating for gun control or more safety measures, Gen Z is taking steps to make the world a less violent place for Generation Alpha.