The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many of us look at death and grief. Now, new research shows how one generation is using humor to cope with loss.
Lisa Hardy is a professor of anthropology at Northern Arizona University. She and her team are talking to members of Generation Z — people who were born between 1997 and 2012 — about life during COVID.
"And so what we found is that in this generation who experienced lockdown during elementary and high school … that they've dealt with a lot of loss and a lot of deaths and a lot of change in ways that mean that they're able to laugh about it in some ways, joke about it," said Hardy.
That can help them process their own trauma. There’s also economic insecurity, which is another layer. Still, Hardy and her team also see lots of positives, too.
"Another difference that I see in our research is real openness to talk about mental health challenges and difficulties," she explained.
And that's something she says you don't see as much with Generation X, for example.
Hardy says that while many of the interviews are heartbreaking, there’s also hopefulness and an openness to change.
