Over the last decade, SheKnows has had an ongoing series of discussions with members of Gen Z to gauge how they feel about serious and substantial topics such as politics, gender and racial equality, and women’s rights. We’ve checked in with them as they’ve grown from energetic kids to insightful teens to young adults poised to make their mark on the world. These evolving conversations have provided a fascinating glimpse into their opinions over the years, but more importantly, how they’re feeling now that they’re old enough to vote — and playing a pivotal part in choosing our next President.

Gen Z Voters: By the Numbers — & Beyond

Nearly half of Gen Z voters (45 percent in the general electorate and 47 percent of newly eligible voters) are people of color, making Gen Z more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations. But their diversity isn’t all that sets them apart — not by a long shot. Gen Z has spent their teen and young adult years trying to navigate a complex web of interconnected crises, including systemic racism, gender-based violence, crippling student debt, and erosion of reproductive and gender rights, set against the ominous backdrop of climate change. They’ve seen only elections that feel polarizing and divisive, if not downright hostile. Older members of Gen Z report feeling disillusioned by the surge of negativity, misinformation, and harmful rhetoric that has dominated the past three election cycles; they’re tired and cynical, skeptical of each party’s true intentions.

Because of this, the resulting fear and uncertainty that many Gen Z-ers feel for their future has made them especially engaged in social activism, and deeply connected to the causes they’re passionate about. “They lean less into party divisions and are particularly motivated by the issues,” Emily Slatkow, communications director for the progressive youth voting organization NextGen America, said in an article for NBC News.

A recent survey revealed that almost one-third of Gen Z (32 percent) report being regularly active in social justice work, as opposed to just 24 percent of millennials — a number that goes up to roughly 40 percent among college-aged Gen Zers. For 62 percent of Gen Z activists, moral conviction is the top driver; they’re compelled by a deep sense of what is right. Another key motivator, cited by over half, is a personal connection — either their own experiences or those of close friends and family — which sparks their passion for specific social causes.

Back in 2020, a Pew Survey found that 22 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 23 — the oldest members of Gen Z — approved of how Donald Trump was handling his job as President, while about three-quarters disapproved (77 percent). In a September 2024 survey by NBC News, half of Gen Z voters say they’re planning to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November, while one-third say they’ll vote for former President Donald Trump; still a bigger gap for Harris, but not quite the majority seen in the 2020 election. The Fall 2024 Harvard Youth Poll, conducted by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at the Harvard Kennedy School, saw Harris leading Trump by a large margin — 64 percent versus 32 percent among likely voters.

Interestingly, while both genders are leaning heavily toward Harris, the rate of female support has far surpassed males; the gender gap, which stood at 17 points in the Spring poll, has nearly doubled and is now at 30 points. “There is this unprecedented gap in Gen Z, in the under 30s, in terms of political affiliation and voting intention. But it’s also worth emphasizing that more of that gap may be driven by the move of young women to the left than it is of young men to the right, Richard V. Reeves, author of the book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, told SheKnows. “I think that for most young men it’s actually more a question of feeling quite politically homeless. They don’t see much on the left for them, for sure. And I don’t necessarily think they’re wrong about that.”

But if talk doesn’t turn into action, none of these statistics will matter one iota, which brings us to the biggest question: Will Gen Z show up at the polls? According to the Harvard Youth Poll, absolutely. “Fifty-six percent of young Americans tell us they plan to ‘definitely’ vote in the upcoming election,” the findings state. “Among registered voters, the number rises to 72 percent.” This number has been bolstered by the surprising mid-race candidate swap. Before Harris took over as the Democratic nominee, Gen Z’s motivation to vote was much more lukewarm. “What I’m hearing from my generation, or my peers, is that people aren’t going to vote at all because they’re not feeling satisfied or represented by either of the big options,” Amelia, 21, told SheKnows prior to Biden’s departure from the race. Now, it’s a totally different story.

“Much of this increased enthusiasm among [Gen Z] Democrats is tied to Kamala Harris as their party’s nominee,” says the Harvard Poll. “More than four-in-five (81 percent) of Harris supporters in a direct match-up with Trump are enthusiastic about voting for her, nearly doubling the 43 percent of Biden supporters who said the same in March.” It can’t hurt that Harris’s campaign has intentionally set out to appeal largely to Gen Z voters; after all, teens do spend an average of 8.5 hours a day on screens, swiping through their social media.

The enthusiasm for Harris may be renewed, but it certainly isn’t new. “I hope that a woman could one day be President. I hope that a person of color could be President again,” Gen Z panelist Reed told us in 2020. “And I think that one thing we need to address is this country’s issue with women in office.” And in the same year, fellow panelist Jack mused, almost prophetically, “I don’t know what’s going to happen in four years. I think [Kamala Harris] would be a good President. I’d support her. I’d be able to vote then.”

Well, folks, “then” is now — and it’s Gen Z’s time to be heard. Will they realize the full potential of their impact and turn out in record numbers to vote? It’s a question we’ve waited for the past 10 years to answer … and in two weeks, we’ll all know. In the meantime, watch the full video to see the evolution of these first-time voters.

Balfe started the interviews and told us her perfect advice for Claire Fraser in part 2 of season 7. Let’s just say, it goes great with a twist and extra olives. “I think I would just sit her down, pour her a stiff martini, and say are you okay, girl?” Advice you can drink — we like it. Balfe also teased her favorite moment in this season that happens right at the end, and hinted at a new character being introduced that would surprise everyone.

We also asked the cast what they thought their favorite theme songs might be for their characters for the rest of the season. Everything from AC/DC to Kate Bush was dropped. Last season Balfe said, “Power of Love” was Jamie and Claire’s theme song. This season was a little darker. Davis slipped up and told us a season 8 spoiler. She said, “Thunderstruck” is Jamie Fraser’s theme song, then quickly said, “No that’s not true, that’s next season, we’ve just played that recently on set.” Davis doled out her own advice to Heughan’s Jamie, “Take a deep breath man, take a deep breath.” And some advice for Balfe’s Claire: “Stand your ground, lady. You did nothing wrong.” Davis finished off by dropping a hot duet on the carpet for Claire this season.

Heughan picked AC/DC for Jamie’s theme music, and hinted, “It’s pretty brutal. I’m just going to tell Jamie to, ‘Take a breath, take a moment, take a second, think about what you’re about to do,’” Heughan hinted at a big moment for Jamie and his loved ones. “He should just breathe out more,” then Heughan showed us a deep breathing exercise. Seems like Jamie and Claire are in for a stressful season. (When are they not in for a stressful season?) When asked if Heughan would be Team Jamie or Team Claire for a big moment between the couple, Heughan didn’t hesitate. “I mean Jamie, of course, right?”

Bell shared his advice for Young Ian, “Follow your heart, chase the girl,” he laughed. When asked if he would get the girl, Bell hinted at a love triangle. Ruh-roh. Then he brought it home by singing, “Holding Out for a Hero,” and did a little running dance to top it off.

Without hesitation, Skelton said Brianna would be in mama bear mode, and picked “Highway to Hell,” as Brianna’s theme song. She declined to sing, saying champagne was needed before she would drop her red carpet album. Fair point.

Rankin, also known as the Outlander interview crasher, did sing for us. He went full-on karaoke on the carpet and we were worried we may never get our tiny mic back. But he sang, “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles. He also told us his piece of advice for Roger. It was one word: “Don’t.” We asked Rankin to expand, and he revealed what he called a “SheKnows exclusive.” He would tell Roger to never go through the stones at all! What?! When Rankin was done singing three verses of his chosen song, he dropped the mic. Literally.

Dropping the mic wasn’t good enough for Heughan. So, he dropkicked the mic, right into Balfe, who can be heard saying, “Oh my god!” off-screen. The tiny mic finally met its match. RIP tiny mic, we hardly knew ye, before Jamie Fraser dropkicked you Balfe in time, er, back in time.

To learn what Balfe’s new song for Claire is, and see Heughan dropkick the tiny mic into Balfe land, watch the video. Outlander season 7, part 2 premieres on November 22 on Starz. While you wait, catch up with Balfe and Heughan’s part 1 interview, and Skelton’s Sam Heughan impersonation. Time flies while waiting for Outlander; before you know it, it will be back to traumatize the Frasers another day.

Before you go, click here to see all the best Outlander quotes that’ll make you believe in love.

Halloween is right around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about how we want to celebrate one of the most fun nights of the year. First, put up your scariest outdoor decorations and then transform the inside of your house into a mini haunted mansion. Now, put on your best costume and start preparing your Halloween feast. After the trick-or-treaters have gone home and you’re snuggled up on the couch watching all of the best horror movies, we suggest making a Halloween charcuterie board that’s filled with enough snacks to last all night long. A Halloween charcuterie board is also a show-stopping centerpiece for any get-togethers you may be planning and it’s actually way easier to make than you’d think. First, here are the ingredients you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Shop the recipe

Wine glasses 

Gold luster dust

So far, we’ve learned about some of Lina’s story, her loveless marriage, her complex affair with her former boyfriend and her struggle with knowing when to walk away. We met Sloane, who’s open marriage is running into trouble. We were also introduced to Maggie who is still reeling from her teenage relationship with her high school teacher.

In episode five, more of the connection between Gia, played by Shailene Woodley, and Betty Gilpin’s Lina is discovered as Gia, battling with a loss that will be revealed in the episode, moves to Indiana.

In our exclusive clip of the new episode, Gia is emotionally grappling this loss and Lina is almost at the end of her trial to see whether her husband, Ed, could change his ways and give her the affection she deserves. Her plan, if he doesn’t, is to leave him. But, as is clear in this scene, that is easier said than done.

“Remember I gave myself the deadline? It’ll be three months tomorrow. If Ed didn’t touch me I’d leave,” she tells Gia.

Gia, seemingly in tears, asks if she will leave him. “I mean, where am I going?” she asks, “You know I have the nicest house out of all the girls I grew up with?”

As Lina ponders what she will do, Gia gets a text from Jack that reads, “Hey, I’m not leaving you alone until you answer me.”

This clear turning point in the women’s lives is exactly what Woodley loved about appearing in the show. As she told SheKnows last month, “There’s a lot that I took away from this show… like owning who we are is the most audacious and brave thing we can possibly do, and yet there’s not a lot of examples of it because we’re kind of taught to do the opposite.”

Episode five will debut on Friday, October 11 at midnight on the STARZ app. 

Before you go, click here to see more TV shows and marriages about marriages falling apart. 

There really isn’t anything I don’t love about Halloween. It’s been my favorite holiday since I was just a couple of years old and now, even as an adult, I still go all out. Come September 1st, I transform my home into a real-life haunted house with just about every inch of space decorated for my favorite holiday.  I’ve even garnered the coveted title of creepiest house on the block due to the extensive mini haunted house I create on my front lawn. But even someone who loves Halloween as much as I can’t deny that the real star of the show is the candy.

Without candy, there would be no trick or treating, and without trick or treating, Halloween would not be the holiday we know and love. So this year, why not make some of the ghoulishly good candy you’ve ever seen (and tasted!)? This Halloween bark candy is easy enough for kids to make and delicious enough for adults to enjoy. Here’s how to. make it.

Ingredients: 

Directions: 

When Winslet sat down with SheKnows to discuss her role as Vogue World War II photojournalist Lee Miller in Lee, it’s clear that the actress and her character have a lot in common when it comes to resilience and the fight for more control in male-dominated spaces.

“It was just staggering how I would unearth these just horrifying things that they had to go through,” Winslet, who spent five years researching and developing the film, before director Ellen Kuras was brought on, tells us.

“Particularly Lee as a woman, as a flawed middle-aged woman who got her way into those male dominated spaces, even when they kept trying to shut the door in her face and she just kept going.”

In one of many displays of strength, before heading to war, Miller is asked to write her own obituary. Winslet knows the task must have felt impossible, so much so that she can barely come up with an obituary of her own. “Oh! I don’t know! Lived life at full throttle?” Winslet offers. This life motto is something she also saw in Miller, who she felt willing her on during filming. “Don’t give up. That’s always been me. I’ve never taken no for an answer.”

Winslet learned a lot from Miller’s life and her sense of persistence which has been essential to both of their careers. “As women… it is more challenging for us,” Winslet says. “We need to live in a world where we make it less challenging.”

Not taking no for an answer has been an essential part of Miller and Winslet’s lives but, for Winslet, knowing when to say no has also been key to her time in Hollywood. When our conversation turns to Winslet’s topless scenes while playing the free-spirited model-turned-photographer, it’s clear that the actress was careful about when and why she included nudity in the film.

Age and experience has made Winslet more comfortable with nudity but also with turning it down. “I certainly have more of a capacity to say, ‘Well, is this really relevant? Do we really need that?’” she tells us. “I certainly had to kind of learn the hard way, I think, in terms of how to stand up for myself in those spaces which were often male-dominated, and I was really quite young.”

“I feel phenomenally impressed and proud when I see other young actresses now just sort of walking through the world in a much more vocal way in terms of what they’re okay with, and what they aren’t,” Winslet says of how Hollywood has changed. “I was one of the ones in the very beginning who was trying to sort of sift through the rubble of that to find the right words to say, ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’ And it was much harder for girls to put their foot down than it was for the guys, of course.”

Watch the exclusive video to see how Winslet and the team approached nude scenes in Lee, and what they made sure never to do in the film. Lee is in theaters now.

Before you go, click here to see actors who have spoken out about pressure to get naked for a role.

In this last season of Emily in Paris, Lucas Bravo’s character Gabriel was, well, a tad more questionable than usual. After all, even longtime fans of the charming chef were upset when he left Lily Collins‘ Emily on the top of the mountain to ski alone, or when he went off on her for not being able to communicate with her in French. Then, when he had a sudden realization at the end of the season of his love for her, fans were, in many ways, asking him to back off.

Speaking to Bravo himself at the Paley Center’s Emily in Paris: The Magic Behind the Scenes event on Sept. 18, Bravo agrees that his character has been disappointing this season.

“Reading the script this final season it was like ‘I don’t really like what he’s becoming and where the storyline is going,'” he admits. “At the end of the day, I’m just an actor and I’m here to say my lines.” Ouch!

For Bravo, however, Gabriel isn’t the villain of the show – at least not yet. “I don’t think he’s the villain but he definitely has trouble understanding the dynamics and he naively thinks he’s the victim and he needs to own up to his mistakes and man up a bit,” he adds.

Looking back at his character in the past, it seems this might be the first time Bravo’s scratching his head over Gabriel’s actions.

“He was more fun to play when he was cheeky, playful and in love,” he says. “I liked part one [of season four] because he was reconnecting with Emily, it was fun to play, but part two was weird, I don’t understand him anymore but we’ll see.”

Despite it all, Bravo’s still open to what the show’s creator Darren Star has in store for him in the recently renewed season five. “Darren has plans, I’m just following him,” he adds.

@sheknows The cast of #Netflix’s hit show #emilyinparis tells us the relationship advuce they have for their characters, and honestly, we’re taking notes tok 📝❤️ #lilycollins #lucienlaviscount #brunogouery #lucasbravo 🎥: @gigelhoren ♬ original sound – SheKnows

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

Looking to Gabriel’s future, Bravo gave his character some critical relationship advice too. “Just verbalize, communicate, be a bit more confrontational and own up to his mistakes,” Bravo says. “Right now, he’s just being a manchild.”

On TikTok, fans of the show are applauding Bravo for being so candid about his character.

“He is like I am not going down with my character,” one commenter wrote. “I love how Lucas Bravo isn’t even Team Gabriel 😂💞 also we love the honesty,” wrote another.

“Wow. I can’t believe how honest he was about it. He gets it,” echoed another. “We love that he knew it,” another wrote.

Looks like Bravo and the show’s fans are all on the same boat! Will season five be the same? We’ll just have to wait and see!

Before you go, click here to see the best Netflix shows you should be watching right now.

If you’re a big fan of Emily in Paris, then you’ve probably already chosen who you’re rooting for to be with Lily Collins‘ Emily. Is it the old flame Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), British heartthrob Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), or surprising new candidate Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini)? Regardless of who you pick, it’s safe to say no love story will be straightforward on the show. After all, what would be the fun in that?

So, in honor of season four’s many twists and turns, we asked the cast of the show at the Paley Center’s Emily in Paris: The Magic Behind the Scenes event on Sept. 18 if they have any relationship advice for their characters.

“I would just say put your phone down and live in the moment,” Collins says about her character, who ends season four living a new Italian romance. “I feel like that’s what she’s doing and I love that for her.”

“By the way, I need that advice too,” she quips.

Asking Bravo that same question, he had quite some tough love for Gabriel. “Just verbalize, communicate, be a bit more confrontational and own up to his mistakes,” Bravo says to Gabriel, who will likely be fighting to win Emily back in the already-renewed season five. “Right now, he’s just being a manchild.”

For Bravo, learning about Gabriel’s behavior this season hasn’t been the easiest, let alone acting it out. “Reading the script this final season it was like ‘I don’t really like what he’s becoming and where the storyline is going,'” he admits. “At the end of the day, I’m just an actor and I’m here to say my lines.”

“I don’t think he’s the villain but he definitely has trouble understanding the dynamics and he naively thinks he’s the victim and he needs to own up to his mistakes and man up a bit,” he adds.

“He was more fun to play when he was cheeky, playful and in love,” he says. “I liked part one because he was reconnecting with Emily, it was fun to play, but part two was weird, I don’t understand him anymore but we’ll see.”

“[Creator Darren Star] has plans, I’m just following him,” he adds.

Emily’s other love interest Alfie hasn’t had a smooth sailing time this season either, with a breakup right in the middle. Laviscount’s advice for him, however, is a little more optimistic.

“Just stay true to what’s going on man,” he says. “At the end of the day, it takes a lot of things for the stars to align and just stick it out and stay true to himself and have some fun in the meantime.”

Lastly, we asked for Bruno Gouery’s relationship advice for his character, Luc. “My advice is: Luc, continue flirting because you have so many stories to tell,” he says. “And now you’re in Rome so, I mean women in Italy are very beautiful, I love them. My advice to Luc is to keep going on.”

Let’s hope their characters follow their advice!

Before you go, click here to see the best Netflix shows you should be watching right now.

Speaking to Leroy-Beaulieu herself at the Paley Center’s Emily in Paris: The Magic Behind the Scenes event on Sept. 18, the French actress admits that even she’s learning a thing or two from her character.

“She inspires me,” she says.

According to her, a lot of Sylvie’s badass self comes from the show’s creator, Darren Star. “He writes really confident women, really whole women that have a masculine and feminine side that’s very balanced so that’s what gives them that kind of confidence and kind of experience too,” she says, before quipping, “And the French!”

Online, fans of the show can’t get enough of Sylvie, with some even asking for a prequel series about her backstory. Leroy-Beaulieu, for one, is already onboard. “Sylvie in New York would be wonderful,” she says, already created the title of the spinoff. “There’s a lot to say.” We hope Star’s listening!

Speaking to Star himself, he agrees that his characters are all well-rounded, even making a comparison between Emily and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie in Sex and the City (another show he created).

“You know I think they’re both strong, independent women that aren’t afraid to make mistakes in their life,” he says. “I can see a little Carrie in Emily, the younger version.”

Also talking to Star, we asked why he chose Rome, Italy, to be Emily’s next European destination. “For me, Rome is like the other romantic city in Europe and I wanted to live vicariously,” he says. “When you’re in Europe, people aren’t just in one city so I just have to expand the footprint and the universe of the series.”

We can’t wait for season 5!

Before you go, click here and check out these TV shows about women over 50.