A recent tour of ten college campuses across the United States revealed that Generation Z is not the radicalized, ideologically obsessed demographic they are often portrayed as, but rather a generation exhausted by politics. Brilyn Hollyhand, a 20-year-old political commentator and author, embarked on the tour two weeks after the assassination of her mentor, Charlie Kirk, on September 10, 2025, aiming to continue his mission of civic engagement.
Hollyhand stated she was warned she would find anti-American and radical students but instead encountered a generation deeply affected by recent national events. These included surviving a presidential assassination attempt, witnessing friends and family face job losses over their beliefs, and experiencing years of remote learning due to the pandemic. This prolonged online existence, coupled with societal unrest and political demonstrations, has left many young Americans feeling constantly connected yet profoundly isolated, Hollyhand observed.
"These students came of age watching a president survive an assassination attempt and their friends and family lose jobs over their beliefs," Hollyhand wrote. "They saw classmates sit silent in lecture halls rather than risk ridicule for their faith and ideas."
As the nation approaches its semiquincentennial, Hollyhand finds the state of Gen Z sobering, contrasting their current struggles with the activism of America's founders. She referenced Ronald Reagan's 1967 warning that "freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction" and argued that typical solutions will not suffice to restore Gen Z's vitality.
Hollyhand criticized the conservative movement for potentially focusing too much on opposition and outrage cycles, arguing that this approach would fail to address the core concerns of young Americans. She highlighted issues such as soaring housing costs, the financial risks of higher education, and the diminishing economic security following graduation, despite accumulating significant debt. The commentator noted that while some, like Democratic Socialists, promise affordability through programs like free housing and education, these solutions are seen as illusory and foster dependency rather than self-worth.
"The loneliness epidemic will not be solved from Washington DC," she asserted.
Instead, Hollyhand proposed that conservatism, at its core, emphasizes the capabilities of free individuals over bureaucracies, the strength of families over government programs, and the importance of community, faith, and responsibility. She believes these principles are urgently needed and that the conservative movement must champion them. This includes trusting parents over bureaucrats, churches over federal agencies, entrepreneurs over government programs, and strong neighborhoods over federal initiatives.
Furthermore, Hollyhand suggested that the future of conservatism depends on enabling the next generation to build fulfilling lives, not just win online arguments. She argued that careers outside of traditional four-year degrees, such as trades, entrepreneurship, or building businesses, should be equally valued, especially in an economy transformed by artificial intelligence.
Despite the challenges, Hollyhand remains optimistic about Gen Z, describing them as entrepreneurial, resilient, thoughtful, and ambitious. She concluded that this generation is not seeking to be saved but desires the freedom to build their own futures. They are looking for an economy that rewards hard work, communities to belong to, and the liberty to speak, worship, innovate, and create, all offering a fair shot at the American Dream.
