New Data Reveals Gen Z Teens Don’t Care About Getting A Driver’s License Anymore Because Driving Makes Them Too Anxious
Why are younger generations steering clear of the roads?
Lopolo | Shutterstock Once considered an exciting birthday simply for the purpose of driving, turning 16 for Gen Zers is not nearly as thrilling as it was a decade ago.
Data from the Department of Transportation reveal that many Gen Z teens are entirely uninterested in securing their driver's license, but the reasons why are more complex than one might expect.
New data reveals that Gen Z teens don’t care about getting a driver’s license anymore, partly because of their mental health.
The government stats reveal that only 1 in 25 licensed drivers in the United States are Gen Zers — a much smaller percentage than older generations at the same age.
However, the accessibility of ride-share apps like Uber and increasing technological access only account for one piece of the conversation about these data shifts.
Clinical mental health counselor Joanna von Staden, who works with young kids and Gen Z teens, argues there’s a prominent connection between mental health struggles and younger generations' hesitations around driving.
The anxiety of adulthood, alongside mental health struggles, has kept many Gen Zers from getting their licenses.
“The disinterest is really stemming from a level of anxiety,” von Staden argued, “specifically around getting older and having this huge responsibility.”
Reports commissioned by Nextbase, a dash cam company investigating road rage incidents, found that over 79% of all drivers in the United States have experienced an aggressive driving incident or crash, providing merit to many younger drivers’ fears on the road. And from a well-intentioned perspective, many parents enable those fears, setting up alternative options to compensate for their children not having a license.
However, it’s not just this anxiety on the road that fuels Gen Zers to steer clear of driver’s education, as von Staden argues — it’s also the impending doom of adulthood. With financial stress, job market chaos, and insecure educational paths, the “freedom” of adulthood that starts with a driver’s license can be overwhelming.
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Gen Z also struggles to find community outside of the internet, especially given the deterioration of “third places.” Leaving the house has become a chore that often does not offer them the connection that they’re yearning for and usually costs money.
“He spends a lot of his time playing video games,” Dawn Johnson, a Northern Virginia mother, admitted about her teenage son. “That’s where his community is. So, he doesn’t really need to go anywhere.”
Outside of mental health concerns, many Gen Zers face financial barriers in getting their driver’s license and purchasing a car.
Of course, it’d be wildly ignorant to suggest this decrease in Gen Zers with driver’s licenses is simply a mental health concern. There’s also a great deal of evidence suggesting financial struggles are the true barriers.
Alongside general maintenance costs for owning a car, like purchasing gas, oil changes, and routine auto body checks — which have already risen drastically in recent years — the accessibility of even purchasing a car is nearly impossible.
Living paycheck-to-paycheck, juggling student loan payments, and being burdened with rising rent costs, it can feel impossible for many young people to even think about indulging in an expense like a car.
Over half of Gen Zers label affordability as the major barrier to purchasing a car, and of those who have gotten their license and purchased a car with financial support, 38% admit they’re living above their means.
So, while anxiety and mental health concerns surely impact Gen Z’s apparent uninterest in buying cars and pursuing their driver’s licenses, it’s no surprise that those are inherently interwoven with financial concerns and instability.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories