Introduction
As technological innovations have driven forward the internet has become more prevalent for this generation with mobile devices being part of daily life. This generation have owned mobile devices from an early age and report feeling uncomfortable if they do not have a mobile device with them. This is believed to have contributed to a reduction in the number of books being read leading to a reduced vocabulary and attention span.
Generation Z or Gen Z has seen a decline in the alcohol consumption rates leading to less alcohol taxes being paid in the UK. There are suggestions that is generation is less repressed than previous generations and prefers a mature, European approach to drinking.
Key Events
This generation saw the invention of the Smartphone where access to information and streaming services started to be available 24/7. Two of the prevalent devices in use today are the iPhone and the phones based on the Android platform. Steve Jobs announced the iPhone in 2007 shortly followed by Google and their first Android phone in 2008.
Streaming services slowly became available with the most notable being Netflix which started as DVD rental company in 2007. As competition in the DVD rental market increased, they moved to offering the first on-demand streaming service. 2007 saw the formation of Spotify, for streaming music, eventually launching in 2011.
Facebook saw a decline in Gen Z users with them preferring Social Media platforms that allow greater privacy which could have been a reaction to seeing their parents oversharing. This saw a rise in other platforms such as Instagram, formed in 2010, and Snapchat, formed in 2011.
In 2008 the world saw a global recession caused by banks over-lending, pushing up house prices which caused many houses to become unaffordable. The recession caused many of their parents to lose jobs, houses and suffer financial hardship.
Characteristics
This generation has grown up with technology and information and has become fluent in sifting out “noise” and acquiring the information from reputable sources. This leads them to make informed decisions and will rarely make uninformed impulsive decisions.
Rising costs are putting pressure on Gen-Z fulfilling their ambitions so they tend to try and save more than previous generations.
Gen-Z have used internet connected devices all their lives and have become very adept at multi-tasking and can easily use several devices simultaneously. This extends to their communication style where they favor platforms offering the ability to quickly connect and message whilst doing other things.
They tend to get news from trusted social media sources rather than from traditional sources commonly used by older generations.
The connected world that Gen-Z have been born into has meant that they are very aware of the world around them with global warming and sustainability being just two of the commitments that they expect to see from organisations. They are also possibly one of the most diverse generations to have existed and this is reflected in their desire to work in inclusive environments.
By
