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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"iGen" redirects here. For the book, see iGen (book). For other uses, see Generation Z
(disambiguation).

Part of a series on

Social generations

Generations

 Lost Generation

 Greatest Generation
  Silent Generation

 Baby boomers

 Generation X

 Millennials

 Generation Z

 Generation Alpha

 Generation Beta

Cohorts on a cusp

Country-specific


  v

 t

 e

Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the

demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and
popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending
birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1997 to 2012.
[1]
Most members of Generation Z are the children of Generation X, and it is predicted that many
will be the parents of the proposed Generation Beta.[2]

As children in the mid-late 2000s and 2010s, Generation Z was the first social generation to
grow up with Web 2.0 and digital technology as an established commodity.[3] From a young age,
they have watched online videos and web series (often via YouTube),[4] and played online games
like Club Penguin and Minecraft.[5] As adolescents and young adults in the 2010s and 2020s,
members of the generation were dubbed "digital natives",[6] even if they were not
necessarily digitally literate[7] and might struggle in a digital workplace.[8][9]

Generation Z has been described as "better behaved and less hedonistic" than previous
generations.[10][11] They have fewer teenage pregnancies, consume less alcohol (but not
necessarily other psychoactive drugs),[12][13][14] and are more focused on school and job
prospects.[10][15] They are also better at delaying gratification than teens from the 1960s.
[16]
Sexting became popular during Gen Z's adolescent years, although the long-term
psychological effects are not yet fully understood.[17]

There is greater awareness and diagnosis of mental health conditions among Generation Z,[15][14]
[18][19]
and sleep deprivation is more frequently reported.[20][21][22] Moreover, the negative effects
of screen time in the late 2010s were most pronounced in adolescents, as compared to younger
children.[23] Youth subcultures have not disappeared, but they have been quieter.[24]
[25]
Nostalgia is a major theme of youth culture in the 2010s and 2020s.[26][27] Meanwhile,
Generation Z has been active in politics around the world.[28][29][30]

Terminology

The name Generation Z is a reference to it being the second generation after Generation X,
continuing the alphabetical sequence from Generation Y (Millennials).[31][32] Other names for the
generation have included iGeneration,[33] Homeland Generation,[34] Digital Natives,[33] Neo-
Digital Natives (emphasizing the shift from PC to mobile and text to video among this cohort),
[35]
Pluralist Generation,[33] Internet Generation,[36][33] and Centennials.[37] The Pew Research
Center surveyed the various terms for this cohort on Google Trends in 2019 and found that in
the U.S., Generation Z was overwhelmingly the most popular.[38] The Merriam-
Webster and Oxford dictionaries both have official entries for Generation Z.[39]

"While there is no scientific process for deciding when a name has stuck, the momentum is
clearly behind Gen Z."

Michael Dimmock, Pew Research Center[39]

Rapper MC Lars used the term iGeneration as a song title[40] in 2003, initially referring to
Millennials.[41] Psychology professor and author Jean Twenge also used the term, intending it as
the title of her 2006 book about Millennials but changing the title to Generation Me at the
insistence of her publisher. Twenge later used the term for her 2017 book on Gen Z, iGen.
Others also claim to have coined the name.[33]

Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, creators of the Strauss–Howe generational theory,
adopted the term Homeland Generation (or Homelanders)[34] in 2005 after sponsoring a contest
to name the post-Millennial group.[33] The term Homeland refers to being the first generation to
enter childhood after protective surveillance state measures, like the Department of Homeland
Security, were put into effect following the September 11 attacks.[34]

Zoomer is an informal term used to refer to members of Generation Z.[42][43][44] It combines the
shorthand Boomer, referring to Baby Boomers, with the "Z" from Generation Z. Zoomer in its
current incarnation skyrocketed in popularity in 2018, when it was used in an internet
meme on 4chan mocking Gen Z adolescents via a Wojak caricature dubbed a "Zoomer".[45]
[46]
Merriam-Webster's records suggest the use of the term Zoomer in the sense of Generation Z
dates to at least as early as 2016. It was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in October
2021[42] and to [Link] in January 2020.[47] It is commonly utilized as a neutral descriptor
rather than as invective. Prior to this, Zoomer was occasionally used to describe particularly
active Baby Boomers.[42]

Date and age range definitions

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Generation Z as "the generation of people born
in the late 1990s and early 2000s".[48] The Oxford Dictionaries define Generation Z as "the group
of people who were born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, who are regarded as
being very familiar with the internet".[49] Encyclopedia Britannica defines Generation Z as "the
term used to describe Americans born during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Some sources give
the specific year range of 1997–2012, although the years spanned are sometimes contested or
debated because generations and their zeitgeists are difficult to delineate."[3]

The Pew Research Center has defined 1997 as the starting birth year for Generation Z, basing
this on "different formative experiences", such as new technological and socioeconomic
developments, as well as growing up in a world after the September 11 attacks.[50] Pew has not
specified an endpoint for Generation Z, but used 2012 as a tentative endpoint for their 2019
report.[50] Most news outlets, management and consulting firms, think tanks, and analytics
companies frequently use the starting birth year of 1997, often citing Pew Research's 1997–
2012 range.[a][b][c] In a 2022 report, the U.S. Census designates Generation Z as "the youngest
generation with adult members (born 1997 to 2013)".[75] Statistics Canada used 1997 to 2012,
citing Pew Research Center, in a 2022 publication analyzing their 2021 census. [76] The United
States Library of Congress uses 1997 to 2012, citing Pew Research as well.[77]

The Collins Dictionary defines Generation Z as "members of the generation of people born
between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s".[78] In her book iGen (2017), psychologist Jean
Twenge defines the "iGeneration" as the cohort born 1995 to 2012.[79] McCrindle Research uses
1995 to 2009 to define Gen Z.[80] Occasionally a few news outlets may include both 1995 and
1996 as part of Generation Z.[d]

Individuals born in the Millennial and Generation Z cusp years have been sometimes identified
as a "microgeneration" with characteristics of both generations. The most common name given
for these cuspers is Zillennials.[82][83] Individuals born on the cusp of Generation Z and Generation
Alpha have been referred to as Zalphas.[84]

Arts and culture

Happiness and personal values

The Economist has described Generation Z as a more educated, well-

behaved, stressed and depressed generation in comparison to previous generations.[15] In 2016,
the Varkey Foundation and Populus conducted an international study examining the attitudes of
over 20,000 people aged 15 to 21 in twenty countries and that 59% of Gen Z youth were happy
overall with the states of affairs in their personal lives. The most unhappy young people were
from South Korea (29%) and Japan (28%) while the happiest were from Indonesia (90%)
and Nigeria (78%).[85]
The best sources of happiness were being physically and mentally healthy (94%), having a good
relationship with family (92%), and with friends (91%). In general, respondents who were
younger and male tended to be happier. Religious faith was purportedly the least happiness-
inducing.[85]

The top reasons for anxiety and stress were money (51%) and school (46%); social media and
having access to basic resources (such as food and water) finished the list, both at 10%.
Concerns over food and water were most serious in China (19%), India (16%), and Indonesia
(16%); young Indians were also more likely than average to report stress due to social media
(19%).[86]

Important personal values of Gen Z are their families and themselves get ahead in life (both
27%), followed by honesty (26%). Looking beyond their local communities came last at 6%.
[85]
Familial values were especially strong in South America (34%) while individualism and the
entrepreneurial spirit proved popular in Africa (37%). People who influenced youths the most
were parents (89%), friends (79%), and teachers (70%). Celebrities (30%) and politicians (17%)
came last. In general, young men were more likely to be influenced by athletes and politicians
than young women, who preferred books and fictional characters. Celebrity culture was
especially influential in China (60%) and Nigeria (71%) and particularly irrelevant
in Argentina and Turkey (both 19%).[85]

For young people, the most important factors for their current or future careers were the
possibility of honing their skills (24%), and income (23%) while the most unimportant factors
were fame (3%) and whether or not the organization they worked for made a positive impact on
the world (13%). The most important factors for young people when thinking about their
futures were their families (47%) and their health (21%); the welfare of the world at large (4%)
and their local communities (1%) bottomed the list.[85]

According to the 2025 World Happiness Report, young adults living the Anglosphere (Australia,
Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) were most prone to
pessimism, a consequence of their deteriorating mental health and economic hardship.[87]

Common culture

The COVID-19 pandemic struck when the oldest members of Generation Z were just joining the
workforce and the rest were still in school.[88] While Generation Z proved to be less resilient than
older cohorts, their fundamental values did not change, and they remained open to change,
such as the transition towards hybrid school and remote work.[89] On average, Generation Z is
more likely to value ambition, creativity, and curiosity than the general population, including
Millennials.[90]
A 2020 survey conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics, on 1,000 members of
Generation Z and 1,000 Millennials, suggests that Generation Z still would like to travel, despite
the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession it induced. However, Generation Z is more likely to
look carefully for package deals that would bring them the most value for their money, as many
of them are already saving money for buying a house and for retirement, and they prefer more
physically active trips. Mobile-friendly websites and social-media engagements are both
important.[91] They take advantage of the Internet to market and sell their fresh produce. In
Western countries like the United Kingdom, teenagers now prefer to get their news from social-
media networks such as Instagram and TikTok and the video-sharing site YouTube rather than
more traditional media, such as radio or television.[92]

Having a mobile device has become almost universal by the time the first wave of Generation Z
reaches adolescence. Some even have their phones besides them in bed.[93] But despite being
digital natives, Generation Z also values in-person interactions and recognizes the limits of
virtual communications.[90] Among children and teenagers of the 2010s, much leisure time is
spent watching television, reading, social networking, watching YouTube videos, and playing
games on smartphones.[94] In recognition of the Internet culture of Generations Z and Alpha,
the Oxford English Dictionary chose brain rot as its word of the year in 2024.[95][96]

During the 2010s, youth subcultures that were as influential compared to what existed during
the late 20th century and the first decade of the 21st became scarcer and quieter, at least in
real life though not necessarily on the Internet, and more ridden with irony and self-
consciousness due to the awareness of incessant peer surveillance.[97][98] In Germany, for
instance, youth appears more interested in a more mainstream lifestyle with goals such as
finishing school, owning a home in the suburbs, maintaining friendships and family
relationships, and stable employment, rather than popular culture, glamor, or consumerism.[99]

Nostalgia

Boundaries between the different youth subcultures appear to have been blurred, and nostalgic
sentiments have risen.[97][98] Although nostalgia is normally associated with the elderly, this
sentiment is now commonplace among those who came of age during the 2010s and 2020s.
Struggling with present realities, Millennials and Generation Z long for the past, when life
seemed simpler and less stressful, even if they have themselves never experienced it.[100] For
example, although an aesthetic dubbed 'cottagecore' in 2018 has been around for many years,
[101]
it has become a subculture of Generation Z,[102] especially on various social media networks
in the wake of the mass lockdowns imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19.[103] It is a form
of escapism[101] and aspirational nostalgia.[104] Nostalgic sentiments surged during and after the
COVID pandemic.[105] Vintage fashion is growing in vogue among Millennial and Generation Z
consumers.[106] Nevertheless, large shares of Generation Z have never visited museums or
heritage sites, preferring instead to watch television or browsing social media.[107]

Spotify consumer data from 2022 suggests that Generation Z is most nostalgic for the 1980s.
[100]
The Netflix science-fiction horror series Stranger Things (2016–2025) is a major example of
using and evoking nostalgia for the 1980s, enabling Generation Z to learn what their Generation
X parents experienced in their youth during that decade.[108] 1980s songs featured in
the Stranger Things soundtracks that became popular among Generation Z included "Running
Up That Hill" (1985) by Kate Bush, which has appeared in many TikTok videos.[109] There is
evidence that Generation Z is also nostalgic for the 1990s and 2000s, [105] given the popularity of
aesthetics such as grunge, Y2K, and Frutiger Aero among this cohort.[110][111][112][113][114] Other
trends of fashion and lifestyles among Generation Z include VSCO girl, E-girl and E-boy, Soft girl,
and among many others, made popular by TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, influencers and
celebrities.[115][116]

In Japan, Generation Z experiences Shōwa nostalgia,[117][118] and the Shōwa-era music of Akina
Nakamori, Seiko Matsuda and Yōko Oginome is popular with them.[119][120] 1970s and 1980s city
pop music, such as that of Mariya Takeuchi, is also popular with Generation Z, both in and
outside of Japan.[121][122]

Film, television, and music

Viewership for children's cable networks such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon
Network was strong in the mid-late 2000s, when older Gen Z members were children. [123][124]
[125]
However, ratings began to fall in the early 2010s; Nickelodeon experienced a sharp double-
digit decline by the end of 2011, described as "inexplicable" by Viacom management. [126] This
decline continued among Generation Alpha viewers in the 2020s, with the rise of streaming
services.[127][128]

Generation Z continues to enjoy comfort television shows from the 1990s and 2000s, such
as The Office (2005–2013) and Friends (1994–2004).[129][130] In the United Kingdom, Friends was
chosen by over 2,000 children and teenagers as their favorite program, according to a 2019
report by Childwise; most of these young people watched the series on Netflix rather than on
television.[129] Meanwhile, the animated series Bluey (2018–present), though made for
preschool children, has been surprisingly well-received among teenagers and young adults
because it portrays family life positively and makes them feel nostalgic.[131][132] It also helps many
Millennials and members of Generation Z heal emotional wounds from their childhoods.[133][134]
 K-pop acts such as BTS are popular among members of
Generation Z around the world.

For decades, Western popular culture had defined youth culture and rebelliousness around the
world. But things changed with Generation Z, for whom East Asia is the source of cultural
touchstones of the early twenty-first century.[28] This cohort has a strong affinity for South
Korean popular music (K-pop) and Japanese animations (anime), as indicated by the size of
their fan communities and viewership rates.[135] Furthermore, certain icons of East Asian popular
culture have become political symbols for Gen-Z protesters.[28] Global demand for anime is
projected to continue growing until at least 2030 due to interest among young people.[136]

Generation Z has a plethora of options when it comes to music consumption, allowing for a
highly personalized experience.[137] Spotify and terrestrial radio are the top choices for music
listening,[138] while YouTube is the preferred platform for music discovery.[129][138] In mid-2023,
Spotify reported more growth than expected in the number of subscribers among Generation Z.
[139]
Additional research showed that within the past few decades, popular music has gotten
slower; that majorities of listeners young and old preferred older songs rather than keeping up
with new ones; that the language of popular songs was becoming more negative
psychologically; and that lyrics were becoming simpler and more repetitive, approaching one-
word sheets, something measurable by observing how efficiently lossless compression
algorithms (such as the LZ algorithm) handled them.[140] On the other hand, texture and rhythm
are becoming more complex.[141] Streaming services have made it extremely easy for listeners to
sample songs; this is putting pressure on musicians to compose songs that are as easy to
process and have as many hooks as possible.[141] Sad music is quite popular among adolescents,
though it can dampen their moods, especially among girls.[137]

Reading habits
 A teenage girl reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire in 2023

According to a 2019 OECD survey, members of Generation Z were spending more time on
electronic devices and less time reading books than before,[142][143][144] with implications for
their attention spans,[145] vocabulary,[146][147] academic performance,[148] and future economic
contributions.[142]

In New Zealand, child development psychologist Tom Nicholson noted a marked decline in
vocabulary usage and reading among schoolchildren, many of whom are reluctant to use the
dictionary. According to a 2008 survey[needs update] by the National Education Monitoring Project,
about one in five year-four and year-eight pupils read books as a hobby, a ten-percent drop
from 2000.[146]

In the United Kingdom, children and teenagers of the 2010s reportedly spent more time playing
video games and watching YouTube videos but less time reading.[94] By 2022, Generation Z
accounted for the majority of book purchases in that country.[149] However, teenage girls are
much more likely than boys to read for pleasure. About one in three children struggle with
finding something interesting to read.[143]

According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), fourth graders in
2016, in 13 out of 20 countries and territories surveyed, were markedly less enthusiastic about
reading than their predecessors in 2001 while their parents were even less keen on reading
than they were.[150]

Among members of Generation Z who read, romantic fantasy and Japanese comics (manga),
such as One Piece (1997–present) or Naruto (1999–2014), are some of the most popular.
[151]
Unlike older cohorts, they are fond of fan fiction and escapism.[152] In particular, One
Piece appeals to Generation Z because of the optimism, enthusiasm, and friendship of the main
characters.[28] In addition, BookTok, a community on TikTok, has many members from
Generation Z,[153] especially teenage girls and young women.[154] BookTok has stimulated a revival
of volitional reading among the young[155] and a surge in book sales for publishers.[154][156]

Fan fiction

Karen Gillan (as Amy Pond) and Matt Smith (the Eleventh
Doctor) on set for Doctor Who (series 5). Popular franchises such as Doctor Who have inspired
numerous fan fiction stories written mostly by young female authors.

During the first two decades of the 21st century, writing and reading fan fiction and
creating fandoms of fictional works became a prevalent activity worldwide. Demographic data
from various depositories revealed that those who read and wrote fan fiction were
overwhelmingly young, in their teens and twenties, and female.[157][158][159] For example, an
analysis published in 2019 by data scientists Cecilia Aragon and Katie Davis of the
site [Link] showed that some 60 billion words of contents were added during the
previous 20 years by 10 million English-speaking people whose median age was 15 1⁄2 years.
[159]
Fan fiction writers base their work on various internationally popular cultural phenomena
such as K-pop, Anime, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Twilight, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and My Little
Pony, known as 'canon', as well as other things they considered important to their lives, like
natural disasters.[157][158][159] Much of fan fiction concerns the romantic pairing of fictional
characters of interest, or 'shipping'.[160] Aragon and Davis argued that writing fan fiction stories
could help young people combat social isolation and hone their writing skills outside of school
in an environment of like-minded people where they can receive (anonymous) constructive
feedback, what they call 'distributed mentoring'.[159] Informatics specialist Rebecca Black added
that fan fiction writing could also be a useful resource for English-language learners. Indeed, the
analysis of Aragon and Davis showed that for every 650 reviews a fan fiction writer receives,
their vocabulary improved by one year of age, though this may not generalize to older cohorts.
[161]
On the other hand, children browsing fan fiction contents might be exposed
to cyberbullying, crude comments, and other inappropriate materials.[160]
Demographics

Median age by country in years in 2017. The youth bulge is evident in parts of Latin America,
Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Population pyramid of the world in 2018

As of 2020, although many countries have aging populations and declining birth rates,
Generation Z was the largest generation alive.[162] Bloomberg's analysis of United Nations data
predicted that, in 2019, members of Generation Z accounted for 2.47 billion (32%) of the 7.7
billion inhabitants of Earth, surpassing the Millennial population of 2.43 billion. The
generational cutoff of Generation Z and Millennials for this analysis was placed at 2000 to 2001.
[163][164]

Africa
In 2018, Generation Z comprised the majority of the population of Africa.[165] In 2017, 60% of the
1.2 billion people living in Africa fell below the age of 25.[166]

In 2019, 46% of the South African population, or 27.5 million people, are members of
Generation Z.[167]

Statistical projections from the United Nations in 2019 suggest that, in 2020, the people of Niger
had a median age of 15.2, Mali 16.3, Chad 16.6, Somalia, Uganda, and Angola all 16.7, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo 17.0, Burundi 17.3, Mozambique and Zambia both 17.6. This
means that more than half of their populations were born in the first two decades of the 21st
century. These are the world's youngest countries by median age.[168]

Asia

According to a 2022 McKinsey & Company insight, Generation Z will account for a quarter of the
population of the Asia-Pacific region by 2025, and possess a global spending power of
approximately US$140bn by 2030.[169]

As a result of cultural ideals, government policy, and female modern medicine, there have been
severe gender population imbalances in China and India. According to the United Nations, in
2018, there were 112 Chinese males for every hundred females ages 15 to 29; in India, there
were 111 males for every hundred females in that age group. China had a total of 34 million
excess males and India 37 million, more than the entire population of Malaysia. Together, China
and India had a combined 50 million excess males under the age of 20. Such a discrepancy fuels
loneliness epidemics, human trafficking (from elsewhere in Asia, such as Cambodia and
Vietnam), and prostitution, among other societal problems.[170]

 Population pyramids of China, India, Japan, and Singapore in 2016


 

Europe

Out of the approximately 66.8 million people of the UK in 2019, there were approximately 12.6
million people (18.8%) in Generation Z, if defined as those born from 1997 to 2012. [171]

Generation Z is the most diverse generation in the European Union in regards to national origin.
[172]
In Europe generally, 13.9% of those ages 14 and younger in 2019 (which includes older
Generation Alpha) were born in another EU Member State, and 6.6% were born outside the EU.
In Luxembourg, 20.5% were born in another country, largely within the EU (6.6% outside the EU
compared to 13.9% in another member state); in Ireland, 12.0% were born in another country;
in Sweden, 9.4% were born in another country, largely outside the EU (7.8% outside the EU
compared to 1.6% in another member state). In Finland, 4.5% of people aged 14 and younger
were born abroad and 10.6% had a foreign-background in 2021.[173] However, Gen Z from
eastern Europe is much more homogeneous: in Croatia, only 0.7% of those aged 14 and
younger were foreign-born; in the Czech Republic, 1.1% aged 14 and younger were foreign-
born.[172]

Higher portions of those ages 15 to 29 in 2019 (which includes younger Millennials) were
foreign born in Europe. Luxembourg had the highest share of young people (41.9%) born in a
foreign country. More than 20% of this age group were foreign-born in Cyprus, Malta, Austria
and Sweden. The highest shares of non-EU born young adults were found in Sweden, Spain and
Luxemburg. Like with those under age 14, countries in eastern Europe generally have much
smaller populations of foreign-born young adults. Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and
Latvia had the lowest shares of foreign-born young people, at 1.4 to 2.5% of the total age group.
[172]

 Population pyramids of France, Greece, and Russia in 2016


