Reaching Generation Z

Reuel Sample:
Welcome to the NHC GOP podcast, I’m Reuel Sample. Reaching Generation Z. It is a generation that is coming into its political own. As more and more of these folks are reaching voting age, they are becoming more and more active in their political realms. Although they tend to lean left, they are also driven by issues and results to those issues. Reaching Gen Z is a challenge at times, especially for those of us in the older generations. And so we are joined by three representatives of Gen Z, Aubrey Tuell from the North Carolina Young Republicans. She is also the former secretary of the New Hanover County Republican Party, Juan Pleitez from the North Carolina Young Republican, and also policy advisor. And Haika Mrema:
, who is a senior marketing major at Baylor University. These three folks together teach me, and I hope you will learn some things about how to reach this generation that has never been without technology. And what we learned in the end, it’s not just about reaching out to them, but how we listen to them. That’s today on the NHC GOP podcast.

Reuel Sample:
Aubrey, let’s start with you. Is the article correct? Does Gen Z tend to vote more issues and, uh, particular person instead of along party lines?

Generation Z Is Issue Based

Aubrey Tuell:
I think they’re spot on. We vote based on the issues. And I think what’s really changed since Gen Z, I was actually having a conversation with a millennial the other day, and we were talking about the differences between our generation. She’s actually a young Republican as well. Um, and even within our small young Republican group, there’s two generations there. And we have a big divide. Millennials were had a few years working under their belt, were able to develop at least some kind of personal wealth. And then our terrible economy hit. Gen Z’s in a very different situation. We have either just graduated a few years ago or are graduating or are still in high school maybe today, or in public school in general, and um, K-12 school in general. And so we are feeling the burden of a bad economy straight out of the gate, straight into the real world our gas is double, our groceries are double, and we can’t, quite frankly, afford to live anymore. And so I think that that’s a big issue base that’s going to bring Gen Z out to vote Republican.

Reuel Sample:
Juan, your generation has never been without one of these things. You have always had technology in the palm of your hand. How is that affecting messaging to Gen Z?

Juan Pleitez:
I think that it’s revolutionized messaging. I think that, uh, both political parties have had to sort of come to the realization that the majority of people, uh, our age, do not get their, uh, information, their news from the newspaper or the 5:00 news. They get it from TikTok, they get it from Instagram Reels. And so it is very easy, um, to set out a narrative out there, whichever narrative narrative that it is that you want. And so I think that a fair criticism, uh, at least on our side of the aisle, has been, uh, not a resistance, but just a delayed start to, to understanding the effect of social media, but also the role that it plays in our daily lives, um, particularly during the pandemic, right when we had nothing to do but to sit at home. Uh, I was I was speaking to a couple of friends and not reminiscing because I don’t think any of us want to go back to pandemic times. But just, you know, it’s around the time when things were locking down and memories pop up on your phone and stuff like that, and it’s like, how did you spend it? What did you do? And the amount of people that have told me and myself included, I would just lie in bed or sit on the couch and scroll through. Uh, they have to turn doomscrolling because you’re just scrolling on, on, on TikTok. But that is how people our age receive and consume information. Um, I think these legacy media groups, NBC, ABC, they’re starting to understand it a little bit. But, uh, the traditional legacy media has struggled to, to adapt to these changing times. And with that as well, our political parties as well.

Reuel Sample:
Now Haika, uh, Juan brings in an interesting and interesting topic on, on TikTok, because we’re going back and forth with TikTok. Should it be allowed, should it not be allowed? There’s a lot of dangerous stuff. Should we be as the Republican Party? Should we be on TikTok? Or is that where Gen Z is? Is that where we can reach them?

Haika Mrema:
: Well, I think as we’ve seen, TikTok has completely dominated, um, and taken over the social media space. And so I think as Republicans, I think the reason why you could consider us a little bit behind is because we’re not meeting generation Z where they’re at, and that’s on TikTok and Instagram and some of these younger platforms, and we don’t even have to talk about now. We don’t even have to talk about the present, but the future generations that will be voting, they’re going to be new platforms. I’m sure TikTok is still going to be around. You want to be there and you want to be on the front lines when they start to come in and vote. So we’re not only talking about the present, but the future as well. And Republicans need to start being more proactive in thinking about that and meeting those people where they’re at, which is on TikTok and Instagram and all of these other platforms.

Reuel Sample:
Interesting. So but should we leave Myspace out of it? I mean, we should just just let that one go. Uh, Aubrey, uh, issues. Uh, where is Gen Z getting their information about issues? Are they getting it from the news media? Are they getting it from their classrooms? Uh. The studies are showing they’re not getting it from their parents, though. So how can we break through the noise for issue education for Gen Z?

Aubrey Tuell:
I think Juan touched on it earlier. We don’t watch cable TV very, very rarely. I’ll turn it on if I need some background noise or I’m really bored and there’s nothing else on my phone. Um, but we don’t really watch cable news. And so all of those mainstream platforms, they’re not reaching young people at all. Um, I was actually in a class this was a few weeks ago, maybe even a month ago now. And it was the day that the Francis Scott Key Bridge came down. Um, we’re talking about it the entire class. I thought everybody in my class knew what had happened. Some other kid in my class says, oh, yeah? Didn’t some bridge fall down today? This is at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. I was mind blown because sometimes I feel like people who are super invested in the news and are paying attention to what’s actually going on in our world in rapid time, we kind of lose touch with the fact that the general public may not have gotten this information yet. And that goes back to the question of why are we not reaching those people? Why are they not getting the news? Is it not on the platforms that they’re on? And I think that’s something that the Republican Party as a whole needs to focus on. Like Haika mentioned, being on those platforms and making sure that not only people are getting the news, but we’re getting our message out effectively. So we do have a say in the narrative that’s being put out there.

Juan Pleitez:
I think Audrey makes a really excellent point. Uh, it’s not just so much as being on those platforms, but relaying, uh, and messaging in a way that connects with people. Right. Um, I think that, um, we have an issue. So I, I have been invited to do talks to high school, uh, high schools all across the state, uh, to talk to them about the General Assembly. And, you know, kind of what the work that the General Assembly does. And it is just so in a way, it’s fun for me, but it also in another way, extremely concerning as to the amount of students in high school who are about to be voting age that have no idea, absolutely no idea about their state government, what it does, the purpose of it, their city councils, uh, what the they they’re aware that there’s a governor maybe but tell you who their House state House representative is or or what it is. Uh, my my favorite slide in my presentation is I put out a dollar amount in each, and I’m like, which one do you think? How much money does your state representative get paid? And I put like 100,000 or I put like 50,000 or something and everyone says a number and then I show up, you know, 13,000 and change and, and it’s just, uh, it’s just a moment, but but it’s about. We get desensitized in this age of information and 24 hour media. There’s so much information, so much happening that it gets drowned out. And so I’m not entirely surprised that it got the 3:00 and somebody didn’t know that, that a bridge had fallen. Right. Um, cut to the noise. Be cutting edge. And that’s a challenge that I think that we’ll have to continue to explore as a party.

Ethnicity Within Generation Z

Reuel Sample:
Haika and Juan, you are not only Gen Z, but you are representing two of the subgroups that are very important to Democrats, Black Americans and Hispanic Americans. But does your generational being, Gen Z, does that transcend your ethnic ethnicity, or are there specific concerns within your own communities? Haika I’ll let you go first.

Haika Mrema:
: So my parents are African immigrants, and so my experience and my upbringing is a little bit different than black Americans who have been here for generations. But I think the message still stands, especially during our last election. There was a push and a big one on just the identity of our race and making that just the forefront of who we are, what we do and why we do it. I think as a generation we are realizing that that aren’t that isn’t important, that isn’t going to make the economy go down or keep us safe. You know, these social issues that don’t really do much in securing a future, especially for our generation as we’re growing up, I think we’re starting to realize that and look beyond our identities, um, to really be productive and focusing on what’s important, which is the economy and keeping our country safe.

Reuel Sample:
Juan same to you. Does your generation transcend your background as being a Hispanic?

Juan Pleitez:
I think it goes hand in hand a little bit. Right. Um, as a as a Hispanic, you know, we we we were known for having these sort of ideals of strong family values and a hard work ethic and stuff like that. But, you know, I can’t speak about other people’s experiences. But for me, my father immigrated in this country not because he wanted to, but because there was a civil war broke out in his country of El Salvador, and it had just become such a mess that the carnage and the just the terrible, uh, stuff that was happening there that he had to pick up and move as tens of thousands of, of Salvadorans, uh, did and relocated to places like Los Angeles and San Francisco, uh, and Texas. But, um, so, so there’s that aspect to it. But but what I would say is that Hispanics are not single issue voters, right? When, uh, it’s very easy to say you’re a Hispanic. What’s your stance on immigration? Uh, is it but but what I, what I tell people is we’re part of the community. Um, you know, we go to the grocery store to and we see our prices skyrocketing.

Juan Pleitez:
We, uh, see our electric bill, we see, you know, uh, first generation students going to through public school and college and whatnot and seeing them having to sign their life away, uh, with, with student loans and all that stuff. We’re we’re with you. And one of the things that brought me, uh, that drew me to the Republican Party was that exact messaging. You know, I, I was a I was a 15 year old kid that, uh, wandered into, uh, uh, the Caldwell County Republican Party in western North Carolina. It was, uh, almost by accident. I was more curious. I was checking out some books, and I was more curious than anything. Wandered in, and and these people were like, oh, another member of the community. Welcome. Have a seat. It wasn’t. You’re a Hispanic male, lower, lower to middle income or anything like that. It was like you were a member of this community and as concerned citizens of this community, what can we do to make this community better for everyone? And, um, that is a powerful message.

Reuel Sample:
So we’ve danced around it a little bit. I’m going to go to each one of you. I’m going to go back Haika, then Aubrey, and then Juan. What are the top three issues that concern Gen Z? And if they’re repetitive, that’s fine. I’ll start with you. The top three. You think?

Top Issues Of Concern

Haika Mrema:
: Okay. I think the top three right now are is the economy. I also think, um, women, just women’s issues, women’s rights is a big one right now. And I would say. I would say probably immigration, especially as we continue to get reports on that and updates on that.

Reuel Sample:
Okay. Aubrey.

Aubrey Tuell:
I’m going to steal two of those, I think definitely immigration and definitely the economy. But I also think that the wars that we are not necessarily in right now, but that we are paying for, is definitely something that our generation cares a lot about.

Reuel Sample:
Juan.

Juan Pleitez:
I have to agree with them. I think the top, the top issue is the economy. Right. Um, uh, folks our age are are getting their diploma in the mail right now, and they’re having to face, uh, having to afford living in a city or, or, you know, rent and then student loans and all these things. And so the economy is a big thing. I agree with Haika. I think that, uh, women’s issues all across the board, uh, is something that’s going to continue to be a conversation. Um, it’s it’s, uh, definitely what my more moderate friends talk about and are swayed to go to the ballot box for, um, and immigration is definitely a very interesting issue as well. I think that, um, it’s a little bit more personal for, for younger people. Um, you know, due to the instability of, of civil wars and corrupt governments and, and whatnot that was happening in Central America and the late 80s and early 90s that caused this sort of mass migration into the United States. Uh, they had they had children, and those children grew up alongside, uh, uh, us. And so, you know, these are the folks that know people that were affected one way or another by the Dream act and by, um, having, uh, alternate, uh, citizenship status or something. So I think it’s a little bit more real and a little bit more nuanced, uh, to, to younger generations.

Reuel Sample:
Let’s talk about one of those in particular that’s illegal immigration, uh, from a website called The Stock Dork. I love that, uh, also from Newsweek. It’s basically the same article, a statewide survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, and this was just in February, reveals a notable decline in approval of benefits provided to immigrants, particularly among younger age groups. That’s Gen Z as compared to previous surveys, younger generation aged 18 to 34 show a significant decrease in their perception of immigrants as a benefit to California. Approximately 67% of those aged 18 to 34 called it a benefit. That’s down from 80% in June. That’s still two out of three, but it’s a huge decrease. Haika you are in Texas, which is the literal epicenter of the immigration invasion. Are these numbers right among Gen Z, or are they probably higher there in Texas? And what do your what does Gen Z think about those folks there at the border?

Tackling Illegal Immigration Within The Generation

Haika Mrema:
: So I, you know, have not only been around this discussion in Texas, but I was born and raised in California 18 years. So I have seen it from all sides, especially those states along the southern border. Um, and I would say, like, I think we’re finally starting to see the impact of illegal immigration in our country. You know, Republicans have been talking about it for years about what harm this will do if we break that order and break that structure of our American law. Um, and allow for chaos essentially to happen and how that brings harm to our society. People are left unsafe. Um, and there’s no justice or little justice for those who are impacted by these illegal immigrants because they’re not under our system. And so you have sanctuary cities and New York, California. I know that all too well. Um, which are just continuing to leave Americans unsafe. And I think generation Z is starting to realize that and realize that the social justice they’ve been crying for isn’t going to go far if there’s less Americans here, um, that are protected by the people who should be protecting us.

Reuel Sample:
Juan what does generation Z want us to do about the border?

Juan Pleitez:
Well, I think they want to see anything done at this point, right. Because nothing is happening right now, right? As a Hispanic, I have these these conversations with folks all across the state. And the issue is that it’s real for us. Right? We understand that, uh. We come, we come to this country. Our forefathers came to this country to work, to make an honest living, to pursue that American dream, right? That that people talk about. But when crime and drugs pour through our southern border, they’re coming into our neighborhoods. They’re affecting us. You look at the statistics on on brown, on brown and black on black crime. And I mean, this is this is coming and making our subset communities unsafer. And so Hispanics would love to see a resolution to that as well, you know. So, um, so, so those those conversations are very real. I think that, um, it’s multifaceted, right? It’s it’s, uh, multi-layered. Number one is that, yes, they, uh, the vast majority and I don’t want to overgeneralize. Right. Want to see our law followed. And I think that there are certain sections of the system right now to there. I’ve heard this several times. Why don’t they just do it the right way? Right. Why why don’t they just wait or apply or do it the right way? Well, the right way cost tens of thousands of dollars, you know, lasts years. And they pry into every corner and nuance part of your life. They ask for documentation that is not well kept in archives or records in central and Southern American countries. And so not a simplification, but a revision, a relook at some of these, these systems, um, is an important part of that. However, that’s not even a part of the conversation right now, because the Biden administration basically just threw the playbook out and said, we’re just going to let everyone there’s.

Reuel Sample:
It’s just come on in. Just stop building the fence and come on in. Aubrey, we live here in the great state of North Carolina. We’ve we’ve got we’ve got ocean front where we do have issues, but our borders are not bordering anything. Well, you can call South Carolina maybe a little bit of a problem, but, uh, is that, uh, how and you are on campus right now and you’re surrounded by Gen Z, and they’re going to class and they’re doing all the things that college students should do, but they’re going to be voting on these things. How do we reach college students with this idea that illegal immigration is really hurting our country and their future.

Aubrey Tuell:
I think it’s really going to take us getting out in front of college students and letting them know, hey, these are the things that are happening. Just two states down from us. Laiken Riley, a college student at Georgia, was murdered by an illegal immigrant that had been arrested several times prior. That’s what we need to be making sure generation Z knows when they go to the ballot box. And it’s not just in Georgia with Laiken Riley, but the countless other victims of this, not only just the illegal immigration, but the lack of any law and order and the fact that our the people who are supposed to be protecting us are just being told to let these people go, and then they commit crime after crime after crime. I mean, I was looking at some statistics in New York City the other day, and it was they had thousands and thousands of crimes. I think it was shoplifting in general, like 13,000. My numbers could be way off right now, but it was over 10,000. And then you looked at how many offenders did a majority of the crimes. It was a few hundred. And so it’s not like we have 10,000 people out going and shoplifting one time. It’s. A few subs, a few people that are going and committing crime after crime after crime. Because we don’t have law being enforced in our country right now. So I think that’s how we get to the college students and just really let them know, hey, these are the consequences of illegal immigration.

Reuel Sample:
But it it seems to me that you can’t talk to them in mass. Although folks like Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk can get away with doing things like that. How do we teach Gen Z conservatives to talk to folks one on one? Because that sounds like that’s how it has to happen. Uh, Juan, how do we do that?

Juan Pleitez:
I think that we need to give people something to believe in. I think there’s a lot of hopelessness right now. And and it’s it’s it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed. And and when you feel overwhelmed, you disassociate, you disconnect. You don’t want any part of it. And so I think that the Republican Party needs to shift. I think our values are correct, right? Our our our. What we believe in is is right. Uh, but our messaging has been off, particularly with with Gen Z. Um, and and what I mean by that is, you know, we have this sort of like bootstrap narrative in the Republican Party that if you do the work, you you work hard, you play by the rules, you will get it done. And I have a lot of people in that are friends that aren’t getting it done. And it’s true, no fault of their own. It’s the economy. It’s it’s the job market. It’s the housing market. It’s the apartment market. And they don’t understand. You’re you’re listening to this, this party saying you just need to work harder. You just need to to to do more. Obviously you’re not doing enough and you are, but it still takes two, three jobs to afford rent and food and heaven for God bless those that are listening that have children. I don’t know, uh, I have friends that are, you know, engaged or married or about to start having kids. I don’t I wouldn’t know how to how to even go about that, you know, uh, money wise.

Juan Pleitez:
Um, because that’s that’s just a very real thing. So. You have a party thing that but then also saying vote for us. That’s a tough sell. But if you have if you have a party that’s saying we understand what you’re going through, we understand that it’s tough out there. But we have this. But we have the solution and it’s this. I think that that is the powerful argument. It is we want to empower you. We want to motivate you so that you can do what it is that you want to accomplish in this life. The American dream can not just apply just to your grandparents and and parents, but they can apply to you too. And here’s how we’re going to empower the financial system. So we’re going to, uh, revamp our infrastructure and our, our stance in the on the global stage so that you can reach that, that American dream that you want. And I’ve yet to see that. I see a lot of I see that on both sides. Fear and doom and gloom sell. We think too much about the next election and not about the next generation. And I think that with that mantra we see a lot of short terms success. But we forget that the next voting base of people is going to be around for 30, 40, 60 years, well after us. Yeah.

Instilling Hope

Reuel Sample:
Well it’s interesting is that, uh uh uh, doom and gloom sells, except one of the most successful candidacies in the history of the modern Republican Party was Ronald Reagan, when he said, it’s morning in America is that he took the doom and gloom and he turned it on its side. And he said, there is hope, but it’s in the Republican Party. Uh, we couldn’t have scripted that more, Juan, because I want to send something to Haika. Is that, uh, one of the things that sets Gen Z apart from millennials is that at this age, Gen Z is much more politically active, is that you are in there and you are fighting and for either side and you’re doing things that uh, uh, get things done according to your own issues. Haika how do we encourage young Republicans, young conservatives, to get active?

Haika Mrema:
: I think it goes back to what Juan was saying. You have to instill hope in them. You have to instill this idea that there is a future, that there can be good results that come from this. If you put in the work and and you believe in your cause. And so I think it’s important that Gen Z understands that there is hope. And so we have to again meet them where they’re at on these social platforms, energize them, deliver a message that is filled with energy and passion so that we may feel that and want to go out and do the work, and so that we may see the results that we, our parents got to see and our grandparents got to see. That only comes if we’re willing to put in the work to do it.

Reuel Sample:
Aubrey. Millennials were and are defined by a sense of genuineness is that they can smell deception from a mile away is that is that they want reality and community? Is that the same for Gen Z?

Aubrey Tuell:
I think it’s absolutely the same. Just in North Carolina, we saw Representative Jeff Jackson post a video on TikTok, which he is known as the TikTok congressman. I think that’s his nickname, has millions of followers on TikTok, has a name not just in North Carolina, but nationwide. Gen Zers know who this congressman is. Um, and we saw when the TikTok bill came up, he had posted a video saying how he didn’t think it was going to pass, and then for just forgot to mention that he actually voted for the bill to ban TikTok. It wasn’t really a ban, but, um, to ban TikTok. And so then he released a video afterwards saying basically apologizing for not admitting how he was going to vote on the issue. And so I think we absolutely care about someone not lying to our faces and being genuine with us, because now technology is mainstream and we’ve had it all of our lives. Just like you were talking about the cell phones earlier, the smartphones, we know how to find the information, so you can’t really lie to us anymore. It’s a lot easier accessible. So.

Reuel Sample:
Juan, does the Republican Party have a genuineness issue with Gen Z? And how do we get past that?

Juan Pleitez:
I think we have genuine policy. I think we have genuine goodness in our heart and love for community. Um, I think that where we’ve struggled a little bit is is reaching them in those platforms. Right. I credit where credit’s due to Congressman Jackson. He’s a the best the best that I’ve ever seen. I mean, do it. And, um. I think we don’t need to mimic it, but we need to counter to it right? As a party. Whether whether whether it be, um, just having those conversations with them, it it’s it’s very reminiscent of FDR’s fireside chats. Right. He’s looking into the camera. He’s talking to you as a as somebody who respects you and who, who, who values your opinion. And there it is. You know, that that’s very compelling. And also, I think that and I have a problem with this as well. So it’s not just a Republican thing. I think it’s just a, just a US thing, um, where you can get to nuance, to detail oriented to policy in depth and whatnot. I love getting into the nitty gritty of policy and all of that stuff. And, um, I started talking 45 seconds ago. You can’t tell me what I said 45 seconds ago. You’re their attention span is has been drawn on to 75 other things by then. And so a clear, compact, concise message, um, is what we need to do.

Reuel Sample:
Haika, do we need Gen Z’s marketing to Gen Z’s in the Republican Party.

Haika Mrema:
: Absolutely we do. I mean, when you see someone who you can connect with, that you can resonate with, it builds a sense of relationship that you won’t get if you can’t relate to someone. And so Gen Z needs to see their own face, their own youth actually advocating and and doing the work, um, to see the results. Because if they’re not doing it, why would anyone else want to do it within our generation? And so it can, you know, someone from an older generation can say a lot of things and do a lot of things to try and reach, um, generation Z, but it makes a different kind of impact when generation Z sees themselves doing, um, what they ought to be doing.

Talking To Generation X, Talking to Generation Z

Reuel Sample:
I’m going to wrap things up. I am Gen X. Our generation was a very, very weird generation. We actually had to reinvent a whole bunch of things. But I’m going to give each one of you a final time to talk. And here’s what I’d like to ask you to do. I would like you to address one thing to Gen Xers. To not do for Gen Z’s. And then one thing to Gen Z’s to think about for this upcoming election cycle. So, uh, Juan, I’m going to start with you.

Juan Pleitez:
Let me see if I understood the the question correctly. It’s us, Gen Z, talking to Gen Xers about what not to do.

Reuel Sample:
That’s correct.

Juan Pleitez:
Don’t talk down. I interesting I think that, um. And when we alluded a little bit to it earlier, uh, in the conversation, uh, but I think there is a disconnect. There’s a lack of table side conversations, family conversations that we’re having, uh, that is at home. One of the things that I value so much about the relationship with myself and my father is that we can still talk and have those conversations, but that is not happening across America and across our state because it almost feels like a lecture. You know, there’s a there’s a lack of compassion. There’s a well, you know, I bought my house for $18,000 in 1973. And, you know, I just don’t understand. You’ve got this college degree and you’ve got all these things, so. So I mean, I’ve got it. I had it figured out at 18. What are you doing at 18? You know, I, I was already married with kids at 24 y. And you’re, you know, sitting on the couch, you know, it’s a it’s a bigger cultural conversation. Right? But when it comes to politics, you approach it with that angle. It immediately just just sets something off, whether it be just youthful revelry or whatever it is. But but I and look, it comes from a place of good from the Gen Xers. It does. It is trying to instill wisdom and experience, uh, and and lived learned lessons along the way. Um, but it just comes off as a lack of compassion. And so, again, the magic behind Jeff Jackson and a lot of these influential people that get they get that I’m with you. I understand what you’re going through and it’s going to be okay, but it’s going to be okay because you’re going to vote for my policies.

Reuel Sample:
And one thing to tell Gen Z’s.

Juan Pleitez:
One thing to tend to tell Gen Z’s, uh, just in general. Vote! I think that. I think that it becomes so hopeless, uh, sometimes. And for, uh, for the first time, I see a lot of, a lot of people saying, I’m just not going to vote. I’m just not even going to bother. Uh, and I and I see this a lot with older generations. But for the first time, I’m seeing it with younger folks. Mm.

Reuel Sample:
Haika to you, what should what should Gen Xers not do to Gen Z’s? And one thing to tell Gen Z’s.

Haika Mrema:
: Yes, my mother is a Gen Xer.

Reuel Sample:
We’ve got some audio issues there, so.

Haika Mrema:
: Is that better? That’s it. Yes. Okay, great. My mother is a Gen Xer, so definitely have had plenty of experience with that generation. And I would say, don’t disregard us because we’re young. I think people in older generations tend not to take us seriously, not even just talk down, like Juan said. I mean, that’s very evident too. Um, but they don’t take us seriously our ideas seriously. Um, our creativity. Seriously. Um, and they completely dismiss us sometimes. And yes, we’re young, but we have something to offer. And soon we will be the future. We will step into these positions of leadership. Um, and soon you’re going to have to listen to us. So I’d say seek to understand us. Um, and don’t just dismiss what we have to say. And I would say for generation Z to have hope, believe that we can have a future. Think about your future when you are deciding, not even just politically, what you’re going to do when it comes to voting, but just personally, the decisions you make in life. Think about the future you want to live in and act accordingly.

Reuel Sample:
And Aubrey, finally to you, what are you going to tell your Gen X people and what, uh, what are you going to tell Gen Z?

Aubrey Tuell:
I think we’ve talked a lot about messaging tonight, but I think it really goes into the fact that us coming out of college, maybe only working a few years, we might not have as much marketing experience. Haika is a marketing student at Baylor right now, we might not have as much experience, but we understand what resonates with us as a generation that has grown up with social media and smartphones. And we can tell a lot of people don’t know this necessarily when they’re older, but we can tell when someone that’s past a millennial has posted something online. Because it doesn’t resonate with us at all whatsoever. And so I think that’s something to keep in mind for Gen Xers specifically. My mom’s a Gen X, and we lived very different childhoods. You know, I grew up with an iPad and an iPod and an iPhone and, you know, that wasn’t really around. So I think it’s important to keep all of that in mind and let us determine the messaging that resonates with us, because that’s how we’re going to capture the generation Z vote. And that’s something that the other that the Democrats are doing right now. And we need to hop on that trend before the trend.

Reuel Sample:
And one thing to tell the Gen Z’s.

Aubrey Tuell:
One thing to tell the Gen Z’s, I would say not only go vote and care, but really get involved. Contact your elected officials, ask them a question, volunteer with a campaign, ask candidates questions. You know, really just understanding even the local your local government, your state House rep, your Senate member. Um. Even in the US Congress and the US Senate, really knowing who those people are and asking them questions or letting them know if you need something done, like you need a passport or something. There’s a lot of people in our generation that don’t know that. Passports can be handled through your senator or congressman’s office. So stuff like that. Really getting involved, not just voting.

Reuel Sample:
There are many things we can learn from this new generation of Americans, as they have faced a world defined by new communication technology, economic instability, Covid outcomes, and other issues. Yet what we also learn is their generation is really no different than any other. They want a better world for themselves and their children, and are trying hard to find real answers to the real problems they see around them. Perhaps more than any other generation, they are not afraid to voice their dissatisfaction with answers and party platforms that clearly are not working. We need to reach this generation. We need to understand this generation. And clearly we ignore generation Z at our own peril. For the NHC GOP podcast, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.

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