New Kids On The Block: Generation Z And The Future Of Tech

The youngest generation makes their grand entrance.

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It’s 2019 and we hear a new trending buzzword coming down the grapevine. You may have already heard it too – Generation Z. It’s not just a word. Generation Z, Gen Z for short, is the youngest and latest “It” generation. The era of Millennial is coming to an end.

Some may assume Gen Z will just be “Millennials – Part 2.” While the two generations share a close relationship with technology, the two differ in some of their fundamental views of the world.

This makes studying Generation Z a worthwhile pursuit as they are now entering the workforce and maturing into a formidable consumer demographic.

Meet Gen Z

Just who are these Gen Z kiddos?

The exact cut-off dates are disputed, but demographers and researchers use the birth year range from the mid-1990’s to mid-2000’s.

According to Bloomberg’s analysis of United Nations data, Gen Z makes up 32 percent of the global 7.7 billion population in 2019. This slightly nudges past Millennials’ 31.5 percent share.

The most defining characteristic of this generation is their comfort with technology and social media from using the internet from a very young age.

Their other nickname isn’t “Digital Natives” for no reason. They were playing with an iPad before they could talk.

Business Insider surveyed 60 smartphone-owning teens across the United States. The numbers show that Gen Z own smartphones and they get them early. The average age a teen gets their first smartphone is 11 years old. They are also diverse and well educated.

And to also get a sense of how IoT connected these youngsters are, they reported they spend about 11 hours in front of all types of screens – mobile, tablet, computer, TV… you name it.

So what are they doing for 11 hours everyday? The most popular apps among them are Snapchat, Spotify, Instagram, and Twitter. Plus, they lean towards Netflix when choosing something to watch.

And while Gen Z views Facebook as the “old people’ hangout, they have a new method called their VOICE as a primary or secondary source of communicating with their friends.

Gen Z Vs. Millennials

Of course, sweeping generalizations and lumping everyone of a certain age group into a stereotype is not always the best way to view things. With this delicate boundary in mind, it’s a reality that certain age groups will have a tendency towards distinct tastes and interests. But this doesn’t apply to everyone. There are always exceptions.

One of the key differences between Millennials and Gen Z is their relationship to themselves. Gen Z has a level of self-awareness where Millennials have a general attitude of self-centeredness.

As a whole, Generation Z are self-reliant realists. They’re innovative too. According to Public Relations Society of America, they are characteristics that have come from growing up alongside 9/11 and two recessions.

After experiencing their parents and older siblings struggle in the workforce, Generation Z learned to be independent and foster an entrepreneurial spirit. At the same time, the economic instability has led them to value predictability and structure.

Millennials on the other hand, are characterized as idealist, creative, entitled, and dependent.

When it comes to strictly defining Gen Z against Millennials, don’t get too obsessive about categorizing them.

Author Neil Howe describes, “the dividing line between Generation Z and Millennials as "tentative" saying, "you can’t be sure where history will someday draw a cohort dividing line until a generation fully comes of age".

Let’s see what the future holds for Gen Z and Millennials alike.

Is Gen Z A Mindset?

Let’s look at Gen Z from another angle. That’s what Google has done. They see Gen Z more as a mindset than an age group.

Google defined them “as people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection and community, viewing them as trendsetters who see decision making as a team sport.”

Viewing Gen Z as a mindset may make more sense for Google marketers and advertisers to effectively advertise to the Gen Z mindset. Gen Z’s world is completely different than what their parents grew up in. So who says their generation has to fall into old marketing categories like age groups?

A less-than-savory side to the Gen Z mindset are the negative effects of technology on their social skills, mental health, and overall well-being.

Psychologist Jean Twenge's research reveals Gen Z are less “face to face” due to their extensive screen time and are known to feel more lonely and left out.

Consider the findings used by an advertising agency J. Walter Thomson’s survey of American teenagers:

most teenagers are concerned how people or friends will perceive their posting
72% use social media on a daily basis
43% had regrets about their previous postings

Gen Z is beginning to come of age, but time will truly tell how the Gen Z mindset will affect them and society as a whole.

Gen Z As A Customer

For now, Gen Z makes a splash in the world as a budding consumer. This generation is a fierce online shopper. Growing up, the ability to purchase virtually anything online and delivered straight to your home was the status quo. Instant gratification is only a mouse click away. The immediacy and mobility of technology created an on-demand economy.

As the only generation to grow up alongside the on-demand economy, Gen Z establishes themselves as an immediacy demanding consumer.

Let’s hear what a member of Gen Z has to say. At BitWizards, Candace R. Mitchell interviews her 18 year old niece she dubs “Z-Girl.” Here’s an excerpt from their conversation regarding social media:

“Q2: What is your favorite social media app? Why?

A: Twitter, because it's not boring like Facebook. I like Twitter because it’s short and sweet, no effort required.

Q3: Do you click on ads in that app (Twitter)?

A: I never click on ads (bewildered expression), if they were funny I would probably click on them though.

Q5: Whom do you follow on Twitter?

A: I mainly follow my friends and then I follow people based on friends’ retweets, it doesn’t require much effort that way. I don’t really go hunt new people to follow, that takes too much time.”

Mitchell’s takeaway? We see classic lazy teen syndrome at work here. Speed is key here.

Second, Z-Girl has a general attitude that everything should be delivered to her. There should be no work involved in finding what she’s interested in. Her interests and retweets extend what her friends like.

Third, she wants a format that’s easy to digest (hence, Twitter).

Convince And Convert’s statistic that 48% of Gen Z has made a second-person word of mouth recommendation makes sense. Second-person word of mouth is a recommendation, not-based on personal experience, but on a friend or family members’ positive experience.

In The Workplace With Gen Z

This ambitious bunch is ready to climb the corporate ladder even though they’re still in high school and college. This has many researches making predictions on how Gen Z will most likely function in the workplace and how they will mesh with Millennials and Baby Boomers.

New York Times calls Gen Z, “conscientious, hard-working, and mindful of the future.” In the office, Gen Z prioritizes social entrepreneurship, giving back, achieving a “dream job,” and career growth opportunities.

To optimize your office for maximum Gen Z efficiency, Paramount recommends collaborative areas and social break-out zones for their desire for communication. To cater for their love of structure, enclosed rooms for private meetings and concentration will do the trick.

Word Up:

That’s Generation Z in a nutshell. They’re a digital wired, tech-savvy generation. They can be a collaborative mindset or a lonely, screen-centered bunch. As consumers, they move fast and instant gratification is status quo for them.

Being ambitious and realistic, Gen Z in the workforce is a force to be reckoned with. If they have room for career growth, structure in the office, and an opportunity to make a positive impact on society, then Gen Z will happily climb your corporate ladder.

But we’ll have to wait just a bit longer for Gen Z to come of age to truly see the generation’s defining impact.

sources: morebranches, bitwizards, paramountinteriors, yourcareerintel, growthbusiness, convinceandconvert, nytimes.com, wikipedia planetizen