Gen Z Isn’t Apolitical. It’s Lost Faith in Capitalism.

Generation Z is often described as distracted, cynical, politically inconsistent, or allergic to institutions. But this description misses the deeper rupture. What distinguishes this generation is not a lack of politics but the collapse of faith in the institutions and rules that once gave politics, work, and adulthood a recognizable structure. For decades, capitalism promised young people a sequence: education would lead to work; work would lead to stability; stability would lead to a home, a…