The Dinesh D’Souza Podcast – “WHERE IS GEN Z HEADING?”

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Danielle D’Souza Gill (guest host for Dinesh D’Souza)
Special Guest: Jeremy Wayne Tate

Episode Overview

In this episode, Danielle D’Souza Gill explores the complex trends shaping Generation Z ("Gen Z")—their mental health, cultural shifts, screen habits, political leanings, religious revivals, and responses to technological and societal challenges. The episode features a detailed discussion with Jeremy Wayne Tate, creator of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), about the revival of classical education and its cultural implications for young people. The overarching theme is a nuanced look at whether Gen Z is truly moving left, right, or forging a restless new path—and what this means for American society and the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gen Z’s Mental Health and Technology (03:13)

• Worsening Mental Health: Gen Z suffers higher rates of depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation than any previous generation.
• Technology’s Role: The rise in mental health struggles parallels increased smartphone use, screen time, and sleeplessness.

  “Technology, especially smartphone technology, which can be very addictive, has done a real number on these young Gen Zers.” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (03:52)

• Social Atomization: Gen Z spends less time with real-life acquaintances, opting instead for self-selected online communities that reinforce existing beliefs ("echo chambers").

2. Ideological Polarization and Resilience (06:45)

• Ideological Insularity: Online algorithms and self-selection increase polarization rather than diversity of perspective.
• Male Resilience: Despite being "scapegoated" for identity (e.g., white, Christian, male), Gen Z men reporting well-being most often are white males with Republican or Independent leanings.

  “Among those Gen Zers who report they are thriving, more identify as white males. This group also skews politically towards the Republican side...” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (08:30)

3. Societal Pressures and Shifting Victimhood (09:00)

• Historical Cycles: Discusses how the scapegoated often retaliate with their own version of victimhood or even become oppressors, drawing comparisons with the Jacobins and communist dictatorships.
• Warning Against Cycles of Revenge: A “vengeance mindset” only perpetuates dysfunction.

4. Techno-Skepticism and Return to “Analog” (13:10)

• Emerging Analog Trends: Growing numbers in Gen Z are unplugging—using vinyl, “dumb phones,” typewriters, pursuing crafts—seeking purpose in a digital overload world.

  “Gen Z has discovered the past and embraced it. If you’re from one of the older generations, you might view this techno skepticism as a bit hardcore. But Gen Z doesn’t call it that. They call it Grandma Core.” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (13:45)

5. Religious Revivals and “Counterintuitive” Trends (14:10)

• Surge in Church Attendance: New Barna and Glue study shows 18–28-year-old Gen Z churchgoers now attend more frequently than Gen X, Boomers, or older Millennials.
• Dramatic Reversal in Gender Attendance: Since 2020, men now outpace women at church—unprecedented in modern history.
• Increase in Orthodox and Catholic Converts: Parishes report spikes since the pandemic, particularly among young men.
• Pandemic as a Turning Point (Post-2020): Lockdowns, religious restrictions, and a contested political climate prompted many Gen Zers to make a decisive turn toward faith and tradition.

  “Here again, the conversions...mostly happened post 2020, which is significant because...Covid, the lockdowns...were very transformational for them.” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (17:55)

6. Gender Divides and the Challenges of Feminism (21:30)

• Gen Z Women vs. Men: According to Danielle, young women are pulled left by feminist narratives and media influence, becoming more anxious and unhappy, while Gen Z men are turning to tradition and faith.
• Critique of Feminism: Claims that feminism “teaches [women] to, in a way, hate themselves, to hate being feminine, to hate being a woman, being a mother...”

  “The feminist road is the road of ultimate destruction...these lies, these horrible twisted lies that are told to young women, which is what feminism is, teaches them to in a way, hate themselves...” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (23:15)

• Online Dating & Loneliness: Modern dating apps and social atomization have complicated relationship-building.

7. Cultural Influences & Institutional “Capture” (24:50)

• Left-Leaning Culture: Entertainment, celebrity, and online influencers reinforce left-wing ideas, especially among women.
• Call to Counter-Cultural Action: Urges young people to unplug from “leftist culture” and pursue “hard things” like building community, faith, and classical virtue.

Interview: Jeremy Wayne Tate on Classical Learning & Cultural Revival

Introduction (26:36)

• Background: Creator of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), an alternative to SAT/ACT emphasizing classical (Western tradition) texts.

The Case for Classical Education (27:07–29:10)

• Standardized Testing as a Curriculum Lever: Mainstream tests drive what is taught; CLT anchors learning in great books and Western canon.

  “We’ve created an alternative to the SAT and ACT that is rooted in the great Western intellectual tradition, the Western canon, the great books. So when students are taking the CLT, they might see Aristotle...Plato’s Republic, Dante, Boethius, Shakespeare...” – Jeremy Wayne Tate (28:09)

• Parallels to Architecture: The loss of “truth, goodness, and beauty” in education mirrored in the decline of beautiful architecture.

  “At the exact same time we go to pragmatic education, we go to pragmatic architecture...Why does it need to be so beautiful? ...I think folks are finally waking up to this...” – Jeremy Wayne Tate (29:32)

Young People Rediscovering Tradition (30:46–33:40)

• Spiritual Awakening: Many youth feel "ripped off" by progressive schooling and are rediscovering classical works—outside the university, via homeschooling and classical schools.
• Importance of Parental Involvement: “Parents are the first and primary educators...A lot of parents have thought that you can outsource education. You can’t. Education is parenting.” – Jeremy Wayne Tate (33:10)
• Learning as Family Discovery: Encourages parents and kids to share in rediscovering classic literature together.

CLT’s Growth, Strategy, and Mission (34:24–39:34)

• Adoption Trends: Over 350 colleges now accept the CLT; service academies (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy) adopting it too.
• Four “Levers” Shaping Education: Teacher certification, accreditation, control of public funds, and standardized testing—the latter is Tate’s main focus.
• Replacing SAT/ACT: CLT aspires to fully supplant these tests by 2040, aiming to recenter education on classical values.

  “We want to dislodge the College Board...We feel like we can do that with better content, better vision, better customer service...” – Jeremy Wayne Tate (38:27)

• Origins: CLT born out of frustration that Christian schools defer to secular AP testing, which steers students away from philosophy, theology, and apologetics.

AP Alternatives & Literary Traditions (40:47–41:58)

• AP Replacement Initiative: CLT is launching alternatives to AP US, World, Lit, and Lang, emphasizing Christian and Western literary traditions over multiculturalism.

  “I think the Christian literary tradition is the greatest literary tradition in the history of the world...students are being starved from their inheritance and not being fed with these great stories.” – Jeremy Wayne Tate (41:16)

Additional Reflections on Gratitude and Cultural Decay (43:26)

• Gratitude v. Leftist Discontent: Danielle asserts that gratitude—rooted in humility before God—is lacking on the left, leading to personal and societal decay.

• Health & Social Benefits of Gratitude: Cites studies tying gratitude to longevity, health, and happiness.

• Contrast with “Leftist” Attitudes & Gen Z Recovery: Implies that Gen Z’s movement toward gratitude, conservatism, and Christianity is a corrective to recent trends.

  “Does this sound like a cure for all of the ills that have been plaguing the depressed member of Gen Z? It definitely does to me.” – Danielle D’Souza Gill (46:40)

• Global Perspective: Warns against America following Europe’s increasing secularism and resultant societal "destruction".

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tech Alienation:
  “This self-selective behavior means that younger people are less likely to encounter and therefore learn to tolerate ideas that might be different from their own.”
  – Danielle D’Souza Gill (03:58)

• On Tradition & "Grandma Core":
  “It's an analog life that’s more about living in the moment, dedicating one’s time to the creation of lasting things...Gen Z doesn’t call it that. They call it Grandma Core.”
  – Danielle D’Souza Gill (13:50)

• On Post-Pandemic Churchgoing:
  “This counterintuitive renewal is not the result of cultural heritage but a quest for depth or order and truth and actually a response to the growing depression amongst Gen Z.”
  – Danielle D’Souza Gill (15:52)

• On Parents & Education:
  “Parents are the first and primary educators of their children, full stop. And a lot of parents have thought that you can outsource education. You can't. Education is parenting.”
  – Jeremy Wayne Tate (33:10)

• On the CLT’s Mission:
  “We want to dislodge the College Board...We feel like we can do that with better content, better vision, better customer service, better user interface...”
  – Jeremy Wayne Tate (38:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Gen Z’s Mental Health & Technology: 03:13–06:45
• Political and Social Pressures: 06:45–13:10
• Return to Analog Life ("Grandma Core"): 13:10–14:10
• Church Attendance & Conversions: 14:10–18:30
• Gender Divides & Feminism: 21:30–24:50
• Cultural “Capture” & Dating: 24:50–26:36
• Jeremy Wayne Tate Interview Begins: 26:36
  • Case for CLT & Classical Education: 27:07–29:10
  • Rediscovery of Tradition by Youth: 30:46–33:40
  • Parental Role & Learning Traditions: 33:40–34:24
  • Growth, Strategy, and Mission: 34:24–39:34
  • AP Test Alternatives: 40:47–41:58
• Reflections on Gratitude and Cultural Decay: 43:26–50:39

Concluding Thoughts

This episode offers a multifaceted exploration of Gen Z’s challenges and transformations. Danielle D’Souza Gill paints a picture that is critical of leftist cultural trends, yet cautiously optimistic about the renewal of tradition, gratitude, and classical virtue among Gen Z—especially among young men. Jeremy Wayne Tate’s work on the CLT embodies this renaissance, asserting that reclaiming classical education is key to restoring both individual and societal health. The episode ends with a call for gratitude, faith, and a return to the sources of cultural and spiritual strength—a message pitched as relevant not only to Gen Z but to all listeners.