Where does Gen Z really stand on the United CEO assassination?
New poll shows a generational divide on United CEO assassination, crypto usage, and TikTok.
A new Emerson College poll shows an intriguing glimpse into how generational divides shape opinions on issues like the United CEO Assassination, cryptocurrency, and a looming TikTok ban.
The United CEO Assassination
Among registered voters ages 18-29, 41% said Luigi Mangione’s suspected actions – allegedly assassinating United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a charge now classified as terrorism – were somewhat or completely acceptable. This percentage, the highest across all age groups, demonstrates a sharp generational divide. Online, there is a shocking lack of sensitivity toward Thompson’s death among young Americans whose criticisms of the healthcare industry are overshadowing the gravity of the crime, while the online discourse bizarrely fixates on Mangione himself, painting him as a vigilante, when in fact he is an alleged murderer.
I’ve hesitated to weigh in here because I unequivocally reject violence. I believe that if you were to actually sit down with a group of my Gen Z peers, they would feel similarly. Still, this poll suggests something deeper than a surface-level approval of glorification of violence. This generation has grown up in a world they feel is stacked against them, and as we know, are incredibly distrusting of the institutions they believe have created the current status-quo. Gen Z feels disillusioned – or even betrayed – by systems they think have failed them, and voting or protesting can feel futile. There are some who have adopted a “burn it all down” type of mentality. But let’s not forget, it’s also easy to adopt a group-think mentality online, where the discourse is anonymous, hyperbolic, and bolder. In truth, young people can be both critical of systemic inequities while also opposing violence. And I suspect that’s where the vast majority of young people probably stand.
This poll only surveyed 1,000 registered voters between December 11 and 13, and it’s worth thinking about how many of the respondents have first-hand experience with the healthcare system. Could that context shape such polarizing and unconventional views?
For more on why the online reaction may not represent where Americans actually stand, check out this Free Press piece.
On Crypto
When it comes to cryptocurrency, the Emerson poll found that 32% of registered voters under 30 have invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency, on par with those ages 30-39 and just four points higher than those ages 40-49. Young people’s relative embrace of crypto is another data point in a generational interest in adopting non-traditional technologies and habits that break with the status quo.
As Bitcoin reaches all time highs and as the incoming Trump administration appears friendly to the industry, it’s worth acknowledging that there’s a bubbling cohort of young people interested and invested in crypto because they are skeptical, or feel left out, of our traditional financial institutions.
And on TikTok
As the case to ban TikTok makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court (which announced this morning it will hear arguments over the ban on a First Amendment basis), 50% of registered voters under 30 say they oppose the ban. This isn’t shocking, given that TikTok is wildly popular with young Americans. The platform’s vertical video format has revolutionized this generation’s media consumption habits and its For You Page algorithm has totally transformed what it means to go viral on social media.
The ‘TikTokificiation’ of social media is here to stay. If the app is in fact banned, there’s no doubt in my mind that another vertical video platform will take its place as the go-to destination for Gen Zers to document their lives and hot-takes online, and we’ve of course already seen Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts adopt this format. Trends on TikTok have transformed online shopping, news consumption, and even in-person storefronts – and the platform’s influence is now heavily interwoven with culture writ-large in a way that cannot be undone. That said, TikTok’s FYP algorithm is unique and, so far, unreplicable. Without the actual app as a facet of daily life, things will surely look different.
A final thought…
In my Lyft ride to a meeting this morning, the driver was listening to the local radio station’s top stories. Two stood out: the United CEO assassination and the tragic shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin this week.
These events are a stark reminder of the hallmarks of this generation: we grew up in a world filled with mass shootings, systemic failures, and eroding trust in institutions. While the investigations are ongoing, these events reflect larger societal factors that shape our worldview: a loneliness epidemic, the negative effects of social media on young people’s mental health, and tragedy. Understanding this context is crucial to making sense of the polling data, online discourse, and broader generational shifts.