There's always this divide between generations where older ones express their experiences and knowledge as far better than those of the generation after them. The youth often laments that they are not taken seriously and are always misunderstood.
The so-called Generation Z, or those born between 1997 to 2015, is perhaps the most misunderstood generation to date. As they comprise today's youth, these Gen Z-ers were born into the world of social media, video streaming, and smart devices - technically a life where everything and everyone is interconnected but unfortunately makes people feel more isolated as they stay glued to their screens instead of having real personal interactions.
This is what Cignal Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Inc. aim to address as they launched the newest weekend drama series Gen Z, which will be airing every Sunday beginning on March 7 at 9:00 PM on TV5. The youth series is top-billed by a promising ensemble of young actors, led by Jerome Ponce, Jane Oineza, Ricci Rivero, Melizza Jimenez, Chie Filomeno, Kent Gonzales, and Darwin Yu.
During the show's virtual media conference, the Gen Z cast members each spoke of their sentiments on how they are regarded in society and the difficulties they face in having their opinions heard.
"We're not just digital natives. There's more to us than our gadgets. May iba pa din kaming kayang ipakita. We're exploring and we want to keep growing," Darwin Yu voiced out and was echoed by the rest of the show's cast.
"Pag sinabi mo kasing Gen Z, ang immediate impression is sobrang bata. Mapagkakatiwalaan ba sila? We're more than technology. May mga strong opinion din kami na makakatulong. May mga bagay kasi na ni-no-normalize ng ibang tao, mga bagay na hindi naman laging tama. Yun ang nilalabanan namin, kasi may opinion kami sa mga bagay na 'yun," explained Kent Gonzales.
"There's so much happening in all generations. Mostly ang ipapakita namin dito sa Gen Z are the ones na hindi basta-basta naiintindihan ng mga tao dahil hindi sila maka-relate. These are the things na malaki ang effect sa [sa mga kabataang may pinagdadaanan ngayon] but hindi alam ng tao what's the story behind it, kung may problem ba siya before that. Gusto naming maintindihan ninyo ang pinagdadaanan namin. Akala ninyo okay lang kami, pero deep inside may pinaglalabanan kami," Ricci Rivero shared.
Melizza Jimenez added that technology and social media have bad effects on them, too. "Gusto naming mag reach out sa mga katulad namin to let them know na hindi sila nag-iisa, na marami kami na pareho ang pinagdadaanan. And gusto namin na mas maintindihan kami ng mga tao, na hindi biro ang pinagdadaanan namin."
True to the struggles and aspirations of today's youth, Gen Z the TV series highlights the diverse yet deeply interconnected stories of a group of characters who live through the intricacies of friendship, love, and acceptance.
Joining the cast are seasoned actors Joey Marquez, Angeli Bayani, and Teresa Loyzaga who take on colorful roles that lend credence to the different dynamics of families and the individual dilemmas which viewers can relate to.
Gen Z premieres this Sunday, March 7, 9:00 PM on TV5. Catch-up episodes will also be airing every Sunday, 6:00 PM, starting March 14 via One Screen Channel on Cignal TV (CH. 9) and SatLite (CH. 35). Viewers can also catch Gen Z LIVE and ON-DEMAND on the Cignal Play App. To stream every episode for free, viewers can register on cignalplay.com and download the Cignal Play app on Android and iOS.