70% of Gen Z say that anxiety and depression are significant problems among their peers. ² 30% of parents surveyed felt that their child was experiencing negative effects on their emotional or mental health due to social distancing and school closures.
Data from Deloitte's 2022 global Gen Z and Millennial Survey shows that a third of Gen Z respondents worry about the cost of living above all other concerns; 45% live pay-cheque-to-pay-cheque, and just more than a quarter doubt they'll retire comfortably.
Born between 1995 and 2010, this generation have already found themselves up against immense challenges as they make their way into adulthood: climate change, inequality and social unrest, political division, economic distress and more.
The research from the Walton Family Foundation and Murmuration, conducted by John Della Volpe and Social Sphere, shows that more members of Generation Z are grappling with mental health issues than people from older generations.
47% among adolescents 12–13 years old. 60% among teens 14–17 years old. 46% among young adults 18–21 years old.
Gen Z are not 'coddled. ' They are highly collaborative, self-reliant and pragmatic, according to new Stanford-affiliated research. Generation Z, the first generation never to know the world without the internet, value diversity and finding their own unique identities, says Stanford scholar Roberta Katz.
“…in an instant, you are dating someone, they're your loyal partner and the “L” word is going to fall out of your mouth at any moment.
Furthermore, recent research among gen z reveals that almost 56% of this generation experienced more intense social isolation overall due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are more likely to say they were lonely as compared to previous generations (Cox, 2022).
Gen Z's economic concerns stem from the fear of accruing debt, limited job opportunities and the difficulty of finding affordable housing. These concerns have been exacerbated by the financial insecurity many young people and their families have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Gen Z is less vulnerable to the physical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they bear unique burdens due to their life stage, including emotional stress and grief from the pandemic, high rates of job loss and unemployment, and educational challenges from remote or interrupted learning.
Clarity into career paths and internal mobility opportunities. Gen Z is known as entrepreneurial and looking for a sense of ownership. They want to tackle exclusive projects that help them develop their skills, with nearly 1 in 5 Gen Zers stating they would stay at an employer that offers upskilling/reskilling.
TL;DR: Inflation is the top problem Gen Z and Millennials name as the biggest they are facing today. Over-dependence and addiction to technology ranked second as the top problem among young people for the first time. However, racism and COVID-19 are still top concerns for these gens.
New research on mental health has found that 42 percent of Gen Z young adults currently have a diagnosed mental health condition –anxiety and depression being the most common diagnosis.
30% of millennials and Gen Z say that their financial situation is holding them back from dating. Gen Z is having less casual sex than previous generations. 24% of Gen Zers have sex on a casual basis. Attitudes to cheating and open relationships are more liberal than before.
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.
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.
Gen Z is very concerned about their ability to communicate and forge strong interpersonal relationships. This may be due to the fact that technology has negatively impacted their cognitive skill development, and they recognize that their social skills, like critical thinking and communication, are weak.
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.
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.”
Generation Z has often been labelled as lazy, but that is due to the growth in the efficiency of life with more technology. Self-absorbed. Screen-obsessed.
Recent surveys show that Millennials place a higher priority on health and wellness than any other generation, including the oldest Americans, and the importance that Millennials give to a healthy lifestyle has increased more dramatically than other generations over the past decade.
This generation cares greatly about autonomy and work-life balance — almost two-thirds of Gen Z would prefer to work for themselves in a start-up. About half report that they would quit their job if it interfered with their work-life balance.
Gen Z consumer characteristics
Gen Z'ers consumer characteristics tend to reflect their pragmatic approach to money and education. Other key influences are their affinity for technology, their belief in social causes, and a strong individualistic streak.