What is Generation Z?

The term Generation Z refers to people born from around the end of the 1990s onwards. Like all generations, the group has its own supposed defining characteristics. Members of Generation Z are often labelled as hyper-digital, super idealist and even depressed. But what’s the scientific basis for all of this?

The term Generation Z originated in 2012 from an online contest organised by the daily newspaper USA Today. OK, so it’s not the most original name, with Generation Z following on directly from Generation Y, also known as the millennials. They in turn followed on from Generation X.

When people first started talking about Generation Z, some saw 1995 as a would-be cut-off date. Others preferred to go with the year 2000. In the end, the Pew Research Center, an American think tank, came up with 1st January 1997 as a start date.

Of course, the date is somewhat arbitrary. Researchers justify the date saying people born from then on have a different perception of the world. For example, they don’t have any memory of 9/11, but have always lived in a world that’s afraid of terrorism. They didn’t witness the creation of new technologies first-hand, but use electronic devices from an early age.

According to The Economist, members of Generation Z are more educated, open-minded and militant, but also more stressed than preceding generations. Above all, they are generally criticised when arriving in the workplace. Too mollycoddled, oversensitive, smartphone-dependent, asocial, unaccepting of a hierarchy. In other words, a headache for a lot of companies. But along with that comes opportunities too. Generation Z are also the next big group of consumers. So it’s better for companies to learn to understand them!

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