Matthew Weiss's Blog

We may not feel we are at war so nobody cares, but indeed we really are fighting a battle already.

Solution: The end goal has to be to make national service the desired norm among Zers.

The time has come to be bluntly honest about our current situation. This recruiting crisis shows that America's all-volunteer force cannot continue to operate successfully if some change doesn't occur. We may not feel we are at war now, so nobody cares, but we are already fighting a battle. Our largest competitor, China, threatens us more every day. On February 2nd, 2023, it was announced that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over the continental US. [1] While the instant hysteria this caused in the media wasn't as pronounced as the Sputnik moment with the Soviets, it created enough fear to get the public thinking. Some began to wonder what would happen if thousands of these balloons appeared over our cities one day…potentially carrying lethal munitions. Instead, the better question concerns the current manpower shortages we face. The military is ready to defend the U.S. homeland if and only if it has the necessary troops to do so. Most young Zers and probably Americans, in general, believe a war scenario involving the US homeland is ludicrous. Unfortunately, this thinking is dangerous for a superpower like America. The United Kingdom, an empire the sun never set on, was surprise-attacked by Nazi Germany in WWII. Luckily, its citizens sprang into action and thankfully had enough fighter pilots to defend the skies of London. China vs. us already presents a brutal equation when it comes to numbers. A tragic attack like 9/11 shouldn't be the wake-up call needed that encourages Zers to serve. 

[1] Liebermann, Oren, Haley Britzky, Michael Conte, and Nectar Gan. “Pentagon Tracking Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon over the US | CNN Politics.” CNN. Cable News Network, February 3, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/02/politi....

The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about the most important issue plaguing our generation.

Solution: The military must be presented as the greatest force to solving climate change.

As hard as it has been to classify and analyze the entirety of Gen Z, there is one unifying issue that nearly all Zers agree on. Primarily due to the existential threat it poses to their future, this issue is literally a matter of survival. Climate change and the environment's health are consistently ranked as some of the Zoomers' top concerns. Z has grown up in a time where the majority consensus in America now strongly recognizes the need to save the planet. While there may be an ongoing debate about the immediacy of the issue and the proper ways to address it, the overwhelming view in Z is to help heal the earth. The mobilization efforts, protests, and even career choices that many Zers are making to deal with this should be seen as a predictive signal about the future.

            The military has been equally adamant about climate concerns since the beginning of the 21stcentury. A recent DoD report cites how a poorer environmental forecast could challenge the various humanitarian operations we provide worldwide. The issues aren't just foreign, they affect the homeland as well. Many older Zers witnessed American troops deploy domestically to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The effect of climate change will see the closing down of training exercises due to fire hazards, flooding hurting naval port readiness, and a hotter world with food/water scarcity leading to higher chances of conflict. [1] Climate problems need to be dealt with by everyone, and Z is watching closely how various organizations respond. Whoever is seen as spearheading the effort to combat climate change will win the recruiting race among generation Z. Luckily, if there is one organization best equipped to organize and fight massive problems, it is the United States military. The environment is making us weaker, harming our ability to fight, and will end up killing us if something isn't done. We need to signal that the military cares deeply about our generation's most important issue…

[1] Department of Defense, Office of the Undersecretary for Policy (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities). 2021. Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis. Report Submitted to the National Security Council.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are actually three separate Gen Z demands for their workplace.

Solution: Collectively society must emphasize the process to see the difference, understand the difference, and accept the difference.

The military is no stranger to acronyms. We likely have more than any other organization in the world. They serve an excellent purpose when used tactically to abbreviate long-worded actions over the radio. Our fellow citizens in the civilian sector understandably aren't as good at making acronyms with actionable meanings. They sometimes clump together drastically different nouns in the hope that they coalesce around one central message, often accidentally obfuscating the individual words. During my summer internship at Goldman Sachs, the senior partners had some of us junior Zers work on defining ESG since it was the raging new topic for Wall Street investing. When putting together our final presentation decks, we discovered that while people do care about environmental, social, and governance issues when they put money into companies, the three words as a whole have very little to do with each other.

More than this, there is a new buzz acronym that is generating controversy and discussion amongst employers: DEI, standing for diversity, equity, and inclusion. While similar and certainly related, it’s important to break down what each of these words mean. Especially for organizations and leaders unfamiliar with these concepts, it will be important to understand that each word is a separate Gen Z demand for their workplace and larger society. The concepts are related, and their relationships to each other matter. So I will explore each word in isolation and in connection. Overall, they call for a process of seeing the difference, understanding the difference, and accepting the difference among fellow Americans…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Women are the largest group of Gen Z that can and should be recruited more into the military to boost current lagging numbers.

Solution: Establish the HER Initiative by honoring gender differences, eradicating sexual assault, and relaxing female-specific social constraints.

Before I delve into this critical discussion about women in the military, I want to recognize that conversations on identity and beliefs are often sensitive. As a straight white male, I bring my own biases and blind spots to this analysis. However, most of the military consists of straight white males, and we should all be encouraged to share our thoughts and ideas openly and democratically. These thoughts shouldn't be tempered at all for the risk of offending someone or hurting feelings. They should have the utmost respect for fundamental human rights and fellow-human emotions. Still, we shouldn't be so afraid in modern times to have painful, "politically incorrect" discussions, that we fail to reach the best outcomes for all. In order for our society and our institution to function, we must be able to talk about groups that we aren’t a part of without being shouted down. Gen Z is much more realistic than the idealistic millennials, and our collective pessimism makes us want to engage in challenging conversations, even if they sting a little.

Another thing to clarify is the difficult job of toeing the line that recruitment organizations will have to do as we push the military forward. Just because, on average, Zoomers lean more in one direction or have newer ideas about societal constructs than older generations, it doesn't mean that the entire Generation Z is a monolith. If too much change is pushed too quickly, there is a risk of alienating many of the groups of thinkers who were past mainstays of the recruiting pool. Striking a balance and doing everything in moderation are the best way. These changes and discussions must happen often, in public, and be positively tempered to reach optimality for total force numbers, abilities, and ultimately lethality…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Gen-Z wants to feel good by being seen as virtuous and helping others. The military needs to show how they are directly giving back to their local communities.

Solution: Through co-working and co-living, the military can better integrate with the various communities it supports.

An area of the economy that has grown exponentially during Gen Z's rise has been the sharing economy. Also described as "gig-work" such as ride services like Uber and apartment rentals like Airbnb, Zoomers are accustomed to interacting freely with strangers. Over 30% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 report having done some gig work. [1] Furthermore, a majority report spending less than 10 hours in a typical week performing these tasks. This increase in fluid interactions has promoted a much more interconnected community. While the tenet that "every person's home is their castle" still rings true in the American psyche, a more modern, Z-adapted view of communal life would be that "a castle can't exist without a group."

Z is the first actual "co" generation where popular trends like coworking and co-living are becoming the norm. The local communities where they're from, where they choose to live, and where they work are meaningful to them because, now more than ever, young people rely on the larger community to achieve their daily goals and tasks. It follows that serving these communities is something that Z values intensely, and many Zers expect their jobs to have some level of community service. It has become a social mark of approval to be a Zer who "gives a s###” and does community service. Gen-Z wants to feel good by being seen as virtuous and serving others. First by increasing contact between the military and civilian sectors, and then by having the military serve the civilian communities that they interact with; the military can show how they give back to their local communities to attract more recruits…

[1] Atske, Sara. “The State of Gig Work in 2021.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Pew Research Center, December 8, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/....

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Mental health, depression, and anxiety issues dominate Gen Z

Solution: The younger population needs more of mental health rather than physical health support.

While the physical health of Gen Z tracks with previous age-groups, their overall mental health is suffering immensely. Gen Z is likely the most anxious and depressed American generation, as the constant influx of a digital life takes its toll. In past human history, we've suffered from issues of scarcity, like not having enough food and being bored. Now we suffer from issues of abundance like having too many high-fructose foods and stimulation overloads. We've been given everything, so our lack of wanting inevitably leads to a lack of meaning. Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor wrote the most remarkable book on this topic titledMan’s Search for Meaning. He says, “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” [1] As Z searches for meaning in an overindulged society, their mental health is deteriorating at an increasingly alarming rate. The military must recognize that the younger population needs more mental rather than physical health support…

[1] Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2014.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Marijuana usage is more popular among Gen Z as it begins replacing alcohol. The two substances should be treated the same so less people are disqualified for drug use.

Solution: Lawmakers should lower the drinking age to 18 for those in the military and stop testing or asking for Marijuana use.

Zoomers spend more time indoors in their places of living than prior generations. Images of young Americans with eyes glued to video game consoles and computers come to mind. The entire world took shelter inside during the pandemic, and social events dropped to nearly zero. Along with this comes a new view on what recreational activities are acceptable. Alcohol, the primary social lubricant of the 20th century, is primarily viewed as declining in popularity compared to its past peaks. Alcohol is generally consumed in social settings at bars and gatherings, which decreased due to the lockdown. It also leaves an intense hangover that many medical studies are beginning to prove have increasingly adverse long-term effects. On the other hand, marijuana usage among Z has skyrocketed…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Politics matters to our generation, but the military is the last haven of an apolitical workplace, and one that can attract those seeking refuge.

Solution: Together we must keep politics out of the military by weakening political parties control over the military, and instead encouraging Gen Z to discuss policy issues.

If there is one thing that Gen Z has grown up with today that wasn’t the norm even a decade ago, it’s the hyperpolarization of American politics. The fights between the right and left have been intensifying year after year, and the partisanship makes politics a more lurid spectator sport than most N.C.A.A. tournaments. From what books to read in elementary school to what bathrooms to use in adulthood, Z has become accustomed to everyone having an opinion on every political issue. Unique to this generation is that those political thoughts are being discussed online and on television in a more systematic and hostile way than ever before. What used to be reserved for candidate debates or structured discussions has now spilled over into everyday discourse at the dinner table, the Twitter feed, and even the grocery store. Overall, politics does matter to our generation, and we've been so used to hearing about it that it matters more to us than most past generations. However, the military is the last haven of an apolitical workplace and, presented correctly, will be able to attract future employees seeking refuge from the insane state of political discourse…

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” i s available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Fighting is so taboo in today’s society, but making a representative warrior class will need to encourage some levels of teaching controlled physical violence in schools.

Solution: America needs to train a real warrior capability in gym class so Z is capable of committing controlled violence.

Physical violence has been and will always be part of warfare. It's uncomfortable and challenging to discuss, but warfare requires killing other human beings. Militaries have long struggled with making their Soldiers physically strong enough to commit violence, and mentally sure enough to engage an enemy on the battlefield. If the war in Ukraine has shown the world anything, it’s that even in modern times, extreme levels of destructive acts need to be done by warriors fighting for survival. Generation Z has grown up to primarily see physical violence as outdated and taboo. While cyberbullying rates and suicides have skyrocketed among Zers, old-style fisticuffs are not as common.

The Center for Disease Control’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that 8% of high school students had been in a physical fight one or more times in the past year [1] . In 1991, that number was nearly 50% among high schoolers. This decrease in physical violence has transferred over to the horrors of emotional and cyber violence; which some could argue are more damaging to our youth. Additionally, society must analyze the impact that the reduction of physical violence has on those it asks to go to war. Fighting is taboo in today's society, but making a representative warrior class will need to encourage some levels of teaching controlled physical violence in schools…

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire. Available at: www.cdc.gov/yrbs. Accessed on January 2023.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.

Constant pinging and always being on a device is crushing Gen Z and they are beginning to crave some time unplugged in order to reset.

Solution: The military can offer this real-world, responsibility-bearing, limited technology experience with the most effective screentime reset around.

 Generation Z is known as the first true digital natives. That trendy nickname implies that its members were born online. To say that Z exists primarily in the screen world and then only secondarily in the physical world is wrong. There is no doubting the huge impact that technology has had on Zoomers. However, a deeper counter-trend is also emerging below the surface of all these screens, one of unplugging. Since Z innately understands the power of technology and its use in everyday life better than any previous generation, they also fundamentally grasp its ability to infiltrate basic humanity. On a first principles level, Z realizes that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Z is acutely aware of the negative impacts of overusing, and many members even attempt (some unsuccessfully) self-regulation. [1] Having the willpower to make that desired habit change is hard, and Z will probably need the support of the greater society. Z is reaching out for real-world connections as they recognize the problems of becoming too absorbed in the digital world. Constant pinging and always being on a device is crushing Gen Z. The generation is reported to be more depressed and more suicidal than any other group in modern history. They are beginning to crave some time unplugged to reset. This is evidenced by the numerous Z-centric support groups that seek to end technology addiction. The military can offer this real-world, responsibility-bearing, unplugged experience that many seek..

[1] Janssen, Dawn, and Stephen Carradini. “Generation Z Workplace Communication Habits and Expectations.” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 64, no. 2 (2021): 137–53. https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2021.3069288.

Matthew Weiss is currently an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. His book, “We Don’t Want You, Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z” is available on amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook format.