Gen Z is the largest generation in American history, currently making up 27% of the population in the US.
Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z individuals are now between 11 and 26 years old. Many are entering the workforce and gaining more purchasing power.
How is this generation impacting the world? Here are seven Gen Z trends to watch in 2024 and beyond.
1. Driven By Digital
Gen Z are true “digital natives.” The stats prove this: over 95% own a smartphone, 83% own a laptop, and 78% own an internet-connected gaming console.
They’ve been exposed to tech from a young age. Older Millennials got their first cell phone at 20, younger Millennials at 16, and Gen Zers at 12.
This generation is becoming more tech-centered. A survey found that more than half of Gen Zers feel more insecure without their smartphone than without their wallet.
Social media is a huge trend for this generation. As they get older, experts predict Facebook may become one of their top three social platforms.
Most Gen Zers use their smartphones for video streaming, music, and podcasts. The 2021 US Media Consumption Report showed that 60% of Gen Zers stream music daily, 37% listen to podcasts weekly, and the average Gen Z individual spends 3.4 hours per day streaming videos.
44% of Gen Zers stream more than 3 hours of Netflix per day, and only 20% don’t have their own Netflix subscription.
2. Nostalgic For The 2000s
Gen Zers are 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 3 million posts on Instagram. Gen Zers are especially nostalgic for fashion from the 2000s, with low-rise jeans making a huge comeback.
Pop culture and fashion from the 2000s are coming back, with searches for “Y2K fashion” up more than 2000% since 2019.
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. Depop saw a surge after the pandemic, and searches for the platform have remained high.
Gen Zers are also taking their tech products back in time. The “flip phone” hashtag has over 600 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 7 in 10 Gen Zers believe the government should do more to solve problems. A recent study said 66% of Gen Zers disagree that the government has done its best to protect the country.
Nearly 60% of Gen Zers agree that it’d be difficult to trust the government post-pandemic. This distrust could continue well into the future. The Political Scar of Epidemics paper suggested that individuals who experience an epidemic between 18 and 25 are likely to have negative attitudes toward the government and elections for a long time.
This trend could impact the upcoming 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 Gen Z.
Gen Z’s distrust goes beyond politics. Only 39% of Gen Z internet users trust a brand to keep their data safe. A Deloitte survey found that 24% don’t trust business leaders, 30% don’t trust traditional media, and 49% don’t trust religious leaders.
Some experts suggest distrust is part of being a teenager. Peter Adams, who leads an organization teaching kids about media literacy, 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 US, 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. 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 this generation believes in the benefit of increasing diversity in society. One report showed that 62% of Gen Zers believe increasing diversity is good for society.
Members of Gen Z emphasize inclusion and social justice. 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 4 in 5 Gen Zers support the Black Lives Matter movement.
5. Emerging Buying Power
Gen Z’s global purchasing power is more than $400B. A few key financial trends have emerged in this generation.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services are wildly popular with Gen Z. Predictions state that more than 44% of Gen Z digital buyers (over the age of 14) used a BNPL service at least once.
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 Millennials. Gen Zers are 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.
They are also looking for retailers that value inclusion. 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 now entering the full-time workforce. By 2025, they will make up 27% of the global workforce.
Right now, they’re leading the charge for several big changes. The first is work-life balance. Nearly 40% of Gen Zers put a large emphasis on work-life balance when choosing where to work.
Gen Zers also focus on empowering work culture and growth potential within the company. Work culture and growth potential are the top reasons Gen Z employees will stay with a company.
Gen Z is demanding more workplace benefits. They want flexible hours, fully covered health insurance, free meals, and sizeable salary increases. They want their employer to encourage a healthy lifestyle, with benefits like gym memberships and flexible spending accounts for healthy activities.
Employee wellbeing has become a topic of focus in many organizations. Generation Z does not put a large emphasis on working remotely. In one survey, 48% of respondents said they’d prefer a hybrid work environment, and only 30% wanted to work fully remotely.
Nearly half of Gen Zers would like to own their own business. Lending Tree reports that 46% of Gen Zers over the age of 18 have a side hustle. Nearly one-quarter of these individuals wouldn’t be able to pay their bills without it.
Popular gig economy spots for Gen Z workers include selling custom clothing, artistic goods on Etsy, and freelancing on Fiverr. “Fiverr” searches have grown by 138% in 5 years.
7. Rising Mental Health Concerns
A survey from Deloitte found around half 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 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, sometimes called “iDisorder.” Social media, in particular, has been connected to worsening mental health among young people.
The “digital wellbeing” of Gen Zers is a cause for concern. Search volume for this term has risen 6,300% over the last 5 years.
A survey by the American Psychological Association reported that adults in Generation Z were the most likely to say their mental health has worsened compared with before the pandemic. They were also more likely to report feeling isolated and not getting adequate emotional support.
Up to 75% of Gen Zers have reported being stressed by the threat of gun violence and mass shootings.
Even with these statistics, Generation Z is more open to getting help and discussing mental health troubles. They are more likely to receive treatment from a mental health professional. The stigma associated with mental health issues has 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 before them. They’re connected, diverse, and ready to make their opinions known. With many Gen Zers under 18 years old, the future of this generation may change drastically in the coming years. With their increasing purchasing power and influence on social issues, Generation Z is one to watch closely.
