Being a millennial, I’ve always been curious to see how Generation Y behaves, but I’m extremely interested to see how Generation Z behaves and what their habits are. Although we can’t target the alpha generation on social and digital media since they are older than me, to be honest, they are still outside of my range.
In the following part of my blog, I’ll be analyzing a few points that everybody involved in marketing and communications should be familiar with, based on my prior experience from both business and personal life.
What is the Z Generation?
McKinsey defines Generation Z as, in brief, those who were born between 1996 and 2010. The digital age, COVID-19, shifting financial situation, and climate fear have all influenced this generation’s identity.
What characteristics distinguish them?
You would be gravely erroneous to believe that members of Generation Z are only “millennials” in their youth. This generation, which is entirely distinct from all others before and after it, will soon overtake all others in the world in terms of population.
They grow quickly
Even if you assumed they were glued to their phones until yesterday, in reality, they are getting married, investing, purchasing homes, and gazing ahead with one eye. 11% of Gen Zers will soon tie the knot, according to GWI.
They like traveling
This generation enjoys traveling more than their predecessors did, and they would rather spend money traveling than put it away. It may seem unbelievable, yet 68% of this generation wants to travel mostly to experience a different culture, and 60% of them have previously taken a plane.
The most intriguing finding from my research thus far on this subject is that 47% of them would prefer to travel only to visit a certain restaurant.
100% Digital
Computers, smartphones, and the internet have been there since the birth of this generation. It is noteworthy that 95% of them possess a smartphone, 83% own a laptop, and over 70% have access to gaming platforms in terms of technology.
More than 32% of them frequently use their smartphones to pay for products and services, and 29% of them use them even after midnight.
If you’re still not convinced by their digitization, how about the fact that 68% of them use ChatGPT and that social media is where most of them develop their opinions?
They are not sluggish.
The years have proven false to any notion you may have had about them not wanting to work a few hours after school or college or during the summer. They enjoy using cutting-edge technology and earning money online, but they are not lethargic. They tend to be more competitive, like freedom, and dislike constraints more than previous generations.
Values they stand for
Equality, diversity, inventiveness, and an eye on achievement! They have no preconceptions about the society they live in, are open to new experiences, and dislike cultural boundaries.
And lastly, what do they do with their time?
They spend almost eight hours online on average, therefore if your company operates online, you need to be aware of these facts!
As of 2022, insiderintelligence.com reports that over 60% of their time is spent on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, while Spotify, Discord, Facebook, Snapchat, and X are still widely used in daily life. They are reliant on Twitter humor and its virality on other platforms, therefore it’s important to highlight that they are not giving up on X despite their lack of activity there.
In summary
They’re original and distinctive, but everything said above or facts and stats from other research or analysis are not once and for all granted, because thins in Generation Z change rapidly, and is never easy to stay on top of them.
