Generation Z

Generation Z (or more commonly Gen Z for short), colloquially known as Zoomers,[1][2][3] 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. Most members of Generation Z are children of Generation X or younger Baby Boomers.[4][5]

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As the first social generation to have grown up with access to the Internet and portable digital technology from a young age, members of Generation Z, even if not necessarily digitally literate, have been dubbed "digital natives".[6][7][8][9] Moreover, the negative effects of screen time are most pronounced in adolescents compared to younger children.[10] Compared to previous generations, members of Generation Z tend to live more slowly than their predecessors when they were their age;[11][12] have lower rates of teenage pregnancies; and consume alcohol (but not necessarily other psychoactive drugs) less often.[13][14][15][16] Generation Z teenagers are more concerned than older generations with academic performance and job prospects,[17][11] and are better at delaying gratification than their counterparts from the 1960s despite concerns to the contrary.[18] Sexting among adolescents has grown in prevalence; the consequences of this remain poorly understood.[19] Additionally, Gen Z subcultures have been quieter though they have not necessarily disappeared.[20][21]

Globally, there is evidence that the average age of pubertal onset among girls has decreased considerably compared to the 20th century with implications for their welfare and their future.[22][23][24][25][26] Additionally, the prevalence of allergies among adolescents and young adults in Generation Z is greater than the general population;[27][28] there is greater awareness and diagnosis of mental health conditions,[17][15][29][30] and sleep deprivation is more frequently reported.[7][31][32] In many countries, Gen Z youth are more likely to be diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders than older generations.[33][34]

Around the world, members of Generation Z are spending more time on electronic devices and less time reading books than before,[35][36][37] with implications for their attention spans,[38][39] vocabulary,[40][41] academic performance,[42] and future economic contributions.[35] In Asia, educators in the 2000s and 2010s typically sought out and nourished top students; in Western Europe and the United States, the emphasis was on poor performers.[43] Furthermore, East Asian and Singaporean students consistently earned the top spots in international standardized tests in the 2010s.[44][45][46][47]

As consumers, their aggregate purchasing behavior deviates from the ideals and values commonly associated with them in opinion polls.[48][49][50]