Members of Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, did not experience the September 11, 2001 attacks directly. Instead, they recall learning about the event years later, often through stories, school lessons, or personal research. Their memories are shaped not by the day itself, but by the moment they first learned about the attacks. Some Gen Z individuals were introduced to 9/11 in elementary school, while others discovered it through family stories or later exploration. Avery Black, a 20-year-old journalism student at the University of South Carolina, first learned about 9/11 in elementary school. She remembers her mother explaining the event with visible emotion. Black also recalls the image of the "falling man" and a video of then-President George W. Bush learning about the attacks. Annie Erickson, 26, grew up in North Carolina and learned about 9/11 through her mother, who was raised in New York City. Erickson recalls her mother sharing a personal story about someone who lived in her building and died in the towers. Similarly, Allegra Tashjian, 28, from Wisconsin, learned about 9/11 in school, where her teacher described it as a very important and somber day. After a classmate mentioned planes hitting the towers, Tashjian asked her mother if she remembered the event, only to learn that her mother did not. She later researched the event on her own. Jack Coyne, 28, from Connecticut, said he did not fully grasp the significance of 9/11 until he was 13 or 14. He now sees the event as a tragedy that contributed to Islamophobia and further conflicts. Professor David Schanzer, who teaches "9/11 & Its Aftermath" at Duke University, noted that students remain deeply interested in the event. His course is full, with many on a waitlist. He believes current global events have sparked greater curiosity among young people about the historical context of 9/11. Several Gen Z individuals told the BBC that it is common among their peers to lighten discussions about 9/11. Thomas Schwartz, a professor at Vanderbilt University, observed that students born in the early 2000s often deflect or joke about the topic. However, those from the Northeast, where parents may have direct memories of the attacks, tend to be more cautious when discussing it. Erickson said many Gen Z individuals downplay major events or tragedies, either because they struggle to grasp their full impact or use humor as a coping mechanism. Tashjian said it's still hard for her to comprehend the scale of loss in events like 9/11, and she prefers to understand its impact through individual stories rather than large statistics. Schanzer emphasized the importance of understanding 9/11 for younger generations who did not experience it firsthand. He argued that without knowing the reasons behind the attacks and the U.S. response, it is difficult to fully understand today's world.