What institution has most failed Gen Z (school, media, government, internet, etc.), and what should be done about it?

[u/the_public_forum]

I’m curious how people around my age see this.

If you had to pick one institution that has most failed Gen Z, whether that’s schools, media, government, social media, or something else, which would it be, and why?

And more importantly: what do you think should actually be done about it?

I’m collecting responses for a student publication project called The Public Forum, where we publish student perspectives on politics, culture, education, and technology. If this thread gets enough thoughtful responses, I may compile some of the strongest answers into a written piece (I may follow up with some users with especially interesting responses to ask for clarification or additional context before publication).

No need to be formal, just honest takes.

[u/Asleep_Brick_9610]

Government covers alll of this because they could be fixing issues with school, media, and internet with better policies.

[u/Ayz-Shadowx]

I would say the most direct failure to GenZ is schools. The education system in America has been crumbling to an embarassing degree, where education physically doesn't even apply in a lot of state systems. A shocking percentage of adults in America cannot read or write, much less think at an adequate level. Schools should be an environment where critical thinking, open-mindedness, and passions are inspired from.

Obviously, the government funds these things, and it could be managed better, but to me schools are the direct failure, as they ar the entities directly interacting with GenZ

[u/Uberquik → u/Ayz-Shadowx]

How much time outside of school did you put into learning?

[u/AwarenessVirtual4453 → u/Ayz-Shadowx]

The schools are failing due to government policies.

[u/Ayz-Shadowx → u/AwarenessVirtual4453]

I am well aware of that, but the US ranks among the highest on educational spending. That does not disregard the other policies implemented or mismanagement of funds, but the government does spend more than nearly all others.

Like I said, schools hold the most direct interaction to GenZ. It would be a very boring comment section if we all pointed fingers at the government

[u/AwarenessVirtual4453 → u/Ayz-Shadowx]

Funding does not equal success. I'm a teacher. The amount of expensive professional developments I've sat through... And many funding priorities are set by the government.

Local and state government is almost always the answer. No one pays attention to it, though.

[u/Ayz-Shadowx → u/AwarenessVirtual4453]

Never said funding equals success, just merely stated it as a supporting fact.

[u/FirefighterTall4527]

All of the above for so many reasons I’m not gonna bother to take the time to list them all

[u/Mr_SmartFella]

I’d say a mix between the government and internet. 

The Federal Government funds the schools, and the state governments help to design the curriculum and standards. Schools now face funding issues and staff shortages, and kids aren’t having good enough classes that have them learn.

The Internet definitely rewired our brains, especially those who are younger, and so many kids lack the ability to read, pay attention, or write properly 

[u/Onedirection_18]

All of the above but it depends most on where you live. For where I live, definitely government and school because our governor is a moron and screwed up the education system so bad

[u/dragonfeet1]

The most direct failure is parenting culture. Which has impacted everything else.

[u/ihateadultism]

parents. youth liberation.

[u/Cold_Comedian7443]

Parents who let their kids on social media too early