“The Greatest Generation is a book by journalist Tom Brokaw which profiles those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war’s home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort.” (Wikipedia)

But there could be the dawning of another.

Social observer Jeff Fromm says,

One of the characteristics I love the most about Gen Z is their genuine desire to make a difference – to change the world. Community consciousness is a defining characteristic of this generation. They’ve even been called “Philanthroteens.” They’re not simply dreaming about making a difference someday in the future. They’re already doing it, and they’re using social media to help.

After witnessing the growth of social activism and the striking presence of activist teens in the wake of continuing neighborhood and school gun violence, Generation Z is exposing the racism and political corruption that has made the solving of problems in the United States and the world a seemingly intractable problem. The United States’s “greatest generation” gambled their lives on peace and freedom. Generation Z is already doing the same, but in their own way.

“We’ve seen what economic hardship can do to families, communities and the world around us. Because we want to leave the world better than we found it, community service is now the expected norm, not just something we’re obligated to do through school, church, family, etc.; we care about giving back and want to do it right here, right now.”[Grace Masback, author of “The Voice of Gen Z: Understanding the Attitudes and Attributes of America’s Next ‘Greatest Generation’”

In Fromm’s article about facilitating the release of this creative and compassionate energy through specialized social media platforms, one can see that Generation Z is on the move. The Family has to ask itself, “Are we making a space for the next greatest generation?”