Will Gen Z want to live in Georgia?

 

Last week, the state of Georgia led by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, passed one of the nation's most restrictive voting bills, designed to suppress minority voting.  The bill imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, limits the use of ballot drop boxes, and - wait for it - makes it a crime to give food or water to people waiting in line to vote. 

No wonder President Biden called it Un-American.

While it may be part of a national trend - Republican lawmakers in more than 40 states have introduced more than 250 bills to restrict voting, Georgia appears to have gone a step too far. (Blake, 2021)

This weekend on Twitter, calls went out to Coca-Cola asking them to announce that they will supply Dasani water to all Georgia voters; while support for #BoycottGeorgia which targets Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot, AFLAC and UPS trended.  (Romero, 2021)

Golf's Master Tournament, scheduled to begin next week and Major League's Baseball's All Star game scheduled for July are also being pressured to move/cancel. (Moore, 2021)

So what is Gen Z making of all this?

Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations.  Only 52% are White.  29% are Hispanic, 14% are Black, 6% are Asian, and 5% identify as Other, which includes mixed race. Roughly two-thirds of Gen Z say that Blacks are treated less fairly than Whites in this country. (Parker & Igielnik, 2020)

Gen Z showed up to vote in 2020.  Turnout among voters 18-29 rose from 46.5% in 2016 to 54.5% in 2020.  (Siddiqui & Ngo, 2020)

And, 53% of Gen Z say they have purchased a brand/product to show support for the issues the brand supported.  An additional 23% said they would consider doing so.  While 40% have stopped purchasing if the company stands for something or behaves in a way that doesn't align with their values.  And an 27% would consider joining them. That's 67% willing to boycott under the appropriate circumstances. (Hessekiel, 2018)

So will Gen Z boycott Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot, AFLAC and UPS?  Will they choose not to live in a state that actively fights against their beliefs?  Or will practicality outweigh activism much as it does when they keep reordering from Amazon despite its anti-union stance?  

 

Blake, J. (2021, March 28)  Georgia Republicans made two big mistakes when they attacked voting rights.  cnn.com.  Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/28/politics/voting-rights-georgia-souls-polls-blake/index.html

Romero, D. (2021, March 26)  Calls for economic boycott grow after Georgia adopts voter restrictions.  nbcnews.com.  Retrieved March 29, 2021, from  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/calls-economic-boycott-grow-after-georgia-adopts-voter-restrictions-n1262241

Moore, T. (2021, March 29)  Sports world should boycott Georgia over racist voting law.  cnn.com.  Retrieved March 29, 2021, from  https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/opinions/georgia-voting-restrictions-sports-moore/index.html

Parker, K. & Igielnik, R. (2020, May 14)  On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far.  pewresearch.org.  Retrieved March 29, 2021, from   https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/

Siddiqui, S. & Ngo, M. (2020, November 26)  Young Voters Helped Biden Beat Trump After Holding Back in Primaries.  wsj.com.  Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/young-voters-helped-biden-beat-trump-after-holding-back-in-primaries-11606399200

Hessekiel, D. (2018, June 26) Engaging Gen Z In Your Social Impact Efforts.  forbes.com.  retrieved March 29, 2021, from  https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhessekiel/2018/06/26/engaging-gen-z-in-your-social-impact-efforts/?sh=1f2d93066499

 

If I give you a doughnut will you get vaccinated?

 

Big news.  Krispy Kreme is offering a free original glazed doughnut to anyone who presents a valid Covid-19 vaccination card.  Yum.  They're my favorites.

That's on top of giving away "more than 30 million doughnuts to healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, coaches, graduating seniors and more" in 2020.

No wonder we're all gaining weight during Covid.

They are also offering employees four hours of paid time off to get vaccinated. (Ellwanger, 2021)

In a recent survey, Pew Research found that 30% of Americans do not intend to get vaccinated.  That translates into 76.5 million adults.  Typically only 43.6 million would shun a vaccine. 

So what's going on here?

When asked why they would not be getting a vaccine, this is what they said:

·         89% are worried about side effects

·         85% said they thought the vaccines were developed and tested too quickly

·         80% said they wanted more information about how well the vaccines work

·         74% said they feel alarmed after seeing too many mistakes made by the medical system in the past

·         68% said they didn't think they needed the vaccine

 

Where does "being afraid of needles" fit in?

According to a research study from University of Michigan, 20% - 30% of adults studied cited concern about needles, ranging from mild anxiety to a phobia strong enough to keep some from seeking medical care.

And for those folks, billboards with oversized photos of needles may be the force that is driving them away. (Appleby, 2021)

What do you think?  Are the reasons people stated in the poll accurate?  Or is it all about fear?  What can we do to encourage these people to get the Covid-19 vaccine? Will doughnuts do the trick?

 

Ellwanger, S. (2021, March 23)  Krispy Kreme Spreads 'Sweet Support' To Vaccine Recipients.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/361634/krispy-kreme-spreads-sweet-support-to-vaccine-re.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=121816&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI

Villarreal, D. (2021, March 5)  57% of Those Who Won't Get COVID Vaccine Say They Generally Avoid Them: Poll.  newsweek.com.  Retrieved March 23, 2021, from  https://www.newsweek.com/57-those-who-wont-get-covid-vaccine-say-they-generally-avoid-them-poll-1574195

Appleby, J. (2021, March 8)  Fear of needles may keep many people away from Covid vaccines.  nbcnews.com.  Retrieved Match 23, 2021, from  https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fear-needles-may-keep-many-people-away-covid-vaccines-n1259773