Smoking Is Cool Again Among Gen Z

Screensjot taken from this Newsweek article. | A Newsweek illustration. | Getty
NEWSWEEK: Cigarettes appear to be enjoying a cultural renaissance among Generation Z, decades after smoking bans and health concerns drove many to quit.

They’re popping up across social media in edits of celebrities and iconic TV characters, like Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, making cameos on the runway and appearing in fashion content.

Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, has long been seen as wellness-obsessed. In a July 2024 IWSR study, 64 percent of legal drinking-age Gen Zers in the United States said they had not consumed alcohol in the six months leading up to May that year.

And in December 2024, University of Michigan researchers found that the percentage of students who abstained from drugs and alcohol reached record levels that year. Amongst 12th graders alone, 67 percent had shunned drugs—defined in the study as alcohol, marijuana or nicotine cigarettes or e-cigarettes—in the previous 30 days, up from 53 percent in 2017.

And indeed, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram proliferate a seemingly endless roster of wellness trends, be it the “Great Lock-In” that emerged in September—focusing on bettering yourself to the end of the year—the “75 Hard” 75-day health and fitness plan or the “clean girl aesthetic,” a minimalist beauty and fashion trend. Gen Zers came of age under an algorithm promoting an ultra-clean lifestyle. Now, however, it appears they’re getting acquainted with vices favored by their predecessors. » | Marni Rose McFall | News Reporter | Published: Friday, December 5, 2025. Updated: Thursday, December 18, 2025

Why Young Men Are Opposing Gender Equality | Former Australian PM Julia Gillard

Mar 5, 2026 | “Young men in particular were more attracted to traditional gender roles and less supportive of gender equality moves.”

Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard explains why young men are much more likely than before to have traditional views about marriage and disagree with gender equality.

Morocco: Gen Z revolt | ARTE.tv Documentary

Jan 20, 2026 | On 14 September 2025, a demonstration broke out outside the Hassan II hospital in Agadir after eight women died during caesarean sections. These tragedies sparked a wave of anger at the state of the health service in Morocco. Protests quickly spread throughout the country with young people taking the lead.

Shock Poll: Gen Z Would Not Fight for Their Country

Feb 10, 2025 | “What's really behind it is this sense that young people feel no agency in the state.”

What is really worrying is the armed forces have lost the “consent” of the communities from which they recruit, says former armed forces minister James Heappey. The latest political news and interviews from Times Radio.

Doc Martens, Bomber Jackets, No Ties: Parsing Gen Z Politicians’ Style

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Many of the country’s youngest elected officials hope to express authenticity through their clothing choices.

Representative Maxwell Frost, a 26-year-old Democrat of Florida, said Gen Z-ers like himself are open to “whatever fashion and whatever creativity people bring to the table.” | Kenny Holston for The New York Times
Wearing a dark green suit from Express and Cole Haan dress sneakers, Representative Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida, took the stage at Metrobar in Washington. He was speaking at an event this summer by Run for Something, a political action committee that supports young Democrats seeking state and local office.

“How’s everybody doing?” Mr. Frost, 26, asked a crowd of about 200 people, in which more than one brightly colored Telfar bag could be spotted. A number of attendees, including Mr. Frost, were members of Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012.

In an interview after his speech, Mr. Frost said that “a cool thing about our generation is that we’re super-open to whatever fashion and whatever creativity people bring to the table.” Much of his professional wardrobe consists of suits, but he has worn bomber jackets and Dr. Martens shoes at more casual events, he said, as well as T-shirts on the campaign trail.

“I feel like there’s a direct connection between Doc Martens, and a certain style, and progressive young people,” Mr. Frost said. » | Rachel Janfaza | Sunday, September 17, 2023