If the current struggle of understanding and engaging the Millennial generation wasn’t difficult enough, the most tech-savvy, connected, and entrepreneurial generation to date will add yet another level of complexity. As the remaining Millennials make their debut into the workforce, there will be even more tension integrating the up-and-coming, post-Millennial generation—Generation Z.
Generation Z equipped with their own strengths, weaknesses, perspectives, needs, and wants have begun making their presence known. Generation Z may be the most socially savvy group marketers will ever meet, the most diverse employers ever hire, and the most self-educated educators ever teach.
While it will take time, effort, and resources to understand this emerging generation, engaging these diverse and motivated workers/consumers can prove beneficial for your organization in the long run.
Related Read: 20 Truths And Trends To Help You Get To Know The Post-Millennial Generation
Generation Z on Social
1) 25% of Generation Z have quit their parents’ and older siblings’ social network in 2014. (Post Gazette)
2) Generation Z tends to favor Whisper, Snapchat, and Secret as opposed to Facebook. (Entrepreneur)
3) 75% of Generation Z visited a social network site daily and spent an average of 4.6 hours a day on social networks. (Sparks and Honey)
4) 15% of Generation Z said they’d prefer to talk to their friends via social media instead of in-person. (Fast Company)
5) 81% of teenagers are on social media. (Mashable)
6) 93% of Generation Z say they visit YouTube at least once a week, and 54% visit the site multiple times throughout the day. (Mashable)
7) Generation Z uses Twitter (26%), Google+ (26%), and Instagram (17%) on a weekly basis. (Mashable)
8) Generation Z prefers to communicate through images, icons, and symbols. (Huffington Post)
Generation Z as Students
9) 52% of Generation Z use YouTube or social media for typical research assignments. (Mashable)
10) 63% of Generation Z think entrepreneurship should be taught in college. (Fast Company)
11) 20% of Generation Z read textbooks on tablets. (Mashable)
12) 64% of Generation Z are considering an advanced college degree, compared to 71% of Millennials. (Business Insider)
13) 33% of Generation Z watch lessons online. (Mashable)
14) 30% of high school students today are pushing out their graduation date. (Sparks and Honey)
15) 32% of Generation Z work with classmates online. (Mashable)
16) 75% of Generation Z think the cost of college is worth it. (Fast Company)
17) 8 in 10 of Generation Z believe college is “very or extremely important” to achieving their career goals (compared to 7 in 10 members of the general public).(Fast Company)
18) In 2012, 67% of young professionals said they thought online degrees will be as accepted as traditional college degrees—but just 52% of Generation Z believe that. (Fast Company)
Generation Z as Consumers
19) 57% of Generation Z prefer saving money to spending it. (Huffington Post)
20) 38% of Generation Z say they make most of their purchases online. (Fast Company)
21) Generation Z spends more money on food and drinks than anything else. (Huffington Post)
22) The average Generation Z kid received $16.90 a week in allowance, translating to $44 billion a year. (Sparks and Honey)
23) 65% of parents of Generation Z children said their child is influential regarding vacation choices. (Huffington Post)
24) 32% of parents of Generation Z children said their child’s opinion matters when it comes to buying home furnishings. (Huffington Post)
Generation Z as Workers
25) 75% of Generation Z wish their current hobby could become their full-time job. (Inc.)
26) 38% of Generation Z have an interest in personalizing their work space. (Millennial Branding)
27) 72% of high school students say they want to start a business someday. (Inc.)
28) 65% of Generation Z say the people whom they work with would enable their best work. (Millennial Branding)
29) 61% of U.S. high school students want to be entrepreneurs rather than employees, compared to 43% of college students. (Post Gazette)
30) Generation Z states that honestly is the most important quality for being a good leader, followed by a solid vision, and then good communication skills. (Millennial Branding)
31) 61% of Generation Z have strong desires for managers to listen to their ideas and value their opinions. (Millennial Branding)
32) Nearly 40% of Generation Z agreed with the statement: “I will invent something that changes the world.” (Inc.)
33) 4 in 10 of Generation Z think they’ll work for themselves in their careers (according to the U.S. Census, that’s more than 4x higher than the actual percentage of people who work for themselves). (Fast Company)
Question: What makes you most optimistic about Generation Z?
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