2026年2月托福机经套卷(第8套) - Read an Academic Passage Q1

Generational Identity Some researchers studying the United States population posit that Generation Z (born roughly between 1997 and 2012) is not merely an extension of millennials (born roughly between 1981 and 1996) but a distinct cohort shaped by fundamentally different sociotechnological conditions. While millennials came of age during the rise of the Internet and social media, Gen Z has never known a world without smartphones, automated content filtering, and pervasive digital surveillance. This has led to claims that Gen Z exhibits higher digital literacy but lower trust in institutions and media than millennials do. However, this theory faces objections. For instance, the assumption that technological immersion leads to skepticism may overlook other factors, such as economic precarity or political polarization, which also influence trust. Moreover, while some studies suggest that Gen Z is more pragmatic and financially cautious than millennials are, this could be attributed not to generational identity but to life-stage effects—young adults often exhibit similar traits regardless of cohort. Other scholars believe that generational differences are overstated and that intragenerational diversity (e.g., socioeconomic class, race, or geography) is more significant than intergenerational contrasts. Thus, while the Gen Z vs. millennials dichotomy is useful as a cultural shorthand, its explanatory power may be limited.