Keywords
Generation Z
generational wars
political language
contrastive linguistics
How to Cite
Abstract
The aim of the study presented in this paper is to describe the conceptual image of Generation Z as portrayed in the Facebook comment sections of liberal and conservative newspapers in Poland and in the United Kingdom. The results show that the commenters do not have a unified image of Generation Z. The general sentiment presented by the commenters is neutral to negative, with criticism of Gen Z being the most frequent frame used across all comment sections, based on a presupposed stupidity, naiveté, lack of respect, bad work ethics, laziness, entitlement, and selfishness. On the other hand, words of praise emphasize Gen Z’s courage, helpfulness, focus on mental health, and directness. Commenters on the liberal media profiles are more likely to take the pro-Gen Z stance and can be characterized by more positive frames, while those on the conservative media express an anti-Gen Z stance more frequently.
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