More than two decades after the September 11 attacks, a significant portion of the American population has no firsthand memory of the event, resulting in varied perspectives on its meaning and legacy. With over 100 million people born after that morning in 2001, including many children who were just beginning school, 9/11 exists largely as a historical episode conveyed through stories and media rather than lived experience.

Interviews with nearly three dozen Americans under the age of 26 reveal that their understanding of the attacks is often shaped by indirect sources and subsequent national traumas. Some young adults report that their worldview was influenced more by images from the wars in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan than the events in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Others say it is difficult to comprehend the significance of 9/11 in light of more recent tragedies such as mass shootings and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed over 1.2 million American lives.

For individuals like Annika Heegaard, 25, who lives in Manhattan near the site of the attacks, the events loom as a persistent but elusive presence. Each year, she immerses herself in archival footage, emergency responders’ testimony, and personal accounts in an effort to grasp the day’s impact. Yet despite such efforts, the scale of the tragedy remains difficult to fully comprehend.

Many young Americans have learned about 9/11 outside of the traditional classroom setting, often encountering its memory through family stories, social media, podcasts, or cultural works like the Broadway musical *Come From Away*. For some, such as Julie Frey, 26, whose father was a New York police officer on 9/11, the day continues to evoke silence and pain. Frey’s father chose not to discuss his experiences and would avoid the anniversary, underscoring the lasting emotional toll on survivors and their families.

Others, including 14-year-old JD Moussally from Queens, relate the day to distant history—comparable to watching highlights of sports games they never witnessed. As Moussally put it, the living skyline he sees today lacks the missing elements remembered by older generations.

The passage of time has also contributed to a fading collective memory, according to Elizabeth Cavanagh, a 20-year-old college student raised near New York. She noted that, while 9/11 was commemorated during her early schooling, the anniversary had become more muted during her time in college near the crash site of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Cavanagh and others expressed concern that the unity experienced in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 has given way to political division and disillusionment.

The anniversary carries deeply personal meaning for some young Americans, particularly those from Muslim or immigrant backgrounds who have faced increased discrimination linked to the attacks. Khalid El-Halabi, 24, who grew up in Queens, described enduring suspicion from an early age due to his name, shared with one of the alleged planners of the attacks, and the broader alienation experienced by many Muslim Americans in the years following 2001. Similarly, Loulou Marmalade Toledano, 17, who grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, noted how the fear and prejudice that swept immigrant communities shaped her own memories.

At the same time, some young people have questioned the broader consequences of the 9/11 response. Berkley Pelletier, 23, recalled initially embracing a patriotic narrative before coming to view U.S. military actions abroad as causing harm under the guise of justice. Others, like Liberty Wilson, 19, have reexamined assumptions about American foreign policy, acknowledging that counterterrorism efforts have at times exacerbated instability in the Middle East.

For many in this generation, the legacy of 9/11 is intertwined with ongoing national challenges, from climate change to economic pressures. Reaching voting age long after the attacks, they see the trillions spent on wars and surveillance contrasting sharply with domestic priorities.

While these younger Americans feel the weight of 9/11’s loss, they also grapple with understanding its place in their own lives. Aiden Burrus, 18, a college student near the Pentagon, described mourning the victims and the subsequent consequences but admitted uncertainty about fully comprehending the event’s meaning given his lack of direct experience.

Overall, the 25th anniversary of September 11 highlights a generational shift in memory and meaning, as young Americans continue to interpret the tragedy through their own complex—and often conflicted—perspectives.