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Gen Z is the most suspicious generation — just 13% believe ‘most people can be trusted’

Nypost · · 406 words · By Anthony Blair
Societal Trust Generational Conflict/Difference Education and Social Outlook
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What to know about Societal Trust

Gen Z is the most suspicious generation — just 13% believe ‘most people can be trusted’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Gen Z is the most suspicious generation — just 13% believe ‘most people can be trusted’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google The kids have trust issues.

Common ground

Gen Z has the lowest interpersonal trust of any generation, with only one in eight teens and young adults believing that most people can be trusted, according to a bombshell new poll.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/us-news/only-one-in-eight-in-gen-z-believe-most-pe…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 4
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
help
Claim 1: “polling compiled using data from the General Social Survey between 2021 and 2024”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this claim.
info
Claim 2: “Only 13% of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) said that they could trust the majority of people”
SINGLE SOURCE
While one web search result mentions 'Only one in eight in Gen Z believe most people can be trusted' (which is 12.5%, rounding to 13%), the provided evidence does not contain multiple independent sources confirming the specific 13% figure or the birth year range in the context of this specific trust statistic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A generation is all of the individuals born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It also is "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which childre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Alpha, often shortened to Gen Alpha, is the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Z and preceding the proposed Generation Beta. While researchers and popular media loosely identify the e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Alpha
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 3: “Some two-thirds (67%) of Gen Z-ers with a 4-year degree or more felt that other people couldn’t be trusted, compared to a staggering 80% of those with a high school diploma or less”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about pizza restaurants in Montreal.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Utilisez votre compte Uber pour passer une commande chez Pizza 23 (Rue Saint-Denis) et vous la faire livrer à Montréal. Parcourez le menu, découvrez les articles populaires et suivez votre commande.
https://www.ubereats.com/ca-fr/store/pizza-23-rue-saint-deni…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Call us for your take-out order ! Our meats are accompanied by a mixed salad or spaghetti with meat sauce.
https://www.pizzeriadeicompari.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 4, 2024 · Finalement, il y a la pizza « Grandma » ; avec sa croûte presque frite et donc particulièrement croustillante, cette nouvelle venue dans la jungle montréalaise de la pizza a sa place.
https://www.lapresse.ca/gourmand/pizza/2024-05-04/les-meille…
help
Claim 4: “that divide was even more pronounced among millennials, where 48% of those with college degrees expressed mistrust of others, compared to 82% of those in their peer group who didn’t attend higher education”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this claim.
info
Claim 5: “In 2018, just over 20% of Gen Z believed most people could be trusted, but in 2025, that figure is in single digits”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence is irrelevant, discussing female anatomy and general Gen Z definitions, with no mention of trust trends between 2018 and 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — more than 80% of women can’t orgasm by penetrative stimulation alone.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0092623X.2017.13…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A lot of people have friends they don't actually like. They stay connected because of history, convenience, social pressure, or simply because being alone feels worse. Sometimes we're loyal to relatio…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcYK2JRNdDA
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — How are Gen Zers different from millennials? Those on the cusp of Gen Z and the millennial generation—people who were born shortly before the turn of the millennium—are sometimes referred to as “Zille…
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explaine…
verified
Claim 6: “Gen X and Boomers had similar levels of interpersonal trust, with 30% and 29% respectively saying that most people could be trusted”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence discusses the definitions of Gen X and Boomers but does not provide the specific trust percentages (30% and 29%) mentioned in the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A baby boom is a period marked by a significant increase of births. This demographic phenomenon is usually an ascribed characteristic within the population of a specific nation or culture. Baby booms …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boom
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964. T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Jones is the generation or demographic cohort between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The term was coined by American cultural commentator Jonathan Pontell (b. 1958), who has argued that…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Jones
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “The Silent Generation was by far the most trusting, with 41% of those surveyed believing most people to be trustworthy, and 51% saying it pays to be careful”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains a snippet mentioning '41. 51.' in a context that is too fragmented to verify the claim about the Silent Generation's trust levels.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Greatest Generation, also known as the G.I. Generation and the World War II Generation, is the demographic cohort following the Lost Generation and preceding the Silent Generation. This generatio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Silent Generation, also known as the Traditionalist Generation or Builders Generation, is a demographic cohort following the Greatest Generation and preceding the baby boomers. The generation is g…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “almost three-quarters (74%) said “you can’t be too careful,” according to a study by political scientist Ryan Burge at Washington University”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about WhatsApp and Wikipedia entries for unrelated people. There is no mention of Ryan Burge or the 74% statistic.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — An angel is a spiritual, heavenly, or supernatural entity, often depicted as humanoid with bird-like wings, frequently in the role as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and hum…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Virginia is a public university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. Following is a partial list of its notable alumni, faculty, board members, and rectors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Virginia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mark Hamilton Landes (born 19 May 1968) is a career officer in the United States Army who has commanded First United States Army since September 2024. A 1990 graduate of the United States Military Aca…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_H._Landes
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 9: “Millennials were slightly less paranoid, with roughly a quarter (24%) agreeing that most people could be trusted and two-thirds (67%) erring on the side of caution”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about Millennials and Gen Z but does not mention the specific trust percentages (24% and 67%) cited in the claim.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Beta, often shortened to Gen Beta, is the proposed name for the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Alpha. The name was coined by futurist and demographer Mark McCrindle, who also coin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Beta
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth year…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 10: “people with a college education were more likely to believe that others could be trusted compared to those with a high school diploma or less”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results explicitly state that people with a college education were more likely to believe others could be trusted compared to those with a high school diploma or less.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The data found that across all generations, people with a college education were more likely to believe that others could be trusted compared to those with a high school diploma or less.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/19/us-news/only-one-in-eight-in-g…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Educated people express much higher levels of interpersonal trust than those with lowers levels of education. In surveys conducted in the 1970s, 60% of those with a high school diploma or less said th…
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/9/7/church-attendanc…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Among Boomers with a college degree, 41% trust other folks. It’s just 23% among those who stopped at high school.In both cases, they led to higher levels of interpersonal trust. The effect for Gen Z w…
https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/gen-z-doesnt-trust-any…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.