Rebuilding Democracy Requires Rebuilding Community

Democracy is a fragile form of government. It morphs and changes expectations with each generation and requires a commitment from society to keep it. At its foundation, democracy requires its citizens to believe in and commit to a greater sense of community and the notion that, despite differences, people are better off coming together for the common good. However, Gen Z is coming of age at a time when the majority of Americans believe that democracy is poorly functioning, and when community is defined by unanswered texts, occasional video calls, and the lack of third spaces. For democracy to rebuild and thrive, we must start by rebuilding our community. The question becomes, how do you build a sense of community in a generation that came into adulthood during COVID-19, when isolation was the norm?

I sit with this question in a unique space: I work in nonpartisan civic engagement supporting higher education institutions with building a culture of civic learning and participation on their campuses, and I am a member of the lonely generation. I struggle daily with figuring out how to encourage my generation to engage in the voting process, all while hearing stories from friends who feel like their voices don’t matter and struggle to adapt to adulthood post-college. This desire to be heard doesn’t just live in my chats with friends, but in conversations with individual institutions and in groups at campus summits across the country. Students want to belong to something greater than themselves, but they are unsure where to begin. If the most engaged student leaders — who are already civically engaged — feel isolated, I know we still have work to do. It is not enough to put a bunch of students in a room, define community for them, hand them resources, and hope for the best. To reinvest in the upcoming generation and to rebuild democracy, we have to build communal spaces with a primary goal of connection and belonging. The lonely generation has to become the hobby generation.

Hobbies helped me transition into life after college and made me feel like my community invests as much into me as I do into it. I met my closest friends in adulthood from trying out a fitness class, going to trivia, and showing up to Taylor Swift themed events around town. As soon as I started putting myself out there, my happiness increased and so did the power of my own voice. Joy from hobbies is not a new concept, and research has shown that hobbies are tied to well-being, decreasing loneliness and isolation. When people believe in their voice and know that they belong to those around them, it’s easier to have a conversation on being civically engaged. People who believe in their community are more likely to believe that the time voting or volunteering will not only positively impact the people around them, but have a positive impact on their individual lives. However, convincing people to just pick up a hobby and say yes to the risk of making mistakes is not a simple task. Society has to encourage learning alongside and after formal education, de-emphasize risks of embarrassment, and celebrate the joy that comes with being seen and understood.

Colleges and universities are the perfect place to instill these life lessons. While students flock to events sponsored by the campus’s engagement office for t-shirts or free food, they should also be able to walk away with information on how to get plugged into things that bring joy long after they leave an institution. These resources could look like bringing in community partners to events that students can get involved with, supporting student clubs in partnering with local businesses, and integrating civic engagement activities like nonpartisan voter registration and volunteerism as staple features of every event. Gen Z is a generation that longs for meaningful connection and belonging. When institutions help my generation connect with their passions, they are not only giving us a sense of community that COVID-19 stole, but rebuilding our faith in democracy for years to come.

Olivia is part of the team that supports more than 1000 colleges and universities currently participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Learn more about ALL IN and support our work here.