It can be argued that Gen Z has the most humor about situations. Gen Z makes memes and TikTok videos regarding death, politics and more. While other generations see them as being immature and unable to handle reality, some say that their humor is their coping mechanism. Members of Gen Z are those born between 1997 and 2015. This puts the age group for Gen Z in the range of 6-24 years old in 2021.

“I do think people go to far sometimes and joke about stuff they shouldn’t but at the same time if you don’t like those kind of jokes and that kind of humor you don’t have to be a part of it, even if it is to far and messed up to joke about, some people may find it funny and entertaining so as long as some people get a laugh out of it gen z will continue with this type of humor” Junior Celiz Negron stated.

Gen Z use internet as a tool for socializing and developing ideas, ranging from political thoughts to silly trends on TikTok, Twitch and Reddit. For example, memes, a form of digital communication that place text over graphics, are largely misunderstood by the rest of society but have become our preferred platform for spreading jokes. They speak to the fact that Gen Z humor is often abstract, relying on distorted and absurd visuals to communicate a joke.

“Personally, as a member of Gen Z I love the comedy we have, the way I see it, we turn negative situations into something to help people smile and have a laugh. I get how people think it’s bad or messed up to do, but people deal with situations in different ways and for gen z it is turning negative stuff in a way to make people laugh. I share memes and tiktoks I come across with to my friends and it starts a conversation, and we all have a good laugh, so I believe for gen z, it’s not considered to far it’s just to share and have a laugh together.” Junior Ben Mckee stated.

Gen Z has found an outlet to cope through any ordeal: humor. And in the digitalized age of accessibility and widespread information, there is an apparent reliance on viral Internet memes and TikTok videos in order to relate, communicate, and bond together as a community.

“Gen Z definitely goes to far with what they call their “humor” because all it is, is making fun of peoples traumatic experiences and horrible events that occur. Personally, I get frustrated when I come across memes and tiktoks that are making fun of a series issue. When these memes and tiktok make fun of these events people forget how series the issue is and see no need to change it or help prevent it again. This generation is definitely a disappointment in my opinion” Junior Trista Sutton stated.

Each generation has a distinct brand of humor that defines their era, but Gen Z’s humor is unlike any past generation’s style of comedy because it is so niche and built upon years of exposure to stressful incidents and the internet. Gen Z has more that connects its members than other age groups, thanks to international experiences and the growth of social media. Through this connectivity and trauma, Gen Z has developed its own breed of humor.