10 teens across America reveal what their lives are like and what they think about the country
At approximately 60 million, Generation Z Americans outnumber millennials by nearly 1 million. Compared with their predecessors, members of Gen Z are true digital natives, with 92% having a digital footprint on social media and the web. But that doesn't mean they overshare. Teens are more likely to curate their profiles than their parents, who just put everything up.
They're also highly entrepreneurial (72% of teens say they want to start a business someday) and are working and driving less than past generations. Nearly half of Gen Z is also not white, making it the most ethnically diverse generation in history.
And while many American adults identify as being on either the right or the left on the political spectrum, a 2016 survey of 150,000 teens found that most say they are both: socially liberal and moderate but also moderate to conservative financially.
"They want a balanced budget, but they want universal healthcare - things that other generations have seen as opposing or a choice. They see them as one or want both," Corey Seemiller, a Wright State University professor who studies Gen Z, told Business Insider.
But, as with any generation, there's a great amount of diversity within teenage America, too.
Business Insider spoke with teens from across the US with different hometowns, political views, and socioeconomic backgrounds about their lifestyles, hopes, and worries.
Below, check out personal stories from 10 American teens, who are trying to create America's future right now.