Generation Z (often shortened to Gen Z), often known as Zoomers, are the young people who come after Millennials but before Generation Alpha. People frequently state they were born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s. Many of them are the kids of Generation X or the slightly older Millennials.
Generation Z, born after 1997, grew up with social media. The first social media site, Six Degrees, started in the same year Gen Z began. Have you ever wondered about what Generation Z is or when it began? Perhaps you’re curious if you’re a part of it or what it implies for you and your friends.
There are many interesting things to learn about this special time. Let’s satisfy your interest and learn more about Generation Z!
- Generation Z refers to people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s.
When you talk about Generation Z, you should think of people who were born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s. If you were born between 1997 and 2012, you’re probably in Generation Z, or “Gen Z.” Well, so defining generations isn’t very accurate. Persons born a little before or after these years may still enjoy Gen Z content. For that reason, some people say Generation Z includes people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s.
- Gen Z is the most diverse group ever in America. They come from many ethnicities and origins.
Gen Z is the most diverse group of people in U.S. history. As the number of people living in America grows, they are becoming more diverse. More people from different backgrounds are getting married and having kids. It’s not just adults who are excited about this change; kids are too. More than half of all kids in the U.S. have parents who are not the same race or ethnicity. Most likely, 60% of kids will be in the same state by 2043.
Every year, more and more couples from different backgrounds start families. This makes our society more diverse. This is why Gen Z really values diversity, fairness, and including everyone. According to The Washington Post, having a mix of people at work isn’t just nice anymore; it’s necessary.
While Gen Z has some things in common with millennials, they’re also quite different. They’re more open to change and different cultures, shaped by growing up during fast changes in tech and culture.
- Generation Z falls between Generation Y and Generation Alpha.
Generation Y, or Millennials, are the people who were born right before Generation Z. They were born between 1981 and 1996, and some of them have teens or young adults in their families. These people were born between 2010 and 2024 and are part of Generation Alpha. Some of them could be Millennial kids from the past. If someone is born right when one generation ends and another begins, they might feel like they fit in with two different times!
- Generation Z came after Generation X and Y.
If you are wondering why we refer to this next generation as Generation Z, there is a simple explanation. Generation Z follows Generations Y and X. Millennials are also known as Generation Y, whereas those born in the 1970s and 1980s are referred to as Generation X. However, until Generation X, no additional letters were used to denote generations. “X” was chosen to show the kind of lost and disconnected feeling the kids of that time had while growing up.
- Youngsters nowadays use Gen Z slang in their daily talks.
Every fresh group of young people has its own vocabulary and expressions. Generation Z is no exception. Many of the terms we use today stem from them. A lot of slang words are being used all over the internet because of how famous social media is.
- The 9/11 attack happened around this time and was a very sad event.
Kids who were young in the early 2000s will still remember how scary it was when the 9/11 attacks happened in New York. Teenagers in Gen Z were only four years old when it happened on September 11, 2001. The main target of the 9/11 strikes, which killed 2,977 people, was the Twin Towers. Many people’s lives changed because of this event, which became a very important moment for this age.
- Gen Z are known for starting their own businesses.
These days, young people, especially those in Gen Z, really want to start their own businesses. They already do it or are going to start soon—a huge 62% of them. Because they want to be their own bosses, they’re doing a lot of different things, such as selling beauty items and making YouTube videos.
What’s pushing them towards this path are some big changes in our world. And what’s helping them do it? Well, it’s all the cool new technology we have now. Social media lets them connect with lots of people, there are online platforms where they can learn how to run a business, and things like cloud computing make it way easier and cheaper to get started.
With everything that’s been happening lately, like the pandemic and all the new technology, Gen Z is super excited about starting their own businesses. They learn business skills online and see how social media can help them reach a lot of people. They also understand that they don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started. They also want to be in charge of their lives, get out of debt, and enjoy what they do. Running their own business is their dream!
- Mental health is being talked more in Gen Z.
McKinsey says that almost a billion people have issues with their mental health or with drugs. It’s almost time for people to go back to work, and young people really want to change the way people think about mental health. With everything changing, it’s very important for businesses to make sure that everyone feels good and supported at work.
The American Psychology Association (APA) asked young Americans aged 15 to 21 what stresses them out the most, what big things happen in their lives, and how many of them have been diagnosed with mental health issues.
APA’s findings reveal concerning trends in Gen Z mental health. A staggering 75 percent of Gen Zers feel significant stress due to mass shootings, while 57 percent are more stressed about news events like deportations compared to adults. Furthermore, 53 percent of respondents report substantial stress as a result of sexual harassment and assault. Notably, Gen Z is more likely (27%) than previous generations, including millennials (15%) and Gen Xers (13%), to assess their mental health as fair or poor. Furthermore, Gen Zers are redefining mental health discourse by being more upfront about their worries, which might be attributed to their upbringing on social media, which encourages a culture of sharing personal tales and challenges.
- During this time, some of the biggest hit movies were made.
During this period, various fantastic films were released, including Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Matrix (1999), and The Dark Knight (2008), all of which we like. These films are like modern-day celebrities. Youngsters from Generation Z usually like all kinds of movies because they’re from such a mixed-up generation.
One reason for this is that they grew up when movie technology was getting better and better. Now, we can watch our favorite movies with amazing special effects, all super clear and awesome!
- The first iPhone came out when Generation Z was around.
Generation Z may state that the iPhone was a major deal at the time. The iPhone was very exciting and took a long time to develop before its release in 2007. For many young people today, the iPhone was their first ever smartphone. Nowadays, the iPhone is still super popular and sells really well all over the world. There have been lots of different models since Generation Z first got to know about them.
