Gen Z discouraging military recruitment on TikTok

(NewsNation) — The United States is set to enter the new year with less than 1.3 million in the armed services.

It’s the smallest number of active duty troops in over 80 years. Recruitment is particularly challenging for Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012.

Anti-recruitment videos swirling on TikTok could be heavily impacting that.

In a popular TikTok trend, military members complain about training, living conditions, lack of sleep and low pay.

Some soldiers posting are in uniform and posting while on duty.

Lieutenant Matthew Weiss is the Gen Z author of a new book called “We Don’t Want YOU, Uncle Sam” who believes negative social media videos can actually bring positive change and ultimately help with recruitment.

“I think there could be a positive spin if it’s done in the appropriate manner,” Weiss said. “They want certain changes, and they want command to listen to certain changes.”

After missing recruitment goals in 2022, the Army and Navy fell far short of those goals again this year. According to federal data, across all U.S. military branches, the shortfall for 2023 is about 41,000 recruits. 

The recruitment shortfall has some military leaders pushing for a new “national call to service,” a potentially pivotal key to filling the ranks of an all-volunteer force.