A CM Group consumer research effort that polled 1,000 consumers found Gen Z consumers are better educated, more practical, more ambitious and more skeptical than Millennials.
Gen Z is also the smartest and best educated generation. Having an unlimited wealth of information at our disposal has not gone to waste. In America, 57 percent of Gen Z is reported to have enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, compared to 52 percent of Millenials and 43 percent of Gen X.
They are pragmatic and value direct communication, authenticity and relevance. They also value self-care. They may be more likely than older people were when they were the age of the Gen Zers to question rules and authority because they are so used to finding what they need on their own.
Their embrace of unorthodox learning methods partly stems from the vast adjustments they've made during the pandemic, as remote learning and new ways of gaining an education became standard. Not only is Gen Z more likely to go to college, but its members are on track to become the most educated generation yet.
Gen Z Terms and Definitions
Pew Research recently defined Gen Z as anyone born 1997 onwards. Gen Z grew up with technology, the internet, and social media, which sometimes causes them to be stereotyped as tech-addicted, anti-social, or “social justice warriors.”
A highly connected world, climate change, a global pandemic that's impacting job security, and financial debt are some main causes of increased anxiety, stress, and depression among Gen Zers.
Bonfini, co-editor of the second edition of Casebook for DSM-5: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, observes that Generation Z as a whole lacks many of the social skills that previous generations learned through face-to-face interactions.
While 83 percent of people born between 1928 and 1945 (dubbed “the Silent Generation”) were married by age 37, researchers predict that Gen Z - born between 1997 and 2012 - are marrying far less.
Gen Z's awareness and approach to mental health can have a positive influence on their parenting by allowing them to be emotionally healthy and drivers of open communication. It can also help shape a future generation that will understand, accept, and seek to treat their own mental health issues.
The Economist has described generation Z as a better-educated, well-behaved, stressed, and depressed generation compared to previous generations. Gen Z is also more ethnically diverse and familiar with gender-neutral pronouns.
Gen-Z. 22% of Gen-Zers said they are either unhappy or hate work, making them the most unhappy generation. Gen-Z is the least fulfilled with just 41% finding great meaning and purpose.
MIT Study. Neuroscientists find that different parts of the brain work best at different ages. Scientists have long known that our ability to think quickly and recall information, also known as fluid intelligence, peaks around age 20 and then begins a slow decline.
Educated and empathetic. The pair say Gen Z is also the "most educated", "empathetic" and "politically aware" generation, as well as being the most diverse. "They're so accepting of different groups and I think that will have a significant impact both culturally and politically," Christensen says.
1. Gen Z believes it is the hardest-working generation – and have it the hardest – yet demand schedule flexibility to deliver their best work. One-third (32%) of Gen Z respondents say they are the hardest-working generation ever, with Millennials ranked as the second-hardest working generation at 25%.
An overview of Millennial and Gen Z dating statistics
75% of Gen Z are single. 44% of millennials are married.
Only 37% of Gen Z fell into the loyalist category, defined as those who bought a product from the same brand they were considering at the start of the shopping journey. This is quite different from the 56% of boomers who did so. We found a steady decline in loyalty with each generation.
Not only do Gen Z work hard, they also take responsibility for their career. This generation is willing to put in the extra hours if they'll be rewarded for it.
When this audience were asked to describe themselves, the three key words used were: introvert, fast learner and driven. And it's a surprising finding that UK Gen Zers are three times more likely to describe themselves as introverts than extroverts.
They prefer their jobs to be stable touchstones they can rely on — but still, they want it to be on their own terms. Stubborn independence — Despite wanting stability, the iGeneration, like their millennial predecessors, are practical.
Generation Z is the generation that never had to deal with dial-up internet or brick-shaped mobile phones. They have grown up with the knowledge that they can speak to anyone around the world at a moment's notice, and through assorted social media networks, that's what they've been doing for their entire lives.
TL;DR: Listening to music is the top activity Gen Z and Millennials do in their free time. Gen Z is much more likely to than Millennials to watch videos on YouTube and social media platforms. Gen Z is also more likely to play video games in their free time compared to Millennials.