Every generation faces economic and social "shocks," as David Blanchflower describes era-defining crises like the Great Recession, 9/11 and the Vietnam War. But no generation in the U.S. since the Silent Generation, which includes people currently aged 81 to 98, has suffered quite as much shock as Gen Z, and the viability of their American Dream is at stake, says Blanchflower, a Dartmouth College labor economist and lecturer.