They populate your neighborhoods, their thumbs spastically typing out two-way conversations, their friendships are quantifiable by Facebook, and they have never known a world without the Internet, cell phones and iPods. This mysterious social phenomenon is known as ‘Generation Z.’ Why is this generation so mysterious and different from other generations? What impact does this group of people have on society and why is it truly a social phenomenon? These are questions that social scientists have been examining and trying to solve, to reveal the true mystery that is Generation Z.
Generation Z is also known as the ‘Net Generation’ or ‘GenerationNext’. These nicknames are for those who are young boys and girls who were born after 1995, or in other words young people who can’t imagine the world without the existence of the Internet, TV, their cell phones and iPods. They were born between 1995 and the current year, the oldest of which are currently of driving age and the youngest are still being born.
It is estimated that the current population for Gen Z are 23 million strong and growing.
This Generation is really only known in technology advanced countries, this is because technology is what defines this generation. It is the characteristics of Gen Z are what makes them interesting and so different from Generation X or Y. Generation Z grew up as young children during 9/11, and also grew up during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are familiar with the unpredictability of safety in public places. They do not know how to manage money, they want to have the most up to date things that are in the social trend at the time and will pay ridiculous amounts of money to get them. They have no interest in politics or social issues unless they have some connection to them.