In this Toronto Life story, 22-year-old Kennedy Lashley reflects on how challenging life—academic, creative, social—has been for her generation. They spent their high-school years on Zoom calls during the pandemic and have had to navigate a post-secondary system in disarray, up against underfunding and federal policy changes. The faculty they’d normally look up to are disillusioned, struggling to keep up with changes. Lashley, an animator with a strong support network and a genuine passion for her craft, seems poised for a successful career in the arts (her father is also a longtime artist at Marvel). But for Gen Zers entering creative fields, the job market is bleak—and AI is a big reason why.
A year into the pandemic, researchers found that the more time kids spent in online learning, the more depressed and anxious they got. During the second Covid wave, up to 70 per cent of teenagers in the province reported depression symptoms. When that stress became overwhelming, art was my escape. I started immersing myself in video games like The Last of Us, just me and my character against the apocalypse. To keep cabin fever at bay, I literally started to draw on my walls—but I was strategic about it. I painted one wall white for a fresh canvas, sketched out plans with a pencil, then used a fine brush to paint my favourite scenes from manga and comic book panels. Creating art allowed me to expand my world without leaving my room.
More picks about Gen Z
The Doom Spenders
“Faced with an uncertain future, young Canadians are racking up more debt than ever before. Portrait of a generation on the instalment plan.”
Cringe! How Millennials Became Uncool
“They are mocked by gen Z for everything from their trainer socks to their mom jeans and selfie technique. A maligned millennial asks: how did we get here?”
Why Gen Z Will Never Leave Home
“Thanks to soaring housing costs, a generation of twentysomethings are still in their childhood bedrooms. A portrait of family life with no empty nest.”
