PPB March 2019

members of Gen Z are just turning four years old—but they are also part of the largest population in the United States at nearly 74 million people. According to Nielsen, Gen Z’s make up 25.9 percent of the population compared to Millennials at 24.5 percent, Gen Xers at 15.4 percent, Baby Boomers at 23.6 percent and the Silent Generation at 10.5 percent. It’s estimated that Gen Z will comprise 40 percent of U.S. consumers by 2020. This is the fastest-growing generation in both the workplace and the marketplace. This is why you’d better start paying attention now. These young people have had a screen in their hands since they were toddlers. The innovations that members of older generations see as new technology have always been a part of Gen Z’s lives. For example: • 2001 brought forth iTunes, the iPod and Wikipedia. Music and encyclopedias have always been digital for Gen Z. • 2002 was the premiere of American Idol. To this group, reality TV is how stars and even presidents have made impressions and gained popularity. • 2004 was the founding year for Facebook. For them, social media has always been how people stay in touch. • 2007 brought the introduction of the iPhone but to Gen Z, people have always been using FaceTime, playing games, watching movies, listening to music and getting immediate answers to questions from handheld devices. This post 9-11 generation has never known our country when it’s not fighting a war. Mass shootings have been their reality. Active shooter drills are part of their school days. They have always shopped online. And for them, Googling information to self-educate is second nature. Each generation has its defining moments—those events that affect everyone at the same time and at the same stage of their development. For Gen Z, they saw their parents deal with foreclosures, job losses and economic cutbacks during the Great Recession of 2008. Student loan debt has made college less attainable. They grew up while President Obama was in office, so diversity at the highest level of leadership is normal to them. Marriage equality has been part of the national discussion and same-sex marriage has been legal for almost their whole lives. Likewise, they have seen marijuana become legal for medical use in 33 states and for recreational use in 10 states. They’ve seen 20-year-olds become billionaires and some of their peers become YouTube millionaires. The youngest members may even have been parented by Millennials whom they consider “old.” Gen Z is the most diverse generation ever and they are sensitive to diversity. They like it. They value it. To them, it’s not about political correctness. They genuinely feel it is important to not offend other cultures. They sincerely like being surrounded by people who are different from themselves and want to learn more about other cultures. Most do not see diversity or notice it unless that diversity is absent. They are offended by offensive people. Their parents are primarily Gen Xers and Millennials whose parenting styles may clash with those of the Baby Boomer parents who preceded them. The parents of Gen Z’s may have raised them with more of a you-figure-it-out approach than a you-need-to-succeed-and-do-it-right attitude that was likely taught by Baby Boomer parents. Boomer parents tend to give their children what they need to be successful. Gen X and Millennial parents are more of the teach-a-man-to-fish variety and strive to teach children how to be successful on their own. Boomer parents are aspirational by telling their children that they can do anything. Gen X and Millennial parents are more realistic by encouraging children to do what they are good at and love doing. THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF GEN Z ARE JUST TURNING FOUR YEARS OLD—BUT THEY ARE ALSO PART OF THE LARGEST POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES AT NEARLY 74 MILLION PEOPLE. FEATURE | Gen Z 66 | MARCH 2019 |