i get the sentiment, but a lot of that is demonstrably complete bollocks though
born from lack of actual experience, and being terminally onlineGen Z's and millennials seem more open to socialism and the contradictions of capitalism keep heightening. More people are unionizing and engaging in direct action. And if all else fails hopefully China can swing its weight more. These things give me hope. But also going out and doing things, touching grass, etc. can improve outlook.
It sucks because there is a guide book for how to get out of this, and it's called what is to be done - the way out is there, people have fought heroically and won victories against some very intense and long odds like our comrades in Vietnam and Cuba, it's not a dream it's a reality right now on our green earth... but of course it's hopeless if you think of it only as an individual instead of a part of a mass, like yeah there is no hope for the future if your plan is to take on the problems of the world as just, like, a regular guy. But there is hope yet for the working class.
Ehh could be they are a zoomer from a west coast cohort given how so many peeps I know via my younger cousins are into esoteric non conformist stuff due to how fucked evangelism and other fire brand religions have been. There's also just general "I'm spiritualist" meaning they hope there's a greater meaning to life but aren't sold on all the religions that tell them people in their friend group should go to Hell cuss of X (insert transphobia, homophobia, ethnic persecution, dogmatism).
tldr: lots of zoomers are tired of existing structures of society and so pick the "other" box when people ask "are you religious".
I mean it's the same for me (I also know a couple of weird evangelicals) but that's because my country is like, 80% Catholic. Just a regional thing.
I don't know that I know anybody I'd actually call a practicing Buddhist, but I do know several who have dabbled or maybe read a couple writings. I think a lot of people treat it as more philosophy than religion proper and so might incorporate a couple elements into their worldview without wholesale adoption. A lot of mindfulness practice, for example, seems to be informed or at least inspired by Buddhism. This might just be northeastern LAC culture though, not sure I can really generalize to Gen Z as a whole
