Things have been anything but easy for Generation Z. Born between 1997 and 2012, their childhoods are marked by 9/11 and its bloody aftermath, mass shootings, The Great Recession, Donald Trump’s historic election, and the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic. Now, with inflation rising, climate change-fueled disasters abound, and new wars on the horizon, it would be easy for Gen Z to crumble under the weight of it all.

Yet there seems to be a tangible resilience among the “zoomers” as they age into adulthood, manifesting in their refusal to conform; whether that be through presentation, internet mastery, or whom and how they love. Alive and Kicking: Generation Z explores New York City’s oldest members of Gen Z through the lens and conversations of a recent art school graduate, Dani Van Winkle. While interviews are shortened and edited for clarity, some errs or “filler words” are left intact to preserve dialectal context. Images and their accompanying interviews from the project are indexed below, newest releases first.