Emma Strom

8.14.2020

AP Lang Summer Reading Assignment

For my AP Lang assignment, I selected iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are
Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy, and Completely Unprepared For
Adulthood—and What That Means for the Rest of Us by Jean M. Twenge. I learned in-depth
about why Generation Z(or iGen, as Twenge refers to it) has difficulty developing a healthy level
of independence from their parents as they grow up and the reasoning behind their struggle with
social skills.

Introduction

Pages 1-11
• (Speaker: Background) Jean Twenge has three daughters, works as a professional psychologist
and professor of psychology at San Diego State University, and has other published works.
She is forty-eight years old. (1)
• (Subject) “That’s just the way my generation is,” she says. “We didn’t have a choice to know
any life without iPads or iPhones” (2).
• Quote comes directly from the source(an iGen kid) and simply yet effectively sums up
iGen’s screen addiction tendencies.
• (Reader Response) “It’s like Apple has a monopoly on adolescence” (2). I like this short
sentence because it is a great way to describe the huge holding the tech industry has on GenZ.
And it is completely accurate—companies use kids and teens as puppets to control their every
action through their products.
• (Subject) “The “i” in iGen represents the individualism its members take for granted, a broad
trend that grounds their bedrock sense of equality as well as their rejection of traditional social
rules” (2).
• The subject of individualism is discussed highly throughout the text, making it clear that this
is one of the main ideas Twenge is attempting to convey.
Page 3
• (Occasion) Historically, traditions both contribute towards and reject individualism. This is
why iGen aims to erase tradition, since it doesn’t leave much room for individualism.
• (Purpose) “iGen is the ideal place to look for trends that will shape our culture in the years to
come…” (3).
• “As a label, iGen is concise, broad, and relatively neutral. At least one writer has described the
label as “bland,” but that’s actually a strength. A generational label needs to be inclusive
enough to be accepted by the generation itself and older generations…Another name
suggested for this group is Generation Z. However, that label only works if the generation
before them is called Generation Y, and hardly anyone uses that now that the term Milennials
 has won out. That makes GenZ dead on arrival. Not to mention that young people do not
wanted to be named after a generation older than themselves” (7).
• (Argument) Twenge tries to support this label for the youngest generation of kids. She
doesn’t actually provide support for the last claim, as no kids representing their age group
are interviewed.
• (Reader Response) The term iGen is not accepted by the generation itself and older ones. In
my experience, I’ve only seen the term GenZ used.
• (Speaker) “I draw primarily from four databases. One, called Monitoring the Future, has asked
high school seniors questions every year since 1976 and 8th and 10th graders since 1991. The
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System has surveyed high school students since 1991. The
American Freshman Survey…has questioned students entering four-year colleges and
universities since 1966. Finally, the General Society Survey has examined adults 18 and over
since 1972” (9).
• Twenge specifically names the sources she uses for her data. By doing this, she is
explaining and justifying the credibility of her resources and promoting her own credibility
and expertise. Considering her extensive background in teaching and psychology, she is
qualified to speak on these topics.
• (Speaker): “Because the survey samples are nationally representative, they represent American
people as a whole, not just an isolated group.”
• Twenge reaffirms the credibility that she already established within the last page by
explaining how it is credible. (10)
• (a fifteen-question quiz to discover how “iGen” you are. The reader is answers “yes” or “no”
to each, and the responses are totaled at the culmination of the quiz. The higher the number,
the more “iGen” you are.)(11)
• Some outstanding examples of the questions asked:
• “In the past twenty-four hours, did you spend at least an hour total text on a cell phone?”
• (Questions about politics and beliefs, like:) “Are you a religious person?”, “Are you a
political independent?”, or “Do you think same-sex marriage should be legal?”
• (Reader Response)The quiz’s placement at this spot in the text is deliberate—it is
designed to summarize what the author perceives as key traits and beliefs of GenZ. Each
item demonstrates the PURPOSE and AUDIENCE that the author was writing for. The
audience is the older generations, like Millennials or Boomers. The questions support this
claim, since they inquire about previously conservative beliefs and things “normal”
teenagers used to do, such as “When you were in high school, did you spend nearly every
weekend night out with friends?” In fact, part of the book’s title is “And What That Means
For the Rest of Us”, which is intended to appeal to older generations.
• The purpose of the author’s writing becomes clear: to analyze data and then inform the
older generations of the direction our society is headed.
• “These iGen’ers’ individual experiences are just that and might not be representative of their
generation” (12).
• (Speaker) Twenge shows awareness of potential bias or error in data.
• “…where I’m twenty-five to thirty years older than iGen teens…My role here is much more
observer than participant. However, I now have another perspective: my three daughters…I
 have thus seen firsthand some of the quintessential iGen experiences such as a toddler, barely
old enough to walk, confidently swiping her way through an iPad, a six-year-old asking for a
cell phone, and a nine-year-old describe the latest app” (13).
• (Speaker/Argument) The author provides from her own life experiences as perspective for
her arguments. Twenge makes claims from which that support the idea of “quintessential
iGen experiences.”
• (Why are you blaming kids…isn’t it the parents’ fault?) “This question makes two false
assumptions: first, it assumes that all generational changes are negative; second, it implies that
a single cause(i.e. parenting) can be identified for each change” (13).
• (Argument) Twenge argues from the opposite viewpoints and is defending GenZ kids who
put up blame and the stereotypes that come with it.
• “iGen’ers’ political preferences will shape elections far into the future, and their attitudes will
dictate policy and laws” (15).
Chapter One
Pages 17-47
• (Occasion) Drawing from past historical events, the reader can use inferences and the
tendencies of GenZ to make assumptions and/or predictions about the future of politics.
• “Azar exudes unbridled enthusiasm for just about everything, talking at the rapid, singsong
pace favored by many southern California teens” (17).
“Have you seen Spy? It’s sooo good,” she gushes.
• (Reader response)This passage is aesthetically striking and its role as the introduction sets
the tone for the rest of the chapter. The word choices(unbridled, singsong, and gushes)
contribute to Twenge’s capture of the genial tone many GenZ kids possess.
• “These are the Boomers, raised in a time when their parents were happy they left the house and
economic success didn’t require a graduate degree.” (20)
• (Reader response)I believe that this statement is a main idea and a key point. The difference
in attitudes between Boomer and iGen parents directly impacted the personality of the
generations.
• “The goal was survival, not violin lessons by age 5.”(24)
• During the childhoods of Boomers, parents were less focused on the happiness of their
children and instead keeping their place in society and making a living, took priority.
Additionally, individualism was not as prevalent.
• His(Matthew’s)YouTube playlist features videos such as, “Gluten Free Duck(featuring a duck
that won’t eat breadcrumbs and asks for a “brown rice tortilla or maybe some quinoa
crackers?” “
• Analysis of the Gluten-Free Duck video: The duck had a high pitched, obnoxious, voice and
is the only white duck amongst the other birds in the video. There are references made to the
store, Whole Foods. The video makes fun of a certain demographic of women: white women
in their twenties and thirties who are known for being(sometimes overly)particular about
their food.
• “In the 1988 Corey Heim and Corey Feldman vehicle License to Drive…” (27)
• (Audience) The audience becomes clear with a simple allusion to an 80’s movie.
• Ending the section by stating that declining/increasing trends appear across all regions, ethnic
groups and socioeconomic classes was previously used.
• “The decline is a steep black diamond mountain for eighth graders, a bunny hill for twelfth
graders, and a gently sloping cross-country ski course for young adults” (37)
• The metaphoric comparison to ski slopes acts as a way to describe alcohol experimentation.
• (Subject) Isn’t the decrease in underage drinking what adults have imposing on teens for
decades?
• (Reader Response) While reading this section, I was reminded of a video I once saw. In it,
Japanese kids as young as five or six years old documented their school morning routines, part
of which included catching and riding the train. I was surprised at the level of independence
they had at such a young age. This clip displays support towards the claim that collectivist
countries demand a higher level of independence from their children. (42)
• “Recent years have seen a boom in products such as “adult coloring books” that invite full-
grown humans to color with crayons like elementary schoolers, touting the activity as
“relaxing.” … When I interviewed a seventeen-year-old high school senior in the midst of
applying to college, I asked her what her favorite movies were. Her answer? Tangled and
Frozen—both children’s movies by Disney” (46)
• Author’s tone is mocking
• “One safe space, for example, featured coloring books and videos of frolicking puppies, neatly
connecting the idea of safe spaces with that of childhood” (47)
• This quote prompts the question: What, to Twenge, is so inherently wrong with indulging in
childish activities? Why is it portrayed as something negative?
Chapter Two
Pages 49-68
• (Audience)“There are probably several, but one obvious candidate is all the other ways people
used to communicate and entertain themselves. And I don’t mean flip phones” (59)
• (Purpose)Twenge continually gravitates toward the notion that smartphones are the main
culprit of changing statistics.
• (Reader Response “click”) “…researchers have argued that new technology doesn’t replace
older forms of media but instead supplements them…(i.e., reading books/magazines on iPads
and Kindles).
• A direct response from educational corporations is the move toward interactive online books
to keep students engaged. This supports the idea that the mass migration to screens is
influencing the business decisions of companies.
Chapter Three
Pages 69-911
• Twenge tries multiple times throughout the book to convey messages to the audience using the
ineffective method of alluding to 80’s movies. (70)
• “Now we have Netflix—you can watch a series nonstop. There’s so many things to do on the
Web” (71)
• (Argument) Twenge’s depiction of teenagers/perspective on the topic seems one-sided and is
becoming frustrating to read.
• (Argument, claim) “Risks start to increase with screen time of two hours or more a day and go
up from there, with very high levels of use linked to considerably higher rates of suicide and
unhappiness. This suggests that moderation, not necessarily a complete elimination of
electronic devices from teens lives, is the key” (84).
• (Argument, counterclaim)“iGen’ers still yearn for in-person interaction. Nearly all of the 18-
and 19-year-olds in the SDSU freshman survey said they would rather see their friends in
person than communicate electronically” (90)
• “Just as playing the piano takes practice, so do social skills. iGen’ers are not practicing their
in-person social skills as much as other generations did, so when it comes time for the “recital”
of their social skills, they are more likely to make mistakes onstage when it matters: in college
interviews, when making friends in high-school, and when competing for a job” (91).
• Twenge compares utilizing social skills to learning an instrument because:
• A social life is important and crucial to progressing in life.
• Practice is required to learn.
Chapter Four
Pages 93-118
• The first and only time that the author questions why smartphones are responsible for various
events such as the teen mental health crisis and less in person interaction. (105)
• “The allure of the smartphone, its blue light glowing in the dark, is often too much to
resist” (115).
• The allure comes from its easy accessibility and overuse is encouraged when the smartphone,
is in arm’s reach.
• “It’s all rooted in the allure of the phone: when the phone calls its siren song, teens crash into
the rocks instead of crashing into their beds” (116).
• (Reader Response) While aesthetically a striking sentence, Twenge creates a metaphor out of
a serious issue and depicts just how much of an impact phone usage has on teenagers.
• “Seeing a therapist is still taboo…Nobody likes the idea of putting a label on what can so
easily be written off as some form of insecurity—nobody wants to be diagnosed.” (118).
• (Reader Response)GenZ still carries the taboo of seeing a therapist is the stigma.

Chapter Five
Pages 119-142
• (Occasion: Twenge addresses the topic of religion and spirituality in GenZ because:
• Faith is immensely important to people and shaped much of history.
• The American stereotype is portrayed as overly religious and wants to delve deeper into why
GenZ kids are mocking it rather than adopting it.
• (Reader Response)Teenagers dislike having independence, they yet they also dislike rules.
• (Reader Response—“Click”)“That suggests that iGen’ers and Millennials are staying away
from religious services because they are young—unsettled, childless, and far from situations
such as death and sickness that religion comforts.” (124).
• “In the church, you had to put on major filters in order to be accepted. You couldn’t be up-front
with the things that you struggled with or couldn’t be up-front with the things that you believed
 in, or they were going to get shot down.” Not surprisingly, James and his family stopped going
to church” (125).
• A big reason why iGen denounces religion is intolerance—they want to see more tolerance in
places of worship, which are traditionally unaccepting of the LGBTQ community.
• “It’s also likely portent of what is to come in American religion: fewer and fewer believers and
more and more churches closed down. We’re not Europe, but that might be where we’re
headed” (129).
• (Speaker and Purpose) The author shows no opinion on the prospect of churches closing and
faith becoming less prevalent. Their goal is to inform.
Chapter Six
143-177
• “iGen’s was the childhood of the car seat, of being picked up at school instead of walking
home by yourself, of sanitized plastic playgrounds. Boomer and GenX kids free to roam
around their neighborhoods have replaced by iGen kids supervised at every moment.” (144).
• Twenge’s tone is critical and mocking
• (Reader Response) Chapter six contains glorification of danger. I believe that there is a line
between interviewing for a new job and playing with literal fire.
• “…the pain that is mental rather than physical but(in iGen’ers’ view)hurts just as much, even if
it doesn’t leave physical scars” (157) Perhaps older generations simply chose not to dwell on
their emotional issues and internalized them, impacting their personalities rather than dealing.
• Word choice is repetitive(safe, safety)
• (Speaker) “It always bothers me when Boomers and GenX’ers observe about car seats and seat
belts, “We didn’t have any of that, and we survived.” Sure you did, but those who didn’t are no
longer with us…” (165) Twenge expresses frustrations over older generations who make fun of
the safety GenZ clings to.
• “Online, this is sometimes called “slactivism.” On the other hand, iGen’ers have mastered the
art of joining the the bandwagon of viral social media causes, which at least brings awareness
to issues” (175)
• Relates to the BLM movement of 2020/mass protests from minorities who still don’t have
equality. Performative allyship is akin to slactivism in which people only support a cause
because they view it as a trend.
Chapters Eight-Ten
Pages 201-
• “I am not sexually active, and I am not looking to be either,” wrote a 19-year-old woman who
posted a comment after a Los Angeles Times news story covering these findings(of adult
virgins and hookup culture statistics)” (207)
• The emergence of the LGBT community becoming more accepted may have led to people
actually feeling more accepted and more people having the courage to be actively asexual.
• “Teens are being scared into not having sex” (209). This statement is the entire reason why
there is a rise of adult virgins and the decrease of sexual partners per person.
• (Reader Response) There are several outcomes of more only children being born to GenZ’ers:
• Kids in the next generation will not experience the same childhood as older ones. The GenZ
mindset will be imposed and create a whole new way of thinking among kids.
 • The future of politics will be heavily impacted, in this case. This will influence the type of
laws that are passed.
• A more conscious group will have control and they will actively try to solve issues.
• More liberal upbringings.
• “Saying that diverse environments were desirable may have indicated a little too much interest
in race, and if you are iGen you aren’t supposed to notice race” (246)
• Author sets a solid norm that iGen has set for themselves.
• Is “color blindness” harmful or helpful?
• “The definition of a conservative has also shifted, focusing more on economic issues than
social ones” (265)
Conclusion
289-31
• Interesting word choice of “antediluvian” (292)
• “Use your phone for all of the cool stuff it can do, but put it down and be present for the
moment as much as possible. Use an app that cuts you off from social media if you have to.
Carve out blocks of time to study or work when it doesn’t intrude. Do not sleep with it or give
it nude photos of yourself. It is not your lover…it is not your best friend” (297)
• By metaphorically comparing our relationships with our phones to those we have with real
people in our lives, the author makes a good point in the call to action.