II ULUSLARARASI ÇOCUK VE GENÇLİK EDEBİYATI SEMPOZYUMU

Nowadays, many TV channels produce various programs for teenagers. This generation
has its own TV stars, who are mostly of the same age as the viewers and some of them
have attained legendary wealth in spite of their young age. They appear before the eyes
of Generation Z every day like ideal role models and fascinate them.
C) Enchantment with Music and Using Music as Identity
Listening to music is the most popular leisure activity of high school students, particularly
girls.
A study in the USA on 1500 individuals between the ages of 12 and 18 who represented
national population showed that for almost 81% of students, music is an important part
of their lives.
Music is a complicated collection of tight-knit elements, which is not just an art to Generation
Z in western countries, but rather a means of expressing one’s identity. This
role of music is so important that even cultural studies scholars have researched the relation
among music, social class, and teenagers’ origins and have found interesting results
(Kowsari, Masood).
Also, some teenagers have been nicknamed as “the infatuated,” generally being characterized
as those who go after the latest hot fashion in pop music. The behavior of “the
infatuated” is usually described as a pathological behavior and the phrases used in this
description are clearly reflecting condemnation and undesirability: “Beetles obsession”,
“foppish kids”, and “gangs” (Shuker, Roy).
D) Smartphones
Smartphones are of the most important devices in the lives of Generation Z. For this age
group, smartphones are not just a communication device. They regard it as their identity
badge, as the means for their social activity and presence in social networks, as an accessory,
as a music player, as a camera, and especially as a device for exchanging text
messages and social networking. It can be asserted that teenagers use their smartphones
less for making phone calls and more for text messaging and social networking.
E) Personal Computers
Statistics show that more than 97% of students in the USA and other developed countries
have computers. These statistics are certainly not the same in all countries;
however, there is no doubt that the greatest number of computer users are in this age
group. If computers are working tools for the previous generations, for this age group
they are living tools. They have grown up with computers and cannot imagine a world
without them.
F) Video Games
Video games are a big part of the lives of Generation Z. They do not need to go
anywhere and exert themselves for these games. Some video games are installed in
whatever device they have at hand, computers, smartphones, and iPods. The games are
accessible immediately when teenagers want them.
H) High Speed Internet
High speed internet is in fact the thread that runs through all these beads: computers,
smartphones, iPods, and even brands, football, and music. High speed internet side by
side with the devices I mentioned form a miracle that was not imaginable for previous
generations.
262 II. Uluslararası Çocuk ve Gençlik Edebiyatı Sempozyumu