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Gen Z seeks out in-store experiences, relevance and newness while shopping, which is shaping their spending habits.

Gen Z is currently the generation most interested in shopping, but they're careful about how they spend their money, according to an exclusive survey of 1,300 Vogue and GQ readers in the US. Key findings show that this cohort is engaged with their brands while searching for newness and eager to discover new trends that keep them fashion-forward.

The survey of 18 to 65-year-old Americans sought to understand both shopping and paying behaviours in order to gain greater insight that companies need to think about when engaging today's consumers.

Gen Z's shopping behaviour is critical to understand due to this generation being the newest to join the workforce and having purchasing power. They're willing to shop across channels, have an appetite for higher-quality items and are eager to stay on top of cultural trends. At the same time, they have some frugal tendencies: 70 per cent of Gen Z said they are monitoring their spending more closely as a result of the pandemic, meaning brands will have to earn their place in Gen Z wallets.

Engage Gen Z online and off

Gen Z is a truly omnichannel generation, shopping wherever best suits them in the moment and without preference as to the vehicle they use to find what they want. They are 56 per cent more likely to have shopped for fashion in-store over the last three months and 38 per cent more likely to have shopped online in the same timeframe.

"Covid-19 accelerated a generation's worth of shifts to digital, and consumers won't revert back," says Daniel Heaf, VP of Nike Direct, Nike's direct-to-consumer business. Heaf also sees its appeal to audiences as more holistic. "Digital is more than just a sales channel. It is a way to build connection and community."

Online communities can also translate to purchases. TikTok's #TikTokFashionMonth challenge helped inspire Gen Z to shop. The hashtag garnered 5.5 billion views.

"In terms of bricks-and-mortar, this is where TikTok will come into its own," says Cassandra Russell, fashion brand partnerships lead at TikTok. "We know the power that creators have in bringing people to events. If there isn't a big capacity in-store, we can live stream it to a much wider audience."

Nike Live stores, digitally fuelled with in-person sports experiences that mirror online preferences of specific neighbourhoods, answer the call. "The power of digital allows us to serve personally, at scale, around the world," says Heaf. In terms of engagement, he reports that these are some of the highest performing doors in Nike's fleet, with 150-200 new destinations set to open globally.

An appetite for higher quality

One in five of all respondents have used buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) solutions since the start of the pandemic to buy more expensive, higher-quality products, including 22 per cent of Gen Z respondents. Greg Lisiewski, vice-president of Pay Later Products at PayPal, reports that PayPal is seeing an increase in those wanting to buy higher-priced fashion items.

For digitally native Gen Z's who use BNPL, such as a subscription model, they are levelling up investments. "Consumers are now saying, I can up my subscription, to say, $250 a month. From cell phones to content, Gen Z has only known this model," says Lisiewski.

Meanwhile, Gen Z's frequency of shopping for new items is being disrupted by secondhand, a market that Gen Z respondents are 27 per cent more likely to shop. Preloved and vintage platforms, such as Depop, are arguably slowing the cycle of new purchases, with customers enjoying lots of different trends and items and then passing them on. Depop chief brand officer Peter Semple explains that "by shopping in this way, Gen Z is redefining what 'newness' means".

Unlock the keys to conversion

At the same time, Gen Z is trying to balance a desire for reasonable prices with an interest in high-quality products, which is true across both fashion and beauty. "At Morphe, we are seeing younger consumers demanding a stronger price and value proposition. They don't believe that they should have to compromise quality for price, and they are right," says Eden Palmer, VP of merchandising at LA-based beauty brand Morphe.

BNPL solutions are helping to convert sales. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 123 per cent more Gen Zs have used BNPL than before, the strongest uptake of any generation. In April 2021, one-third of Gen Z said they are likely to use BNPL solutions in the future.

For Lisiewski, cross-channel capabilities also play a role in driving purchases. "Although people miss shopping in-store, at the same time, everyone loves the conveniences of online: online exclusives and easy returns." As lockdown restrictions ease, he says, "omnichannel will truly be omnichannel".

Hopeful and healthy mindsets drive sales

Gen Z also makes purchases to stay relevant and lift their mood.

Searches for summer dresses were up 290 per cent year-on-year in April at Depop. "Our community has been looking for something to wear out of the house, excited at the prospect of getting dressed up as the world starts to open up again," says Semple.

The study shows that respondents from all age groups increased their athleisure spend by 49 per cent from August 2020 to April 2021, a strong boost considering its dominance throughout lockdown. Heaf says that continued shifts to a focus on health and wellness are here to stay, reporting ongoing strong growth for Nike's Women's yoga business. In terms of fitness, he says that "the pandemic has put a spotlight on the changing role of sport in our lives.," and that it "provides an incredible opportunity to build on these behaviours and continue to inspire".

The product most commonly bought throughout the pandemic using BNPL has been shoes. Sneakers are the item that they report willingness to invest in the most. The study confirms that sales of shoes and sneakers saw a 59 per cent uplift from August 2020 to April 2021. Heaf reports that in Q3, the women's Air Jordan 11 Jubilee, "one of the largest and most successful footwear launches ever, made more than $175 million in revenue".

"Gen Z is such a huge and influential generation, and they'll continue to drive cultural change on so many fronts - including consumption behaviour," says Depop's Semple. "[They look] to their peers and social media for inspiration more than they would look at traditional 'top-down' fashion inspirations as previous generations may have done, which is reflected in what they buy, how they buy it and from who."

This article was sponsored by PayPal.

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Gen Z seeks out in-store experiences, relevance and newness while shopping, which is shaping their spending habits.

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Generation Z grew up with the Great Recession, and they're entering adulthood on the back of a once-promising economy that has been upended by the pandemic. That deep experience with economic uncertainty will likely reinforce some spending habits that Generation Z inherited from millennials while creating new financial behaviors that businesses must master in the years ahead.

These young consumers demand fast, dependable technology tools and will pay a premium for personalized products and services. But businesses also have to ease Generation Z's skepticism about data security and lead with a mission that goes beyond simply turning a profit to win their loyalties.

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Who is Generation Z?

Generation Z (Gen Z) is generally considered to start somewhere around 1995, with researchers at Morgan Stanley pegging their birth years from 1997-2012. That means the oldest members of the group are just entering early adulthood-and establishing earning and spending patterns that could follow them for decades-while many others are still learning their first lessons about spending, saving and finance from their families.

Morgan Stanley estimates that Gen Z will become America's largest generation by 2034, growing to just under 80 million. The bank estimates that this "youth boom" could affect economic growth in ways not seen since the heyday of the Baby Boomers.

Although still young, Generation Z already has significant spending power at their fingertips. Consulting firm Barkley Inc. estimates that the young consumers may already represent annual direct spending of more than $140 billion in the U.S. and generate up to $127.5 billion in additional spending by other family members. That's all before they reach their prime working years, a threshold that Morgan Stanley projects will start in 2022 and last until the late 2030s.

Gen Z will become America's largest generation by 2034.

Beyond just being digital natives-the iPhone was already five years old when the youngest among them were born-members of Generation Z are power users of social media and peer-to-peer online services. Pew estimates that nearly all American teenagers have access to a smartphone and that 97 percent use one of seven large digital platforms. A Morgan Stanley survey found that 60 percent of Generation Z had actually used a smartphone before the age of 14. Experts say those experiences will have a powerful effect on shaping that generation's expectations for marketing, shopping and saving.

Generation Z's spending habits and overall values will also be influenced by their unique home and family lives. Surveys show they are likely to be more ethnically and culturally diverse and better educated than previous generations. But they're also being shaped by economic uncertainty: this spring, half of the older members of Gen Z told Pew researchers that they or someone in their home had lost income or a job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, notably worse than other generations.

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How are Generation Z's spending habits different from other generations?

While they inherit some characteristics from the millennial generation, Gen Z consumers are already developing the spending and saving habits that should stay with them through adulthood. That includes an expectation that payment technology, a digital-first approach and digital sales channels are fast and reliable.

Morgan Stanley research estimates that, in the decades ahead, millennials and Gen Zers will combine to represent a "tag team" of more than 150 million Americans, and the two groups already show some similarities. Morgan Stanley found that millennials and Generation Z both spend an outsized portion of their income on eating out, mobile devices, transportation and housing.

Generation Z spends an outsized portion of their income on eating out, mobile devices, transportation and housing.

E-commerce has infused Generation Z's overall expectations for consumer spending, driving strong preferences for value, availability and choice in their shopping experiences, according to research from IBM and the National Retail Federation. But online shopping hasn't eaten all of retail yet: the NRF/IBM survey also found that 98 percent of Generation Z consumers still shop in physical stores some or most of the time.

Generation Z is fully immersed in the ease of moving money around, with some experts estimating that three-quarters of the group use a money-transfer app such as Venmo or Zelle once a month. Younger consumers are able to access social media apps years before they can open an actual bank account, which means traditional financial institutions could face extra work in communicating their value beyond simply providing payment infrastructure. There's a lot at stake: Morgan Stanley estimates that Generation Z could represent about a third of U.S. consumer debt in the next 20 years.

Generation Z loves value but will pay for unique experiences

An uncertain economic outlook should only increase Generation Z's preference for value when they're shopping. Our friends at the NRF report that 65 percent of Generation Z tend to look for value when making a purchase decision, and more than half will change brands if they find quality lacking.

The Boston Consulting Group says Generation Z is also more likely than other generations to "trade down," purchasing a lower-priced and lower-quality item in less-critical categories in order to prioritize spending somewhere else. And once the pandemic began to seriously disrupt the U.S. economy, BCG also found that 66 percent of Generation Z members surveyed were pessimistic about the pandemic's effect on their financial bottom line-a higher rate than any other generation.

Generation Z will still spend money on luxury items.

Gen Zers are also happy to look to decentralized networks to make and spend money. A survey from e-commerce company Afterpay found that 72 percent of Generation Z want to start their own businesses, and many use online, peer-to-peer marketplaces to make up to $10,000 per year beyond their regular pay.

Although they like a good bargain, Generation Z will still spend money on luxury items. But they part ways with millennials on this score. Instead of seeking nameplate brands that show off their social status, Generation Z consumers are more likely to pay a premium for items that are unique and tailored to their interests, according to researchers at consulting firm McKinsey.

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What do Gen Z's spending habits mean for businesses?

Because they've grown up with personalized, powerful tech, Generation Z expects to have a better idea of what's going on under the hood of any business angling for their dollars. Tapping into Generation Z's spending habits and building lasting relationships with these consumers means focusing on the company's core values, communicating them clearly, and investing in technology that makes the shopping experience seamless and friction-free.

Experts say that Generation Z places a higher premium on the social values of a company trying to sell them something, reflecting a general belief that businesses should use their financial power to improve the world-90 percent of consumers from Generation Z say that companies have "a responsibility to address environmental and social issues," according to McKinsey research.

While most members of Generation Z use their smartphones to communicate with friends and family, they're not against bringing businesses into the conversation. According to the NRF, more than a third of Generation Zers would be interested in making digital content on behalf of a brand, while more than 40 percent are willing to participate in games or product review opportunities offered by businesses.

But Generation Z consumers have high expectations for the technology tools at their fingertips. The NRF also reports that about 60 percent of Generation Z consumers are simply unwilling to use apps and websites that load too slowly or make it too hard to find what they're looking for.

More than a third of Generation Zers would be interested in making digital content on behalf of a brand.

Generation Z consumers are also wary of the ways their data can be used, but they're willing to make the trade if the benefits are clear. The NRF survey found that fewer than a third of Generation Z consumers are interesting in giving businesses "health and wellness, location, personal life or payment information." But more than 60 percent drop some of that reluctance if they feel better about data security.

Finally, businesses can't forget to appeal to the parents and other influential adults in the lives of Generation Zers. After all, many of these consumers haven't gone off to college or started their working lives yet. Eighty percent of parents with Generation Z kids surveyed by the NRF said they were more likely to shop at retailers that made it easy to involve children in the process. Some examples? Family wish-list functions on e-commerce sites, toy tests and tryouts and in-store experiences that pair merchandise with media from a kid's favorite entertainment brands.

Invest in Gen Z now to reap the rewards

Generation Z consumers expect the upside of digital retail experiences, even if they're shopping in-store-tons of options, unique items and great value-without the downsides, like invasive data collection practices or hard-to-manage, under-developed tech.

The shock of COVID-19 adds another layer to this generation's commercial calculus, one that experts think could have long-lasting effects. But their commitment to value that goes beyond price points gives companies an opening: communicate core principles through the channels Generation Z already uses, and this surging group of consumers will pay attention.

How are you connecting to the generation that will spend $143 billion this year in the U.S. alone?

Gen Z, the portion of the U.S. population born around 1996 through roughly 2010, makes up for 40 percent of the number of U.S. consumers and by 2026, Generation Z will surpass millennials as the largest consumer base in the U.S. So, brands need to get to know them.

For starters, Gen Z consumers are the most ethnically diverse generation and they're on track to be the most educated in U.S. history, but they aren't terribly trusting-they can sense insincerity a mile away. They value things in brands that they also value in their daily lives like authenticity, transparency, being unique, giving back to society and collaborating. Smart brands, above all, should find ways to nurture their relationships with this powerful and discerning new generation of consumers.

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What they'll be looking for when they wield their spending power

This is the generation that, largely, grew up not remembering the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -so they don't know what the world was like before that; they've seen a lot of world conflict and may have a better understanding of suffering in the world than previous generations. So, count on them researching your business before they shop to figure out what you're all about. But that's just one of many characteristics that set these consumers apart.

They want you to show that you care-about the world.

Generation Z doesn't want to be sold to-they want to be connected with and in a way that shows you support good in the world. A 2019 Porter Novelli/Cone study found "90 percent believe companies must act to help social and environmental issues," and "75 percent will do research to see if a company is being honest when it takes a stand on issues."

To them, value reflects more than what's on a price tag. They're more likely to purchase a product or service that's backed by social accountability. According to a study by Ad Age, 33 percent "have stopped buying from a company that contributes to a cause with which they disagree." This leads them to support brands like Everlane, Package Free Shop and Patagonia -all companies that put sustainability at the forefront of their product and marketing.

They shop social, sustainable and small.

Despite the fact that Gen Z has grown up on digital, that's not their preferred way to shop, they like visiting your brick-and-mortar and they love to interact with brands in person. To Gen Z, brick-and-mortar businesses are not dead. Young consumers are known to shell out their cash for an experience rather than just a new product. As a money-conscious generation, experiences reach beyond expensive concerts and vacations. They want to enjoy experiences in everyday life.

According to a  2017 survey by Accenture, "77 percent of Gen Z respondents in the U.S. said that shopping at brick-and-mortar stores is their preferred channel." In the same study, 46 percent of Gen Z consumers said they get their information in-store before making an online purchase. The data proves further that young shoppers want to spend time with brands in person, regardless of their penchant for favoring online interaction.

And, because they are socially minded, their support for small business is good news for brick-and-mortar owners-especially if you want to make a COVID-19 comeback. An April 2020 consumer survey showed 48 percent of respondents under 45 said they trust retailers with physical locations more since the beginning of quarantine. Gen Z consumers are loyal to brick-and-mortar businesses that are transparent about the safety measures they're taking, like curbside pickup and taking contactless payments.

Gen Zers want to feel like they're a part of a community that supports the causes they care about. For this reason, they love to shop small. Bigger brands can adapt to this mindset by "popping up," giving their larger operation a smaller feel. Gen Z is also into supporting brands they can relate to. That's why you'll see more and more retailers -big and small-sharing stories through channels like blogging and via social media.

They support businesses that show authenticity.

According to CNBC, when it comes to Gen Z consumer sentiment,  authenticity and relatability are key. Gen Z is on the hunt for the truth. They want relatability, all the way from the ads they see to the person behind the cash register. Not to mention, their hunger for authenticity compounds during times of social or political unrest. Gen Z consumers want to know the brands they support also support the causes they care about, and if they don't, they have no problem taking their business elsewhere.

They use social media to research before they buy.

Social media permeates their buying habits. In the past year, 37 percent of Gen Zs "have increased their use of social media for purchase decision-making," according to Accenture. Additionally, two out of three Gen Z shoppers want to make purchases directly through social media. Gen Zs tend to move through multiple touchpoints before making a purchase-doing online, social media and in-store research before taking the plunge. Some call it being picky -they call it being informed.

They love to eat out.

Restaurants can take advantage of Gen Z's spending power before they even enter the workforce. Many of those belonging to Generation Z are still in college, and in that age group they  spend most of their disposable income on food. In fact, almost 70 percent of them eat out once a week. By adopting the digital technologies they feel comfortable with, restaurants can get ahead on planning the capture of this worthwhile consumer base.

They want to foster financial wellness.

A study led by financial technology company Afterpay and The Future Laboratory proved Gen Z to be a financially proactive generation. They monitor their spending habits through apps and don't use credit cards like previous generations do (although they way millennials credit cards also changed). According to the study, "94 percent of Afterpay's Gen Z customers use their own money, linking their account to a debit card." There's a current responsible spending trend in business as well. When making a purchase decision at work, Gen Zs are more likely to consult online ratings-then discuss it with peers-rather than going through a sales rep. Because of this, financial institutions can better engage with Gen Z customers by adopting more digital solutions.

Remember, they're now the most digitally advanced generation

The oldest of the Gen Zers were born only eight years before Facebook launched, so their profile pictures span from grade school until they found their first job. The first iPhone was released in 2007, so constant engagement with all the social media platforms is simply what they know. And, while they prefer to shop in your store, digital-first shouldn't be overlooked.

That means you'll want to:

Emphasize your authenticity and truly connect with them

Generation Z is quickly becoming the most powerful consumer group in the world. If you haven't started to bridge the gap between your millennial-driven strategies and those that appeal more to Gen Z, you're at risk of lagging behind. Businesses who understand Gen Zers, what they value and how to interact with them will be the ones to win over their business. But the keys will also be nurturing relationships and being authentic, which for them is the new "transparent."

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The spending habits of Gen-Z | NCR Greenhouse

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These young consumers demand fast, dependable technology tools and will pay a premium for personalized products and services. But businesses also have to ease Generation Z's skepticism about data security and lead with a mission that goes beyond simply turning a profit to win their loyalties.

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How Each Generation Shops in 2023 [New Data from Our State of Consumer Trends Report]

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Discover data from thousands of consumers that highlights the how, where, and why of each age group’s purchasing decisions.

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The acceptance of E-payment among Indonesian millennials

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Financial technology has become the newest technology advancement being adopted by young people in Indonesia, as it provides simplicity and speed of use. The objective of this study is to explain how e-Payment system is being adopted by the millennial generation in Indonesia.

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Future of millennial generations: A review

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Millennials are the generation which did not have cell phones when they were born and they did not get phone until they were in high schools. This millennial generation has a grounding in the pre-digital world but has grown up alongside the technology.

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Antecedents of M-Commerce User Experience from a Millennials Perspective in a South African Fashion Retail Context

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User experience has become of high priority to retailers due to the proliferation of shopping channels driven by technological innovation that are being embraced by a new generation of millennial consumers. They exceed 25 percent of the world's population and are the largest growing online consumers.

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Millennial Behavioral Intention To Adopt E-Book Using Utaut2 Model

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The significant growth of internet users in Indonesia creates the prospect of digital book sales in Indonesia. Nevertheless, e-book sales in Indonesia are still low, which is only about 2 percent of the total books in circulation.

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The Effect of Perceived Overqualification of the employees of millennial generation on Job Crafting in the Background of Popular Higher Education

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Overqualification appears commonly in China with the development of higher education. The study takes 308 employees of millennial generation as samples, using SPSS24.0 and LISREL8.7 statistical software to verify the effect of perceived overqualification on employees' job crafting, and the mechanism of goal orientation.

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The Role of Vlog Content and Vlog Enjoyment On Developing Marketable Travel E-Commerce to Millennial Audiences

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The Role of Vlog Content and Vlog Enjoyment On Developing Marketable Travel E-Commerce to Millennial Audiences

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Working for a digital marketing agency that specializes in visual content, I've learned that different consumer segments have different preferences in terms of design, brand voice and platform. Usually, our clients use a style guide that already suits their target audience. Unfortunately, not all clients are in-tune of their demographic's preferences or how to capitalize their shopping behaviors to maximize their content's impact. So we decided to do our own digging not only in the area of infographics but also in the behavior of consumers towards other touch points - from email to landing pages. Here's what we found out:
Consumer Generations of Today
For the past few years, millennials have been under a microscope, and rightfully so. They spend $600 billion a year or around $85 per day. That's 28% of the total daily per-person consumer spending. As the biggest consumer generation to date, the business world thoroughly dissected everything from their preferred channels to spending habits.

Millennials lived through a period of rapid change, both economically and technologically. As a result, their shopping patterns have also changed dramatically from the previous generation. For example, they aren't as impressed with branded content in traditional formats, unlike Generation X before them. Thanks to a phenomenon called "banner blindness," they prefer recommendations from social media connections over ads.

That's why companies that target millennials want their content optimized for social media shareability - be it an Instagram picture quote or data visualizations on SlideShare.
Generation X: Maximizing Value
Businesses find it difficult to categorize or approach Gen X from a marketing standpoint. They are among the most sophisticated and educated consumers today. In the U.S., 35% of Gen Xers hold degrees, whereas only 19% of millennials do. They understand the meaning of value and are more likely to stay loyal to a specific brand.

1. Ramp up your newsletters (digital and physical). Be sure to take advantage of direct mail to make your brand messages stand out, as opposed to being crammed together with hundreds of others in an email inbox. However, avoid putting them off with a thick wall of text. To maximize engagement, incorporate visuals to address their pain points and summarize key takeaways. You can also offer coupons to provide even further incentives.

2. Prove value through practicality. Gen Xers appreciate straightforward messaging that stresses the need for a product. The faster you deliver this information, the more likely you are to close conversions, which is why most infographics are designed to condense in-depth data into a more digestible, readable and actionable. Remember, these are people already support children and their retired parents. Leverage cost and efficiency comparisons between similar brands to make your brand offerings more appealing. For example, you can develop a side-by-side comparison checklist or a Venn diagram to illustrate the advantages of your product over more expensive competitors. Highlight the cost differences at the end to emphasize the value they can get out of your brand.

Millennials: Experience Is Key
Just like Gen Xers, millennials also want value. But I have found that they lean towards the experience and authenticity rather than relationships.

1. Invest in content marketing. Content marketing can help build up the need for your product and shorten the sales cycle by conveying your selling points early. However, you need to ensure you provide value by tackling topics that matter to your audience. For this, you can use a content research tool like BuzzStream to find trending ideas based on keywords in your niche.

2. Become omnichannel. Millennials are omnichannel shoppers who like to explore and compare different deals. The good news is, certain e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce can help offer a consistent experience by consolidating channel management in one place. It supports major touchpoints like eBay, Amazon, Google and social networks.

3. Offer great customer service. Regardless of niche, customer service is crucial to the shopping experience. Desk by Salesforce is a one-stop customer service platform you can use to accommodate inquiries across channels that are relevant to millennials. This includes email, phone, discussion boards and live chat. A universally-used messaging app such as Facebook's Messenger should also work. Not only will it help you connect with your audience on a more personal level, it can also be integrated with a chatbot to automate customer service. Just make sure you use a conversational and approachable tone to improve their experience and encourage them to contact you again whenever they need to.

Generation Z: Mobile and Social
Finally, I've found that Gen Z shares many similarities with millennials like tech-savviness and affinity with social media. These traits, however, are more permeated in all walks of life - and with increasingly smaller displays. Remember, most Gen Zers owned a mobile device for most of their lives. Mobile internet, apps and social media are all but second nature to them.

1. Give them the tools for interaction. For social media, I've found that simply sharing content will not generate the engagement you need from Gen Zers. You need to get them into the conversation by asking questions, running polls and responding to comments. A great way to do so is to promote a hashtag that they can use to voice out their concerns. You can also utilize free platforms like Google Forms to engage them in an interactive survey.

2. Connect with their influencers. While Gen Xers have their celebrities, Gen Zers have social media stars to influence their purchase decisions. Getting ahold of them might be challenging, but it'll put your brand front and center of your Gen Z customers. Fortunately, there is a slew of tools you can use to discover as well as engage relevant influencers. This includes TweetDeck, FollowerWonk and Social Crawlytics.

Having to cater to a whole new generation of consumers is an ordeal, but it's an opportunity for any business to reinvent their brand. After all, where there is growth, there was once change. To resist the times would be to put a cap on your potential.

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Council Post: Generation Face-Off: Comparing Gen X, Y And Z Shopping Behaviors

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Working for a digital marketing agency that specializes in visual content, I've learned that different consumer segments have different preferences in terms of design, brand voice and platform. Usually, our clients use a style guide that already suits their target audience.

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Diversity is the watchword for Gen Z: Diversity matters to them through many dimensions, not just isolated to race and gender but also related to identity and orientation. Companies that can better represent the spectrum of differences in their external branding/marketing are much more likely to diversify their talent pipelines.

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Understanding Generation Z in the Workplace

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Entire industries and businesses will rise and fall in the wake of the Gen Zers. Yet few industries or organizations seem to be ready for it. Are you?

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8 shows that give us a peek into the gen-Z life, on Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar

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The post-millennial generation has a lot on its mind. Far ahead of the baby boomers and millennials when it comes to independence and scepticism, generation-Z is far-more connected to global issues than others.

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Digital filters, 3D fabrics and psychedelic ombré - how Y2K is influencing fashion in the metaverse

You may want to debate this, but the noughties have found a permanent place in the hearts of Gen-Z. Before influencers, carefully curated instagram feeds and minimalism existed, the world was witness to silk scarves as tops, heavily embellished denim, skinny brows and low-waist everything. And without judgement, mind you. Remember Britney and Justin's double denim moment? Yeah, that. What we're seeing now is the return of #Y2K, but for reasons bigger than just looking sexy. Gen-Z has, over the last few years, made it clear that if fashion doesn't evolve in a way that it allows for self-expression, they don't want it. Their newest chosen aesthetic, Cyber Raver, is quite symbolic of that thought.

So what's Cyber Raver? Simply put, it's the old rave aesthetic with fresh digital influences - The idea of merging futuristic designs, contrasting brights, distorted and digitally enhanced prints. No rules, no fuss and pretty risqué. With avatars, 3D designs, AR on top of IRL as its core, defining pieces, think of Cyber Raver as a window into the future of fashion - a hedonistic view filled with over-the-top, sensual aesthetics for a new generation.

Cyber Raver's Key Pieces Defined

The arrival of the metaverse is constantly pushing fashion to reinvent for the digital age. With phygital clothing becoming increasingly relevant, Cyber Raver couldn't have come at a better time.

The first key piece is the metallic bodycon silhouette. Catsuits, dizzying prints and plenty of sensual sheen - a nod to retro-futuristic design, which designer Maisie Wilen does so well. There's also the 'comfy party set' which is a version of your PJs (a gentle reminder that we're still living in the midst of a long-drawn pandemic), with the only difference being you can actually step out in them. Influencer Maria Bernad wears her Ottolinger for Jean Paul Gaultier set with ease - trend forecasting firm WGSN calls them a #youthessential. The shapes of these party sets are fairly simple with tees and casual flared pants.

Another key style is the 'digital filter' - a reimagined way of wearing psychedelic patterns including heatmaps, swirls, abstract prints and an abundance of ombré, which AVAVAV incorporated into their new collection. There's also extra-sexy cutouts, drawing inspiration from british erotic adult video game Subverse, that's set in an explorable galaxy filled with 'hot alien babes', as they're often called in the digital universe. Kim Shui's new pieces explore this concept well. Finally, there's sheer mesh. Same-tone sheer outfits create the illusion of depth and can be strategically layered to give it a 'conceal-and-reveal' approach, which we saw at Auné.

Fitting into The Metaverse

Cassandra Napoli, Senior Strategist of Insight at WGSN says, "The metaverse will allow people to experiment with creativity, self-expression and there's an economy attached. They can earn money from gaming and buy digital fashion for their avatars, and it's possible some young people's first luxury purchases may take place in these worlds."

There's also the advent of Gen Alpha, the youngest consumer group, that is particularly interesting to track as they're growing up in virtual spaces. "As Millennials and Gen Z came of age learning and socializing online, all of that may take place in the metaverse for Alphas. We've identified this as "The New Wander Years". At WGSN, we've also been closely monitoring this idea we're calling "digital awe" for a while now. The metaverse may give audiences a chance to escape their realities and wander through digitally awe-inspiring environments", she concludes. And escapism, this is.

Influences of Cyber Raver

There's several upcoming brands that embody this aesthetic in such an organic way. Auné, a slow fashion brand from the UK, merges sensuality and comfort through its signature bodycon mesh pieces, abstract photocopy prints, cutouts, ruching and transparency. Syndical Chamber, a brand from Barcelona, creates one-of-a-kind designs that resonate with youth's appetite for standing out both IRL and in digital spaces - big shoutout to their glow in the dark creations. With over 150 virtual brands and exclusive collections, DressX's digital pieces can be applied to images, videos and over in-game avatars, or kept as NFT investments for future reselling.

Believe it or not, Raver Girl style is gaining momentum with several influencers, models and designers taking to it effortlessly and giving it their own interpretation. California-based influencer Sydney Lynn Carlson's wardrobe is very defining of the trend with see through tops, hyper brights and cutouts. abacaxi, a recent feature in Vogue's Youthquake issue this month, is another incredible example of unapologetic, non-conforming, future-forward designs that are not for the faint hearted. Sheena Sood, founder of the label, talks about the inspiration behind her S/S 22 collection StingRay. "I'll never forget my first time snorkeling, overcoming my fear of the ocean, and seeing the movement of stingrays gliding elegantly along the ocean floor. That image stuck with me, and many years later in 2021 I found myself designing a geometric print with stingrays, dragonflies and rainbow kaleidoscopic ombré color."

Other key elements of the Stingray collection include a plant-dyed, organic cotton yarn-dye that is custom woven with stripes of rainbow metallic lurex throughout, touches of shisha work on knits, metallic shimmer beading, and a schiffly textured embroidery in the same geometric hidden stingray pattern. Lacing, tying, zippers, and even a wrap skort style add more touches of the 90's and '00s. "For abacaxi, saturated color and metallic chrome are staples in all of the collections. So I personally feel it's always a good time to celebrate via color, custom print designs, and happy Y2K nostalgia."

Let's not forget that raver girls don't just exist offline. They're online too - and Ruby Gloom, Hongkong-based virtual influencer and transhuman creation with an 80k+ instagram following, comes to mind thanks to the constant championing of the '00s Cyber Raver aesthetic. Gloom is known for partnerships with brands like Adidas Originals on their Ozrah sneaker and Fendi in their baguette campaign.

Also read:
The past and present of the Fendi Baguette Is the metaverse ripe for new fashion experiences?

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Gen-Z's newest trend obsession: The Cyber Raver

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Digital filters, 3D fabrics and psychedelic ombré - how Y2K is influencing fashion in the metaverse You may want to debate this, but the noughties have found a permanent place in the hearts of Gen-Z. Before influencers, carefully curated instagram feeds and minimalism existed, the world was witness to silk scarves as tops, heavily embellished denim, skinny brows and low-waist everything.

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I was born in 1996, which means I'm truly on the cusp of being a millennial and being part of Gen Z. I'm technically a millennial, but I've always felt a bit lost between the two generations-too young to identify with many millennial calling cards (I've never understood the affinity for side parts), but too old to feel at home in Generation Z. As a makeup lover, I've officially decided to embrace my younger side since the Gen Z makeup trends right now are just too good to pass up.

Gen Z is following a whole new set of rules when it comes to makeup. "Millennials focused on being maximalists with the baking, coverage, and heavy over-the-top lashes," says celebrity makeup artist Melissa Hurkman . "Gen Z has taken the opposite approach and brought us back down to a minimalist approach to makeup."

The younger generation has fully embraced glowy skin, strategic pops of color, and makeup that enhances natural features. The new generation isn't afraid of taking risks and playing around with makeup, which is what makes the trends so fun. Check out our favorite Gen Z makeup trends below, according to celebrity makeup artists.

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I'm a Millennial, But I'm Still Copying These Gen Z Makeup Looks Immediately

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I was born in 1996, which means I'm truly on the cusp of being a millennial and being part of Gen Z. I'm technically a millennial, but I've always felt a bit lost between the two generations-too young to identify with many millennial calling cards (I've never understood the affinity for side parts), but too old to feel at home in Generation Z.

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For 19-year-old Jenna Ruiz, voting for the first time was a thrill.

"My group of friends and I were really excited," Ruiz said, a sophomore at Miami Dade College who serves as student government president.

Ruiz and her friends are just a few of the millions of young Americans newly eligible to vote in the 2022 midterms.

Still, that excitement didn't smooth over some of the uncertainty Ruiz experienced when it came time to actually cast her ballot.

"I felt, I'm not going to lie, a little bit lost on some of the things that were on the ballot," Ruiz told NPR. She said she was mostly motivated to vote because she disagreed with the conservative social policies of Florida's current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ended up winning reelection.

"I do identify more towards the Democratic Party, but I still felt like I didn't really know everything that was on the ballot," Ruiz added. "I just was excited to vote."

Ruiz is part of Generation Z, which is still just getting its feet wet in politics, since the oldest members of the generation turn 26 this year. Along with millennials, Gen Zers turned out in historically high numbers for a midterm election, second only to the 2018 election.

And while Gen Zers voted decidedly with Democrats last year - and say they were most concerned about issues related to abortion - some still wish they were better informed before voting. That's all according to a new post-election report on Gen Z from the education advocacy organization Murmuration, the Walton Family Foundation and the public opinion firm SocialSphere.

The report, which contains a national survey conducted shortly after the election, was exclusively obtained by NPR. It also found that Gen Z primarily relies on social media for news instead of more traditional media platforms - raising questions for strategists and organizers alike over how to engage the country's youngest adults in politics.

Gen Z wants more information about who they're voting for

Ruiz isn't alone in feeling unsure about some of the additional names on her ballot.

According to SocialShere's survey data, one-third of Gen Z voters wished they had known more about the candidates and their positions in the last election - compared to 21% of Millenials, 11% of members of Generation X and 6% of Baby Boomers.

Similarly, just half of Gen Z voters say they were confident about every race on their ballot - and a third voted in every race but admitted to not knowing much about some candidates.

To John Della Volpe, the founder of SocialSphere and the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, this gap in understanding is an important insight.

"Often I think we take for granted that younger people who, by definition, have less experience, are every bit as equipped to cast a ballot as their parents, their grandparents," he said, "who have been thinking, debating and participating in this for decades longer."

And while individual voters have a duty to seek out some civic information, Della Volpe argues, there's also a collective community responsibility within politics and outside of it, like in the workplace, at school, among family and on social media.

But to some young organizers, that exposed lack of confidence doesn't mean less enthusiasm and interest.

"Yes, maybe you didn't know everything you needed to. Every single fact about the candidate that you were voting for. But the fact that you voted, means that you cared about it enough to show up anyways," said Marianna Pecora, a leader with the youth-led political organization Voters of Tomorrow.

Like Della Volpe, Pecora, 19, says there needs to be a more considerable community-wide change to help increase civics and political interest, both online and in person.

Though others have less sympathy. To 20-year-old Nyla Branam, Gen Z needs to make more of an effort - especially since they've spent their entire lives with access to advanced technology.

"People in my age group would rather just fill in a bubble and show up, then take time to actually research and find out who they're voting for because it's not beneficial and it's not an assignment," Branam said.

Branam is a student at Delaware State University, a historically Black college. On top of not knowing enough about politics, it frustrates her that some people at her school don't vote - especially when so many are passionate about issues like police and criminal justice reform.

"The local elections, the presidential elections, all those things matter because when your friend does get locked up, you know what judge they're going to. And that representative was picked based on morals and values that align to yours," Branam explained.

A majority of Gen Z gets their news from social media

Gen Z stands alone from older generations in how they consume news, according to the same SocialSphere survey data.

Among Gen Zers who said they wanted more information ahead of voting, 36% say they would turn to the internet to get it, compared to 12% who specifically say social media.

But when asked to select sources they regularly go to for news or current events, social media companies were at the top of the list.

YouTube leads with Gen Zers at 61%, followed by TikTok (57%), Instagram (51%), Snapchat (43%), Twitter (35%) and Facebook (33%.) Traditional media sources, including local television and major network and cable news networks, are much lower on the list - between 25-22%.

Gen Z has a particular hold on TikTok and uses it far more than Millennials do. Among Millennials, just under a third list TikTok as a regular source of news, instead, over half flock to Facebook and YouTube.

For Alex Ames, a leading organizer with the group Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, using social media as a primary news source can be limiting.

"A 15-second TikTok or so might give you some glimpse of some of the problems you care about," Ames, 20, said, "but isn't going to be quality controlled or as in-depth as a legitimate civics course in your school or a 12-page-long New York Times article."

Plus, when politicians and candidates try to engage with young people on social media, Ames says they often incorrectly frame their content as entertainment instead of education.

"Even if we are young people, we are still serious about the ballots we cast," Ames said, "So we shouldn't decide that youth engagement to us means our candidate has a TikTok account. Youth engagement should be actually teaching the young people in our communities how our policies impact the things that touch them."

To Ames, a good example of a national politician engaging on social media is Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who posts video updates and explainers to her 8.6 million followers on Instagram outlining her daily work and political decisions.

Similarly, Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., has developed a following over TikTok, which he started during his campaign and now uses as a House member. His account has already raked in over 341,000 followers, a much larger amount compared to Twitter, where he has 94,000.

Gen Z's political loyalty remains an open question

Democrats aren't the only ones who want to do a better job educating young voters. Some young Republicans say a change is needed within their party too.

"Young people aren't looking towards the policies that are really going to be directly affecting their lives. Instead, they're looking towards the big ticket items of major social and political discussion," said David Hora, a 22-year-old senior at Iowa State University who calls himself a proud Republican.

To Hora, who grew up in a farm family, Republicans need to take the conversation back - arguing topics like abortion, gun control and immigration reform distract young voters from more applicable concerns involving finances and the economy.

But that battle is a tough one for Republicans, given Gen Z voters overwhelmingly supported Democrats over Republicans in the midterms by 27 points - and prioritized protecting abortion access by a higher amount than any other generation, according to SocialSphere's survey data.

That said, a potential lack of party identity leaves hope for Republicans. Notably, just 30% of Gen Zers surveyed said they aligned with Democrats, compared to 24% for Republicans and 28% for independents.

"The Democrats don't own these votes. They're renting them," said Republican political strategist John Brabender. "There still is an open door, and I think there is both a want from these voters to hear more, but that door is not going to be open forever."

To Brabender, the upcoming presidential election offers momentum for the GOP to capitalize on young voters. The GOP's first objective should be to tighten the margins.

Putting the 2022 election in the rearview and looking ahead to 2024, some Gen Z voters do remain undecided.

Mia Kennedy, a sophomore at Miami Dade College, chose not to vote in the midterms because she felt she didn't have enough balanced information to make her decision.

"There's really extreme on one side, and then there's really extreme on the other side, and I just feel like I don't know where to go for information," Kennedy said. "I feel like I need a middle ground."

Kennedy is registered as an independent but says she leans more conservative. By the time the next election comes around, she's hoping to have a better understanding of where she falls.

"I feel like I'm not one of those people to just be like, I'll vote red because I'm red or blue because I'm blue. I want to know what I'm going into," she explained. "But regardless, I think I am going to vote."
The Walton Family Foundation is a financial supporter of NPR.

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Gen Z's political power: new data gives insight into America's youngest voters

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For 19-year-old Jenna Ruiz, voting for the first time was a thrill. "My group of friends and I were really excited," Ruiz said, a sophomore at Miami Dade College who serves as student government president.

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Generation Z is composed of those born between 1995 and 2010, which means that the oldest are about 22 and are just entering the workforce.

The media has focused a lot on millennials in recent years, but it's time to turn some of the attention to the millennials' future co-workers. Gen Zers have a lot in common with millennials, but there are also many ways in which the two generations differ.
1. Gen Z Is Motivated By Security
These young people were still kids during the Great Recession, which means that they may have seen their parents take huge financial hits. A significant portion of their lives may have been defined by struggles related to that.

While millennials are often seen as more idealistic, and more motivated by purpose than a paycheck, Generation Z may lean more toward security and money. This is a pragmatic generation - they care about making a difference, but are ultimately motivated by ensuring they have a secure life outside of work.

If you're looking to recruit members of Generation Z, you may be able to tempt them with promises of job security and raises down the line.
2. Gen Z May Be More Competitive
As a cohort, millennials are said to be collaborative and teamwork oriented. They want to work in an environment where inclusion is a priority, and where everybody works together to advance goals. Gen Z, on the other hand, is said to be defined by its competitiveness. They want to work on their own and be judged on their own merits rather than those of their team.

Gen Z also understands that there's a need for constant skill development in order to stay relevant. Their parents likely taught them the importance of working hard, and that no one will hand them their success. This generation is willing to work hard, but they expect to be rewarded for it.
3. Gen Z Wants Independence
Gen Zers' independence ties into their competitiveness, but they generally like to work alone. Many of them prefer to have office space to themselves, rather than an open, collaborative workspace. Many also want to manage their own projects so that their skills and abilities can shine through. They do not want to depend on other people to get their work done.

This independence is apparent in the higher education choices some Gen Zers make. More of them are skipping higher education than their millennial counterparts, and moving straight into the workforce. They'd rather avoid the years of debt and try one of the newer, more affordable options. Don't disregard a potentially great employee just because they don't have the credentials you usually look for - they might have all of the skills you need, just from a different source.
4. Gen Z Will Multitask (More Than Millennials)
If you thought your millennial employees were easily distracted, always flipping between texts and emails, just wait until you start working with members of Gen Z! These young people have always lived in a connected world, and they're used to constant updates from dozens of apps. Switching between different tasks and paying simultaneous attention to a wide range of stimuli comes naturally to them.

This can be perfect for a workplace that requires multitasking. If you're looking for employees who can focus deeply on a task for a long period of time, make sure that's communicated to potential Gen Z employees. And, if you see them looking at their phone during work hours, don't assume that will distract them for ages - they're used to spending five seconds checking for updates before returning to the task at hand.

This group of employees might start working on a document in the afternoon, open it on their phone on the subway ride home and pull it up again on their laptop while watching TV. They don't have as much of a harsh delineation between work and home, and this could change the workplace even more in the coming years.
5. Gen Z Is More Entrepreneurial
Generation Z is 55% more likely to want to start a business than millennials. In fact, a full 72% of Gen Z high school students say that they want to start a business. This can be tied back to many of their traits - especially the independence and desire for financial success. They are highly motivated and willing to work hard to achieve their dreams.

These budding entrepreneurs can make great employees. They are likely to soak up as much knowledge as they can and take on many different challenges as they pursue their goal of starting their own company in the future.
6. Gen Z Wants To Communicate Face To Face
You may have just gotten used to your millennial employees preferring to communicate over email or Slack, but be prepared to switch it up again. Generation Z likes to talk face to face. Fifty-three percent of Generation Z said they prefer in-person discussion over instant messaging or email.

This can be attributed to the negative attention they've seen millennials receive for their reliance on technology, or because the technology they've grown up with (Skype, Snapchat) has allowed people to communicate with a full range of sound and motion, instead of just text. Be prepared for regular in-person meetings with your Gen Z employees to discuss their projects as well as their professional development.
7. Gen Z Are True Digital Natives
Millennials have long been described as digital natives, but they actually grew up in a world that was still full of landlines and dial-up internet. They're used to progress taking time, and are just as confused by some of the newest apps as baby boomers are. Gen Z, on the other hand, has been living in a world of smartphones and free Wi-Fi for as long as they can remember. Ninety-two percent of them have some sort of digital footprint.

They easily flit between platforms and technologies and pick up new software quickly. Their relationship to technology may be even more instinctual than that of a millennial in their late 30s.
8. Gen Z Wants To Be Catered To
Gen Zers expect the workplace to conform to their needs. They are similar to millennials in this way, and are actually fairly similar to boomers as well. This attitude is having an effect on the workplace. In recent years, stars such as U2 and Bruno Mars performed at Salesforce's annual conference. A decade ago, a huge company would never have hired a rock band to appeal to young people. Now, it's pretty typical to have young attendees in mind.

There are some clear generational differences between millennials and the young people just entering the workplace today. Of course, every member of a generation is an individual and will have their own unique traits, but keeping these generalizations in mind could help you prepare to welcome this new generation to the working world.

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8 Ways Generation Z Will Differ From Millennials In The Workplace

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Generation Z is composed of those born between 1995 and 2010, which means that the oldest are about 22 and are just entering the workforce. The media has focused a lot on millennials in recent years, but it's time to turn some of the attention to the millennials' future co-workers.

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For years, millennials have left marketers and brands feeling perplexed. What do they want? How do they think? And, more importantly, where are they spending money?

While brands like Nike and Apple are said to have the highest appeal among millennials, entire industries-from alcohol to department stores and milk to soda -are blaming 23-38-year-olds for slumping sales. Even as the oldest millennials approach 40, brands are still grappling with how to relate. Meanwhile, as "marketing to millennials" continues to dominate the conversation, Generation Z is set to become the most coveted consumer. Without preparation for the generational jump, many now-popular fitness, health, and wellness brands could age out.

While it's easy to conflate Gen Z with millennials, the former differs from its predecessor in key areas. Born between 1997 and 2001, Gen Z is currently the largest generation in America, comprising 40% of all US consumers by 2020. More importantly, though, Gen Z is estimated to wield $143B in spending power while influencing another $300B of indirect spending in the US alone.

"Compared to any generation [Gen Zers] are less trusting of brands... They have the strongest bullshit filter because they've grown up in an era where information was available at all times."
- Emerson Spartz, CEO of Dose

Although this generation doesn't know a world without smartphones or social media, 67% of Gen Z prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores. Having witnessed the student debt crisis and the Great Recession, Gen Z is starting to save earlier than previous generations: 71% are already saving for the future. But despite being conservative with their money, Gen Z is willing to pay a premium for wellness products and healthy foods.

Overall, Gen Z takes a holistic view of health, emphasizing physical fitness, healthy eating, and mental well-being. Recognizing the latter segment, having come up in a world of increased anxiety, 72% of Gen Zers say managing stress and mental health is their most important health and wellness concern. And while less than 20% of Gen Z participate in organized religion, more than 80% have a sense of spirituality and believe in cosmic power. Combined, this emphasis on stress management and belief in spirituality could explain the growing popularity of healing crystals, mindfulness, and astrology apps that, despite conclusive evidence of their effectiveness, fall under the expansive umbrella of wellness.

On the fitness front, research from Les Mills shows that Gen Z accounted for 38% of gym sign-ups globally in 2018. As the most active membership category, 87% of Gen Z reported exercising three or more times per week. A survey from UNiDAYS provides additional context on Gen Z exercisers, with 43% of respondents working out at home, 65% using fitness apps, and 28% depending on wearable technology to track workouts.

When it comes to food, Gen Z wants healthy, convenient options. According to the Nielsen Global Health & Wellness Survey, Generation Z is more willing to pay a premium for healthy products, such as all natural, GMO-free, sustainable, or vitamin-fortified foods. As Packaged Facts noted, Gen Z members are seeking out portable and easy-to-prepare foods, but they're also choosing healthy items when they do. As a result, there's a growing opportunity for manufacturers and eateries to launch healthy snack or grab-and-go products that appeal to this demographic.

In terms of dietary choices, Gen Z is in favor of high-protein, low-carb foods, with 51% saying sugar is an obstacle to a healthy life. And this group is far more likely to consume plant-based products and is open to becoming vegetarian. According to American foodservice provider Aramark, nearly 80% of Gen Z plan to go meatless 1-2x per week, citing health and environmental concerns.

Keeping with the current trend in healthcare, Gen Z is dissatisfied with the current care model and, in turn, are seeking out alternative services. Accenture found that younger generations are looking for more "effectiveness, convenience, efficiency, and transparency", with 53% of the respondents preferring telemedicine to traditional in-person visits. Additionally, Gen Z is more willing to consider Western medicine, like acupuncture and yoga, blurring the line between healthcare and wellness.

Finally, with respect to marketing, companies will be well-served by social media and influencer campaigns - 71% of Gen Z discover new fitness opportunities and healthy restaurants on social media, compared to only 25% who find them from television commercials. Additionally, with 70% of Gen Z watching two hours of YouTube each day and the same percentage consulting the platform before making a purchase, a mobile video presence has become mandatory for attracting a younger demographic.

Generation Z's doubling down on the wellness lifestyle-exercising more, eating well, and prioritizing mental health and sleep-should inspire more brands pivot to join the booming wellness economy. But for those who attempt to take the same tack as what worked with Millennials may find that they've lost their cool.

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Gen Z Will Become The Ultimate Wellness Consumer

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Born between 1997 and 2001, Gen Z is currently the largest generation in America, comprising 40% of all US consumers by 2020. More importantly, though, Gen Z is estimated to wield $143B in spending power while influencing another $300B of indirect spending in the US alone.

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Generation Z - people born between the mid-90s and early 2000s - is a progressive demographic of digital natives whose cultural influence is reshaping traditional beliefs about online entertainment, travel, shopping, news, and education. In our latest three-part series, we spill the tea on Gen Z's relationship and attitudes toward brands, how digital technology fits into their lifestyle, and how their online influence is moving the needle for industries in India and Southeast Asia (INSEA).

There's nothing sus about the way Gen Zers game. Not only do they enjoy playing games for entertainment, to escape into new worlds, and to unwind, they're also switching on their favorite games to connect with new players and bond with their friends.

Here, we grab the controller and jump in to discover the latest attitudes and behaviors of Gen Z gamers and what this means for the future of gaming: how expanding your audience, building communities, leaning into influencers, and offering ways for people to monetize their hobby can help create memorable experiences for players.

Multiplayer mode: Rethink the people that make up your audience

If there's one thing that Gen Zers do well, it's breaking down gender and racial barriers to ensure an equal playing field for all. In fact, 80% of Gen Zers say gender doesn't define a person as much as it used to.

That also applies to gaming. In SEA, the gaming gender gap is closing rapidly. In 2019, 100M female gamers made up 40% of the region's gaming community. In some markets such as Thailand (50%) and Singapore (46%), females who say they play games online are almost at parity with their male counterparts. ¹

With a larger user base and a more diverse gaming offering, this growing gang of gamers is challenging the traditional idea of what it means to be a gamer. In Thailand, 62% of Gen Zers are into gaming, with 50% of females in that group choosing to play games on their mobile devices alongside males (75%). ²

Similarly, in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in Indonesia and India, Gen Z gaming is breaking down barriers by removing any hierarchy that might be associated with class or hometown. In these cities, gaming is democratized, meaning where you grew up doesn't necessarily determine your level of gaming engagement. The gaming audience is expanding into new audiences outside of the metropolitan areas. To lean into this trend, some game developers focus on games inspired by local culture, traditions, and folklore to reach new audiences.

Mine to craft: Help build a community

Gen Zers seek a sense of belonging and growth. Whether connecting with others across the country, region, or globe, Gen Z gamers are finding a way to socialize through a shared, collaborative interest.

In particular, viral mass movements, fan clubs, and gaming communities match the need to nurture a collective identity and bring Gen Zers together over a familiar and shared platform. Some like to socialize with people from other countries to understand different languages and cultures, and many play games and have friends who are gamers from other countries.

Users can also learn from experts in online communities like YouTube and Twitch, where they can subscribe to channels that teach them about the latest game or tips and tricks on how to beat a level or boss.

Stream team: Gaming influencers are the new athletes

Gen Z gamers (62%) are engaging on YouTube to be entertained, for example watching gaming influencers for their reviews as they play walkthroughs and take part in gaming tournaments. ³

YouTube houses a lot of elite gamer channels where viewers can watch, learn, and aspire to be like the best. Gamers such as zbing z, ViruSs, and Titan Gamers transcend countries, languages, and skill levels to appeal to gamers from all over the world.

Sixty percent of Gen Z gamers agree that YouTube is a source of entertainment, while in Thailand, even non-gamers are turning to popular YouTube channels to watch a walk-through of a game. ⁴

Open the loot box: Gaming is fueling a gig economy

Gen Zers also see gaming as a way to make money simply by doing the thing they love. Particularly for more serious gamers, obtaining and selling in-app purchase items such as mods, weapons, or skills provide secondary engagement (and sometimes secondary incomes) for players as additional motivation to master a game.

Live streaming, made popular through the rise of esports, is seeing a new generation of streamers that can turn their expertise into income. For example, Singapore esports team Chaos Theory were the first team to offer full employment contracts to its players including a full salary and health insurance.

The future of gaming is with opportunities. Developers looking to tap into Gen Z gaming behaviors can keep players engaged by helping this generation build communities and monetize what they love doing.

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Gen Z shaping the future of gaming & esports - Think with Google APAC

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Generation Z - people born between the mid-90s and early 2000s - is a progressive demographic of digital natives whose cultural influence is reshaping traditional beliefs about online entertainment, travel, shopping, news, and education.

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While we don't need another reminder that the last few years have wreaked havoc on travel and leisure plans, good news is ahead. Skeptical? Don't be!

There's a ton of pent-up demand from people looking to make up for lost time, missed birthdays, holidays, and other milestones with fun, new experiences.

With US travel and tourism spending rising in 2022 and looking to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 11.3%, it's an excellent time to target different audiences, especially those looking for more meaningful experiences.

One group you may consider trying to attract and engage so that they become a paying guest at your venue is Gen Z, those born between 1997 and early 2012 (ages 10 through 25 in 2022).

Why?

They likely think differently about travel, especially regarding safety and the experiences they are after. While they are primarily interested in leisure travel to see friends and family, they are also hungry to visit new US cities, which is excellent news for local attractions!

Gen Z travel trends & statistics (Editors picks)

Gen Z characteristics: 82% said they trust a company more if it uses images of actual customers in advertising, so it's important to keep your marketing as authentic as possible.

Gen Z purchasing behavior: 68% read multiple reviews before making a purchase; make sure you're staying on top of guest feedback.

Gen Z money habits: 65% of Gen Z respondents said they would rather take a dream vacation than purchase a new car. Experiences matter!

Gen Z leisure behavior: And 97% use social media as their primary source of inspiration. Can your business be found on the right channels?

What are Gen Z characteristics

Gen Z is motivated by meaningful experiences, which are often aligned with their values so speaking with an authentic voice via suitable types of marketing channels is important. Here are some of the most common behavioral characteristics of Gen Z:

Experiences are important

Gen Z is eager to experience new things and places. They're tired of 'been there, done that type of offerings and are attracted by new, different, and exciting opportunities.

Our tip?

Look at your unique selling points - the essence of any experiences you're marketing - and how you deliver that message (think short-form video content, opportunities for user engagement, and even creating a sense of FOMO with time-sensitive events).

Authenticity is key

Regarding advertising, 82% said they trust a company more if it uses images of actual customers in advertising.

Think of your marketing as a chance for Gen Z travelers to see a new place through the eyes of locals. Promote your venue or location's most appealing features and hone in on what sets you apart.

Traveling with a social conscience

Gen Z is more likely to give back to a community or a purpose. They're more concerned with volunteering, eco-tourism, or attractions that partner with local causes than other demographics.

Why?

One theory is that Gen Z grew up with an awareness of climate change, so they are likely to focus more on sustainability, ethics, inclusivity, and responsible travel. And 72% said they're more likely to buy from a company that contributes to social causes.

Always connected

Having been born into a world of 24/7 access to the internet, Gen Z is the most digital-savvy generation, with physical and digital world experiences equally appealing.

Gen Z is likely to be more aware of new events and attractions. They'll also share these experiences with their peers via social media.

What is common Gen Z consumer behavior?

As a true digital-first generation, Gen Z was raised with the internet, and social media like other generations grew up with radio and television.

So it's probably not surprising these digital natives constantly want new ways to connect with attractions that focus on new technology, including augmented reality and the metaverse.

90% say social media influences international travel decisions, but the same principles apply to local attractions. If you're not actively promoting on social media, you're potentially missing out on reaching a growing market with disposable income. Gen Z's favorite social media network is TikTok, which is helping to drive more content-driven experiences. The hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit has had 2.3 billion views!

The smartphone is essential for Gen Z when researching, booking, or canceling trips. Can your guests seamlessly book online through a mobile device? If not, you're potentially turning away many new guests ready to book their next great experience.

Reviews are critical to Gen Z. 68% of Gen Z read at least three reviews before making a first-time purchase online, so keeping on top of your guest feedback is critical to helping grow your business. Does your team know how or have the right tools to quickly action guest feedback and prevent negative ratings on public review sites?

A recent UK study found that 97% of Gen Z visit city centers, large towns, and shopping malls and are likely to participate in various activities, with attractions venues the second most popular at 30%, second only to restaurants and dining venues (34%).

What does Gen Z do for fun?

While it's undoubtedly true Gen Z spends lots of time on social media, they also love traveling to new places, getting outdoors, and focusing on well-being in addition to discovering new modes of digital entertainment. Let's take a closer look at some of Gen Z's favorite things:

Engaging on social media

97% of Gen Z consumers use social media as their primary source for purchasing inspiration and spend most of their time on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. You want to be where your audience hangs out, so think about how you can reach Gen Z on their favorite social media channels.

Streaming music, tv, and movies

Whether listening to music or watching movies, Gen Z likes to access their entertainment from online platforms like Spotify and Netflix. Could you capitalize on popular culture references by organizing themed nights or special events that talk to Gen Z's favorite bands, movies, or tv shows?

Traveling

Finding new experiences is a massive part of the Gen Z travel experience. And with more Gen Z ready to explore their own country again, there's never been a better time to promote 'staying local'.

Getting outdoors

Even though Gen Z spend lots of time online, they still like to get outdoors for activities such as hiking and camping. If you offer outdoor-based attractions or events, promote them, especially as an alternative to indoor activities.

Wellbeing

Gen Z is big on physical and mental health. While the traditional gym is still popular, other activities like meditation, yoga, walking and even rollerskating help keep this generation on the right track.

Make sure your on-site food and beverage options include some healthy choices, and think about how you could market more healthy activities or challenges. How about a trampoline park jumpathon for the ultimate test of fitness?

Which age group spends the most on leisure travel in the United States?

While Gen Z is more likely to return and add more value to destinations over time and, and right now, are primed to discover new and exciting attractions:

A recent survey by car-sharing company Avail found that 72% of Gen Z travelers are looking to spend big on leisure travel this year - with this generation planning to spend more, or the same, in 2022 than pre-COVID-19 times. This puts them ahead of Millennials (70%), Gen X-ers (67%), and Baby Boomers (61%).

Gen Z travels an average of 29 days per year; that's nearly an entire month!

A trend survey from American Express Travel found that 65% of Gen Z respondents said they would rather take a dream vacation than purchase a new car. This is a crucial insight into the mindset of Gen Z, highlighting their preference to spend more on entertainment and attractions to have fun with friends and family over purchasing big-ticket items.

How much is spent on domestic leisure travel in the US?

Recent economic modeling by the World Travel & Tourism Council shows strong growth in 2022 for the US travel & tourism sector, which is excellent news for attractions venues.

How to target Gen Z guests

Now that we understand a bit more about Gen Z think about what your business could be doing to target Gen Z guests better.

We know Gen Z unique experiences, spends a huge amount of time online, and are ready to spend time and money in new places, so here are our top three tips for your business:

1. Be active on social media

To attract and retain Gen Z guests, you need to promote your attractions through the right digital channels: TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube.

Look at some popular accounts to see what content resonates best, then test different platforms and content types to see what works best for you. Hint: video content tends to have the most engagement.

2. Make sure your bookings are mobile-friendly

It's not only Gen Z guests that expect mobile-friendly booking, but they may not be as forgiving as other guests who grew up with more traditional booking methods such as phone and emails.

A great mobile booking experience will help you see more Gen Z guests arriving through your doors.

3. Tailor your product offerings to your Gen Z audience

With Gen Z chasing new experiences, it's your chance to have some fun and think about creating special theme nights, exclusive events, and other one-off activities that will help put your business on the map.

And if you're unsure where to start, think about running a simple poll on your social channels to help get the conversation started.

By better understanding Gen Z's needs and wants, you can more effectively tailor your marketing with the right voice and channels, resulting in more Gen Z guests, hopefully promoting the experiences you're offering to their peers.

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Gen Z Travel Trends & Statistics in 2023

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While we don't need another reminder that the last few years have wreaked havoc on travel and leisure plans, good news is ahead. Skeptical? Don't be! There's a ton of pent-up demand from people looking to make up for lost time, missed birthdays, holidays, and other milestones with fun, new experiences.

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When you work in the entertainment industry, there are certain advantages that come with having parents who are already famous or wealthy. However, as plenty of young celebs have proved, hard work and killer talent can also get you to the top.

1. Lil Nas X grew up in the Bankhead Courts housing project outside of Atlanta with his mom and grandma then moved in with his dad. Before "Old Town Road" went viral, he dropped out of college and was living on his sister's couch.

Already a popular figure on Twitter thanks to his funny posts and memes, he started making music out of boredom - and found his calling.

Speaking with her mom on her That Was Fun podcast, Addison said, "My mom, being the sweet mom that you are, was like, 'We're gonna buy you Uggs so that people aren't mean to you anymore.' She literally [took] me to buy Uggs that day. I remember we went to the mall...They were, like, $200 Uggs, which was not cheap for us."

Growing up, Addison felt that becoming an actor was an unattainable dream, so in college, she studied journalism so that she could still be on TV.

She told Elle, "Then I got super lucky with TikTok, and was so blessed with the chance to move to L.A."

3. When Bella Thorne was a preteen, she didn't want to be a Disney star, but she accepted the lead in Shake It Up because her family was "about to live physically on the street if [she] didn't have that role."

She told the Happy Sad Confused podcast, "We were living off Stouffer's coupons, and that's all we had to eat every day. That may not sound like a big deal to everybody, but when you're a single mom raising four kids with debt and you have nothing to your name, it's fucking shitty."

After her time on Disney Channel came to a close, she struggled to book more work because casting directors pigeonholed her as a "Disney actress."

She said, "It was like starting back at the bottom and working my way up all the way again."

For Emma, watching YouTube videos was a source of escapism. Inspired to start her own channel, she taught herself to edit and began uploading DIY videos. However, she found more success after she shifted her focus to videos that felt more authentic to her.

She told Forbes, "Having no money at certain points was weird...so now it's so cool that I can make my own money and do whatever I want with it."

On the first episode of MTV's Following: Bretman Rock, he said, "It taught me so many lessons about having nothing and only having dreams - that's all we could afford."

As a teenager, he used social media as a creative outlet. His friends encouraged him to upload his Snapchat stories to Instagram, and after he made his account public, his videos began going viral. His follower count grew to millions while he was still in high school.

He told Teen Vogue, "I really don't think there's anything in my life right now or any accomplishments that I have that I didn't manifest."

Laroi started making music by recording on his mom's phone. After upgrading to a studio, he uploaded his songs on Soundcloud and then grew an international fanbase.

In 2019, Grade A Productions executive, Lil Bibby, took notice and signed him to a joint deal with Columbia Records.

Jenna told PopSugar, "All of the nos I received just motivated me even more. I wanted to change the casting directors' point of view. I wanted to get rid of that description. That's what I did."

8. Though The Kissing Booth made Jacob Elordi an overnight celebrity, he struggled to book more roles afterward and ended up living in his car. While filming the Euphoria pilot, a producer, who found out about his living situation, helped him get a hotel room to stay in.

He told GQ, "I think I had - I don't know, $400 or $800 left in my bank account - and Euphoria was my last audition before I went home for a little while to make some money and recuperate."

The financial strain as well as the judgment from their family and friends back in Washington took a toll on her family.

She told the Hollywood Reporter, "I thought that if I made enough money, I'd be able to buy my parents' house back and that I'd be able to put my parents back together. But when I turned 18, I only had $800 to my name. My parents weren't back together, and there was nothing I could do to help."

Her first truly successful audition was for 2018's Sharp Objects.

She said, "I had no idea getting into this industry how many people have connections. I started from ground zero, and I know how fucking hard it is. Now I see how someone can just walk in a door, and I'm like, 'I worked my fucking ass off for 10 years for this.'"

10. Iman Vellani's family moved from Pakistan to Canada when she was a baby. Her parents, "being immigrants, wanted [their kids] to try new things." With their support, she submitted her first audition tape for Ms. Marvel. On the last day of senior year, she got the part.

She told the Hollywood Reporter, "[Her parents] would never be the ones to be like, 'Just focus on your studies,' because you can do that anywhere. They brought their kids to a different country so they could have different opportunities."

Through two Cuban customers she met at Marshall's, Camila's mom found an architecture job.

Camila told PopSugar, "She learned how to use the program in a week and made enough to move us out of my godmother's house and into an apartment...[Then] my papá came over from Mexico a year and a half later...he started off washing cars in front of Dolphin Mall in the blistering Miami heat. But we kept moving on up."

Eventually, her parents started a construction company and named it after their daughters. Then, when Camila was in ninth grade, she convinced them to drive her to North Carolina to audition for The X Factor, which led to her spot in Fifth Harmony.

12. Charli D'Amelio was born to photographer Heidi D'Amelio and Level 4 Collective founder/former Republican Connecticut state senate candidate, Mark D'Amelio. Before her TikTok fame, Charli attended King School, a private school that costs upwards of $40,000 a year.

13. Madison Beer reportedly "grew up in a wealthy family" in New York. Her mom, Tracie, is an interior designer, and her dad, Robert, is a luxury home builder.

14. When Forbes labeled Kylie Jenner the "youngest self-made billionaire," people were quick to point out that, as a member of the famous Kardashian-Jenner family, she was born into privilege. Forbes later alleged that Kylie had "been inflating the size and success of her business for years."

15. The son of actors Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith grew up starring in movies like The Pursuit of Happyness and After Earth alongside his famous father.

16. Willow Smith, Jaden's younger sister, also followed in her dad's footsteps as an actor and musician. She made her acting debut in Will's movie, I Am Legend.

17. When Lily-Rose Depp was eight, her mom, Vanessa Paradis, introduced her to Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld. At 15, she did her first campaign for the brand. Her first film role in Tusk grew into a starring role in the spin-off, Yoga Hosers, in which her dad, Johnny Depp, also starred in.

22. Model/designer Sofia Richie is the daughter of singer, producer, and American Idol judge, Lionel Richie. Her first modeling gig was a Teen Vogue feature introducing her as the sister of reality star, Nicole Richie.

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11 Gen Z Celebs Who Are Actually Self-Made, And 12 Who Grew Up Rich

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When Bella Thorne was a preteen, she didn't want to be a Disney star, but she accepted the lead in Shake It Up because her family was "about to live physically on the street if [she] didn't have that role."

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There's one popular quote which you'll keep hearing every now and then. Learn to praise what you have rather than being envious of others. However, Indians seemingly do not like what they possess. Thus, they keep on adopting western ideologies and sometimes also buy their products only because it has an imported stamp.

Now, Gen Z is going gaga over Korean culture. Be it K-pop, K-drama or even Korean beauty products, Indians tend to prefer Korean culture over Indian culture. Why so? Let's find out.

Indians' obsession with Korean beauty products

Korean beauty products are not just typical CTM (cleansing, toning, and moisturising) routine, but more about 'flawless skin'. A combination of unique, natural ingredients and potent actives results in enhanced effectiveness of the products. Natural ingredients such as cica, avocado, ginseng, chia seeds, bamboo, rice water, and volcanic ash are combined with actives such as retinol, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, AHAs, and BHAs to create products to match the glass skin standard.

It is pertinent to note that the Korean brands formulate products using traditional Ayurvedic ingredients such as neem, tulsi, lemon, and honey, among others that India resonates with. Thus, the Indians are going along with Korean products as Indian beauty brands have eventually stopped recognizing the importance of Ayurveda.
Read more: Indians are happily buying Korean 'Ayurveda' beauty products as it has an imported stamp
From Forest Essentials to Kama Ayurveda and boutique, India has a series of brands that comprises natural ingredients and Ayurvedic herbs. However, Indians fail to recognise the importance of their own products and rather find Korean ones effective.

The dark reality of K-pop

BTS has been ruling the Billboard charts and has broken several big records lately. Trying to emulate their success, bands like EXO and BLACKPINK have made their mark with myriad more lining up. However, there is a dark side to this dizzying fame. A dark side that is rarely talked about in the popular media. For every global successful K-pop group, there are several hundred that have failed.
Read more: Suicides, unreal expectations and more: The dark underbelly of K-Pop
There is a proper industry working behind the scenes to manufacture the next BTS. K-pop groups are usually formed by South Korean entertainment agencies that host auditions both domestically and abroad, searching for talent after the announcement of a new group.

They are made to go through practice routines from morning to night, seven days a week for three to four years at least, which could last even longer if the group fails to break the glass ceiling. For instance, BTS's Jimin trained for 10 months, while Blackpink's Jennie trained for six years.

Apart from the dancing, the food habits of the performers are closely monitored.

Bordering on anorexic levels, these performers are made to eat less and less food, so as not to gain weight and look stuffy on stage. They are not allowed to date anyone and also are barred from revealing their sexual identities.

But Indians overlook all these aspects and what they notice is the on-stage performance of BTS and other Korean bands.

A Delhi-based Avanthika Shringi stated, "I started listening to BTS only last year after I saw them all over the Internet. I was curious then, and now, not just me, but my sons are huge BTS fans too. We sing their songs out loud, they are all so catchy."

However, BTS is not the only reason Indians are obsessed with K-pop. Korean singer PSY's viral hit 'Gangnam Style' in 2012 worked as a catalyst for the Hallyu Wave (a term used to describe Korean culture's growth) in India.

K-Drama's viral popularity in India

According to a Netflix report, the viewership of Korean dramas (hereon, K-dramas) in India had increased by 370% between 2019 and 2020. Moving ahead, between March 2020 and March 2021, six K-dramas, including the second season of Kingdom, It's Okay To Not Be Okay, and Crash Landing On You, snatched the positions in Netflix's "Top 10 Trending" list.

As per the reports, "With more than 50% of India's population under the age of 25, India has offered itself as a demand producing machine for Korean culture."

This craze for Korean drama initially began in the North-East during the late 2000s when K-drama, dubbed in Mizo, was being telecasted on cable television channels. Moreover, in the neighbouring Manipur, the locals switched to K-drama for entertainment as Bollywood and Hindi satellite channels were banned by the Manipuri separatists.

K-webtoons and K-fandom

According to Hyunwoo Thomas Kim, co-founder, president and CEO of Kross Komics, has predicted that "Korean originated Webtoons, or digital comics, will be the next big craze." Notably, Kross Komics is a webtoon platform in India launched in December 2019. Within 1.5 years of operation, the app has gathered over 4.5 million downloads with around half of them being females. " High number of webtoons in the romance/ rom-com category along with global best-selling stories make this new form of content a very interesting alternative to binge on," he says.

Meanwhile, many people are joining K-fandom. The obsessions of fans all over India for K-culture have led to the creation of fan clubs dedicated to K-pop groups. The group 'armybtsindia' is one such group with 1.2 lakh followers. Daisy Ray, a member of armybtsindia says, "The group is quite active with all BTS updates-their new albums, TV appearances, news articles on them, their upcoming concerts and cute pictures. It's a treat really."

The Korean entertainment wave is still unfolding. How the K-phenomenon evolves from here on depends on how Korea's entertainment industry innovates.

Indians are losing interest in their culture

Such is the blind love towards Korean culture that the Indians are following their way rather than following what they have been taught since their childhood. Instead of embracing their own culture, they have begun falling for Korean culture. The deep-rooted traditions and customs are loosening up their hold among Indians themselves. Indians have a rich cultural background and the pride in their culture is famous throughout the world. Despite this, what is more impactful these days - is Korean culture.

It is high time Indians take pride in their aged-old culture and explore more of it. They should try to learn more about Indian cultures, Vedas, Puranas and other such aspects rather than blindly following Korean culture.

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Why is Gen-Z blindly following Korean culture?

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There's one popular quote which you'll keep hearing every now and then. Learn to praise what you have rather than being envious of others. However, Indians seemingly do not like what they possess. Thus, they keep on adopting western ideologies and sometimes also buy their products only because it has an imported stamp.

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Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z.

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To a generation like Gen Z, love seems to remain a puzzle. Although it has been proven that 1 in 3 Gen Z'ers want a relationship - more than half of the people using Tinder are between the ages of 18 and 25 - Gen Z does seem to be a lot more single than previous generations. Or, at least, it looks like we're staying true to our stereotypical reputation of independence and self-involvement: Love is to be achieved as every other goal is, rather than something to simply fall into.

But how are these dating trends manifesting among our generation, and what do they say about us? Relationship experts spoke to Her Campus to break down the ways in which Gen Z's dating habits differ from other generations, and why that is.

How does Gen Z date?

Of course, it could be that we are new to it: After all, we're just now reaching adulthood and adolescence (the youngest of Gen Z'ers is, like, only 9 at this point). We're still growing into life and its emotions. But, if you take into account this generation's discourse surrounding love, from TikTok trends about everything from "icks" in potential partners to " how the young me was excited to fall in love [but would eventually be left disappointed by real life]," it looks like we simply relate differently to the big L word.

"Gen Z loving is different when compared to other generations because most of this generation is so self-driven," psychotherapist and sex and couples therapist Dr. Lee Phillips tells Her Campus. According to Dr. Phillips, when it comes to dating, we are very realistic about the process.

As most of us are self-absorbed in our own careers and on the pressures of graduating and having a job after college, she says that we tend to just want to date and see where things go. "Most of them have reported they are being mindful without too much pressure on themselves because they are so busy," Dr. Phillips clarifies. This phenomenon goes as far as 66% of Gen Z being accepting of relationships that are momentary and don't really mature into "real" commitment.

On the other hand, Carmel Jones, relationship expert and writer at The Big Fling, adds that, while we welcome situationships, if we don't believe that a person is worth our time, then it's a no go. "This is a valid way to date, but sometimes it burdens the ability to truly connect, let walls come down, and learn about one another," she observes.

Jones also states that this leads to a more physically guarded posture (after all, Gen Z is not having as much sex when compared to other generations), but also one a more emotionally raw and open attitude.

Gen Z'ers, in the end, love being in touch with the world. Quite literally, actually: 3 out of 4 Gen Zers prefer to spend their free time online, and this spans through activities like texting friends, accessing entertainment, learning new things and even doing schoolwork. Even one of our core traits of being more vocal socially and politically is linked to the Internet, as over 41% of this generation have turned to social media to protest.

We're more inclined to take things slow on dating apps.

Therefore, given that the biggest Gen Z stereotype (and, to be honest, trait) is being a population of "digital natives", it makes sense that a lot of our connection with others also comes down to social media.

"Gen Z is diving into dating apps because they are coming into dating after a worldwide pandemic," explains Jones. But mixing the online with real life isn't something as new: We have, according to her, "relied on devices to alleviate loneliness for quite some time now."

Although dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have been around for a while (and we are not the first ones to tap into those apps), the wave of new, young users have taken a different approach to using them. Slow dating - that is, getting to know people through the internet for a long time before actually going out - seems to be the thing if you're looking for the perfect match online.

Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg perfectly summarized slow dating in an interview with Fortune: "You match with someone, you chat, you go on an Animal Crossing date, you chat some more, you exchange Spotify playlists, and then two months later, you might go on a date."

Gen Z might be living up to its reputation as the "loneliest" generation.

Still, even if it's slow, dating through the internet takes away from meeting people more organically, in public settings and real life scenarios, says Dr. Phillips. "Gen Z is often referred to as the 'loneliest generation' because of social media. I have seen more of this generation isolated because of it," she adds.

Besides, social media plays a huge part in Gen Z's dating lives even outside of dating apps. TikTok users give unsolicited relationship advice and tarot readings to their followers all the time. They spoon feed you reasons why your partner is definitely cheating on you and how you should totally manipulate your situationship. Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer to search on TikTok and Instagram over Google Search and will probably take those things to heart, setting a dangerous precedent for the impact of social media on dating behaviors.

Social media and dating apps both have also considerably expanded our dating pool: Because they bring us closer to people we probably wouldn't get to know in real life, it gives us the feeling that maybe, if you swipe just enough, you'll find someone that is perfect for you and is everything you've been looking for (even the unrealistic parts). Or, at least, someone "better" than the ones you surround yourself with IRL.

The media is giving us unrealistic expectations for love.

"Gen Z is flooded with what relationships 'should' look like on social media. Previous generations got this information from books and movies," Jones tells Her Campus. About social media, she argues, "We are blurring the line between reality and fantasy." This is eerily familiar to the hyperrealistic idealization we used to associate with media and entertainment.

A concept coined by French sociologist Jean Baudrillard, hyperrealism is the inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality. That is, in postmodern times, we try to mirror our real-life relationships after what we see in fiction, whether those scenarios are within possibility of happening or not. This can bleed even into, you guessed it, social media: Often bombarded by picture-perfect moments and perfectly timed videos, we set them as the standard we should seek out. AKA, #relationshipgoals. But, as stated by Baudrillard himself in his book Simulation and Simulacra, this creates a "generation by models of real without origin."

Or, a generation that follows standards that don't even exist outside of the screen. By expecting our life to play out as if it were a fanfic or a romcom, we are often left unfulfilled in our own relationships. This goes hand in hand with the high standards set by trends like "he's a 10 but" and made-up red flags.

"Gen Z'ers are seeking transparency, authenticity, and longevity in relationships. However, they are bombarded with endless options and constant ways to compare themselves, which leads to short-term connections," says Jones.

So, "loneliest generation" label aside, this does mean something - and that is that, yes, Gen Z loves more cautiously than other generations, and may tend to be more picky with potential partners. But then why shouldn't we date differently, since we are so different from other generations in everything else as well?

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How Is Gen Z Dating Differently From Other Generations?

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To a generation like Gen Z, love seems to remain a puzzle. Although it has been proven that 1 in 3 Gen Z'ers want a relationship - more than half of the people using Tinder are between the ages of 18 and 25 - Gen Z does seem to be a lot more single than previous generations.

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They are part of a fast-paced world with instant global access through their mobile devices. They are plugged in to exploring and talking about food in their online social circles.

More than other generation, Gen Z are the most aware of current events, socially conscious, ethnically diverse, technologically connected, and politically engaged. As the most diverse generation, they are subsequently exposed to a host of cuisines and cultures thanks to family and friends. They are open to exploring different foods because of their extensive travel connections. Moreover, they have grown up with TV shows like Top Chef and MasterChef Junior, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Instagram short form cooking videos, and YouTube.

Connectivity is important to Gen Z diners. They have tremendous access to and reliance on technology and information. They thrive on posting and sharing information on Meta (formally Facebook), Instagram, and TikTok. Not surprisingly, their social media accounts are likely to drive their decisions about food.

Food Trends That Appeal to Gen Z
This generation wants more control over what they order. So, it's no mystery that fast casual niches like Chipotle, Sweet Greens, and Poke Bowl are appealing, because they offer variety and the opportunity to build meals with made-to-order options. But make no mistake, Gen Z will go to high-end restaurants for the food experience and photo opportunities.

According to the International Food Information Council's (IFIC) 2022 Food and Health Survey, Gen Z feel that sustainability plays an important role in decisions around what they eat. Fifty percent said their food and beverage choices have a significant or moderate environmental impact.

Gen Z are making a huge impact on the food industry. With the high visibility of food trucks, they subscribe heavily to street food. Technomic's College and University Trend Report found that 42% of Gen Z are interested in street food on menus, while 46% say chicken is their protein of choice for dinner. Plant-based offerings, fermented foods, pizzas, and bowls like burrito bowls, poke bowls, and acai bowls are hugely popular among this group.

Still, it's all about experiential dining. They want to try new foods, and are drawn to places offering sustainable, organic, locally grown items on menus. The more transparent the restaurant is with their ingredients, the better. Gen Z prefers specialty beverages, bottled water, smoothies, and fruit juices.
Convenience Ranks High
According to the American Egg Board, Gen Z likes convenience, with social media being at the center. Ecommerce will continue to grow, as they are likely to do online ordering and takeout, including groceries and restaurant orders. Furthermore, a Tufts Nutrition Report says that nearly half of Gen Z say they are willing to pay more for foods they believe are healthier.

Foodie Generation
According to Cassandra, ENGINE's insights and strategy group that studies trendsetting young consumers, the report Young & Hungry revealed Gen Z consider themselves the "foodie" generation as part of their identity. Fueled by a desire to discover new recipes, they find inspiration from social media platforms like Tik Tok. More than half of those surveyed say what they eat indicates who they are as a person. Vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian that includes vegetables, grains, topped with an egg, and pescatarian that includes vegetables and fish are commonplace.

Sharing their culinary experience ranks high among Gen Z. They look for foods that are personable and photogenic. They use Instagram to communicate and make decisions about restaurants and food choices. It is no surprise that Gen Z are among today's food influencers. Their use of social media, and in-app features, is shaping food trends. We see this with the rise of Tik Tok, influencing how food companies are developing new brands and product lines based on consumer social media engagement algorithms. In fact, Cassandra's Young & Hungry report shares that 53% of Gen Z respondents say they find inspiration for new foods through the popular social media app.
TakeAways
Gen Z are changing the face of the food and hospitality industry and reshaping trends. Restauranters, brands, marketers, and operators should take heed in order to enhance their presence, gain popularity and boost their bottom line. They can start by doing the following:

1. Refresh menus keep offerings innovative, add fresh flavors, sustainable options, and small plates.

2. Offer items featuring plant-based, natural, organic, authentic, free-range, sustainable, locally grown options that reflect social responsibility.

3. Update digital presence and engage by having an active social media, online ordering, encouraging customers to tag your restaurant and reading and responding to customer reviews.

4. Create your own integrated online ordering system to service the population working from home.

5. Include Latin, Caribbean, African, Asian, Middle Eastern and other ethnic offerings. Add items that are fresh, made-from-scratch with unique flavors like tamarind, lemongrass, vinegar, yuzu, and jerk, hot, and spicy.

6. Create an inviting social experience including providing access to wi-fi.

7. Include customizable sophisticated twists on traditional items like gourmet coffees, teas, lattes, smoothies, pastries, grab and go items and snacks.

The Future
Pay attention to trends that appeal to Gen Z. According to Cassandra's Young & Hungry report, 47% of Gen Z surveyed said that over the next few years they will be prioritizing more mental health focused eating. Gen Z overwhelmingly prefer to shop via augmented reality (AR). In fact, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), say that restaurants are now entering the Metaverse. With the rise of Gen Z engagement with the metaverse, the hospitality industry must consider what this will mean for their business in the not-too-distant future.

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What Gen Z Wants: A Look Inside Their Food Preferences - Hospitality News

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They are part of a fast-paced world with instant global access through their mobile devices. They are plugged in to exploring and talking about food in their online social circles. More than other generation, Gen Z are the most aware of current events, socially conscious, ethnically diverse, technologically connected, and politically engaged.

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Financial literacy for Gen Z | Sola Adesakin | TEDxBellsTech

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Please note this article references potential trauma triggers, including depression, anxiety, and suicide. If you are in distress and need immediate help, trained counselors are available to take your call. Please find a crisis hotline in your country .

Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide. In the US alone, anxiety affects 40 million adults a year.¹

Generation Z (Gen Z) is currently between 10 and 25 years old, born between 1997 and 2012, and research suggests that they are the most anxious generation to date. For Gen Zers, anxiety is fueled not only by the pandemic but also by unemployment, climate change, technology, and other stressors.

Some research suggests that Gen Z are comparatively more likely to seek mental health help than other generations. The American Psychological Association (APA) describes that Gen Z is the least likely to self-rate their mental health as being "very good" or "excellent." However, compared to other generations, they are also the most likely to have help from a psychologist or mental health professional.² In contrast, consumer surveys and interviews conducted by McKinsey report that "Gen Z respondents were more likely to report having a behavioral-health diagnosis but less likely to report seeking treatment compared with other generations."³ Although clinical and consumer surveys differ in methodology, these opposite findings suggest that continued study of mental health factors (and barriers to treatment) for Gen Zers is crucial.

A systematic review 2020 of depression and anxiety disorders in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic found that global anxiety disorder rates spiked by 25%. For young people, the issue of the pandemic's effect on mental health was found to be even more significant. However, the same review also notes that "meeting the added demand for mental health services due to COVID-19 will be difficult, but not impossible."⁴ Here's what else research and surveys reveal about Gen Z so far, along with ideas for supporting your mental health at any age.

Overview of generations by name and year

When figuring out who belongs to which generation, it's essential to understand that no particular group or organization is responsible for naming American generations. These labels come about gradually in media and popular vernacular.

While it might sound a bit arbitrary, generation names are undeniably helpful for researchers striving to identify trends, habits, viewpoints, and social factors among people born at the same time-peers, or clinically speaking, members of the same cohort. It can get a bit confusing with seven generations living on the planet. Here's a quick guide to the co-existing generations-their monikers, birth year ranges, and how old they are now.⁵

Characteristics of Gen Z

Using technology is a natural part of life for Gen Zers-sometimes described as digital natives because they have grown up entirely in a digital, smartphone-using era.⁶

Pew Research findings suggest that Gen Z differs from previous generations in a few characteristic ways.

Surveys results indicate that Gen Z are more likely to:

Report mental health concerns

Be aware of racial inequality

Be racially and ethnically diverse

Be the children of immigrants

Be socially progressive (comfortable using gender-neutral pronouns, support same-sex marriage)

Compared to previous generations, Gen Z are also less likely to:

Statistics

Research also indicates that Gen Zers are currently the most stressed demographic of people.

The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that:

Additionally, McKinsey Insights notes that 25% of Gen Z report experiencing emotional distress-nearly double the levels reported by older generations.³

During the pandemic, those between 20-24 years old showed the biggest leaps in anxiety.⁸

The pandemic and the youth mental health crisis

The pandemic has worsened mental health issues for all generations, but particularly for Gen Z.

In 2021, Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General, issued a public health advisory addressing what he termed the "youth mental health crisis" heightened by the pandemic.⁹

"We can and must protect and promote youth mental health. Mental health is an essential part of overall health, affecting how children, adolescents, and young adults feel about themselves and the world," urged Dr. Murthy.

The pandemic has also worsened stress for those identifying as LGBTQ+

Research indicates that Gen Zers also may be at risk of being two to three times more likely to think about, plan, or attempt suicide.³

Still, these issues were already widespread before the COVID-19 pandemic. Research from the University College of London before March 2020 found that Gen Zers are more likely to have depression, and low body image and are even more likely to self-harm.¹¹

Gen Zers turning to TikTok for advice

There are many reasons why Gen Zers turn to platforms like TikTok for mental health resources over traditional healthcare.³ Some of these factors include:

In many areas of the US, a significant barrier to care is the overall shortage of mental health providers. 64% of states are experiencing a shortage of mental health staff, including counselors.¹²

While social media can be a powerful tool for peer support and destigmatizing mental health issues, it's not yet clear how to balance its perceived benefits with risks like:

A team of behavioral science experts recently published an article on this very subject, noting "It will be essential for researchers to work closely with clinicians and with those affected by mental illness to ensure that possible benefits of using social media are carefully weighed against anticipated risks."¹³

Anxiety causes: online time, finances, current events, climate change

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.

Gen Z is online 10 hours per day

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life.

One survey found that almost half of Gen Z spend 10 hours or more online per day, which limits the amount of in-person contact with others and can create feelings of isolation and loneliness.²

Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform. Especially for young women, photo-based platforms like Instagram are linked to worsening body image issues which affected one-third of those studied.¹⁴ Gen Z also favors image and video-based platforms more than older generations- gravitating to TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Exposure to cyberbullying or content that features self-harm, harassment, and undereating can also be harmful to mental health.

The pandemic and unemployment

Unemployment caused by the pandemic is also a key stressor for young people today. In the US, a study found that 59% of young adults had experienced unemployment either directly, or within their household since the onset of the pandemic.¹⁵ The study also found a link between employment loss and poorer mental health.

Uncertainty about the future

As a group, Gen Z is more concerned about climate change and social issues than any previous generation. With greater awareness of climate change being raised members of Gen Z are experiencing anxiety about planetary health.

One study found that 64% of 18-22-year-olds think it's important for employers to act on environmental issues.¹⁶ Some young workers are willing to leave jobs based on climate change values.¹⁷

Stressful current events

Traumatic events such as school shootings, immigrant families being separated, and sexual assaults are also self-reported causes of anxiety among members of Gen Z.¹⁸

Five ways to improve mental health at any age

To receive qualified, personalized care, it's important to speak with a doctor, psychologist, or counselor. If the right person isn't available in your area, telehealth options are becoming increasingly available.

Treatments for anxiety and depression can include both psychological and medical treatment. Therapeutic treatments for anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders often include:

Meditation

Many studies show that meditation can help ease psychological stress and improve well-being.¹⁹

Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital says that meditation can be very helpful for treating anxiety.

"People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power," she said. "They can't distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit."

Meditation can train you to understand and differentiate between helpful and unhelpful thoughts. A quick online search for guided meditation or mindfulness apps should turn up dozens of results, with both free and paid options available.

Breathwork

When suffering from anxiety, people tend to take shallow breaths, putting the body into fight-or-flight mode.

Breathwork has the power to bring a person back to the present moment, stop negative thinking, and provide an anchor for awareness.

Diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) can help calm the nervous system.²⁰ Relaxing the diaphragm (which happens when you breathe into your abdomen as opposed to your chest) signals to the body that you are safe and there is no current danger.

Slow, steady breathing might be the best for some, while using patterns like square breathing-which requires breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, breathing out for four counts, and holding for four counts-can be helpful for others.

Regular exercise

Physical exercise is helpful for your entire well-being, but getting active for mental health might be more powerful than you realize. Studies have found a link between just a single session of exercise and improved mood and a reduction of anxiety and depression.²¹

Exercise helps release endorphins-mood-boosting chemicals and increases blood circulation in the brain, which can improve your reaction to stress.²¹ The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests striving for at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking, and two days a week of activities that help strengthen muscles.²² These are simply recommended guidelines. It's valuable to start anywhere and be as active as you're able.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is carried out by a trained psychologist who understands a person's individual needs and identifies patterns of behaviors that may be affecting their mental health.²³ After uncovering unhelpful behaviors, it's then possible to make changes to thoughts and feelings and improve coping skills.

CBT can include:

Medication

In some individuals with anxiety and depression antidepressant medication is helpful and may often be necessary. Taking medication has risks and benefits that should be discussed in detail with your doctor.

The lowdown

Gen Z is experiencing an unprecedented combination of stressors impacting their mental health. If you're experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other struggles with your well-being, it's essential to reach out for help.

Symptoms can improve, and treatment options are continually evolving. Whenever possible, connect with a qualified healthcare professional, such as your family doctor, a psychologist, or a registered counselor. In a crisis, there are 24-hour help hotlines attended by trained counselors ready to listen and talk with you.
The information provided is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and their existing health care professional(s).
Have feedback? Email content@healthmatch.io.

Sources:

1. Facts & statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America

2. Stress in America™ generation Z | American Psychological Association

3. Addressing the unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing generation Z | McKinsey & Company

4. Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic | The Lancet

5. Age range by generation | Beresford Research

6. On the cusp of adulthood and facing an uncertain future: What we know about Gen Z so far | Pew Research Center

7. US parents say COVID-19 harming child's mental health | Gallup

8. The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use | KFF

9. Youth mental health reports and publications | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

10. The Trevor project national survey results 2021 | The Trevor Project

11. High levels of serious mental health difficulties among 17-year-olds | UCL News

12. Telehealth: A quarter-trillion-dollar post-COVID-19 reality? | McKinsey & Company

13. Social media and mental health: Benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice (2020)

14. How using social media affects teenagers | Child Mind Institute

15. Job insecurity and symptoms of anxiety and depression among US young adults during COVID-19 (2021)

16. Gen Z seek ethical workplaces as environ-mental health burden bites | Bupa

17. Corporate ESG: Gen Z workers willing to reject jobs based on climate change values | The Australian Financial Review

18. Gen Z more likely to report mental health concerns | American Psychological Association

19. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2014)

20. This is why deep breathing makes you feel so chill | Right as Rain by UW Medicine

21. [Effects of exercise on anxiety, depression and mood] (2004)

22. Physical activity recommendations for different age groups | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

23. Psychological treatments for anxiety | Beyond Blue

Chloe Garnham is a writer exploring a broad range of topics, including healthcare, education, and technology.

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The Gen Z Mental Health wave - what is causing the surge?

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For Gen Zers, anxiety is fueled not only by the pandemic but also by unemployment, climate change, technology, and other stressors.

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Reading the sentiment of young generations today might be the best investment for your brand tomorrow

HOW TO HANDLE GEN Z GROWING FASHION SUSTAINABILITY DEMAND?

When we say that sustainability is the new standard for the fashion industry, why do we say that? Because it is the right thing to do, of course.Because it is the most ethical choice to make in order to reduce the impact of our jobs, definitely. But business is business, and there is a reason sustainable collections have found more and more space over time.

The concept of environment-friendly fashion became popular in the '90s, starting to pay more attention to the impact of their production, from the subsidiary lines to the choice of fibres. In the following decades, consumers' attention has been growing, demanding quality and sustainable development-oriented options from brands.

A new generation of designers grew together with this wave of awareness, helping to integrate the values of sustainable development into mainstream fashion. But if more and more companies have at least a permanent collection designed with sustainability in mind, the true reason is: the market is always king.

Of course, sensitivity to sustainable issues is not homogeneous across the globe, but reading the sentiment of young generations today might be the best investment for your brand tomorrow, as they are going to be a more prominent consumer demographic. People between 18 and 40 years old are not that loyal to brands, and could easily switch if a less known one meets their expectations.

Used to define the youngsters born from the mid-90s to the late 2000s, Generation Z is associated with many specific behaviours that drive not only marketing and communication choices, but also substantial business development directions. They are digital natives massively using their smartphones, but they are also worried and creative about the future. They don't seek ownership as much as previous generations did, and instead, they value collaborative consumption.

These elements combined mean that they are stormed with information, and they are likely to change their consumer behaviours as a result of that information. Such changes have been reported mostly in non-food products, such as cosmetics and clothing.

Surveys up to the pre-pandemic era highlighted that 9 out of 10 Gen Z consumers attach the responsibility to address environmental and social issues to fashion companies, which made them more likely to choose transparent and committed brands.
"The vast majority say they would be more loyal to companies that are aligned with those values".
This sentiment is not changed, but during the pandemic younger generations were hit the hardest, and they showed to be likely to look at a cheaper price, first, when it comes to deciding to buy.

Does This Make the Argument Invalid?

No!

While their opinion is clear, their behaviour looks like going in the opposite direction. Different surveys suggest that youngsters buying most of their clothes from fast-fashion brands stay in a number between 50 and 65%. This might sound ambiguous but it has to be read considering the lack of spending power compared to older generations. A figure above 73% of them is willing to pay more for sustainable products, and we assessed that they are not loyal to brands.

They are already buying from sustainable or eco-friendly ranges within fast-fashion brands because they believe that these products are more ethical and they are likely to switch their behaviour as soon as their consumption power grows. And they already represent more than 40% of global consumers.

Gen Z cares about ethics and will reward brands that take a stand, but there is a need for consistency.The best way for you to make your products appealing is not just to invest in a social media-friendly strategy, in your video storytelling or in influencers (which would hit the spot, but it is going to be exposed as greenwashing if there is not a real effort behind). The best investment you can do is to invest in a proper consultancy to find out where and what you can improve in your company structure, and what stays within your reach. Brands have to work harder to hold onto Gen Zs as customers.

What Are The Achievable Sustainability Targets You Can Start From?

That, of course, depends on the nature of your activity. Once you have set your targets, embed them in a long-term strategy. If you are a design brand, for example, launching one sustainable collection will pay out less than building your reputation in the long run. Improve your efficiency, hire an expert in the field or invest in training to make your employees a committed team. With such a holistic approach, results will follow.

Generation or Geography?

Since our analysis is mostly based on surveys, doubting its validity across the globe sounds quite fair. Gen Zers in the Asia-Pacific region reveal slightly different attitudes compared with the ones growing up in Western countries. Still, on the other hand, they look way more alike than even Millenials did.

Across APAC, almost a third of Gen Zers spend six hours or longer a day on their phones, they like to research before they shop, especially to find deals, but they are not willing to sacrifice quality for price. This unfortunately does not apply to their environmental consciousness: APAC Gen Zers care about sustainable consumption but are less willing to pay for environmentally sustainable brands.

According to McKinsey's survey, for instance, in China, 60% state that they are trying to minimize the negative effects their eating habits have on the environment. In Japan, 54 % of Gen Zers say they always look for clothes produced sustainably, and 46% prefer to wear used clothing. But only in Australia Gen Zers are noticeably more likely than their elders to say that they are willing to pay more for environmentally responsible products (39%).

Investment vs Cost

Unevenly, yet inevitably, the demand for transparency and sustainability coming from Gen Zers might be the market pushing all stakeholders in the industry to prioritise the issues of environmental and ethical sustainability.

Better materials, lower impact manufacturing, better conditions and salary for workers: all that comes with a cost. Even lower-cost retailers tend to position conscious products at a premium pricing, which consumers might be less willing to pay for in a struggling economy.

After these times of crisis, is also likely for circular business models to become more and more relevant and be embedded by big brands: not even luxury brands, in fact, can miss out on alternative retailing like resale and second-hand, a market expected to be worth $53.2 billion by 2023. This is only one of the ways to provide sustainable products at a price point achievable for mass reach.

Investing in communication is part of the process. Improving the ability that companies have to let consumers know where their clothes are made, in what conditions and using what materials: all of that is crucial. Making such knowledge easily accessible not only from the purchasing point, but also from a quick look on search engines, is what can makes a difference in Gen Zers minds.

Companies provide very limited information about how they are spending to achieve sustainability goals, which rarely include systemic solutions (i.e. financing suppliers) and ethical goals (i.e. living wages for manufacturers). On top of that, big groups such as Kering and H&M announce that they will increase revenues while halving emissions, which means they are looking for a way to extract more value from fewer products: hard to tell as long as environmental accounting is imprecise and not consistent across companies. But good signs are there and the spending is getting more and more serious by the hour.

The real challenge needs to be keeping the prices affordable. The prices of sustainable fabrics are, on average, two and a half to four times more expensive in comparison to more commonly used fabrics. We can see that most Fast Fashion companies still have a very short amount of sustainable choices in their offer. But the price positioning is variable.

As you can see from the graphs below, not all brands got the same response. In the first quarter of 2021, Mango increased the amount of sustainable items in its total offering to 9% from the 1% of the first quarter of 2020 and H&M increased its from 10% to 23%, while in the same period it significantly fell at Zara, from 30% to 6%, and at C&A, from 23% to 3%.

What's more interesting, the average price is not directly proportional to the offering: eco friendly items are priced at €28.10 at H&M (average price €26.10) and €28.60 at Zara (average price €36.10).

The distinction would require a more in-depth case-by-case analysis, but the data show clearly that sustainability investment costs do not need to be absorbed by customers charging for the final product. Consumers will eventually need to learn the value of things: buy less, buy better. But right now such products can be immediately more appealing to Gen Z as there is no need to wait for their spending allowances to grow.

The brighter future is a conscious future and as with the words of Greta Thumberg: our house is on fire and the new generation has eyes wide open. Let's not disappoint them.

Reading the sentiment of young generations today might be the best investment for your brand tomorrow

HOW TO HANDLE GEN Z GROWING FASHION SUSTAINABILITY DEMAND?

When we say that sustainability is the new standard for the fashion industry, why do we say that? Because it is the right thing to do, of course.Because it is the most ethical choice to make in order to reduce the impact of our jobs, definitely. But business is business, and there is a reason sustainable collections have found more and more space over time.

The concept of environment-friendly fashion became popular in the '90s, starting to pay more attention to the impact of their production, from the subsidiary lines to the choice of fibres. In the following decades, consumers' attention has been growing, demanding quality and sustainable development-oriented options from brands.

A new generation of designers grew together with this wave of awareness, helping to integrate the values of sustainable development into mainstream fashion. But if more and more companies have at least a permanent collection designed with sustainability in mind, the true reason is: the market is always king.

Of course, sensitivity to sustainable issues is not homogeneous across the globe, but reading the sentiment of young generations today might be the best investment for your brand tomorrow, as they are going to be a more prominent consumer demographic. People between 18 and 40 years old are not that loyal to brands, and could easily switch if a less known one meets their expectations.

Used to define the youngsters born from the mid-90s to the late 2000s, Generation Z is associated with many specific behaviours that drive not only marketing and communication choices, but also substantial business development directions. They are digital natives massively using their smartphones, but they are also worried and creative about the future. They don't seek ownership as much as previous generations did, and instead, they value collaborative consumption.

These elements combined mean that they are stormed with information, and they are likely to change their consumer behaviours as a result of that information. Such changes have been reported mostly in non-food products, such as cosmetics and clothing.

Surveys up to the pre-pandemic era highlighted that 9 out of 10 Gen Z consumers attach the responsibility to address environmental and social issues to fashion companies, which made them more likely to choose transparent and committed brands.
"The vast majority say they would be more loyal to companies that are aligned with those values".
This sentiment is not changed, but during the pandemic younger generations were hit the hardest, and they showed to be likely to look at a cheaper price, first, when it comes to deciding to buy.

Does This Make the Argument Invalid?

No!

While their opinion is clear, their behaviour looks like going in the opposite direction. Different surveys suggest that youngsters buying most of their clothes from fast-fashion brands stay in a number between 50 and 65%. This might sound ambiguous but it has to be read considering the lack of spending power compared to older generations. A figure above 73% of them is willing to pay more for sustainable products, and we assessed that they are not loyal to brands.

They are already buying from sustainable or eco-friendly ranges within fast-fashion brands because they believe that these products are more ethical and they are likely to switch their behaviour as soon as their consumption power grows. And they already represent more than 40% of global consumers.

Gen Z cares about ethics and will reward brands that take a stand, but there is a need for consistency.The best way for you to make your products appealing is not just to invest in a social media-friendly strategy, in your video storytelling or in influencers (which would hit the spot, but it is going to be exposed as greenwashing if there is not a real effort behind). The best investment you can do is to invest in a proper consultancy to find out where and what you can improve in your company structure, and what stays within your reach. Brands have to work harder to hold onto Gen Zs as customers.

What Are The Achievable Sustainability Targets You Can Start From?

That, of course, depends on the nature of your activity. Once you have set your targets, embed them in a long-term strategy. If you are a design brand, for example, launching one sustainable collection will pay out less than building your reputation in the long run. Improve your efficiency, hire an expert in the field or invest in training to make your employees a committed team. With such a holistic approach, results will follow.

Generation or Geography?

Since our analysis is mostly based on surveys, doubting its validity across the globe sounds quite fair. Gen Zers in the Asia-Pacific region reveal slightly different attitudes compared with the ones growing up in Western countries. Still, on the other hand, they look way more alike than even Millenials did.

Across APAC, almost a third of Gen Zers spend six hours or longer a day on their phones, they like to research before they shop, especially to find deals, but they are not willing to sacrifice quality for price. This unfortunately does not apply to their environmental consciousness: APAC Gen Zers care about sustainable consumption but are less willing to pay for environmentally sustainable brands.

According to McKinsey's survey, for instance, in China, 60% state that they are trying to minimize the negative effects their eating habits have on the environment. In Japan, 54 % of Gen Zers say they always look for clothes produced sustainably, and 46% prefer to wear used clothing. But only in Australia Gen Zers are noticeably more likely than their elders to say that they are willing to pay more for environmentally responsible products (39%).

Investment vs Cost

Unevenly, yet inevitably, the demand for transparency and sustainability coming from Gen Zers might be the market pushing all stakeholders in the industry to prioritise the issues of environmental and ethical sustainability.

Better materials, lower impact manufacturing, better conditions and salary for workers: all that comes with a cost. Even lower-cost retailers tend to position conscious products at a premium pricing, which consumers might be less willing to pay for in a struggling economy.

After these times of crisis, is also likely for circular business models to become more and more relevant and be embedded by big brands: not even luxury brands, in fact, can miss out on alternative retailing like resale and second-hand, a market expected to be worth $53.2 billion by 2023. This is only one of the ways to provide sustainable products at a price point achievable for mass reach.

Investing in communication is part of the process. Improving the ability that companies have to let consumers know where their clothes are made, in what conditions and using what materials: all of that is crucial. Making such knowledge easily accessible not only from the purchasing point, but also from a quick look on search engines, is what can makes a difference in Gen Zers minds.

Companies provide very limited information about how they are spending to achieve sustainability goals, which rarely include systemic solutions (i.e. financing suppliers) and ethical goals (i.e. living wages for manufacturers). On top of that, big groups such as Kering and H&M announce that they will increase revenues while halving emissions, which means they are looking for a way to extract more value from fewer products: hard to tell as long as environmental accounting is imprecise and not consistent across companies. But good signs are there and the spending is getting more and more serious by the hour.

The real challenge needs to be keeping the prices affordable. The prices of sustainable fabrics are, on average, two and a half to four times more expensive in comparison to more commonly used fabrics. We can see that most Fast Fashion companies still have a very short amount of sustainable choices in their offer. But the price positioning is variable.

As you can see from the graphs below, not all brands got the same response. In the first quarter of 2021, Mango increased the amount of sustainable items in its total offering to 9% from the 1% of the first quarter of 2020 and H&M increased its from 10% to 23%, while in the same period it significantly fell at Zara, from 30% to 6%, and at C&A, from 23% to 3%.

What's more interesting, the average price is not directly proportional to the offering: eco friendly items are priced at €28.10 at H&M (average price €26.10) and €28.60 at Zara (average price €36.10).

The distinction would require a more in-depth case-by-case analysis, but the data show clearly that sustainability investment costs do not need to be absorbed by customers charging for the final product. Consumers will eventually need to learn the value of things: buy less, buy better. But right now such products can be immediately more appealing to Gen Z as there is no need to wait for their spending allowances to grow.

The brighter future is a conscious future and as with the words of Greta Thumberg: our house is on fire and the new generation has eyes wide open. Let's not disappoint them.

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Gen Z Consumer Behaviour - Between Conscious

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When we say that sustainability is the new standard for the fashion industry, why do we say that? Because it is the right thing to do, of course.Because it is the most ethical choice to make in order to reduce the impact of our jobs, definitely.

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Major global events have a way of shaping the lifetime spending habits of the generations that come of age during them. A year after it began, the evidence is clear that the Coronavirus pandemic will be to Generation Z (those born since 1997) what the Great Recession that began in 2008 was to Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).

The Great Recession took a year or so to fully manifest itself while gradually grinding down housing values and stock portfolios in half. The career dreams of millions of Millennials were upended and, like those who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s, we all had to learn to live with less. Cheap became chic and Chinese-made goods flooded the market.
The Coronavirus pandemic ranks among the most disruptive financial events in modern history and it has been a financial disaster for many.
But unlike the Great Recession, it began with a bang. For more than a year you could sense the collective sigh of the universe as factories shut down, the skies turned blue over Beijing for the first time in decades, and once-clogged highways were emptied as we adapted to working and learning from our homes. We've learned to do less, spend less, and waste less and no cohort has been as profoundly influenced as Gen Z.
The pandemic didn't start the sustainability revolution, but it has put it into hyperdrive, and Gen Z is in the driver's seat.
As the economy begins to recover, the consumer research on retail fashion brands that First Insight obtains makes it clear that the next normal is all about saving the planet.

According to recent study, Gen Z Shoppers Demand Sustainable Retail, the vast majority of Generation Z shoppers prefer to buy sustainable brands, and they are most willing to spend 10 percent more on sustainable products. The report also found that Generation Z along with Millennials are the most likely to make purchase decisions based on values and principles (personal, social, and environmental).

Previously it would have seemed improbable that two leading sporting companies - Allbirds and Adidas - would be collaborating on creating a sport performance shoe with the lowest carbon footprint ever. Or that Walmart would be partnering with ThredUp, an online thrift store, to sell "pre-owned" garments by name-brand fashion houses like Anne Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.

A survey last year by DoSomething , a social impact consultancy, reported that 75 percent of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to see that brands were ensuring employee and consumer safety. The survey found that, "If [brands] are not authentic, Gen Z will be the first to raise a red flag."

Virtually every company now proclaims its devotion to sustainability. But being authentic is not so easy and those which market around sustainability without backing it up run the significant risk of alienating consumers with messages that come across as self-serving.
I'll continue to spotlight companies that are getting it right, winning loyal consumers, and capturing market share in future articles.

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Gen Z Is Emerging As The Sustainability Generation

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Major global events have a way of shaping the lifetime spending habits of the generations that come of age during them. A year after it began, the evidence is clear that the Coronavirus pandemic will be to Generation Z (those born since 1997) what the Great Recession that began in 2008 was to Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).

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Born between 1996 and 2012, Generation Z-often referred simply as Gen Z or "zoomers"-have shown themselves to be environmental activists, low-wasters, vegan meat-eaters and anti-flyers. Now, they're proving themselves to be the climate career generation too.

For this demographic of young people, every birthday they celebrate has been markedly hotter, quite literally, with global heating and climate-related disasters getting increasingly severe. While the oldest of the bunch have already entered the job market, the younger cohort of Gen Zs are just beginning to think about their careers. And all in all, the statistics seem to show that many of them hope to make saving the planet their way of making a living.

1. 76% say climate change is one of their biggest concerns

According to a Pew Research poll conducted last year among American adults, Gen Zs are by far the most concerned about climate change. 76% of them said that addressing climate change is one of the biggest concerns they have, while over one-third (37%) said it was actually their "top concern to them personally." The same survey also found that just under a third (32%) of all Gen Zs have taken part in at least one environmental action within the past year, from volunteering at a clean-up campaign or attending a climate protest and even writing to politicians demanding change.

2. They're flocking to work for value-led brands

Their climate concern has prompted many of them to prioritise companies that are purpose-led when it comes to the jobs they are applying for. It's the reason why brands with a strong environmental record, such as Patagonia, widely recognised for its efforts to block the Trump administration's climate-damaging plans and a certified B Corp, now receives more than 9,000 applications for every single open internship role. Simply put by the firm's former CEO Rose Marcario in a Forbes interview, younger generations want to work for a company that's "doing work that's good for the world".

3. Nearly two-thirds of undergrads are 'very interested' in sustainability

Many Gen Zs are now undergraduate students in universities, a time in their lives when they are thinking about what they want to do in the future. An on-campus survey conducted in 2020 in USC found that nearly two-thirds of them are thinking about sustainability. 64% said they were "very interested", in fact, while 33% are already participating in sustainability activities on a daily basis-strongly suggesting that many of them are geared towards searching for career pathways in this direction too.

4. Jobs in the environmental field are growing

As the climate becomes an increasingly important topic globally, with young people commanding the attention of world politicians and making their voices heard at global panels from the UN to the WEF, the environment-related employment opportunities are booming. According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the environmental scientists and related specialist sectors are projected to grow 8% over the next decade-much faster than other industries.

5. Get ready for Generation Alpha

Now, technically this isn't about Gen Zs. It's about the one after: Generation Alpha. This super young generation (the children of millennials, rather than the children of Generation X) are going to be even more laser-focused on launching climate careers. In one poll conducted among primary school children between the ages of 6 to 9, more than two-thirds (67%) say saving the planet will be the "central mission" of their careers in the future.
All images courtesy of Unsplash.

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Gen Z Are The Climate Career Generation. These 5 Stats Prove It.

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Born between 1996 and 2012, Generation Z-often referred simply as Gen Z or "zoomers"-have shown themselves to be environmental activists, low-wasters, vegan meat-eaters and anti-flyers. Now, they're proving themselves to be the climate career generation too. For this demographic of young people, every birthday they celebrate has been markedly hotter, quite literally, with global heating and climate-related disasters getting increasingly severe.

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A 3D Look at the Largest Population Density Centers

It can be difficult to comprehend the true sizes of megacities, or the global spread of 8 billion people, but this series of population density maps makes the picture abundantly clear.

Created using the EU's population density data and mapping tool Aerialod by Alasdair Rae, the 3D-rendered maps highlight demographic trends and geographic constraints.

Though they appear topographical and even resemble urban areas, the maps visualize population density in squares. The height of each bar represents the number of people living in that specific square, with the global map displaying 2km x 2km squares and subsequent maps displaying 1km x 1km squares.

Each region and country tells its own demographic story, but the largest population clusters are especially illuminating.

China vs U.S. - Clusters vs Sprawl
Click here to view the high resolution version.
Zooming into the most populated country in the world, China and its surrounding neighbors demonstrate massive clusters of urbanization.

Most people are familiar with the large density centers around Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, but the concentration in central China is surprising. The cities of Chengdu and Chonqing, in the Sichuan Basin, are part of a massive population center.

Interestingly, more than 93% of China's population lives in the Eastern half of the country. It's a similar story in neighboring South Korea and Taiwan, where the population is clustered along the west coasts.
Click here to view the high resolution version.
The U.S. also has large population clusters along the coasts, but far more sprawl compared to its Asian counterparts. Though the Boston-Washington corridor is home to over 50 million residents, major centers spread out the population across the South and the Midwest.

Clearly visible are clusters in Florida (and not exclusively focused around Miami like some might believe), Illinois, Georgia, and Texas. The population is sparse in the West as expected, but California's Los Angeles and Bay Area metros make up for the discrepancy and are just behind New York City's density spikes in height.

India & Southeast Asia - Massive Density in Tight Areas
Click here to view the high resolution version.
At 1.38 billion people, India's population is just behind China's in terms of size. However, this sizable population fits into an area just one-third of China's total land area, with the above map demonstrating what the same amount of people looks like in a smaller region.

On one hand, you still have clear clusters, such as in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangladesh's Dhaka. On the other, there is a finite amount of room for a massive amount of people, so those density "spikes" are more like density "peaks" with the entire country covered in high density bars.

However, we can still see geographic trends. India's population is more densely focused in the North before fading into the Himalayas. Bangladesh is equally if not more densely populated, with the exception of the protected Sundarbans mangrove forest along the coast. And Pakistan's population seen in the distance is clustered along the Indus River.
Click here to view the high resolution version.
Geographic constraints have always been the biggest deciding factor when it comes to population density, and nowhere is this more apparent than Southeast Asia.

Take Indonesia, the fourth largest country by population. Despite spanning across many islands, more than half of the country's 269 million inhabitants are clustered on the single island of Java. The metros of Jakarta and Surabaya have experienced massive growth, but spreading that growth across oceans to entirely new islands (covered by rainforests) is a tall order.

When the distance is smaller, that cross-water growth is more likely to occur. Nearby in the Philippines, more than 100 million people have densely populated a series of islands no bigger than the state of Arizona.

Indeed, despite being one of the most populated areas in the world, each country in Southeast Asia has had its own growing problems. Some are limited by space (Singapore, Philippines), while others are limited by forests (Thailand, Vietnam).

A World of Different Density Pictures

Though the above maps cover the five most populated countries on Earth, accounting for nearly half of the world's population, they only show a small part of the global picture.

As the full global density map at the top of the page highlights, the population patterns can accurately illustrate some geographic patterns and constraints, while others need further exploration.

For example, the map clearly gives an outline of Africa and the sparse area that makes up the Sahara Desert. At the same time, landmasses like Australia and New Zealand are almost invisible save for a few clusters along the coast.

To get a closer and more intricate picture of each country's density map, head to Alasdair Rae's long thread of rendered maps and start scrolling up to find yours!

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Ranked: Gen Z's Favorite Brands, Compared with Older Generations

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It can be difficult to comprehend the true sizes of megacities, or the global spread of 8 billion people, but this series of population density maps makes the picture abundantly clear. Created using the EU's population density data and mapping tool Aerialod by Alasdair Rae, the 3D-rendered maps highlight demographic trends and geographic constraints.

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America's youth, the first multicultural majority generation in U.S. history, is growing rapidly, adding over 2.3 million consumers (about twice the population of New Hampshire) to the population each year, making them a significant force to be reckoned with. These "mini-millennials" challenge brands to address societal stereotypes, particularly around gender identity, and use their influence to support or disapprove of brands' diversity and inclusion efforts.

In our first report on diversity and inclusion last year, we analyzed consumer reactions to companies' public declarations of support for social justice in 2020. In our latest wave of ThinkNow Diversity & Inclusion: Brands and Consumer Purchase Intent, we find differences in perceptions and expectations among key demographic groups compared to last year's report.

Download the report here:

Diversity & Inclusion Means Racial Equality

As in 2021, most U.S. consumers equate diversity and inclusion with 'racial equality.' Among LGBTQIA consumers, however, 70% consider 'LGBTQIA equality' a stronger representation of D&I. Youth are more likely to see 'gender equality' as an example of diversity and inclusion.

Multicultural Consumers Support Inclusive Brands

African American and Hispanic respondents are the most likely to support a company that makes a public commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives, which differs significantly from non-Hispanic Whites. This metric has held steady over the past twelve months as black and brown audiences, galvanized by the events of 2020, seek out brands that "understand the assignment."

Consumers who support inclusive brands do so in various ways, but the extent to which they do it has shifted. Overall, we've seen a slip in the percentage of consumers willing to share their support on social media. The polarity of the platforms is likely driving this drop. However, there's been an increase in those willing to spend more money at these stores or go out of their way to shop there - even if they've never done so in the past.

We did see a dip in the percentage of consumers willing to break up with their favorite brands if they don't step up.

At the micro-level, non-Hispanic Whites are more likely to say that they would share their support on social media. Compared to a year ago, fewer Hispanics would share on social media, but more would go out of their way to support a store they had never frequented.

The number of African Americans willing to spend more money at a store that publicly supports diversity and inclusion significantly increased from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, this segment is more likely than other segments to be willing to spend at least 50% more at these stores.

While Millennials have become less likely to spend at least 50% more at stores that show a commitment to diversity and inclusion, Gen Z, on the other hand, has become more likely.

It Just Makes Cents

While it may not be making headlines or spilling out into the streets, consumer expectations for more diverse and inclusive brands are holding steady, driven by America's youth. From race to ability, sexual orientation to gender, consumers want to see themselves represented authentically and sincerely by companies and brands.

A brand's ability to do that impacts consumer sentiment and purchase behavior. Brands unwilling to step up run the risk of alienating consumer groups and the spending power at their disposal.

To see additional insights, download the 2022 ThinkNow Diversity & Inclusion: Brands and Consumer Purchase Intent Report today.

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Gen Z Demands Diversity & Inclusion, Upvotes Brands That Level Up | ThinkNow

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America's youth, the first multicultural majority generation in U.S. history, is growing rapidly, adding over 2.3 million consumers (about twice the population of New Hampshire) to the population each year, making them a significant force to be reckoned with.

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Simon Hall

Blog

Rounding the corner into adulthood, pursuing a college education in record numbers, and bursting onto the marketplace with an estimated annual spending power of $143 billion- Gen Z is ready for its moment.

These young citizens of the world ( defined as being born between 1997 and 2012) have quickly become potent influencers on the consumer landscape. Gen Z is the first true digitally native generation with a sixth sense for brand insincerity and a passion for action over words. They are coming of age at a time of relentless technological innovation where round-the-clock internet access, on-demand information, streaming entertainment, and instantaneous communication are basic aspects of their everyday lives.

As they mature into entry-level employees and intelligent, demanding consumers, it is imperative for brands to understand what drives and motivates them. What channels are they on most? How do they approach spending? And what devices are they using? Here, we take a look at Gen Z's technology and media use and how they are predicted to evolve over the coming years.

Smart Devices Central to Gen Z Media Consumption

More so than any other generation, Gen Z grew up with digital technology in their hands, so smart devices are naturally integrated into their day-to-day routines-they are their gateways to online content.
Quick Marketing Tips for Digital Advertisers:

Ensure all your web pages are optimized with responsive page design so they render nicely on mobile devices and are set up to better engage mobile-first audiences.

Gen Z is openly embracing futuristic technologies. If this generation is a target, you may benefit from adopting them into your marketing mix sooner rather than later (if you're not doing so already). Examples include employing gamification strategies, building virtual spaces, implementing in-app AR filters, or hosting virtual events.

Gen Z is Ready for Legal Cannabis

With legalization spreading and major federal reforms on the horizon, consumer perceptions toward cannabis are evolving, and Gen Z is helping lead the charge.

Gen Z Driving a New Era of Financial Behavior

Having lived through both the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoomers harbor great financial anxiety that makes them more cautious and risk averse. They are skeptical of traditional financial institutions, prefer managing their money with digital and mobile tools, and seek investments that align with their values and goals.

Money-related concerns, including job and career prospects, their long-term financial health, and day-to-day finances make up three of the top four stress-inducing factors for Gen Z.

As older members of this cohort reach financial autonomy, they are turning to digital and mobile tools to manage things. By 2025, there will be 45.4 million Gen Z digital banking users in the U.S., up from 31.7 million this year.

More than half of Gen Z adults (52%) between the ages of 18 and 23 are already using fintech. This is only slightly more than the percentage of millennials (48%) but much higher than the percentages of Gen X (37%) and baby boomers (24%).

56% of Gen Z adults aged 18+ with retirement savings say they are including cryptocurrency as part of their retirement portfolio.

67% of Gen Z are interested in sustainable investing, with 35% willing to invest sustainably even if it means lower returns.

By the end of this year, 44.1% of Gen Z digital buyers aged 14 and older will have used buy now, pay later (BNPL) services at least once, compared with only 37.2% of millennials.

Quick Marketing Tips for Financial Services Advertisers:

Devise creative ways to incorporate BNPL options into your business model as a means to building loyalty and driving more sales among the Gen Z population.

Leverage the CTA in your digital ads to direct to your apps. By doing so-and simultaneously using the ad to highlight the app's top features-you can capture the interest (and imagination) of this digital-first generation.

Zoomers are driven by a strong sense of individuality, so be sure to create ads that incorporate language and services that feel personal. You're talking to someone who is potentially a lifelong client (and whose financial needs, along with their net worth, will hopefully grow over time). Don't overwhelm them with the full breadth of your product portfolio. Instead, consider curating a targeted list of financial products suited to an individual's needs based on transactional and behavioral data.

Streaming Video and Audio Media Dominates Heavily

Gen Z is a major consumer of all types of internet-based streaming media, with audio making up a growing piece of the pie.

YouTube remains the dominant platform in terms of daily reach, with 84% of adult Gen Z users saying they visit the platform at least once per day.

iPhone users aged 18-25 spend an average of 10.5 hours per week on TikTok compared to 6.9 hours on YouTube, 3.2 hours on Netflix, and 2.4 hours on Hulu.

The numbers of Gen Z using connected TV will steadily increase year-over-year, moving from 49.6 million this year to 56.1 million in 2025. Of all digital consumer technologies, only smartphones are more widely adopted among Gen Z.

In 2021, Spotify (25%) and Pandora (14%) were the top audio streaming services among U.S. teens, followed by Google Play All Access, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio.

In the next four years, 61.6% of Gen Z (42.6 million people) will listen to podcasts at least monthly, up from just 41% (27.8 million) this year.

Nearly 70% of Zoomers in the U.S. said they feel "more centered and generally happier" listening to their favorite music every day.

Quick Marketing Tips for Audio Advertisers:

Gen Z will look to skip streaming ads where possible, so it's important to be native and non-disruptive. Formats like podcast host-reads and Spotify's Sponsored Playlists represent effective potential options.

Incentivize Zoomers to actually listen to your ad. Gen Z are protective of their time, so look to outlets like Spotify's Sponsored Sessions that offer listeners 30 minutes of guaranteed uninterrupted listening after they watch a brand's video.

Be deliberate about who is voicing your ads. Gen Z is big on influencer culture-relatable, trusted, young voices will be key to capturing their attention.

Social Media Diversity is Part of the Gen Z Identity

Gen Z spends an enormous amount of time on social media platforms, utilizing them for everything from making connections and consuming media, to playing games and sharing their own content.

The social networks with the most monthly Gen Z users are Snapchat (44.5 million), TikTok (41.4 million), and Instagram (37.3 million). Experts expect this order to remain the same through 2025, but each platform will grow at different rates.

Facebook (31.8 million), Pinterest (20.9 million), Twitter (16.7 million), and Reddit (11.9 million) also all have large Gen Z followings.

Zoomers are much more active on social media than other generations: nearly two-thirds (64%) use social media several times a day, compared with 47% overall.

The majority of Gen Z (61%) follow brands they like on social media. Only 53% of millennials, 36% of Gen X, and 18% of Boomers do the same.

97% of Gen Z consumers say social media platforms act as their top source of shopping inspiration.

Nearly half of Zoomers (44%) have made a purchase decision based on a recommendation from a social media influencer, as opposed to just over a quarter (26%) of the general population.

Quick Marketing Tips for Social Media Advertisers:

Gen Z is the most ethnically and racially diverse generation yet. To connect with this cohort, be sure to champion diversity in your campaigns throughout development and production (visuals, language, etc.). Indeed, this is true for all your advertising efforts.

Influencers are a central part of social media for Zoomers. Consider partnering with nano- and micro-influencers who can spread brand messages in a way that feels particularly authentic.

There's a reason Snapchat and TikTok are popular with Gen Z-they feel light-hearted and less polished than other social platforms. If you can do it in a way that feels genuine and true to your brand, try experimenting with content based on the latest memes or run branded hashtag challenges that actively encourage audience participation.

Gen Z by the Numbers-Wrapping Up

Gen Z is built differently than older generations, having been the first group of consumers to grow up wholly immersed in digital technology. They see the digital ecosystem as a seamless spectrum of experiences that all bleed into another for purposes of entertainment, commerce, and communication. Brands marketing to this group have their work cut out for them, but with Gen Z's spending power and influence, it is essential that advertisers embrace the tools and strategies they'll need to connect with this generation.

Want to learn more about how to approach advertising to younger audiences? Check out our blog post, Gen Z and the Future of Digital Advertising to get more tips and critical insights into what does (and does not!) make this generation tick. And if you're looking for channel- or vertical-specific guidance, dive into our collection of in-depth guides that explore a range of subjects, including cannabis, audio, connected TV, video, and more.

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Gen Z Technology Habits and Media Consumption by the Numbers - Basis Technologies

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Simon Hall Blog Rounding the corner into adulthood, pursuing a college education in record numbers, and bursting onto the marketplace with an estimated annual spending power of $143 billion- Gen Z is ready for its moment. These young citizens of the world ( defined as being born between 1997 and 2012) have quickly become potent influencers on the consumer landscape.

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Generation Z, what do we know about them? Who are they? What are their shopping habits? In this article, we’re going to dive into Generation Z’s world.

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by Josh Howarth
July 15, 2022
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Gen Z is the largest generation in American history, currently making up 27% of the population in the US.

Being born between the years of 1997 and 2012, individuals in Gen Z are now between 10 and 25 years old. Many are now entering the full-time workforce and increasing their purchasing power.

How is this generation impacting the world? Here are seven Gen Z trends to watch in 2022 and beyond.

1. Driven by digital

Gen Z doesn't know a time when the internet didn't exist. They are " digital natives " in the truest sense of the term.

The stats prove this. More than 95% of Gen Zers own a smartphone, 83% own a laptop, and 78% own an internet-connected gaming console.
The "Xbox Game Pass" offers users a Netflix-like experience for video gaming and its popularity is soaring (1,116% in 5 years).
In fact, they've been exposed to tech from a young age, especially when compared to previous generations.

Older Millennials got their first cell phone at an average age of 20. Younger Millennials started at 16. Gen Zers had their own phones by the time they were 12.

Trends show that this generation is becoming more and more centered on tech.

One survey found that more than half of Gen Zers feel more insecure without their smartphone versus without their wallet.

Social media is a huge trend for this generation.

One-quarter of Gen Zers spend five hours or more per day on TikTok.

However, as the members of Gen Z get older, experts predict Facebook may surge to be one of the top three social platforms.

It's not just social media that has their attention.

Most Gen Zers also use their smartphones for video streaming, music, and podcasts.

The US Media Consumption Report from 2021 showed that 60% of Gen Zers stream music daily and 37% listen to podcasts weekly.

The average Gen Z individual spends 3.4 hours per day streaming videos.

It also reported that 44% of Gen Zers stream more than 3 hours of Netflix per day.

Only 20% of Gen Zers don't have their own Netflix subscription.

2. Nostalgic for the 2000s

In recent months, Gen Zers have started bringing back trends from the early 2000s.

Marketing experts see this as a mix of old and new: Gen Z wants old products with a new focus on sustainability and social awareness.

Three "y2k" inspired hashtags have more than 1 million posts on Instagram.
Y2K is a popular trend on Instagram. Gen Zers are especially nostalgic for fashion from the 2000s.
In 2021, Juicy Couture brought back their iconic tracksuit from the 2000s.

Low-rise jeans are also making a huge comeback courtesy of Gen Zers.

Even Ugg boots are back - but with a Gen Z twist.

One TikTok user cut off the top of an old pair of Ugg boots and stitched them into ankle boots. The TikTok video has more than 4.5 million views.

Demand for Ugg boots skyrocketed 525% in the last half of 2021.

Depop, a fashion resale app, is incredibly popular among Gen Zers - 90% of its users are younger than 26. "Vintage" items from the 2000s are exploding on the app.

Gen Zers are taking their tech products back in time, too.

The " flip phone " hashtag has more than 430 million views on TikTok.

CASETiFY released iPhone cases that look like Blackberries, flip phones, and the original iPod.

Some are even ditching AirPods for wired headphones.

3. Distrust of government and other organizations

A Pew Research report showed that 70% of Gen Zers believe the government should do more to solve problems.

This trend was only amplified by the pandemic.

A February 2021 study said 66% of Gen Zers disagree that the government has done its best to protect the country.

The same study reported that nearly 60% of this generation agreed that it'd be difficult to trust the government post-pandemic.

One research paper suggests this distrust could continue well into the future.

The Political Scar of Epidemics, published in mid-2020, suggested that individuals who experience an epidemic when they are between the ages of 18 and 25 are likely to have negative attitudes toward the government and elections for a long time after the epidemic is over.

This means individuals in the older segment of Gen Z are less likely to trust elections, less likely to have confidence in the government, and less likely to approve of political leaders.

This trend could have a large impact on the 2024 election.

In 2020, Millennials and Gen Zers made up 37% of the voting eligible population. In 2024, that number will jump to 44% with all the growth coming from members of Gen Z.

The distrust of Gen Zers goes beyond politics.

They are unlikely to trust brands, too. Only 39% of Gen Z internet users trust a brand to keep their data safe.

Consumers in Gen Z trust brands with their data much less than any other generation.
A Deloitte survey found that 24% of Gen Zers don't trust business leaders, 30% don't trust traditional media, and 49% don't trust religious leaders.

This trend may continue as Gen Zers grow into adults, but some experts suggest distrust is just part of being a teenager.

Peter Adams, who leads an organization teaching kids about media literacy, recently said, "Trust in institutions is down across the board, but teens experience even more cynicism about institutions just as a function of their time of life."

4. Embracing diversity and social justice

Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation ever.

In the United States, nearly 40% of the Hispanic population belongs to Gen Z.
The Pew Research Center reports that 48% of Gen Zers are from racial or ethnic minorities.

This trend is amplified in certain locations.

For example, in the West, non-Hispanic whites make up only 40% of the Gen Z population. In the South, that number jumps to 46%.

Research shows that this generation is not only ethnically diverse themselves, but they believe in the benefit of increasing diversity in society as a whole.

One report showed 62% of Gen Zers believe that increasing diversity is good for society.

Members of Gen Z have also emphasized inclusion and social justice in recent years.

In one survey, Gen Z Republicans were much more likely than other Republicans to say that Blacks aren't treated as fairly as whites in America today.

A poll run by Yubo, a social networking app, reported that 88% of Gen Zers feel that Blacks don't receive equal treatment.

The Yubo poll also showed that 90% of Gen Zers support the Black Lives Matter movement.

5. Emerging buying power

AdAge reports that Gen Z currently has $143 billion in direct buying power.

A few key financial trends have emerged in this generation.

Buy now, pay later ( BNPL) services are wildly popular with Gen Z.

Predictions say that by the end of 2022, more than 44% of Gen Z digital buyers (over the age of 14) will have used a BNPL service at least once during the year.

During the peak holiday shopping days of 2021, 11% more Gen Zers used BNPL than in 2020.

Individuals in Gen Z report that talking to family and friends is the most common way they find out about new brands, companies, and products. However, YouTube ads are a close second.

The trend of shopping entirely online is not as popular with Gen Zers as it is with their older counterparts, the Millennials. Gen Zers are much more likely to shop in stores.

Gen Zers differ from other generations because they want to stand out, not fit in. Brands are an afterthought for this generation.

A 2021 survey commissioned by Vogue and GQ showed that the pandemic has made 60% of Gen Zers more conscious about the fashion items they buy.

The survey showed that many of them are now shopping for higher-quality items than in the past.

It also reported that Gen Zers are 27% more likely than other generations to shop secondhand.

Individuals in Gen Z are also looking for retailers that value inclusion as much as they do.

In a survey from McKinsey, 48% of Gen Zers say they value brands that don't classify their products as male or female.

6. Influencing the workplace

The oldest members of Gen Z are just now entering the full-time workforce for the first time, but by 2025, they'll make up 27% of the global workforce.

Right now, they're starting to lead the charge for several big changes.

The first is work-life balance.

Research shows that nearly 40% of Gen Zers put a large emphasis on work-life balance when choosing where to work.

Gen Zers are also likely to focus on empowering work culture and potential for growth with the company.

Gen Z is also demanding more workplace benefits. They want flexible hours, fully covered health insurance, free meals, and sizeable salary increases - just to name a few.

They want their employer to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Gym memberships, flexible spending accounts related to healthy activities, and sabbaticals are all trending as benefits now.

Generation Z is one subset of employees that does not put a large emphasis on working remotely.

In one survey, 48% of respondents said they'd prefer a hybrid work environment. Only 30% wanted to work fully remotely.

In one survey, nearly half of Gen Zers said they'd like to own their own business.

Stats from Wonolo, an on-demand staffing platform, show the gig economy is growing among Generation Z. Their share of jobs on the platform grew by 14% between 2019 and 2021.

Lending Tree reports that 46% of Gen Zers over the age of 18 have a side hustle.

Nearly one-quarter of these individuals would not be able to pay their bills if they didn't have that side hustle.

A few of the most popular spots in the gig economy for Gen Z workers are selling custom clothing, selling artistic goods on Etsy, and freelancing on Fiverr.

7. Rising mental health concerns

A 2021 survey from Deloitte found that 46% of Gen Zers feel stressed or anxious most or all of the time.

Reports from McKinsey say Gen Zers have the least positive outlook on life, and individuals in this generation are two to three times more likely than other generations to have thought about or attempted suicide in the past year.

The cause of these mental health concerns varies.

One potential reason is the generation's excessive use of technology - a condition that some mental health experts have termed " iDisorder."

Social media, in particular, has been connected to worsening mental health among young people.

In addition, the CDC has reported that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting challenges have "considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions" among young people.

Stress in America 2020, a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, reported that adults in Generation Z were "the most likely generation to say that their mental health has worsened compared with before the pandemic."

Gen Z adults were also much more likely to report feeling isolated and not getting adequate emotional support.

In recent years, up to 75% of Gen Zers have reported being stressed out by the threat of gun violence and mass shootings.

Even with these unfortunate statistics, members of Generation Z seem to be more open to getting help and discussing mental health troubles.

Compared to other generations, they are more likely to receive treatment from a mental health professional.

In some ways, the stigma associated with mental health issues has also diminished in the last few years.

Various celebrities, many of them Gen Zers or Millennials, have talked publicly about their own mental health struggles.

In an effort to boost their mental health, self-care and holistic health have become popular among Gen Zers. They're making healthier food choices, using more skin products, and abstaining from alcohol more often.

Conclusion

Generation Z is unlike any generation that's come before them. They're connected, they're diverse, and they're ready to make their opinions known.

But, with so many Gen Zers being under 18 years old, the future of this generation may change drastically in the coming years.

With their ever-increasing purchasing power and propensity to impact social issues, Generation Z is one we'll all want to watch closely.

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by Josh HowarthJuly 15, 2022 You may also like: Gen Z is the largest generation in American history, currently making up 27% of the population in the US. Being born between the years of 1997 and 2012, individuals in Gen Z are now between 10 and 25 years old.

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This is even more evident when it comes to the styles the generation repped, from extra-long loose tees to skinny denims and tongue-in-cheek details. But are we truly better off without these fashion statements? In such a globalised world where personalities can hardly be divided into generalised categories by taste, does it even matter if a fashion trend was popularised by Millennials or Gen Z?
Be that as it may, some of these millennial-approved styles do pack a punch. It's apparent that a lot of our fashion inclinations today have parallels with theirs. To all my Gen Z comrades, maybe it's time to call a truce and come together in the spirit of fashion.

The potential to GenZ-ify the trends bolstered by Millennials is endless.

So, forget about the ' are you a Millennial or Gen-Z ' question and take much-loved trends from the past for a quick spin around the block:

Skinny Jeans
An iconic fashion staple, skinny denims were all the rage back in the mid 2010s and were paired up with a variety of silhouettes from flimsy camisoles to chunky knitted sweaters. While they do receieve plenty of hate these days, one can't ignore their inherent versatility and if you've got the calves to rock it, why not flaunt it?

Ring in an updated look for skinny jeans by opting for lower hems, interesting detailing such as slits and side lace tie-ups and consider pairing them with ease. Think: midriff baring crop tops or a heavyweight faux leather biker jacket. When it comes to footwear, anything from thick-soled sneakers to gumboots will do the trick.

Knee high boots really can do it all: bold sexiness but also a polished confidence. They had their way back when, and added that extra oomph we're all looking for when putting together our work wardrobes or fall fits.

Knee-High Boots: Gen-Z version
It's easier than ever to modernise their appeal. Raise those hemlines, experiment with classic prints such as tartan and gingham or maybe just ditch the skirt and slip into an effortless sweater dress. Chunky accessories like chain belts and bodychains fit into this equation seamlessly.

The Tumblr Fall Girl
Tumblr has given us a lot to be thankful for, and the preppy fallgirl trope is one of them. Think: pumpkin spice lattes, plenty of plaid, Taylor Swift's anthem 'All Too Well' and an overhaul of every kind of warm-toned shade you could think of. She's crisp, calm and most likely the personification of the colour 'auburn'.

The Tumblr Fall Girl: Gen-Z Version
But here in Gen-Z land, we like to play things closer to our I.Am.Gia vests. In order radiate your inner Tumblr fall girl, consider a calmer colour palette and favour long sweaters, 90s style pleated miniskirts, and I can't stress this enough: bootcut denims. Oh and if you're in a pinch, wear leg warmers over your platform Doc Martens and you're halfway there.

Pink completely takes over every aesthetic era in ways no other colour seems capable of. The case is strong as ever with millennial pink, a relaxed bridge between a pastel baby pink and straight-up hot pink.

I know what you're thinking: nothing could ever beat Valentino Pink, but hear me out. Silhouette details count too, and the best part is, this is right in line with the Y2K nostalgia we can't (read: should not) get over. Slinky tie-up crop tops, body hugging microminis and 'I oop-' polished pantsuits will have you taking the world by storm, Legally Blonde style.

If you thought you were a music fanatic, think again. The Millennials have you cornered with their over-the-top, borderline obsessive indulgence in concert and music-centric oversized tees and tanks. The code back then was: insistently edgy sprinkled with a certain devil-may-care attitude.

Time to kick things up a notch and prove that no generation could be more obsessive than us Zoomers. Don't stray from repping your favourtie band, and do it in silhouettes that offer details like undone laces and psychadelic artwork. And tbh, why stop there? Extend the courtesy to hardcore grungy jackets and even encrusted motorcycle pants.

I know we're not allowed to pick favourites, but see if you can stop me. The MySpace-powered Scene era is probably one of the most identifiable, with barely-there tank tops, electric-hued hair streaks, ripped stockings and deathly spikes keeping the haters at bay. Think: lots of cutesyskulls and Avril Lavigne rockin' it out with her band to 'Girlfriend'.

To all the e-girls out there, thank you for continuing the emo/scene legacy. Make sure that you don't stop layering on the chains and remember to play around with illusionistic stripes and thigh-garters. If you find yourself leaning into a more softcore visual, a baby cardigan wouldn't hurt.

Take me back to 2010s Williamsburg because hipsters knew how to get down. The style code is purposeful, sporting tomboy-ish pairings, frayed hems, varsity details, red flannel, acid-wash denim and my personal favourite: slouchy beanies!

Keep (it) calm and play with plaid. This is one sure shot way of bringing some hipster energy to your day. Instead of Doc Martens, slip into some flying boots. Denim is a great option to work with, and switch up the varsity tees with letterman jackets instead. Sexy tomboy-chic is the name of the game.

These styles really take you back to the days of peak millennial humor packed into basic round neck tees. 'Keep Calm' was an unmissable feature in wardrobes back then and so were oddly specific tees personalised to the wearers quirks.

So what now? Well, hit backspace and refresh your mind with these zeitgeist-fuelled statement makers that make focused use of graphics and are definitely way more aesthetic than before.

They capture a more relevant state-of-mind and don't shy away from being blunt. If anything, this sort of direction helps bring to forefront universal emotions that more often than get shut out in day to day life. These tees are a conversation starter in the best, most human-centric ways.

Chelsea Boots
This one is definitely high up on the list of millennial fashion favourite. Their basic yet polished silhouette makes them an easy choice for either a day at the office or a more spruced up brunch in the city.

It's all about the pairings for this one. Maxi skirts or spunky knitted ones, you could jump into a pair of classic or colourful chelsea boots which will be as easy on your feet as they will be on your 'fitcheck.

The millennial craze for 'going-out tops' had one purpose and one purpose only: making a statement when you're out on the town. Intimate wear-inspired silhouettes have always been of curious interest (circa 90s when we saw icon Kate Moss in an array of slip dresses) and this particular one hit the spot for Millennials.

Give the silk cami a delectable Gen Z twist in the form of free-spirited and slinky slip dresses as well as funky styling. You can pair them with anything from socks-with-heels to Mary Janes. It's giving bubblegum pop from the early aughts.

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A Gen-Z Guide To Taking Millennial Fashion Trends For A Spin

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This is even more evident when it comes to the styles the generation repped, from extra-long loose tees to skinny denims and tongue-in-cheek details. But are we truly better off without these fashion statements? In such a globalised world where personalities can hardly be divided into generalised categories by taste, does it even matter if a fashion trend was popularised by Millennials or Gen Z?

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Customer Experience

CMSWire's customer experience (CXM) channel gathers the latest news, advice and analysis about the evolving landscape of customer-first marketing, commerce and digital experience design.

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What Does Gen Z Really Want From Brands?

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Gen Z is a digitally-savvy generation unlike any other. What does this generation truly care about, and how can you align with their values in a genuine way?

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Brands
More than half of Gen Zers spend four or more hours on social media every single day, per a new Morning Consult survey

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the first generation that's totally digitally native. Four out of five of their favorite brands are technology companies. They're abandoning traditional corporate jobs in favor of content creation , and they've even devised a new vocabulary inspired by algorithmic guidelines.

A new Morning Consult survey of Americans between the ages of 13 and 25 highlights the extent to which young people use one facet of the internet in particular: social media.

Fifty-four percent of Gen Zers said they spend at least four hours daily on social media, and almost 2 in 5 (38%) spend even more time than that. Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) said they use Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube, making it the generation's most-used social platform by a wide margin. Meta Platform Inc.'s Instagram ranked second, used by roughly three-fourths (76%) of Gen Zers.

More Than Half of Gen Zers Spend Four or More Hours per Day on Social Media

Respondents were asked how many hours they spend on social media per day, as well as how much time they spend interacting with other people via the following activities per week:

Survey conducted Nov. 2-8, 2022, among a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 25, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-3 percentage points. A separate survey was conducted Nov. 2-4, 2022, among a representative sample of 2,210 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.

Mobile devices dominate Gen Z social interactions

Gen Zers reported using social media for four or more hours a day (54%) at a rate almost double that of all U.S. adults (28%).

Meanwhile, 1 in 5 U.S. adults indicated they use social media for less than 1 hour per day, five times more than the share of Gen Z respondents who said the same (4%).

Nearly all members of Gen Z (94%) said they interact with peers through text messages each week. Phone calls (89%) and social media (88%) followed closely behind as the next most frequently used methods of socializing.

Gen Zers said they spend more time interacting with their peers per week, on average, via video games (65%) than at school (64%) or work (51%).

YouTube Stands Out as Gen Z's Most-Used Platform

The shares of Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 25 who said they use the following social media platforms:

Survey conducted Nov. 2-8, 2022, among a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 25, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.

Instagram sits firmly in second, while TikTok and Snapchat tie for third

YouTube is used by 88% of Gen Zers, significantly more than any other platform. The video-sharing app topped Morning Consult's report of Gen Z's Favorite Brands of 2022 .

Instagram (76%), TikTok (68%) and Snapchat (67%) are all used by at least two-thirds of Gen Z respondents, followed by Facebook (49%) and Twitter (47%). TikTok's usage by Gen Zers is up 21 percentage points from a 2020 Morning Consult survey .

There was a significant gap in the reported usage of every tested platform between male and female Gen Zers, with the former being more likely to use text-based apps (Discord, Twitter, Reddit) and the latter reporting greater usage of photo-centric ones (Instagram, Snapchat, BeReal).

At least half of Gen Zers said they "shared something positive about a brand" on six out of 10 tested platforms within the past year, indicating that the use of social media to discuss experiences with companies is widespread among the cohort.

Even more online?

While Gen Z didn't have a choice in being thrust into a digital world, they've proactively embraced many aspects of internet culture - including online gaming and advanced technologies like the metaverse - at much higher rates than older generations.

Brands across every sector are taking note.

YouTube and ByteDance Ltd.'s TikTok both celebrated the outsized role that gamers have played in their respective communities through global live-streaming events earlier this year. Nike Inc. recently launched ".Swoosh," its first virtual sneaker trading platform . And even luxury retailers are getting into the Gen Z way of life: Many continue to announce partnerships with younger-skewing gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, where activations range from designing in-app clothing lines to organizing meet-and-greets with digital avatars of their celebrity brand ambassadors.

As more Gen Zers age into adulthood, marketers will follow the coveted consumer bloc wherever they go next - which will likely be even more online than they already are.
The Nov. 2-8, 2022, survey was conducted among a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 25, with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. A separate Nov. 2-4, 2022, survey was conducted among a representative sample of 2,210 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

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Brands Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the first generation that's totally digitally native. Four out of five of their favorite brands are technology companies. They're abandoning traditional corporate jobs in favor of content creation , and they've even devised a new vocabulary inspired by algorithmic guidelines.

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The majority of Gen Z smartphone users (64%) say they are constantly connected online with 57% admitting that they feel insecure without their mobile phone.

That's according to a new report from Snapchat examining user behaviours and key differences between Gen Z and millennials.

Gen Z spend an average 4 hours and 15 minutes per day on mobile with 95% of them owning a smartphone. 78% of them consider their mobile devices their most important device to go online compared to 74% of millennials. However, multi-device usage tends to be common among all generations and marketers and brands should adapt strategies that consider various screens equally.

Compared to 2015, Gen Z are now spending 1.13 minutes more on their mobile devices. Among the most common activities online they visit social networks, use messaging apps, watch videos and use search engines.

Gen Z are 36% more likely than the average to watch a vlog and 26% more likely to use streaming services on mobile.

As privacy concerns have become a growing concern among generations, 60% of Gen Z users have previously used a private browsing window. 52% are also using an ad blocker and 50% have deleted cookies.

Among the main reasons for using ad blockers are too many ads (49%), irrelevant ads (48%), intrusive ads (45%) and ads taking up too much screen space (40%).

Interestingly, mobile (43%) was preferred to view streaming services such as Netflix compared to TV (27%) among the younger generations.

Social networking apps still dominate, followed by messengers, music and shopping apps.

Both millennials and Gen Z have strong entrepreneurial ambitions with the majority of them looking to achieve more in life and seeking challenges. Another 65% of both cohorts are also career-oriented.

However, millennials tend to be slightly more business-oriented (31%) than Gen Z (29%).

When it comes to self-perception, 79% of Gen Z believe it is important to develop new skills through life whilst 77% are seizing opportunities and 74% believe we should strive for equality.

Around 2 in 5 admit to being easily influenced by other people's opinions - 17% higher than the global average. Respect among their peers is a big part of their identity with 73% having the need to feel respected.

The always-on generation is spending much time consuming music (69%), films (61%) and food/drink (58%). Gen Z also tend to be more interested in gaming, modern art and extreme sports than millennials. However, millennials outscore Gen Z for local issues, gardening and gambling.

The two generations share similar opinions when it comes to technology, with the majority believing that there is too much choice online. More than 60% are also concerned about the Internet eroding their personal privacy.

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A look at Gen Z mobile behaviours - 64% of mobile users are always connected

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The majority of Gen Z smartphone users (64%) say they are constantly connected online with 57% admitting that they feel insecure without their mobile phone. That's according to a new report from Snapchat examining user behaviours and key differences between Gen Z and millennials.

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To be a successful brand, companies need to be able to connect with their target consumers authentically. For brands that target Gen Z specifically, there is a certain level of pressure to perform well. The generation expects to be listened to when they give their insight, with products being produced to meet their needs and demands. To help such brands correctly communicate with their followers, Kyra, the global creator economy company, and Blended, a TikTok-native beauty platform, have collaborated to produce the Gen Z State of Beauty Report: Then, Now, & Next. The report focuses on responses from 1,000 participants, ranging from 18-25, naming them as "the most influential generation to date" when it comes to beauty. The study is the second investigation by Kyra into the generation's needs, focusing on purchasing behaviors and content preferences of both creators and Gen Z consumers across skincare, fragrance, hair, and makeup subcategories.

"After the overwhelming success of our 2021 report, we're so proud to be back with a deeper analysis," says Marina Mansour, VP of Beauty & Wellness at Kyra. "It's no secret that the beauty industry at large has a close eye on Gen Z, as they're redefining what beauty means across various subcategories. This report helps contextualize key behaviors and insights so that brands, advertisers, retailers, and content creators can determine the best practices for engaging and resonating with Gen Z audiences."

Here are the key takeaways from the report:
Skincare

Moisturizer is the number-one product Gen Z claims they can't live without, followed by SPF and serums.

Vitamin C is the number-one body care product Gen Z uses.

75% have a dedicated bodily skincare routine.

CeraVe is the number-one face skincare brand across the generation.

Dove is the number-one body skincare brand.

41% focus on skincare to combat acne.

29% focus on skincare to stay moisturized.

23% focus on skincare to combat skin texture.

Fragrance

60% of Gen Zers own over three perfumes.

16% own between six to nine.

21% wear perfume every day.

18% say they look for a product that will express their personality.

43% would wear a gender-fluid fragrance.

57% noted that the bottle's look played a significant factor in their purchase decision.

Vanilla, rose, and fruity are the top three scent profiles they're coveting.

Hair

74% of Gen Z can define their specific hair type, with 60% listing it as a top priority in purchasing as they seek hyper-personalized regimens.

Hairspray, leave-in conditioner, and hair oil are the top three hair products..

Hair protein is the number-one product they plan to add to their routines.

TRESemmé holds the title as the top-ranked brand Gen Z uses.

Makeup

A third of respondents prefer no makeup, just skincare for everyday wear.

Light coverage products showed a 13% increase year over year for daily-use trends.

Gen Z turns to mascara, concealer, and blush for go-to daily makeup products.

28% said they now use fewer products in their routine since the onset of COVID-19.

e.l.f is Gen Z's favorite makeup brand.

The Best Trends from 2022 Voted by Gen Z

'90s makeup

Slugging

Faux freckles

Cream blush

Secrets in my industry

Siren eyes

Organic skincare

"Gen Z has already played an integral role in reshaping the beauty industry as we know it, demanding more authenticity, transparency, and inclusivity from product offerings to the board room," continues Mansour. "This generation is all about challenging norms and limitless creative expression, and this report helps relay these interests, pain points, and trends to key players in the industry."

As Gen Z continues to openly express their beauty needs and wants, brands will have to continue to be prepared to evolve to meet expectations. With Gen Z paving the way, it will be interesting to see if the generations that follow will adopt the same purchasing mentalities, or write their own rule books.

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A Generation of Trendsetters: Gen Z's Beauty Must-Haves

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To be a successful brand, companies need to be able to connect with their target consumers authentically. For brands that target Gen Z specifically, there is a certain level of pressure to perform well. The generation expects to be listened to when they give their insight, with products being produced to meet their needs and demands.

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"What are the kids wearing these days?" is the perennial question fashion forecasters ask. The fashion industry, often out of necessity, is obsessed with chasing youth, especially as young consumers enter the workforce, inform new styles and shift buying behaviours.

Gen-Z - aged between 12 and 25 and accounting for approximately 25 percent of the world's population - is now coming into its own. But Gen-Z is truly unique. As the first digital natives, their formative years have been unlike that of previous generations, creating a greater cultural chasm between Gen-Z and older generations. Social platforms have given Gen-Z tastemakers an unparalleled ability to convene and speak to audiences.

In the US, Gen-Z is particularly shaping the culture and moving the economy with a purchasing power of about $360 billion. Each generation experiences distinct events that shape its life outlook. Baby Boomers benefitted from an economic boom after World War II, living in an age of optimism. Gen-X matured as social mores changed and female labour participation jumped, living in an age of independence. Millennials, typically the children of more affluent Baby Boomers, benefitted from the advent of the internet, living in an age of idealism. Yet, Millennials are old enough to remember a less digital world.

Gen-Z is much more pragmatic, growing up under the lens of technology from the outset. The worsening climate crisis, pressing global movements such as "Me Too" and "Black Lives Matter" and the Covid-19 pandemic all serve as a backdrop for the current age - an age of realism.

Gen-Z and Fashion in the Age of Realism is the newest report from BoF Insights, exploring Gen-Z's relationship to fashion, identifying the distinct personality types, their sources of inspiration, their preferred brands, and their approach to sustainable fashion. This report is informed by in-depth analysis of social media behaviour, a survey of nearly 1,000 Gen-Zers as well as focus groups.

Fashion is the favourite entertainment category for US Gen-Zers to spend money on, outranking other categories like dining, video games and consoles, and music. Young consumers are critical to the fashion industry, not least because per capita spending on fashion declines as we age:

To best engage with and speak to young consumers, BoF Insights partnered with Quilt.AI - an AI-powered insights company - to canvass social media behaviour and profiles to identify six personality "clusters" that characterise the US Gen-Z population. While Gen-Z is like other generations in that they defy stereotyping, these clusters are a critical heuristic for executives to understand Gen-Zers' shared affiliations, interests and perspectives:

BoF Insights has also collaborated with Juv Consulting - a company launched by three 16-year-old entrepreneurs in 2016 - to field a proprietary survey of nearly 1,000 US Gen-Zers. This survey reveals that 89 percent of the survey participants rate fashion as important for boosting confidence, while 82 percent say fashion is important for establishing their identities. For Gen-Zers, fashion is less about being trendy or denoting status.

Keeping up with fads has become more difficult than ever, as social media has accelerated trend formation. Moreover, Gen-Z has inverted the design process - aesthetics like Barbiecore, Cottagecore, Dark Academia and Coastal Grandma originated bottoms-up from social media and resale platform content instead of top-down from fashion brands and retailers. As a result, many Gen-Zers tend to adapt pieces representative of trends into their own personal styles, as opposed to following trends full-scale.

Brands like Nike, Gucci and Adidas have built the most ardent following among this generation as the leading favoured brands among our panel. Gucci is the only luxury brand to appear in the top 10 list of unprompted favourite brands, while Louis Vuitton appears further down among the top 20. Gucci is notable for its efforts to court young consumers early on within virtual gaming worlds like Roblox. In particular, BoF Insights reveals that the majority of Gen-Zers aspire to buy more luxury clothing and accessories as they gain purchasing power.

The report completes its analysis with a playbook for fashion executives, unpacking how your companies can best connect with Gen-Z through four pillars: communications, style, communities and brand evolution.

Assesses the generational divide and prevailing attitudes of each major US generation from Baby Boomers to Gen-Zers, including a detailed examination of why Gen-Z is distinct by identifying six key values

Features proprietary research with Gen-Z consumers in the US, revealing the most in-demand fashion and footwear brands, shopping triggers, sources of inspiration, and information for purchasing and finally methods of product disposal (including resale)

Analyses six key personality clusters that are representative of the US Gen-Z population using machine learning applied to social media profiles

Highlights concise case studies on Dr. Martens, Gucci, PacSun, Princess Polly and Remass (one of the top sellers on Depop), as well as strategic analysis of fashion companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Aritzia, Forever 21, Gap, Guess, J.Crew, Nike and Patagonia

Unpacks tactics for brands and retailers to effectively appeal to Gen-Z related to tailoring communications, honing in on style/positioning amid trend acceleration, building and engaging communities, and enabling a company to identify and adapt to cultural and technological shifts

Survey panel of approximately 1,000 Gen-Z participants (aged 13 - 25) across the US fielded by Juv Consulting

Social media analysis by Quilt.AI of approximately 5,000 public Instagram posts conducted via machine learning to create six personality clusters

4 focus groups with a total of 15 Gen-Z participants located across the US (conducted with The Z Suite from BCG PR and Juv Consulting)

8 interviews with executives from agencies, consultants, start-up operators and influencers and 12 interviews with founders, chief executives and other senior executives from brands, retailers, rental platforms, resale platforms, and gaming and social media platforms

Companies featured in the report include: Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, American Eagle, Aritzia, By Rotation, Claire's, Depop, Forever 21, Gucci, Guess, H&M, Levi's, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Old Navy, PacSun, Patagonia, Pink, Princess Polly, Puma, Roblox, Shein, TikTok, Under Armour, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, Vans and Zara.

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BoF Insights | Gen-Z and Fashion in the Age of Realism

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Find out what makes Gen-Zers so unique and crucial to the fashion industry in the latest BoF Insights report. Co-created with Gen-Zers as well as a host of fashion and social media experts, we unpack what this generation expects from fashion today, and tomorrow.

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Generation Z, what do we know about them? Who are they? What are their shopping habits? In this article, we’re going to dive into Generation Z’s world.

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Different consumption concept & shopping habits

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Different consumption concept & shopping habits

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Don't let their age fool you-at 18 to 24 years old, Gen Z might be the youngest generation of adults, but their perspectives on food are loud and clear. IFIC's 17th annual 2022 Food and Health Survey offers some especially compelling findings about young Americans' perceptions and behaviors around food and food-related purchasing decisions, with valuable insights on how Gen Z views health and nutrition.

Perceptions on Health

Somewhat unsurprisingly for the youngest adult generation, most Gen Zers describe their own health as "excellent" or "very good," with 59% saying so. Their healthy self-perception supports Gen Zers' definition of healthy food: when asked to select the top attributes that define a healthy food, the most popular definitions among Gen Z included food that was a "good source of nutrients" (35%), food that was "fresh" (34%), and food that contained fruits or vegetables (30%).

When asked about their most sought-after health benefits, it's evident that Gen Z prioritizes bolstering both their physical and mental health; the top benefits they seek out from foods, beverages, and nutrients were having more energy or less fatigue (with 38% saying this), improved sleep (35%), emotional or mental health (33%), and digestive or gut health (29%).

Seeking out emotional and mental health benefits could be, in part, due to Gen Zers' self-reported levels of stress. When asked about their stress levels over the past six months, 73% said they felt "very" or "somewhat" stressed, with one-third (33%) saying they were "very" stressed. Among those who sought to improve their nutrition or diet to manage or reduce their stress, over two in five respondents specifically cited practicing mindful or intuitive eating to accomplish stress management; they were also more likely than Gen Xers to say so (41%, versus 11% of Gen Xers). At the same time, Gen Z were more likely to have a low score when using a mindfulness index that analyzed their frequency of engaging in various mindful eating practices (40% of Gen Zers clocked a low score versus 16% of Baby Boomers). As an example, Gen Z were more likely to say they "always" or "often" eat when they're feeling stressed-and to feel guilty about what they've eaten.

This contrast between practicing mindful or intuitive eating to better manage stress, yet having a low mindfulness index score, could reflect the difference between aspirational food-related goals and reality. It's also worth considering that this generation may still be navigating which stress management technique-or combination of techniques-works best for them. The American Psychological Association's Stress in America 2018: Stress and Generation Z survey found that only 50% of Gen Z feel like they do enough to manage their stress, while 25% do not feel they do enough. Additionally, 73% reported that they could have used more emotional support in the past year. While mindful or intuitive eating is one way in which some Gen Zers can manage their stress, other segments of this generation may still be exploring what-and how much-support they need to cement healthy coping habits.

Eating Patterns

Nearly three in four Gen Zers followed a diet or eating pattern in the past year; they were also more likely to do so compared with older generations (72%, versus 51% of Gen X and 29% of Baby Boomers). The most-followed eating patterns among Gen Z were calorie-counting (27%), clean eating (26%), mindful eating (19%) and plant-based eating (19%). Compared with older generations, Gen Z were more likely to be motivated to follow a diet or eating pattern to improve their physical appearance, better manage a health condition, improve their relationship with food, and to follow the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and/or MyPlate recommendations.

Following an eating pattern isn't the only thing that appeals to Gen Z; snacking also draws notable interest. In fact, 77% of Gen Z report snacking at least once a day, with one-third (34%) saying they snack two times a day. Among Gen Zers who snack, their most common reasons for doing so are being hungry or thirsty (30%), out of boredom (27%), and needing more energy (25%). The appeal of snacking for responding to hunger cues and for energy may be particularly aligned with the life stage of this generation, which balances school, work, extracurriculars, maintaining a social life, and more-all while navigating the entrance into adulthood.

While this generation is more likely to gravitate toward snacking behaviors, they are also likely to steer away from certain foods. For example, Gen Z are two times more likely than older generations to say that they avoid sugars entirely (29%, versus 14% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Xers, and 10% of Baby Boomers).

Grocery Shopping Behaviors

Gen Z is commonly associated with the digital world, and grocery shopping is no exception. Over one-third of Gen Z shop online for groceries at least once a week, and this generation is more likely to do so compared with Baby Boomers (at 35%, versus 11% of Boomers). And not only does a sizeable portion of this population engage in online shopping, but most do so with relative ease. Of those who shop online, 71% find it "very" or "somewhat" easy to locate nutrition information when buying food online. Additionally, over half say that they always or often pay attention to labels on food and beverage packaging when online grocery shopping, and are more likely to do so compared with Baby Boomers (56%, versus 36% of Boomers).

In addition, labels on food and beverage products are highly influential with this generation. Gen Z most regularly buy foods and beverages because they are labeled as "natural" (with 46% saying this), as having "clean ingredients" (34%), and as being "organic" (28%). Compared with Baby Boomers, labels such as " natural," " clean ingredients," " bioengineered/containing bioengineered ingredients," "small carbon footprint/carbon neutral," and "plant-based" were all more likely to be influential with Gen Z. Their preference for these labels is fairly unsurprising due to this generation's commitment to environmental sustainability as well as their preference for plant-based and clean eating patterns.

Environmental Sustainability

As a generation brought up in a world of activism on social media and growing conversations surrounding climate change, it's no surprise that Gen Z keeps environmental sustainability top-of-mind. One-third (33%) said that environmental sustainability had a "great" or "somewhat" of an impact on their decision to buy foods and beverages. Gen Z also tends to believe that their personal decisions about food are an important marker when it comes to sustainability, with 50% describing their individual choices about food and beverage purchases as having a "significant" or "moderate" impact on the environment. Additionally, consideration for environmental sustainability extends as far back as the production phase-70% of Gen Zers said they have given "a lot" or "a little" thought to whether or not their foods and beverages were produced in a sustainable way.

Not only does Gen Z express concern about the environment; they are also more aware of their heightened concern. When asked about whether they agree or disagree with the statement "my generation has greater concern about the environmental impact of food choices than other generations," almost three in four agreed with this statement, and were more likely to do so than older generations (73%, versus 60% of Gen Xers and 44% of Baby Boomers).

Information and Trust

Gen Z expresses great familiarity with nutrition resources from the U.S. government. Nearly six in ten said they know "a lot" or "a fair amount" about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (58%, versus 33% of Baby Boomers). Similarly, 65% reported knowing a lot or a fair amount about USDA's MyPlate, and were more likely than older populations to say this (65%, versus 49% of Millennials, 37% of Gen Xers, and 28% of Baby Boomers). Gen Z was of elementary- to middle-school age when MyPlate replaced the previous MyPyramid guide in 2011, which is a likely driver of heightened familiarity.

And yet, a high level of familiarity with government nutrition resources doesn't translate into confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. Two in five of Gen Zers (41%) report being "not too" or "not at all" confident in the U.S. food supply, and Gen Z are more likely than older generations to say this (41%, versus 28% of Millennials and 23% of Baby Boomers).

When examining trusted information on which foods to eat and avoid, the most highly trusted sources are aligned with that of the general population-Gen Z would highly trust a conversation with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (with 59% ranking this in their top-two choices), a personal healthcare professional (58%), and a conversation with a wellness counselor or health coach (53%). But compared with Boomers, Gen Z were more likely to say they would highly trust a conversation with a fitness professional; a chef or culinary professional; a friend or family member; a news article or headline or news on TV; a food company or manufacturer; and social media influencers or bloggers.

Their greater likelihood to trust friends and family-along with fitness professionals, culinary professionals, and social media influencers-could be due to a gravitation towards people who feel more "real" or authentic. Findings from Edelman's first annual Gen Z survey show that Gen Z has the highest level of trust towards family members, friends, and ordinary people they perceive as doing good.

From their perceptions on health to their most trusted sources of health information, it's clear that Gen Z stands out-not only in their behaviors and decisions, but also in the factors that influence them. To learn more, check out our full survey here.
This article was written by Marisa Paipongna.

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2022 Food and Health Survey Spotlight: Generation Z - Food Insight

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Don't let their age fool you-at 18 to 24 years old, Gen Z might be the youngest generation of adults, but their perspectives on food are loud and clear. IFIC's 17th annual 2022 Food and Health Survey offers some especially compelling findings about young Americans' perceptions and behaviors around food and food-related purchasing decisions, with valuable insights on how Gen Z views health and nutrition.

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A Comparison of Lifestyle Marketing and Brand Influencer Advertising for Generation Z Instagram Users

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Instagram has become a popular platform for consumers and marketers. Using the stimulus-organism-response theory, this study compared lifestyle and brand influencer types of Instagram advertisement…

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Author links open overlay panelBoban Melović a, Damir Šehović a, Vesna Karadžić a, Marina Dabić b c, Dragana Ćirović a

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Determinants of Millennials’ behavior in online shopping – Implications on consumers’ satisfaction and e-business development

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This paper identifies the attitudes and key determinants of Millennials’ online shopping behavior in Montenegro. An empirical survey was conducted in …

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https://chainstoreage.com/millennials-e-commerce-deals-social-media

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real-time coupon code search engine and directory CouponFollow, four in five (80%) surveyed millennials now do most of their shopping online, up from 60% in 2019. More than half (56%) shop mostly on their mobile devices, up from 36% over the same period.

Almost eight in 10 (78%) respondents now follow brands on social media (up from 57% in 2017). More than half (54%) admit their shopping habits are most influenced by Facebook (28%) and Instagram (27%). TikTok is the main social media platform shaping the shopping habits of 12% of all millennials and 16% of younger millennials aged 25-29.

As the awareness of cryptocurrency grows (96% of respondents are aware of this virtual currency format, up from 90% in 2019), so is the inclination to spend it when shopping online. One in three (30%) respondents made at least one purchase using cryptocurrency in the past year, up 8% since 2019.

Almost three in four (73%) respondents have changed how they shop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half (56%) have shifted their shopping online away from physical stores, especially among older members of the millennia generation (35-40 years old).

"Since our last report in 2019, events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased usage of social media platforms have greatly influenced how millennials approach spending and saving. The popularity of new payment methods has also shifted their spending habits," said Marc Mexxaca, president of CouponFollow. "As factors such as social media and other technological advancements continue to impact the lives of this technologically savvy generation, brands must pay close attention to these trends and shift their ecommerce strategies accordingly to innovate effectively."

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Millennials like e-commerce, deals, social media

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real-time coupon code search engine and directory CouponFollow, four in five (80%) surveyed millennials now do most of their shopping online, up from 60% in 2019. More than half (56%) shop mostly on their mobile devices, up from 36% over the same period.

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With the daily output of masks touches over 20 million, China introduces new standards for... Read more

Shengze, home to the largest silk wholesale market known for silk and man-made s... Read more

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HOW MILLENNIALS ARE SHAPING THE FASHION WORLD

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FashionatingWorld is a seamless network of web platforms with sector focused approach on Fashion, Retail, Apparel and Textiles.

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https://www.bizzbuzz.news/markets/millennials-eating-habits-disrupting-the-industry-1133627

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Millennials eating habits disrupting the industry

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Whether it be what foods they prefer or how they shop, the marketplace is drastically changing to meet new demands

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https://today.yougov.com/topics/consumer/articles-reports/2020/01/23/millennials-diet-climate-change-environment-poll

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Millennials are dieting just like older generations. But their reasons for doing so seem to differ. More Millennials are changing their diets in pursuit of both physical and mental wellness and a desire to reduce their climate footprints, than are members of older generations.

New data from YouGov finds that Millennials are more likely than other generations to say that they have changed their diet in order to improve their mental health (30%) or reduce their impact on the planet (20%).

Millennials (17%) are also more likely than Gen Xers (10%) or Baby Boomers (10%) to say they've gone on a diet to accommodate food allergies.

Across generations, over half of US adults say that they've gone on a diet to improve their physical health. For Millennials, improving physical health is the most commonly-named incentive for going on a diet. Among members of Generation X and Baby Boomers, losing weight is the most common reason for changing their diets.

Some scientific studies suggest that eating less meat and cutting down on dairy products could help people reduce their impact on the environment. And it seems Millennials may be taking note.

YouGov's research finds that Millennials (22%) are far more likely than Gen Xers (13%) and Baby Boomers (11%) to say they've adopted a vegetarian diet at some point. Similarly, Millennials are also more likely to say they've tried a vegan diet: 16% of Millennials have gone vegan at some point, along with 7% of Generation X and 8% of Baby Boomers.

Others are turning to a dairy-free lifestyle. Almost one in five (18%) Millennials has tried a dairy-free diet, which is about twice the number of Gen Xers (7%) and Baby Boomers (9%) who have tried this diet.

A 2019 poll from YouGov's Daily Agenda found that more than one in five young Americans say they would be willing to eliminate meat from their diet in order to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Among 18-to 24-year-olds, 23 percent said they would do this, along with 22 percent of 25-to 34-year-olds. A plurality (42%) of US adults in the survey said they would be willing to reduce their meat consumption, but would not be willing to eliminate meat from their diets altogether.

Additional data from YouGov Profiles suggests that following an environmentally-conscious diet is important to many millennials.

Data from YouGov Profiles finds that 45 percent of Millennials agreed with the statement "I'm actively trying to reduce my meat consumption." A majority in the same group (55%) also agree with the statement "I am open to substituting meat/dairy products with healthy alternatives," while 37 percent go so far as to agree with the statement "A meatless diet is the healthier option."

According to YouGov's sustainability segmentation, a measure of where consumers land on the spectrum of beliefs around sustainability, the country's most engaged environmentalists are more likely to consider a raw diet (i.e. unprocessed, plant-based, organic) compared to the rest of US adults. This segment is also more likely to consider the South Beach, Whole30 and Paleo diets. YouGov's sustainability segments are based on a dataset that spans five attitudes about sustainability, from skeptic to enthusiast.

See the full survey results and sign up to be a part of the YouGov panel.

Related: Millennials' food choices are driven by quality and they're willing to pay more for it

Methodology: Total unweighted sample size was 1,241 US adults, which included 391 Millennials, 316 members of Generation X, and 444 Baby Boomers. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (ages 18+). Interviews were conducted online between January 3 - 6, 2020. Total weighted sample for the Daily Agenda question on August 8, 2019, "How willing would you be to eliminate meat from your diet in order to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change?" was 1,501 US adults. Total unweighted sample sizes for YouGov Profiles statements: "I'm actively trying to reduce my meat consumption" was 2,845 Millennials; "I am open to substituting meat/dairy products with healthy alternatives," was 3,091 Millennials; "A meatless diet is the healthier option," with 12,059 Millennials. All figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (ages 18+).
Image: Getty

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One in five Millennials has changed their diet to reduce their impact on the planet | YouGov

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Millennials are dieting just like older generations. But their reasons for doing so seem to differ. More Millennials are changing their diets in pursuit of both physical and mental wellness and a desire to reduce their climate footprints, than are members of older generations.

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https://www.linkfluence.com/blog/millennial-food-trends-what-do-millennials-eat

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Avocado toast, oat milk lattes, green smoothies, and everything that comes in a bowl: if you haven't eaten it, you've seen it on Instagram. Whether you're a millennial yourself or not, it's hard to deny that this generation is changing the way we consume and perceive food.

For millennials, food isn't just there to satisfy our hunger, or even our tastebuds. Now, how and what we eat is a lifestyle, and at times a political statement.

And brands around the world are obsessed. Whether it's LaCroix encouraging fans to debate their best flavor, or Chipotle attracting new customers with its transparent ingredient sourcing, it seems everyone wants to better understand and market to millennials.

Luckily, as the generation which has had perhaps the highest degree of social media involvement, millennials share a lot about themselves online - especially when it comes to food.

As a social media intelligence company, we're fascinated by how the eating habits of different generations and social groups are expressed online. And as a foodie who's also a millennial, I'm eager to find out how many others in my generation share my tastes and food choices.
So, our social data research team did some digging. Now, we're here to share the key takeaways from our report, "What Millennials Eat."
First, though, let's explore the world's obsession with millennials a little more.
After all, millennials form the largest working generation, and play a major role in determining popular culture and trends.
Why is the world so obsessed with millennials?

Millennials, or those of us born between the early 80s and the year 2000, are perhaps the most significant demographic when it comes to marketing and product development.
Kombucha, one of the most prominent millennial food trends. Source: Captain Kombucha
And when we as millennials set trends, businesses are quick to pay attention. Just look at the embrace of normcore dad sneakers, the rise of mainstream veganism, and the increased brand focus on sustainability, environmentalism, and transparent production.

Who knew millennials could be such a destructive force?
Not only can millennial tastes give rise to entirely new consumer markets (we're looking at you, kombucha), but they also have the ability to put a major dent in what were once thriving industries.

This helps explain the endless string of headlines announcing the death of particular products or trends due to changes in millennial tastes and habits. It seems millennials could be responsible for the end of beer, mayonnaise, cereal, golf, and even Buffalo Wild Wings.

Of course, millennials aren't solely responsible for these trends, even if their purchasing habits are contributing to a downturn in some once-popular products.

Instead, millennials are more likely to be seen as a scapegoat for these trends simply because of our visibility within modern culture. And the reason for this visibility? The extent to which we've all embraced social media.

Millennials: the social media generation
And the most passionately debated arena of millennial taste and preference? Food.
No other generation has grown up with the same level of intimacy with social media as millennials.

Movies, music, fashion, exercise, travel - there's nothing we won't post about in exhaustive detail online. As a result, there's a vast trove of information available regarding their tastes and consumer choices - if you know how to look for it.

In our report, we found that millennials make up a massive 40% of social media discussions concerning food on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in the United States. In France, this figure is even higher, at 49%.

This isn't surprising: from discussing the best braised tofu dishes to quick avocado snacks, millennial food chat is everywhere online.

Want some? Braised #tofu is one of my go to dishes when I'm too tired to do much more than eat and make my hubby do the dishes. pic.twitter.com/GjyNGf7XoQ
- the Korean Vegan (@kimchee_chigae) May 1, 2019

This high level of interest from millennials in discussing food and lifestyle choices makes social media the perfect place for brands and businesses to find inspiration for new products, and to track the popularity of millennial trends and habits.
It sounds obvious, right?
However, before we go too much further, it's important to remember one thing: millennials aren't a monolith, and there's no single set of millennial tastes.

Millennials aren't all the same
Using social listening tools, however, we were able to establish that millennials on social media do tend to gravitate towards certain values.
Still, given the tendency to see millennials as a single cultural presence, it's worth repeating: millennials aren't all the same, and shouldn't be treated by brands as a single market with identical tastes and expectations.

Instead, millennials represent an incredibly broad and diverse generation of people, with the same differences and similarities that have characterized every generation.

What do millennials care about when it comes to food?

As we found in our report, " What Millennials Eat," there are a handful of collective values that seem to define millennials as a generation of consumers.

These values are reflected not only in our food preferences, but our preferences across a range of industries, including fashion, leisure, and even tourism.

Let's take a look at these one-by-one, starting with the biggie: customization.

1. A desire for customization

As the Washington Post notes, "millennials don't want the same sad burger everyone else is eating. They want to custom-design the flavor and personalize their meal."

We couldn't agree more. A strong theme coming through our research was the preference amongst millennials for customizable food experiences, and an appreciation for restaurants going the extra distance to cater for dietary requirements.

This focus on customization has been spearheaded by brands like Chipotle and Shake Shack, who make it hassle-free for customers to have exactly what they want. Now, it seems like everyone is getting on the action.

Shack Hack: Customize your order to get the goods you love, just how ya like 'em! 🙌 Go ahead + add that bacon... You deserve it. 😉🥓 pic.twitter.com/aCJMo2utPi
- SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) May 9, 2019

2. A redefined notion of convenience focusing on busy lifestyles

Contrary to the popular culture image of a horde of Netflix-streaming slackers glued to their smartphones, evidence suggests millennials might actually be the hardest working generation out there. Take that, boomers!

With our commitment to work, active lifestyles, side hustles, and socializing, millennials are busy. And given this frantic pace of life, it's not surprising that millennials place a high importance on convenience and speed - especially when it comes to food.

Today we're announcing that we've raised $575MM in a round led by Amazon.@willshuroo CEO and our first ever rider said "This is great news for the tech and restaurant sectors, and it will help to create jobs in all of the countries in which we operate." https://t.co/RdlZwbniyr
- Deliveroo (@Deliveroo) May 17, 2019

This preference for convenience helps explain the stellar rise of delivery services like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Foodora.

3. An overall preoccupation with 'wellness'

Don't let the prioritization of convenience fool you - millennials still place a very high importance on healthy lifestyles, a balanced diet, and general wellness.

Healthy & delicious!🍅 #health #wellness @ClevelandAHA pic.twitter.com/xaXavRgppg
- Johanna Slivinske (@jslivinske) May 19, 2019

While the concept can be a little fuzzy, 'wellness' refers to the drive for a healthy and fulfilling life. When it comes to millennials, the focus on wellness often translates to making better decisions around diet, nutrition, and exercise.

This was a strong theme we found in our online research, with many millennial social media users leading conversations and exchanges on what wellness means to them - particularly around food choices.

4. A preference for transparent and sustainable brand relationships

Finally, we also found a preference for open and sustainable relationships between millennial consumers and brands, especially when it comes to environmental challenges like sustainability and climate change, as well as issues around labor.

These millennial values have had a significant impact on wider consumer preferences, and have helped give rise to companies committed to radical transparency, such as clothing brands Everlane and Patagonia.

An estimated 60% of all textiles used in apparel are derived from plastic, which equates to nearly 3 trillion plastic bottles every year. Many of these clothes eventually end up in landfills or oceans.

Here's how @everlane is finding new ways to solve it https://t.co/EibwN2eU0p pic.twitter.com/Wh34jNbwgB
- Fast Company (@FastCompany) April 29, 2019

Millennial values have also driven the increasing importance of authenticity when it comes to brand interaction, a trend which has the potential to disrupt a lot of major players in the food and beverage industry.

So, that's an overview of some of the collective millennial values coming through our research. But what does the social media data tell us about what millennials actually eat?

Let's take a look.
Using our social listening technology, however, we were able to identify a number of common trends showing up in millennial food discussions online.
What do millennials actually eat?

Millennials, of course, are as diverse and varied in their tastes as any other generation or group of people. And just like every boomer didn't grow up eating Jello for every meal, not every millennial's fridge is full of matcha smoothies and gluten-free quinoa.

1. Convenient - yet healthy - foods

As we said above, millennials are all about convenience. However, that doesn't mean we want to eat rubbish food all the time.

Instead, we're looking for high-quality food options that don't take a lot of time to prepare or order, and which don't completely break the bank.

This was a strong theme to come through our social media research, and is one of the reasons why meal delivery kit services such as Blue Apron and HelloFresh have really taken off in recent years.

I've never had beets but this meal is bomb! #BlueApron (@jaydubbs94 helped with the stir fry meal) pic.twitter.com/Rc3EPkNjV4
- Miss Chris Dee (@cdroyster) May 20, 2019

For food brands, this sweet spot between convenience and healthiness represents a huge opportunity. Not only do millennials place a high preference on convenience and health - we're also willing to pay a premium for it.

2. High-protein, low-calorie snacks

Interestingly, we also found a widespread interest on behalf of millennials in high-protein, low-calorie snacks such as nuts, trail mix, and lean meats.

It's not always long walks and gin tweets... here's some more homemade nut butter... pic.twitter.com/UUGcvYxSoN
- Stuart Cantrill (@stuartcantrill) October 1, 2018

This reflects a commitment to active lifestyles, and a recognition that millennials shouldn't have to completely avoid the foods they enjoy to stay healthy.

3. High-quality frozen foods

At first, this one might seem a little surprising, but trust us - millennials are paying plenty of attention to high-quality frozen foods.

Power of #FrozenFood: Recent investments by the frozen food industry to improve the quality and variety of their foods have paid off. But perceptions that offerings are unhealthy and low-quality still persist with many shoppers, according to a new report https://t.co/Mw7JmFcpNC pic.twitter.com/fvqVhE20Ax
- albertsliving (@albertsliving) May 14, 2019

And fortunately, food brands are starting to see the potential in this market. Instead of having to choose from a limited range of cardboard pizzas and TV-dinners, there are now plenty of nutritious and appealing frozen foods available.

Again, a big part of this trend is about convenience. Frozen foods can be a handy way to help manage busy lifestyles - especially for those without the time to cook meals from scratch.

4. Food products with low environmental footprint

Finally, we found a widespread concern among millennial social media users with the environmental footprint of the food choices.
Source: What Millennials Eat Report
In practice, this translates into a desire to minimize waste and packaging, and to look for sustainable food products with a lower environmental footprint.

For food and beverage brands, understanding millennial trends and preferences is crucial to developing and promoting brands for this lucrative market. If brands have a detailed grasp of what millennials want, they can better serve their fans and customers.
When it comes to food trends, millennials are leading the way.
In you'd like to read a more comprehensive exploration of millennial food trends, be sure to take a look at the report in full here.

Millennials are changing the way the world eats

Businesses pay a lot of attention to what this generation is looking for when they make purchasing decisions, and are always looking for new ways to cater to millennial tastes and preferences.

The key takeaways (pun intended) of our report, ' What Millennials Eat ', are just one example of the power of social listening to analyze and understand consumer tastes and preferences.

By putting the rich data on millennial food habits to work, brands can unlock huge competitive advantages. These include getting a detailed understanding of market trends and preferences, and identifying opportunities for new products and services.

Take a look at our full report, and see how your brand can get in on the action.

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Millennial Food Trends: What Do Millennials Eat?

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Avocado toast, oat milk lattes, green smoothies, and everything that comes in a bowl: if you haven't eaten it, you've seen it on Instagram. Whether you're a millennial yourself or not, it's hard to deny that this generation is changing the way we consume and perceive food.

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https://timesproperty.com/news/post/how-millennials-are-driving-real-estate-decisions-blid3843

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From tech-enabled equipment to decor transformations, the generation has had a great influence on the real estate industry. Read on

Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, are not only now buying houses, but have also reshaped the way these houses are constructed. So, what do millennials want? What are they constantly searching for? Erik Jan Middlehoven, acting country commercial manager, IKEA India shares:

Technology is an integral part of the daily routine for most millennials.
They spend most of their time on social media and prefer streaming rather than watching television. The role of the television, often a central staple in the living room design and setup, has become far less important or even redundant. This impacts how living room seating arrangements are configured. A comfortable sofa or armchair has become more important as people want to lounge and stream their content on their phones or laptop rather than everyone watching the same thing on television.

This generation is also driving the development of smart homes with lights, music, curtains, and roller blinds that can be operated by the touch of your finger or voice command. Lamps have charging ports and tables can be used for wireless charging. As connectivity is a key solution for everything, charging devices can be found in each room of the home.

Millennials are more interested in the aesthetical element of their living space beyond functionality.
We see more colour and modern contemporary pieces entering the home rather than heirlooms and furniture sets that their parents preferred. Millennials are far braver and experimental and less wary of change. They prefer lighter colours and materials. As this generation is more receptive to trends, they don't see furniture purchases as a lifelong investment, but rather as a reflection of their current taste. Customisation and carpentry are still popular but those who are likely to move more often increasingly prefer modular furniture that can move and adapt with their living situation.

Millennials travel more and are curious to experience new things, cultures, and cuisines.
The home is no longer defined by just the interiors but has become more inclusive. Outdoor space is seen as an extension of the indoor space and therefore is treated similarly whereas in the past, balconies and outdoor spaces were primarily used for functional needs such as storage, and drying laundry. Besides, millennials also see their outdoor spaces as a place to connect with nature or lounge with friends. The outdoor space becomes a room on its own where all elements become important from flooring to furniture, lighting, and decor. In general, we can say that the pandemic made us all look for a home that lends itself to an overall optimal sense of well-being.

What do they wish to have in their homes? Let's hear from some millennials
I stay with my 87-year-old grandmother. Though she is quite active, I am always worried if she has switched off the gas properly or if she has locked the door correctly while stepping out or sleeping. Also, unknown people like delivery boys, etc visit our home, which again is a risky affair. Thus, I have decided that whenever I buy my house, it will be a technology-enabled home where I can operate the basic amenities of my home via the phone. Also, I plan to install gas leak detectors and other necessary safety equipment.
- Shubham Ranade (26)

Apart from the mandatory safety equipment, I would like to decorate my home based on my likes and dislikes. Again here, I just don't mean by using my favourite colour or things, but themes. For instance, I love to dance and say my better-half loves to travel; then I would like to have dance and travel as the themes for our house decor whenever we buy a home together.
- Kinjal Sharma (25)

A home is supposed to be the most comfortable space - emotionally as well as physically. This was the only approach I had when I bought my house. While emotional comfort can come only through people, we can bring physical comfort through things. And I did just that by installing foldable furniture wherever possible. And because of that, even a one-BHK is comfortable for four people to live in, despite two of us working from home.
- Anand Kate (33)

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What Do Millennials Want In Their Homes? A Look Into Their Home Design Preferences

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From tech-enabled equipment to decor transformations, the generation has had a great influence on the real estate industry. Read on Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, are not only now buying houses, but have also reshaped the way these houses are constructed. So, what do millennials want? What are they constantly searching for?

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https://www.purewow.com/beauty/millennial-beauty-trends

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While we're not willing to part with our beloved buccal fat, we do love the look of sculpted cheeks. Whereas before, many millennials relied on heavy contouring to create more definition in their faces, we've now been introduced to a new technique called underpainting, courtesy of celeb makeup artist Mary Phillips. Underpainting offers a subtler take on contouring wherein you apply any contouring and highlighting products pre-foundation. In other words, you switch the order of application.

"Not only does it help to naturally define your features, but it also provides more flexibility for those who may be new to makeup application. It's a foolproof method to achieve a defined look with minimal effort," says Fortier. To give it a go, she advises "applying concealer to the under eyes, center of chin, bridge of nose, and forehead with your fingers or a brush." Without blending, follow up with your contouring shade (Fortier prefers cream or liquid products that melt into the skin). Then, top everything off with a light layer of foundation and blend it all together. "You are essentially blending your concealer, contour and foundation together for a more cohesive look." says Fortier.

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6 Millennial Beauty Trends We Can't Get Enough of in 2023

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While we're not willing to part with our beloved buccal fat, we do love the look of sculpted cheeks. Whereas before, many millennials relied on heavy contouring to create more definition in their faces, we've now been introduced to a new technique called underpainting, courtesy of celeb makeup artist Mary Phillips.

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https://www.ypulse.com/article/2021/06/09/over-half-of-millennials-are-working-from-home-will-they-go-back-to-the-office/

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Over Half of Millennials Are Working From Home-Will They Go Back to the Office? - YPulse

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millennials, employed millennials, work from home, working from home, remote work, jobs, careers, employment

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https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1050927

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New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANSlife): Current trends in the alcohol, beverage industry and data points that the Whiskey segment is only getting stronger. Aspri Spirits, a premium liquor importer driving a lifestyle trend in the alco-bev industry of India, puts the spotlight on Scottish Leader, one of their distinguished brands. Scottish Leader is a modern brand, the connects diverse perspectives to deliver a characterful drinking experience.

In a candid interaction with IANS, Guirec Danno, MD Aisa Pacific, Distell International details key insights about the whisky market in India, including the trends that are dominating the segment.

Read Excerpts:

The whisky market is being driven by millennials today. What are your views?

Guirec Danno: There are a few reasons why millennials are driving the whisky market in India. The middle class in the country is expanding rapidly with over 150 million people entering the middle class every year. They have a significant disposable income, are experimental, and curious.

These millennials are contributing to the growth of the whisky segment in India and have made it the largest whisky market in the world. While scotch comprises only 3 percent of the 220 million standard whisky cases consumed annually in the country, more millennial consumers are getting into this segment with each passing day.

What according to you will be the market trend for the whisky segment in the year 2023?

Guirec Danno: Numerous trends are taking place in India with premiumisation being one of them. Owing to additional disposable income, young consumers today are looking for better quality products and this trend is rising rapidly in the country.

Another trend that we are witnessing is that female consumption of whisky is picking up. While 10-15 years ago, the consumers of whisky were primarily men, it is not the case today as about 25 per cent of conversations around it are happening among women. Today women are looking at different mixes and cocktails which was not the case two decades back.

Also, consumers today want to educate themselves on finer details like the composition of the product. In cities like Bengaluru, we are witnessing that consumers are walking in stores and experiencing the product.

How do you believe that your brand stands amongst its peers and what is the unique point of appreciation that can be attributed to it?

Guirec Danno: The liquid quality of Scottish Leader and its packaging is far superior to a lot of brands that are available in the market today. Our claim of higher quality is backed by several awards that we have bagged in India and across the globe.

What was your marketing strategy regarding the packaging?

Guirec Danno: Scottish Leader as a brand is only 50 years old and is comparatively young since scotch whisky has been around for a few 100 years. We are looking at it from a very modern perspective. Our packaging is very simple, straightforward, and striking and our master blender, Julieann Fernandez is the youngest in the world. She is a talented, young professional who operates with a team of 15 people and has been recognised as the best master blender last year.

However, the real challenge for us is the promotion of the product as unlike other product segments, the advertisement of liquor is not allowed in the country. To overcome this challenge, we studied each market and witnessed that there was a different market leader for the scotch whisky category in every market. Citing this, we framed our strategies in line with the market leader in every market.

We extensively focussed on millennials and made them experience our product and that's how we started promoting the brand. We also focus more on the expertise of the individuals while onboarding them as brand ambassadors because they know why we want to promote the product in such a way.

Why has the Indian market become so important for international brands?

Guirec Danno: I believe three reasons make India stand out in the scotch whisky market. The first one is, of course, the economic growth, as about 150 million people in India have the means and the aspirations to experience whiskey.

Secondly, India is the largest whisky market with an annual sale of 220 million cases of standard whisky. Adding to that, the scotch whisky segment has been rising at a CAGR of 20 per cent and is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

The third element involves young consumers including females and millennials that are entering the whisky category. They are trying new cocktails and sharing their experience on social media.

What will be your marketing strategy for 2023?

Guirec Danno: We incepted our operations with a focus on the distribution of the brand and have marked our presence in the top 15 markets, with the help of our partner Aspri Spirits. In 2023, we will continue to focus on enhancing our distribution in more cities and towns and strengthening awareness about our brand.

At the same time, we are significantly focusing on the opportunities of PR, Digital promotion, Print, etc., and have also participated in several cocktail events in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, and Mumbai.

Scottish Leader has touched a CAGR of more than 70 per cent and the growth of scotch whiskey in India is expected to be above 20 per cent in the year 2023.

What about targeting Generation Z with social media or influencer marketing?

Guirec Danno: Since the promotion of liquor is prohibited in India, it happens at a more personalised level where somebody who can relate to the brand, and experience the brand says I like it, and then we move forward with that.

We also conducted a campaign last month which was an initiative for the southern markets. As a part of that, we picked up about 15 influencers in three cities and sent them whisky hampers.

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Millennials driving growth of the whisky segment in India, making it largest whisky market in the w

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By IANSlife New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANSlife): Current trends in the alcohol, beverage industry and data points that the Whiskey segment is only getting stronger. Aspri Spirits, a premium liquor importer driving a lifestyle trend in the alco-bev industry of India, puts the spotlight on Scottish Leader, one of their disting.....

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https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/lifestyle/5-health-challenges-faced-by-millennials/436199

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

If you are a millennial, you must have often heard your parents complaining about how life has changed, and that people were healthier before. Many from that generation also often bat an eye when new-age lifestyle problems and disorders are being discussed. There is no denying that health problems are more prevalent now, affecting millennials adversely. If you think that the cool wellness fads that are available at a click of a button are actually helping millennials remain healthy, think again.

The millennial generation, those who are now in their 20s and 30s, might have a growing obsession with turmeric lattes, fad diets, and holistic wellness centres, but are they healthier? Screens, gadgets, and junk food define this generation of young adults. According to a recent report, health consciousness is on the decline for this generation of millennials. They are likely to be unhealthier in the next ten years. Most millennials rely on easy-to-access resources such as WebMD, YouTube, Reddit, etc., looking for self-remedies rather than visiting a qualified physician. Small symptoms if ignored when they occur can lead to bigger health issues at a later stage.

Some of the most dominant/most common causes of illnesses and lifestyle disorders in millennials:

Stress: According to a recent survey conducted by Cigna TTK Health Insurance Co., 95 per cent of Indian millennials admit to being stressed, which is higher than any other country across the globe. Stress is said to have severe implications one's health and well-being. Long-term stress can lead to depression, anxiety and/or manifest into other forms of health issues such as acne, headaches, digestive issues or frequent infections. Several millennials consider work as the main source of their stress. A case in point can be seen in the 2021 Olympics when top-ranked gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from some competitive events to focus on her mental health. She epitomized the acceptance of mental health issues and speaking openly about them, often seen among millennials. Several from her generation graced her with an outpouring of support and love. It is true that with the fast pace of societal transformation that this generation has had to deal with, many millennials feel stressed out, sleepless, and left behind. It's alright to feel that everything is not alright, it's also ok to talk about it.

Peer pressure: The constant pressure from peers and the monumental burden of expectations that millennials face often have them spiraling. The changes in lifestyle and higher goals have put pressure on young adults to keep performing well. There is groundbreaking competition, and more always needs to be done. Millennials feel the need to constantly move towards something, often not letting them savour times of leisure.

Sleeping and eating habits: As more millennials become first-time parents and as they are more connected and aware of their responsibilities, the transition into parenthood may not be that difficult, but it comes at a certain price. Most millennials survive on only a handful of hours of sleep, and easy-to-cook or ordered food every day due to the pressures of balancing work and family. The invasion of OTT platforms in their lives does nothing to help. The lack of sleep and unhealthy eating habits lead to stress, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The rise in consumption of smoking and alcohol leads to weight gain and disorders like sleeplessnes.

Tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse: More millennials and more women among them are consuming tobacco, leading to a rise in cases of cancer. A tobacco disorder epidemic plagues millennials, and the effects can be felt for a long time in their lifestyle choices and health. There is a need to curb the consumption of tobacco among millennials.

Also, most millennials are fiercely independent and earning well. Their newfound freedom and financial independence sometimes lead them to stretch the limits of their freedom. Many take up consumption of alcohol on a daily basis, and in excessive quantities that may border on abuse; many also start consuming drugs like marijuana, etc. that can affect their nerves, hearts and, kidneys. Due to this, most millennials suffer from high levels of anxiety.

Excessive travel/migration: As we live in an increasingly globalized world, more millennials are travelling, and migrating to foreign lands for work or to settle down. It is seen that those whose lives revolve around living out of a suitcase, or those who move excessively to change home, experience greater stress. This leads to a higher prevalence of certain maladies such as hypothermia, burns, gastrointestinal issues, heart problems, and hypertension among others.

With the invasion of digitization into our private lives, more and more millennials feel lonely, adding to their feeling of isolation. The generation gap they feel with older adults adds to this sense of not fitting in, causing them to feel anxious and often misunderstood. Most illnesses as we understand today are psychosomatic, beginning in the mind. Therefore, the unhappiness and stress often fully blow up into major health issues at a later stage.

Since most of these health disorders may not be adequately covered by insurance companies, most millennials feel that the healthcare system is not adequately designed to support them, and serve their needs. This leads to the burgeoning of these health-related disorders with no solution in sight. Younger patients want to see a quick change in the system, and are particularly impatient, seeking alternatives that lead to the adoption of fads. Virtual care delivery systems that grew during the pandemic have somewhat eased the pressure on millennials. However, the pressure on millennials' mental and physical health is a ticking bomb. Those in authority must not waste any time and see how best they can alleviate these problems.

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Entrepreneur | 5 Health Challenges Faced By Millennials

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. If you are a millennial, you must have often heard your parents complaining about how life has changed, and that people were healthier before.

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The Healthy Eater’s Idea and Related Behavior of a Healthy Diet—A Case Study with Kombucha Drinkers

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Consumers’ demand for ‘healthy’ food is growing at a fast pace. Beverages are one of the fastest-growing segments in the healthy food market. Kombucha is a product with a rapid market growth and is considered a ‘healthy beverage’. Kombucha drinkers (n = 296) in the cont…

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International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings

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Consumer Behavior

Authors

Jihyun Kim (Kent State University)

Hyun-Mee Joung (Northern Illinois University)

Abstract

The global luxury market reached €223 billion in sales in 2014 (Bain & Company, 2014). There are various factors surrounding the behavior of luxury consumption, such as emotional brand attachment, brand-self congruity, perceived investment, and repurchase intentions. This study investigated influences of generational cohorts-older BB, younger BB, generation X, and Millennials-on consumer trait variables introduced earlier and repurchase intentions of luxury goods among affluent US consumers to offer insights regarding the variances and/or similarities among the cohorts to the luxury marketing and retail industries.

How to Cite:

Kim, J. & Joung, H., (2015) "Effects of Generational Cohorts on Brand-Self Congruity, Emotional Brand Attachment, Perceived Investment, and Repurchase Behavior regarding Luxury Goods", International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 72(1).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effects of Generational Cohorts on Brand-Self Congruity, Emotional Brand Attachment, Perceived Investment, and Repurchase Behavior regarding Luxury Goods

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The global luxury market reached €223 billion in sales in 2014 (Bain & Company, 2014). There are various factors surrounding the behavior of luxury consumption, such as emotional brand attachment, brand-self congruity, perceived investment, and repurchase intentions. This study investigated infl…

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preference: sustainability in luxury brands

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preference: sustainability in luxury brands

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Abstract

The current studies examined the hypothesis that maturity fears are increasing among undergraduate men and women from the United States over time. Study 1 used a time-lag method to assess generational effects of maturity fears among a large sample (n = 3,291) of undergraduate men and women assessed in 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012. Results revealed that both men and women reported significantly higher rates of maturity fears across time. Study 2 replicated these findings, and used a more restricted time frame to more closely examine the rate of change. Undergraduate women (n = 554) were assessed in 2001, 2003, 2009, and 2012. Maturity fears were again found to increase from 2001 to 2012. Recent cohorts of emerging adults seem more reluctant to mature than previous cohorts. Many contributing factors may be at play, including challenging economic times, social pressures to remain youthful, and/or internal fears of assuming increased responsibility.

Keywords: emerging adulthood, maturity fears, aging, college students, aging anxiety

Within the United States, negative stereotypes of elderly people are increasing ( Miller, Miller, McKibbin, & Pettys, 1999), and younger people are being made to increasingly fear the normal aging process. The current societal standard for ideal beauty in the United States for both men and women is a young ideal. For example, a recent study found that over 80% of models depicted in the media are between the ages of 18 to 30 years old ( Wasylkiw, Emms, Meuse, & Poirier, 2009). In fact, the American Academy of Anti-Age Medicine (A4M) was established in 1993 with the mission to "address the phenomenon of aging as a treatable disease" ( Haber, 2004). Given the focus on youth within our society, and the push to view aging as a disease, it seems plausible that young adults may wish to revert to a time when they were not bothered with aging related concerns or fear of the aging process. But has the reluctance to mature among young adults really increased in recent years? The current study set out to address this question by using data from several cohorts to examine whether maturity fears have changed among college-aged students over the past several decades.

In addition to the increased focus on youth present in Western societies, the transition into young adulthood brings a host of new challenges that are not shared by younger adolescents ( Arnett, 2000), and the prospect of facing these challenges may also contribute to fears of maturing. For instance, at this life stage many individuals are leaving home and "on their own" for the first time. They also often need to obtain employment to support their newly independent lifestyles. Given these new challenges, it is understandable that some may be reluctant to move out from under the aegis of adolescence.

Further, societal and economic changes over the past several decades appear to have exacerbated this hesitancy to embrace adulthood. Recent data from the United States on the achievement of typical developmental milestones suggest that young people are moving more slowly from the phase of late adolescence to that of adulthood. Young adults are staying in college much longer than prior cohorts, with close to half of college students still enrolled after six years ( Shapiro et al., 2013). It also is becoming more common for young adults to move back in with their parents after college. Census data show that over 30% of young women and over 40% of young men are living with their parents; for women, this is the highest rate of family cohabitation since the 1940s ( Fry, 2015). Individuals also are getting married and having children later than in previous decades. The median age of individuals getting married in 2011 was the highest it has ever been-28.7 for men and 26.5 for women ( Cohn, 2011). Moreover, the average age for a woman having her first child has increased by four years over the last four decades (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013).

Individuals are also starting their careers at later ages than seen previously, and the recent economic downturn appears to only have exacerbated this trend. Current census data found that over half (53.6%) of college graduates were un- or underemployed, which is the highest percentage in at least eleven years ( United Census Bureau, 2012). Moreover, it has been noted that recent college graduates are more likely to work as "waiters, waitresses, bartenders and food-service helpers than as engineers, physicists, chemists and mathematicians combined" ( Associated Press, 2012; Sum, With, & Palma, 2011). Researchers have argued that the delay of these important milestones necessitates the introduction of a new life stage, termed "emerging adulthood," to characterize a period (ages 18-25) focused largely on self-exploration ( Arnett, 2000). In the process of giving young people more time to transition to adulthood, some young people may begin to fear leaving the comforts of adolescence for the demands of adulthood. In fact, researchers have argued that the so called "maturity gap," or the time between the transition from adolescent to adult continues to widen and now lasts over a decade ( Galambos & Tilton-Weaver, 2000). Perhaps it is no wonder that some emerging adults might face this precipice with trepidation.

The delays and economic conditions faced by cohorts over the past several decades appear to have affected their outlook and possibly even their mental health. For instance, Krahn and Galambos (2014) found that relative to young adults who graduated from high school in 1986, young adults who graduated from high school in 1996 reported greater job entitlement beliefs, despite the fact that well-paying, high-skill jobs were becoming harder to come by. The authors note "our findings are generally consistent with Twenge's (2010) argument that recent cohorts of youth are becoming more entitled" ( Krahn & Galambos, 2014, p. 106). In the current economic climate, these entitlement beliefs are a double-edged sword; young adults stand firm in the belief that they are entitled to solid job prospects while stumbling over the other young adults who also cannot find careers. Researchers further believe that the inability to find a career could thwart the successful progression of adolescents into adulthood ( Arnett, 2004; Mortimer, Vuolo, Staff, Wakefield, & Xie, 2008), which in turn can negatively affect mental health ( Galambos, Barker & Krahn, 2006). Given the increasing difficulty of launching one's career, it may be that young adults are becoming more afraid of adulthood.

The trends discussed provide indirect support for the idea that today's emerging adults may be experiencing more fears associated with the transition to adulthood than those in previous decades. In support of this, Galambos et al. (2003) conducted a cluster analysis to determine whether adolescents varied in terms of their psychological maturity. Three clusters emerged-adultoid, immature, and mature. Notably, the immature cluster was the largest cluster and comprised 44 percent of the sample. Galambos and colleagues (2003) note: "Immature adolescents differed from mature adolescents, with immature adolescents reporting ... a lower desire to acquire responsibilities and a lower level of industriousness... Immature adolescents seemed to recognise that they were on a slower track, but were not eager to take on the responsibilities of older people" (p. 254). Given that fear of aging is associated with lower wellbeing ( Klemmack & Roff, 1984), reduced quality of life ( Bowling, 2006), and increased risk for disordered eating and psychopathology ( Gupta, 1990; Guptaxy & Schork, 1993; Slevec & Tiggeman, 2011), it is important to determine whether these fears are in fact increasing.

Current Study

We employed the time-lag method, which examines people of the same age across different generations or time points ( Twenge et al., 2008). Importantly, this method separates age and generational effects, allowing for examination of potential influences of cohort/culture/generation on a particular outcome, such as maturity fears. The present study uses the time-lag method to examine changes in maturity fears among college-aged students by using the maturity fears subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI; Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, 1983), a standard eating disorder assessment tool. Reflecting initial theoretical work on eating disorders ( Bruch, 1978), the EDI was developed to assess relevant personality, interpersonal, and developmental risk factors for eating disorders, and this assessment incorporated maturity fears as a distinct subscale. As measured by the EDI, maturity fears refer to a desire to return to childhood, fears of becoming an adult, and facing the demands of adult life. Importantly, although the maturity fears subscale was developed as part of a specific theoretical model of the etiology of eating disorders ( Bruch, 1978), data support its relevance across a broad range of psychopathology ( Hurley, Palmer & Stretch, 1990).

We utilized two large cohort data sets in order to examine maturity fears among college students over time. Our first study, which included both men and women, consisted of four cohorts across three decades. The first cohort was assessed in 1982; each subsequent cohort was assessed every decade for the next three decades. Given that several lines of research suggest that men and women might differ with regard to maturity fears, we conducted our analyses separately in men and women. For instance, women have been found to have lower levels of confidence that they will achieve job success ( Galambos, 1987), women have been found to hold stronger job entitlement beliefs than men ( Krahn & Galambos, 2014), and the gender intensification hypothesis ( Hill & Lynch, 1983) suggests that gender differences that manifest in adolescence may become more pronounced in adulthood. The second study also included four cohorts; however, this study consisted of women only and spanned eleven years. For both studies we predicted that there would be significant increases in maturity fears over the time period measured, and we expected these increases to be specific to maturity fears. Specifically, given research ( Hoek, 2006; Keel, Heatherton, Dorer, Joiner, & Zalta, 2006) which has not found increases in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa over the past several decades, we did not expect to find increases in other constructs measured by the EDI, such as bulimia and drive for thinness.

Study 1

Method

Participants and Procedures

Participants were women and men from a selective northeastern university in the United States who completed surveys for a larger community-based epidemiological study on eating and health related behaviors. More specifically, in the springs of 1982, 1992, and 2002, 800 female and 400 male college freshman or seniors were randomly selected to complete a self-report survey on health and eating attitudes and behaviors. In 2012, 800 female and 800 male college freshman or seniors were randomly selected to complete the survey. Of those randomly selected (n=5,200), 3,291 participated (63%). Specifically, in 1982, 624 women and 276 men participated; in 1992, 566 women and 233 men participated; in 2002, 542 women and 241 men participated; in 2012, 462 women and 347 men participated. Participants were representative of the randomly selected sample in terms of racial/ethnic distribution, but were not representative on gender because women were significantly more likely to participate than were men. More details on the sampling procedures for the original study are reported elsewhere (e.g., Keel & Heatherton, 2010; Keel et al., 2006). Participants from each cohort had a mean age of 20 + 2 years and the ethnic/racial breakdown was as follows: 85.5% non-Hispanic, 6.6% Hispanic, 7.9% unreported; 66.7% Caucasian, 16.3% Asian, 6.4% African-American, 1.8% Biracial/Other, 0.5% Indian-American/Alaskan Native, .04% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of relevant institutions. All participants signed consent forms prior to initiation of the survey.

Measures

The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI; Garner et al., 1983) is a commonly used measure of eating disorder risk factors and symptoms. The original EDI consists of eight different subscales, five of which were included in the original survey in 1982.1 Three of these subscales more closely resemble personality factors that have been associated with eating disorders as well as other forms of psychopathology (e.g., Maturity Fears, Perfectionism, and Interpersonal Distrust) whereas the other two subscales more specifically measure disordered eating (e.g., Drive for Thinness and Bulimia). For the current study, the Maturity Fears subscale was used to test our primary hypothesis that fears of aging have increased over time. The other EDI subscales were used to assess the specificity of generational changes related to maturity fears versus other related constructs (e.g., disordered eating symptomatology, perfectionism). In particular, the Maturity Fears subscale assesses an individual's desire to retreat to the security of childhood. This abbreviated subscale consists of four items ("I wish that I could return to the security of childhood," "The happiest time in life is when you are a child," "I would rather be an adult than a child [ reverse scored], and "I feel happy that I am not a child anymore [ reverse scored])." The Perfectionism subscale consists of six items measuring aspects of perfectionism (e.g., "I have extremely high goals"). The abbreviated Interpersonal Distrust subscale includes five items that are meant to assess general feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness (e.g., "I need to keep people at a certain distance [I feel uncomfortable if someone tries to get too close]"). The abbreviated Drive for Thinness scale consists of five items (e.g., "I am preoccupied with a desire to be thinner"). The abbreviated Bulimia subscale includes six items more specifically related to eating behavior (e.g., "I have gone on eating binges where I felt that I could not stop"). All items were scored on a 1-6 scale ranging from "never" to "always." This measure has shown good reliability and validity in previous community-based samples of men and women, and reliability for the current study was good with Cronbach's alphas ranging from .73-.92 across subscales and cohorts.

Analyses

SPSS Version 20.0 was used to conduct MANOVA analyses. Univariate and follow-up contrasts were employed to test for specific differences in means. Effect sizes are reported as Cohen's d; values below .10 are considered small, values between .10 and .30 medium, and values above .50 are considered large ( Cohen, 1992).2 Scores on the EDI Bulimia and Drive for Thinness scales demonstrated positive skew. Given that skewness is unlikely to make a substantive difference in large samples ( Tabachnick & Fidell, 2001), we present the results on the non-transformed scores; however, results were unchanged by analyzing log-transformed scores.

Results

There were no significant differences between cohorts with respect to age [ F(3, 3255) = 0.69, p = .56]. However, gender and ethnic diversity varied across cohorts: gender [ χ²(3) = 44.70, p < .001], ethnicity [ χ²(3) = 12.17, p = .007]. Specifically, there were more women in each cohort than men, and there were also more men in the 2012 cohort than in the 1982 cohort ( χ²(1) = 27.49, p < .001), 1992 ( χ²(1) = 32.87, p < .001), and 2002 ( χ²(1) = 25.07, p < .001). There were more men in 2012 compared to the other cohorts because men were sampled in equal proportion to women only in 2012. Further, the sample became more diverse over time, as there were more Hispanic participants in each subsequent cohort than the previous cohort (Cochran-Armitage trend test = 12.61, p < .01). This reflects the fact that the college population from which participants were drawn (and the broader US population from which college populations are drawn) has become increasingly diverse over time. We controlled for age and ethnicity (dummy coded: 0 = Non-Hispanic, 1 = Hispanic) in all analyses.

To evaluate the possibility of increasing maturity fears and to determine whether any such increases were specific to maturity fears as compared to other eating disorder related variables, Pillai's trace MANOVAs using all EDI scale scores examined in this study (Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Interpersonal Distrust, Perfectionism, Maturity Fears) were conducted. Further, we conducted these analyses separately for women and men.

The MANOVA was significant in women [ F(15, 5952) = 11.04, p < .0001, d = .35]. This overall effect was accounted for by significant changes in Maturity Fears, F(3,1986) = 30.20, p < .001, d = .41, and Bulimia, F(3,1986) = 11.59, p < .001, d = .29. The univariate ANOVAs for Drive for Thinness, Interpersonal Distrust, and Perfectionism were not significant.

Follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed significant increases in Maturity Fears from 1982 to 1992 (mean diff = 1.12, p < .001, 95% CI [0.70, 1.54], d = .34), from 1982 to 2002 (mean diff = 1.61, p < .001, 95% CI [1.18, 2.04], d = .48), from 1992 to 2002 (mean diff = .49, p = .02, 95% CI [0.08, 0.90], d = .13), from 1992 to 2012 (mean diff = .93, p < .001, 95% CI [0.50, 1.36], d = .25), from 2002 to 2012 (mean diff = .44, p = .049, 95% CI [0.003, 0.87], d = .12), and overall from 1982 to 2012 (mean diff = 2.05, p < .001, 95% CI [1.60, 2.50], d = .63), see Table 1 .

Table 1

1982
Mean (SD)

1992
Mean (SD)

2002
Mean (SD)

2012
Mean (SD)

Women

Men

Relevant to the issue of specificity, although there were significant changes in Bulimia, these changes all indicated decreases over time. Follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed significant decreases in Bulimia scores from 1982 to 1992 (mean diff = −1.79, p < .001, 95% CI [−2.43, −1.15], d = .35), from 1982 to 2002 (mean diff = −1.31, p = .001, 95% CI [−1.95, −0.66], d= .25), and from 1982 to 2012 (mean diff = −1.58, p < .001, 95% CI [−2.26, −0.91], d = .31), supporting our expectation that increases would be specific to maturity fears.3

Results in men largely mirrored those in women, with a few exceptions. The MANOVA of EDI scale scores (Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Interpersonal Distrust, Perfectionism, Maturity Fears) was again significant [ F(15, 2838) = 4.00, p < .0001, d= .29]. For men, this overall effect was accounted for by significant changes in Maturity Fears [ F(3,948) = 10.71, p < .001, d = .35] and Drive for Thinness [ F(3,948) = 3.87, p < .01, d= .20]. The univariate ANOVAs for Bulimia, Interpersonal Distrust, and Perfectionism were not significant.

Follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed significant increases in Maturity Fears for men from 1982 to 1992 (mean diff = 1.31, p < .001, 95% CI [0.66, 1.95], d = .41), from 1982 to 2002 (mean diff = 1.73, p < .001, 95% CI [1.10, 2.35], d = .54), and overall from 1982 to 2012 (mean diff = 1.35, p < .001, 95% CI [0.76, 1.94], d = .42), see Table 1 .

Finally, follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed significant increases in Drive for Thinness for men from 1992 to 2012 (mean diff = 1.34, p = .001, 95% CI [0.27, 1.44], d = .29), and from 2002 to 2012 (mean diff = 0.95, p = .02, 95% CI [0.16, 1.74], d = .20).

Study 1 Discussion

As predicted, maturity fears increased significantly among both undergraduate men and women during the time frame of 1982-2012. In contrast, most other constructs measured by the EDI, with one exception, decreased or stayed constant over this time period, providing some evidence of specificity. The one exception was the increase of Drive for Thinness among men from 1992-2012; it should be noted that this finding mirrors those reflected in a growing body of literature documenting the mounting pressures that men feel to be both muscular and thin (e.g., Ridgeway & Tylka, 2005; Smith, Hawkeswood, & Joiner, 2010).

This exception aside, while some of the variables we measured stayed constant over time (e.g., Perfectionism, Interpersonal Distrust) and others actually decreased over time (e.g., in women, Bulimia), Maturity Fears uniquely and robustly increased among undergraduates of both genders. These findings support our hypothesis that people reaching emerging adulthood at the current time struggle more than do past cohorts with regard to feeling overwhelmed and desiring to remain in adolescence.

Study 2

We sought to replicate findings using an additional sample of college women from a distinct geographic location in the United States. Also, instead of collecting data at widely spaced intervals (i.e., 10 years) as in Study 1, we examined data at more frequent intervals (i.e., 2-6 years) in Study 2, which allowed us to more closely examine the rate of change. We again predicted that there would be significant increases in maturity fears over the study period. We expected these increases to be relatively specific to maturity fears, and we did not predict significant increases in the other subscale scores of the EDI.

Method

Participants and Procedures

The second study consisted of women from a large, public southeastern university in the United States who completed questionnaires about disordered eating and related variables in exchange for course credit. Questionnaires were completed in 2001 (n = 96), 2003 (n = 152), 2009 (n = 196), and 2012 (n = 206). The mean age of each cohort ranged from 18.47-19.10 years. With regard to ethnicity, 80.4% were non-Hispanic, 10.3% were Hispanic, and 9.4% did not report their ethnicity. The total sample was 67.6% Caucasian, 2.1% Asian, 24.2% African-American, 0.9% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1.0% Other, and 4.2% did not specify their race. Age and ethnic diversity varied across cohorts: age [ F(3, 558) = 3.00, p = .03]; ethnicity [ χ²(3) = 16.48, p = .001]. Specifically, the 2009 cohort was younger than the 2012 cohort [mean diff (S.E.) = −0.62 (.22), p =.02). Further, as with Study 1, there were more Hispanic participants in each subsequent cohort than the previous cohort (Cochran-Armitage trend test = 13.83, p < .01). The percentage of African-Americans also increased and decreased over time. We controlled for age, ethnicity (dummy coded: 0 = Non-Hispanic, 1 = Hispanic), and race (dummy coded: 0 = African-American, 1 = non African-American) in all analyses. Informed consent was provided prior to participation in the study and all procedures were approved by the university's Institutional Review Board.

Measures

Participants completed the full EDI ( Garner et al., 1983), which is described in detail above for Study 1. The analyses focused on the full versions of the five subscales that were used in Study 1: Bulimia (7 items), Drive for Thinness (7 items), Interpersonal Distrust (7 items), Perfectionism (6 items), and Maturity Fears (8 items). Cronbach's alphas for the subscales in this sample ranged from .75-.90.

Results

Pillai's trace MANOVAs of EDI scale scores (Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Interpersonal Distrust, Perfectionism, Maturity Fears) were conducted. The MANOVA was significant [ F(15, 1356) = 3.80, p < .0001, d = .41]. This overall effect was accounted for by significant changes in Maturity Fears [ F(3,454) = 3.71, p = .01, d = .31], and Interpersonal Distrust [ F(3, 454) = 13.97, p < .001, d = .59]. The univariate ANOVAs for Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, and Perfectionism were not significant.

For Maturity Fears, follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed significant increases in Maturity Fears from 2003 to 2012 (mean diff = 2.24, p = .002, 95% CI [0.83, 3.64], d= .37), and overall from 2001 to 2012 (mean diff = 1.84, p = .05, 95% CI [0.003, 3.68], d = .32), Table 2 .

Table 2

2001
Mean (SD)

2003
Mean (SD)

2009
Mean (SD)

2012
Mean (SD)

(n = 96)

(n = 152)

(n = 196)

(n = 206)

d

For Interpersonal Distrust, follow-up pairwise comparisons revealed both significant increases and decreases, although there was an overall significant increase in scores from 2001 to 2012 (mean diff = 2.20, p = .01, 95% CI [0.55, 3.84], d = .51). Specifically, scores increased from 2003 to 2009 (mean diff = 4.96, p < .001, 95% CI [3.32, 6.61], d = 1.04), and then decreased from 2009 to 2012 (mean diff = −2.79, p < .001, 95% CI [−4.31, −1.27], d = .50).

Study 2 Discussion

As predicted, maturity fears increased in a sample of undergraduate women from 2001 to 2012. These findings replicate those from Study 1, providing additional evidence to support the idea that emerging adults are experiencing difficulty with the transition from the relative shelter of adolescence to the relative independence of adulthood. Our specificity prediction was partly supported. As expected there were no significant changes in either Drive for Thinness, Bulimia, or Perfectionism, and the changes in Interpersonal Distrust, though significant, did not conform to a coherent overall pattern.

General Discussion

We examined whether undergraduates' fears of maturing into adulthood have increased over the last few decades. Specifically, we collected data from two different universities over time periods that captured generational shifts (Study 1) as well as rapid changes that occurred within the later period of observation among this new developmental group of emerging adults (Study 2). In both Studies 1 and 2, we found evidence that undergraduate women from recent cohorts have notably more fears about entering into adulthood than those from past cohorts. In Study 1, we also evaluated this tendency among undergraduate men and found similar results; undergraduate men in 2012 report more fears related to the maturation process than undergraduate men did in 1982. Taken together, these results provide converging evidence that undergraduates today experience more fear related to facing the demands of adult life than undergraduates in the past.

Our findings on maturity fears conformed to a priori predictions; our supplemental predictions on the specificity of effects to Maturity Fears versus other EDI dimensions received considerable though not complete support. Overall, as expected, other EDI dimensions did not show systematic and consistent increases across studies (unlike Maturity Fears). In particular, we found an increase in Drive for Thinness among men in Study 1, and in Study 2, we found an increase in Interpersonal Distrust among our female sample. To the degree that the findings are stable, they may be reflecting specific aspects of the general maturity fears processes we have studied in this paper. Said differently, Interpersonal Distrust may be related to fears of maturing. Our finding that Drive for Thinness increased among men in Study 1 may be reflective of a real phenomenon, though further replication is needed. In support of this finding, other rigorous research has found that as men age and get heavier they become more concerned with their weight ( Keel, Baxter, Heatherton, & Joiner, 2007).

An increasing fear of maturity is worrying, not only because this process is inevitable and natural, but also because a fear of maturity makes aging harder to bear and negatively impacts psychological well-being ( Bowling, 2006; Klemmack & Roff, 1984; Gupta, 1990; Guptaxy & Schork, 1993; Slevec & Tiggeman, 2011). Indeed, a failure to achieve and accept appropriate maturity status may lead to the inability to successfully transition to adulthood. Specifically, it may adversely affect the development of one's own identity, capacity for intimate relationships, and/or behavioral and financial independence ( Galambos et al., 2003). Thus, increased maturity fears could have a broad, maladaptive effect on society as a whole if they interfere with successful transition across developmental stages. Future studies specifically examining links between maturity fears (e.g., EDI subscale) and potential indicators of delayed transition (e.g., longer times spent in college, delayed family formation) may further elucidate potential consequences of this phenomenon.

Given potential adverse effects of increased maturity fears, it is important to better understand what might account for the rising levels of maturity fears among undergraduates. Speculation must be used when attempting to explain this observation, as empirical studies on adolescents' and young adults' fears related to the natural aging process are almost entirely absent from the literature. Furthermore, it is likely that several processes (e.g., social, psychological, biological) have contributed to increased maturity fears among young adults. Recent cohorts in the United States may be more worried about their transition to adulthood, given that their prospects to successfully perform this transition may be realistically more negative than those of prior cohorts. Perhaps in light of these economic changes, parents appear to be more controlling and protective of their children. For instance, in the early seventies approximately 80 percent of children in the United Kingdom walked to school by themselves; currently that percentage is estimated to be lower than ten percent ( Hillman, Adams, & Whitelegg, 1990; Rosin, 2014). These changes in parenting may leave children feeling less prepared to take the risks that are required of the transition from childhood to adulthood, and in turn, increased fears of doing so.

Another possible explanation for the increased fears related to the transition to adulthood observed in the current study can be deduced from Twenge et al.'s (2008) finding that levels of narcissism are higher among current undergraduates than previous undergraduates ( Twenge et al., 2008). Emerging adults who have been given things they want easily, or at least believe they should be entitled to getting things they "deserve," may experience heightened anxiety when they reach a developmental phase that requires them, for the first time, to accomplish important things for themselves. Given the additional context of the recent economic downturn, young men and women preparing to leave college may feel more anxious about their ability to create a flourishing, independent life for themselves than their peers before them. As a result, they may feel mounting concerns and fears about becoming young adults.

There are some important limitations of the current studies that should be considered when interpreting our results. First, we assessed the construct "fear of entering adulthood" using a single measure, namely, the Maturity Fears subscale of the EDI ( Garner et al., 1983). Although this subscale examines participants' feelings surrounding progressing to adulthood versus remaining in childhood, it does so in a somewhat circumscribed manner. Until a better measure of the process that emerging adults go through is designed, however, the Maturity Fears subscale of the EDI seems useful. In fact, the most well validated and commonly used measure assessing fears related to the aging process (e.g., The Anxiety about Aging Scale, Lasher & Faulkender, 1993) focuses almost exclusively on fears related to late life aging, which differs significantly from the construct being assessed in the current study. A better measure of the process by which individuals transition from adolescence to adulthood will allow researchers to evaluate various mechanisms that may explain the current results. For instance, if fears about transitioning from childhood to adulthood are linked to narcissism then they could also be linked to fears of transitioning from adulthood to late life, as every day would take one a step closer to death. However, if the concerns expressed by emerging adults are unique to this new developmental group, then they may be unassociated with how people feel about the transition from the already established developmental period of adulthood to late adulthood. It is also possible that both personality factors, like narcissism, and changing environments impact how anxiety provoking these life transitions may be.

Another limitation is that we only included college undergraduates in our samples, which limits our ability to generalize our results related to maturity fears to similarly aged non-college groups, and also to people from different developmental groups. College students differ from their same aged peers who do not attend college in some important ways). Whether these differences would also impact the patterns found for maturity fears is unknown. Further, although we found evidence for increased maturity fears among emerging adults, our data do not allow us to assess whether individuals in their 30's and beyond also are more fearful of the maturing or aging process now than they were historically. Indeed, despite strengths of the timelag design, this method cannot distinguish between generational effects (i.e., that affect only young people) and time-period effects (i.e., that affect everyone in that period).

These limitations are at least somewhat mitigated by key strengths of the current work. Our findings for maturity fears were consistent and were replicated across two samples, and in Study 1, replicated within the sample (i.e., they held in men as they did in women). This consistency in findings occurred despite the fact the two samples and approaches of the two studies were distinct along numerous dimensions: the Study 1 sample was from a highly selective private university, whereas the Study 2 sample was from a large public state university; the Study 1 sample was collected in the northeast U.S., with students attending the university from all over the U.S. and world, whereas the Study 2 sample was collected in the southeast U.S., with the majority of students attending from the home state of the university; Study 1 tracked cohort changes over a thirty-year interval starting in 1982, whereas Study 2 sampled cohorts over an eleven-year interval starting in 2001; Study 1 used randomly selected cohorts from across the university whereas Study 2 used a convenience sample of psychology subject pool participants; and Study 1 used an abbreviated form of the EDI, whereas Study 2 used the full version. The convergence of the maturity fears results despite these various differences, lends further confidence to our conceptualization and results.

Given that almost all past studies on anxiety related to the aging process focus on perceptions of elderly people, there are many interesting future directions that researchers should pursue. First, as noted above, there is room for the development of a measure that would validly and comprehensively assess people's fears related to aging or transitioning processes at various points in development (e.g., from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to adulthood, etc.). Second, researchers should attempt to discern the unique fears that individuals from various age groups (or cultures) possess when thinking about aging processes and those fears that commonly affect people across the entire developmental lifespan (or across cultures). Additionally, if maturity fears are shown to be widespread, the development of programs that help people mature and transition into different life stages more gracefully and without so many anxieties may be warranted. Moreover, future studies examining predictors of change in maturity fears over time is imperative to test hypotheses generated by the current research, including the specific influence of both historical and social contexts on adolescent development. Similarly, future studies examining associations between the maturity fears subscale of the EDI or other measures of this construct and longer times spent in college or delayed family formation may better inform the impact of these fears on individuals.

In sum, our results indicate that today's emerging adults seem reluctant to take on life's next chapter. Many contributing factors may be at play, including challenging economic times, social pressures to remain youthful, and/or internal fears of assuming increased responsibility. Future research is needed to illuminate the processes that have contributed to changes in young adults' reactions to natural maturation. Health, youthfulness, and protection can be considered as valuables (though so can wisdom, experience, and knowledge). Maturity's wisdom, knowledge, and experience are precious, hard-won, and nothing to fear.

Acknowledgments

Funding:

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by grants from the Milton Fund and the National Institute of Mental Health (XXXXX) to XXX and by a fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute.

Footnotes

¹Given that the original study survey was created prior to the official publication of the EDI, the survey only included items from the original EDI that were available in 1982. These items were included in the final scales of the EDI and remained consistent across the different waves of data collection. Importantly, statistical analyses support factor invariance for the subscales used in the study and the EDI subscales published in 1983 between genders and across ages ( Keel, Baxter, Heatherton, & Joiner, 2007).

² Effect sizes for follow-up comparisons are based on unadjusted means.

³ For all analyses in this study and in Study 2, when examining one of the EDI variables, covariance of the other EDI subscales did not alter the general pattern of results.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests:

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"I don't want to grow up, I'm a [Gen X, Y, Me] kid": Increasing maturity fears across the decades

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The current studies examined the hypothesis that maturity fears are increasing among undergraduate men and women from the United States over time. Study 1 used a time-lag method to assess generational effects of maturity fears among a large sample (n ...

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Perceptions on the challenges of online purchasing: a study from "baby boomers", generation "X" and generation "Y" point of views

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La internet ha creado un impacto revolucionario en las comunicaciones y transacciones de todos los días. Se considera la modalidad de compras con el m...

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Author links open overlay panel Agota Giedrė Raišienė ¹ , Violeta Rapuano ¹ , Kristina Varkulevičiūtė ¹ ²

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Sensitive Men and Hardy Women: How Do Millennials, Xennials and Gen X Manage to Work from Home?

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Author links open overlay panel Agota Giedrė Raišienė 1 , Violeta Rapuano 1 , Kristina Varkulevičiūtė 1 2 Show more Despite the huge number of studies on telework in 2020, the influence of socio-demographic characteristics of workers on their attitudes towards telework continues to raise questions.