Cato Podcast Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation (Z)
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Mar 19, 2026 
Rikki Schlott, New York Post columnist and Cato Media Fellow who covers free speech and internet culture. She discusses how growing up online reshaped Gen Z’s attention and anxieties. They talk algorithms, polarization, short-form vs long-form attention, deplatforming and migration to niche sites, and how different movements and messaging resonate with young people.
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How Rikki Schlott Became A Voice On Gen Z
- Rikki Schlott discovered her public voice during COVID by writing about free speech and campus censorship at NYU.
- Her New York Post editor helped curate those early pieces, launching a four-year column career and public profile.
Growing Up Online Is Gen Z's Core Identity
- Growing up online is a defining, cross-border formative experience for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, creating spontaneous sameness.
- Shared social media exposure shapes habits, attention, and political susceptibility from an early age, rewiring how young people process information.
Algorithms Recreate Printing Press Chaos
- Social media is analogous to the printing press era: a flood of information without mature norms for filtering leads to misinformation and radicalization.
- Algorithms amplify reinforcing content, creating ideological echo chambers that harden extreme views.