Move over millennials, there's a new generation in town: the centennials, iGen or Generation Z. Whatever you call them, those born from the mid-90s to about 2010 are starting to make their mark on the world. Trend observers and researchers are scrambling to put together data breaking down the behavioral and consumer patterns that define over 23 million young people.
Most of them haven't even graduated high school. Unlike previous generations, however, technology has led Generation Z to have a bigger influence over the marketplace earlier in their lives. Grandma is changing the way little Johnny sees the world. Rather, little Johnny is transforming the way Grandma, his parents and even his older siblings see the world.
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Jason Dorsey, co-founder and chief strategy officer at The Center for Generational Kinetics, said at a TEDx Talk in 2015 that studying generations isn't about pointing out our differences, but rather unlocking our connections.
To better understand ourselves, our society, we need to understand our influence on each other. The youngest influencers now have the opportunity to shape our world. It's important we take the time to recognize that. So with a little bit of digging around the web, here are nine things you didn't know about Generation Z.
1. They are more risk averse.
They wear their seatbelts. They're less likely to drink underage or do drugs. They have a lower rate of teen pregnancy. Some argue technology has led to smarter, more mature generation, shaped by their knowledge of consequences and public health education they've been exposed to for years.
2. They are always online.
All 1,200 surveyed in a Wikia study were online more than one hour per day. 100 percent. Almost half (46 percent) were online 10+ hours every day. They've never lived in a world without an internet connection at their fingertips. They've never heard, "get off the phone! I need to send an email." They don't know what dial-up is. The internet has always been there for GenZ. It's literally a part of their everyday life.
3. They loved YouTube.
Nine out of 10 visit YouTube at least once a week, while more than 50% visit the video sharing site at least once a day. In 2014, Variety found in a study that the five most influential celebrities for teens were all YouTubers. Daily vloggers, gamers and beauty gurus are all part of a powerful everyday routine for many members of GenZ, influencing their brand and consumption choices from clothes to games and movies to beauty products.
4. They're natural "trolls."
When it comes to posting online, members of this generation are less concerned about sharing their opinions compared to just having fun. The top reason for contributing to a website or posting online was because it was entertaining. They're less concerned about proving their knowledge about a particular subject or making themselves feel better.
5. They've never known a world without terror.
One of the defining historical moments that has little to no direct impact on this generation is 9/11. I say direct impact because those born after 1995 have very little memory of this day. For the vast majority, the events of 9/11 did not transform or shape them in the same way it did older generations. Most were simply too young (if they were even born) to comprehend that terrible day. Rather, a world with security lines at the airport and strict limits on toothpaste is all this generation has ever known.
6. Diversity doesn't define them -- it just is them.
Generation Z is the most diverse generation in history, and because of that, it does not define their way of thinking as it has past generations. It doesn't jump out as something strange to them, simply because it's the way their world has always been.
7. They are brand loyalists.
Many of them report they have a lot of influence when it comes to the brands they buy (or the brands they want their parents to buy). This is important for marketers because it explains why so many of them have to create engagement and build consumer trust at an early age because this generation is deciding what products they like now.
8. Technology is everything.
They've never known a world without technology. They are the youngest generation to own smartphones. Let me reiterate, not just a cell phone, but a fully-connected smart device. Dorsey describes Millennials as "tech-savvy." He said tech was about enhancing the experience. For Generation Z, however, tech is the experience, according to Dorsey.
9. They were raised differently.
Millennials are the entitled, babied generation because their parents, the Baby Boomers, were named the "helicopter parents." Financial dependence is a defining characteristic of millennials because of the parenting style that raised them. Generation Z, however, grew up in the Great Recession. Their parents are members of Generation X and some are even millennials. Dorsey said the third biggest influencer on generations is the generation that raised them. Generation Z is not "Millennials 2.0," but rather something very different with different defining characteristics.
