Gen Z are primarily the children of Generation X. Their Generation X parents raised Gen Z to be independent and able to figure things out for themselves.
Most members of Generation Z are children of Generation X. As the first social generation to have grown up with access to the Internet and portable digital technology from a young age, members of Generation Z, even if not necessarily digitally literate, have been dubbed "digital natives".
Our data found the people that Gen Z trusts the most—family members (88 percent), friends (84 percent) and ordinary people doing good (81 percent)—far outrank journalists (47 percent), religious/faith leaders (44 percent) and politicians (42 percent) as sources of inspiration.
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.”
The Baby Boomers are the parents of late Gen Xers and Millennials and their name reflects the baby boom and increased birth rates. They raised their children with a focus on wanting the best for them. Making sure their children went to college was a priority.
Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation. The statistics for their behavioural-health issues – mental and substance disorders – are alarming.
Gen Xers would come to be known as one of the “least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history,” with parents divorcing at historic rates as both mom and dad worked in pursuit of an American Dream.
In terms of being parents, Gen Zers tend to view parenthood as identity-improving, and a role which enhances their lives. They are very child-focused, and want to be heavily involved in their children's lives.
The research, conducted in June through December 2020, focused on Gen Z parents (20-24 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.
Instead, their “role models” often come from the figures they view online. Gen Z's role models definitely include the traditional fashion and beauty influencers, but they also include people like community organizers, writers, and artists they discover through social media.
Most of Generation Z have come of age during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the children of Generation X, Gen Zers have grown up in the aftermath of 9/11 and the Great Recession, according to Kasasa.
While Millennials came of age during an economic boom, Gen Z‑ers were shaped by the economic pressures their families and communities faced, from the financial stress of the rental market to the added costs to kids and caregivers staying in touch with incarcerated parents.
Gen Alpha is the generation following Gen Z and currently includes all children born in or after 2010—the same year the iPad was born. The majority of this demographic is under 12 years of age, but the oldest of them will become teens in 2022.
(Generation Z moms were defined as those born 1997-1999; millennial moms were defined as those born 1980-1996.)
Generation Alpha are defined as those born from 2010-2024.
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'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.
Generation X is anyone born from 1965 to 1980. Baby boomers are anyone born from 1946 to 1964. Millennials are anyone born from 1981 to 1996. Generation Z is anyone born from 1997 to 2012.
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.
Overwhelming student debt. The climate crisis. Low salaries. Members of the Gen Z and millennial generations cite them all as reasons they don't want to bear or raise children.
Many members of Gen Z are still too young to get married, but this generation does appear to be on the same track. They aren't postponing marriage without reason. A study from The Knot found that most respondents aged 18 to 29 want to achieve financial independence before they get married.
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.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Generation Z (Gen Z) is the most impatient generation. This generation is the fastest to hang up while on hold, research indicates.