Generation Z

The name Generation Z is a reference to it being the second generation after Generation X, continuing the alphabetical sequence from Generation Y (Millennials). Other names for the generation have included iGeneration, Homeland Generation, Digital Natives, Pluralist Generation, 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. The Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries both have official entries for Generation Z. Psychologist 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. 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 a meme on 4chan mocking Gen Z adolescents via a Wojak caricature. 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 It is more commonly utilized as a neutral rather than disparaging description. In the past, Zoomer was occasionally used to describe particularly active Baby Boomers. == 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". 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". 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." Pew has not specified an endpoint for Generation Z, but used 2012 as a tentative endpoint for their 2019 report. The United States Library of Congress uses 1997 to 2012, citing Pew Research as well. The U.S. Census designates Generation Z as "the youngest generation with adult members (born 1997 to 2013)" in a 2022 report. The Collins Dictionary defines Generation Z as people born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s. Australia's McCrindle Research uses 1995 to 2009 to define Gen Z.The Statistics Bureau of Japan defined Generation Z as those born 1995 to 2010 in their 2020 Census. In her book iGen (2017), psychologist Jean Twenge defines the "iGeneration" as the cohort born 1995 to 2012. The Australian Bureau of Statistics uses between 1996 and 2010 in a 2021 Census report. Occasionally a few news outlets may include both 1995 and 1996 as part of Generation Z. 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. Individuals born on the cusp of Generation Z and Generation Alpha have been referred to as Zalphas. == 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. 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. 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%. 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. 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. On average, Generation Z is more likely to value ambition, creativity, and curiosity than the general population, including Millennials. 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. , which has influenced not just their societies but also their lifestyle choices. 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. But despite being digital natives, Generation Z also values in-person interactions and recognizes the limits of virtual communications. 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. 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. 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, a phenomenon known as "anemoia" to psychologists. For example, although an aesthetic dubbed 'cottagecore' in 2018 has been around for many years, it has become a subculture of Generation Z, especially on various social media networks in the wake of the mass lockdowns imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19. It is a form of escapism Nostalgic sentiments surged during and after the COVID pandemic. Vintage fashion, such as and floral patterns and cardigans, is growing in vogue among Millennial and Generation Z consumers. Hobbies and other activities previously associated with the elderly, such as baking, knitting, bird watching, or vacationing on cruise ships, have returned to vogue among Generation Z. 1980s songs featured in the Stranger Things soundtracks became popular among Generation Z, including "Running Up That Hill" (1985) by Kate Bush, which has appeared in many TikTok videos. There is evidence that Generation Z is also nostalgic for the 1990s and 2000s, Other trends of fashion and lifestyles among Generation Z include VSCO girl, E-girl and E-boy, Soft girl, and many others, which were made popular by TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, influencers, and celebrities. In Japan, Generation Z experiences Shōwa nostalgia, and they listen to the Shōwa-era music of Akina Nakamori, Seiko Matsuda and Yōko Oginome. Also popular among Generation Z, both in and outside of the Home Islands, is Japanese music of 1970s and 1980s by artists such as Mariya Takeuchi and Masayoshi Takanaka. 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. 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. This decline of linear television continued among Generation Alpha viewers in the 2020s, with the rise of streaming services. Generation Z continues to enjoy comfort television shows from the 1990s and 2000s, such as The Office (2005–2013) and Friends (1994–2004). 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. It also helps many Millennials and members of Generation Z heal emotional wounds from their childhoods. 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. 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. Furthermore, certain icons of East Asian popular culture have become political symbols for Gen-Z protesters. Anime songs appeal to Generation Z worldwide. Generation Z has a plethora of options when it comes to music consumption, allowing for a highly personalized experience. Spotify and terrestrial radio are the top choices for music listening, while YouTube is the preferred platform for music discovery. 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. On the other hand, texture and rhythm are becoming more complex. 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. with implications for their attention spans, vocabulary, academic performance, and future economic contributions. 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. 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. Unlike older cohorts, they are fond of fan fiction and escapism. In particular, One Piece appeals to Generation Z because of the optimism, enthusiasm, and friendship of the main characters. especially teenage girls and young women. BookTok has stimulated a revival of volitional reading among the young and a surge in book sales for publishers. Fan fiction (as Amy Pond) and Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor) on set for Doctor Who ("The Eleventh Hour"). 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. For example, an analysis published in 2019 by data scientists Cecilia Aragon and Katie Davis of the site FanFiction.Net 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 years. 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'. On the other hand, children browsing fan fiction contents might be exposed to cyberbullying, crude comments, and other inappropriate materials. == Demographics ==

File:2017 world map, median age by country.svg|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. File:World population pyramid (2018).jpg|Population pyramid of the world in 2018 , although many countries have aging populations and declining birth rates, Generation Z was the largest generation alive. 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. Africa In 2018, Generation Z comprised the majority of the population of Africa. In 2017, 60% of the 1.2 billion people living in Africa fell below the age of 25. In 2019, 46% of the South African population, or 27.5 million people, are members of Generation Z. 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. 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. 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. File:Population pyramid of China 2016.png File:Population pyramid of India 2016.png File:Population pyramid of Japan 2016.png File:Population pyramid of Singapore 2016.png 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. Generation Z is the most diverse generation in the European Union in regards to national origin. 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. 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.A report by demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution stated that in the United States, the Millennials are a bridge between the largely white pre-Millennials (Generation X and their predecessors) and the more diverse post-Millennials (Generation Z and their successors). Frey's analysis of U.S. Census data suggests that as of 2019, 50.9% of Generation Z is white, 13.8% is black, 25.0% Hispanic, and 5.3% Asian. 29% of Generation Z are children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, compared to 23% of Millennials when they were at the same age. Members of Generation Z are slightly less likely to be foreign-born than Millennials; the fact that more American Latinos were born in the U.S. rather than abroad plays a role in making the first wave of Generation Z appear better educated than their predecessors. However, researchers warn that this trend could be altered by changing immigration patterns and the younger members of Generation Z choosing alternate educational paths. As a demographic cohort, Generation Z is smaller than the Baby Boomers and their children, the Millennials. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Generation Z makes up about one quarter of the U.S. population, as of 2015. There was an 'echo boom' in the 2000s; this boom certainly increased the absolute number of future young adults, but did not significantly change the relative sizes of this cohort compared to their parents. According to a 2021 Gallup survey, 20.8%, or about one in five members, of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+. File:Population pyramid of Canada 2016.png File:Population pyramid of the United States 2016.png File:Population pyramid of Mexico 2016.png == Economic trends ==

Consumption As consumers, members of Generation Z are typically reliant on the Internet to research their options and to place orders. They tend to be skeptical and will shun firms whose actions and values are contradictory. Their purchases are heavily influenced by trends promoted by "influencers" on social media, as well as the fear of missing out (FOMO) and peer pressure. The need to be "trendy" is a prime motivator. In culturally modernizing Saudi Arabia, where 63% of the population was under the age of 30 as of 2024, luxury brands have seen growth in the market aimed at young consumers, most of whom make online purchases and prefer products that not only reflects their cultural heritage but are also modern. In much of Western Europe, Generation Z faces economic stagnation or even falling standards of living. Indeed, many young Britons remain dependent on their parents to pay their bills in a stagnant economy and about a quarter spends virtually nothing on luxuries. In Canada, Generation Z has been accruing significant debt purchasing luxuries such as concert tickets (to other countries) or designer clothing despite its economic precariousness, a phenomenon dubbed "doom spending" by economists and described as a "trauma response" by psychotherapists. But in the United States, young people enjoy much better economic prospects. Due to their relatively high income, members of Generation Z in the U.S. have higher spending habits. According to new research, they rely on social media to make purchasing decisions, with health and beauty products being the most consumed category on these platforms. As of the 2020s, an absolute majority of Gen-Z Latin Americans live in multi-person households, and for them, affordability is a constant worry. Food and drink choices In Central Eastern Europe, inflation and food insecurity have become a serious source of distress among university students. Due to the rising cost of living, young Canadians have been eating fast food less often. Instead, they are turning to buying groceries and cooking their own meals. However, they have also been accumulating significant (credit card) debt from frequently ordering food deliveries. In the United States, Generation Z has shown a high level of interest as well as vegetarian and vegan food options, including plant-based meat. Latin American youths typically enjoy nuts and classic bakery products, such as pan dulce. In Latin America, coffee and soft drinks are the preferred drinks of Generation Z. Transportation choices Across the developed world, young people are noticeably less likely to get a driver's license or to own a car than older generations. This new trend is driven by the possibility of making online purchases, economic constraints, concerns for the environment, viability of alternatives to driving (walking, biking, public transit, and ride sharing), and growing restrictions on driving within urban areas. Employment According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified youth unemployment, but unevenly. By the mid-2020s, about a quarter of young people worldwide were neither in employment, in education, or training (NEET). From the developed world to developing countries, many struggle to make a living in low-pay low-productivity jobs while dealing with high inflation. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) considers this global trend to pose not just a social risk but also a macroeconomic one that threatens the future of today's youths. In the early 2020s, Chinese youths are finding that their university degrees offer little help in job hunting. In fact, due to the mismatch between education and the job market, those with no university qualifications are less likely to be unemployed. By June 2023, China's unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 was about one fifth. In South Korea, people below the age of 40 are increasingly interested in relocating from the cities, especially Seoul, to the countryside and working on the farm. Working in a conglomerate like Samsung or Hyundai Group no longer appeals to young people, many of whom prefer to avoid becoming a workaholic or are pessimistic about their ability to be as successful as their fathers. In South and Southeast Asia, while there has been considerable economic growth, large numbers of young adults remain without jobs, especially in Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In a number of Western countries, the number of young adults who were NEET or stay-at-home parents has grown significantly between the 2010s and 2020s. In the United Kingdom, Generation Z is facing a gig economy with precarious prospects and stagnant wages. In Canada, people aged 15 to 24 faced an unemployment rate of 12.2%, or more than twice that of prime working-age adults, as of 2025. Among university students, that number was over one fifth, the highest since the Great Recession of the late 2000s. Young graduates face not only a tough labor market, but also global trade wars, persistent inflation, industrial automation and artificial intelligence. In the United States, the youth unemployment rate (16–24) was 7.5% in May 2023, the lowest in 70 years. American high-school graduates could join the job market right away, with employers offering them generous bonuses, high wages, and apprenticeship programs in order to offset the ongoing labor shortage. Generation Z in the United States as a group is projected to be richer than previous generations at the same age thanks to higher wage growth and greater inheritance from their parents and grandparents, who have accumulated enormous wealth. As of 2023, members of Generation Z in North America and especially developing Asian nations were a much more optimistic about their economic prospects and more likely to believe in the value of hard work than their counterparts in developed Asia, Western Europe, or Latin America. As workers, Generation Z tends to prioritize a financial security, meaning, and their own well-being. They also value a work–life balance. Housing For large swaths of Generation Z in the developed Anglosphere, home ownership remains a distant prospect. == Education ==

East Asian and Singaporean students consistently earned the top spots in international standardized tests in the 2010s and 2020s. Even so, fifteen-year-old students (tenth graders) from Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were largely unaffected or even saw an improvement. Once high-performing European countries—Iceland, Sweden, and Finland—continued their years-long decline. The U.S. national average remained behind those of many other industrialized nations. By 2024, many places around the world have decided to ban the use of mobile phones in the classroom to help their students concentrate better. Different nations and territories approach the question of how to nurture gifted students differently. During the 2000s and 2010s, whereas the Middle East and East Asia (especially China, Hong Kong, and South Korea) and Singapore actively sought them out and steered them towards top programs, Europe and the United States had in mind the goal of inclusion and chose to focus on helping struggling students. In 2010, for example, China unveiled a decade-long National Talent Development Plan to identify able students and guide them into STEM fields and careers in high demand; that same year, England dismantled its National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth and redirected the funds to help low-scoring students get admitted to elite universities. Developmental cognitive psychologist David Geary observed that Western educators remained "resistant" to the possibility that even the most talented of schoolchildren needed encouragement and support and tended to concentrate on low performers. In addition, even though it is commonly believed that past a certain IQ benchmark (typically 120), practice becomes much more important than cognitive abilities in mastering new knowledge, recently published research papers based on longitudinal studies, such as the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) and the Duke University Talent Identification Program, suggest otherwise. Since the early 2000s, the number of students from emerging economies going abroad for higher education has risen markedly. This was a golden age of growth for many Western universities admitting international students. In the late 2010s, around five million students traveled abroad each year for higher education, with the developed world being the most popular destinations and China the biggest source of international students. Among children of the Chinese ruling class ("princelings"), attending elite institutions in the United States was commonplace and seen as a status symbol, but the deterioration of Sino-American relations as exemplified by President Donald Trump's entry restrictions on Chinese students in addition to the complications produced by the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of Chinese students enrolling in many American colleges and universities. while trade schools continue to attract growing numbers of students due to a shortage of high-skilled blue-collar workers. Since the 2000s, numerous institutions of higher learning have permanently closed. These trends have led to the speculation that the higher-education bubble in the United States might deflate. This is due partly to students sending their applications to more schools for a chance of getting admitted and because these institutions have not significantly expanded their capacities. Although international enrollments rebounded post-pandemic, with a surge of students coming from India and sub-Saharan Africa, dependency on foreign students is a long-term liability for many American schools, which now face a political zeitgeist that has turned against immigration. The same thing happened in Australia. Because China's expansion of higher education was done for political rather than economic reasons, the country is currently overproducing university graduates, who are struggling to find white-collar jobs that match their education. In 2023, as many as one in five Chinese graduates struggled to find gainful employment. Enrollment in higher education was just under 60% during the early 2020s, compared to around 40% in the United States. == Health issues ==

Mental In general, teenagers and young adults are especially vulnerable to depression and anxiety due to the changes to the brain during adolescence. While materially well off, young people today commonly perceive the world in which they live to be highly precarious, complex, and ambiguous, which has a negative effect on their mental well-being. A 2025 survey found that 46% of American Generation Z members had been diagnosed with a mental health condition. A 2020 meta-analysis found that the most common psychiatric disorders among adolescents were ADHD, anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, and depression, consistent with a previous one from 2015. While the COVID-19 pandemic has damaged the mental health of people of all ages, the increase was most noticeable for people aged 15 to 24. A 2021 UNICEF report stated that 13% of ten- to nineteen-year-olds around the world had a diagnosed mental health disorder and that suicide was the fourth most common cause of death among fifteen- to nineteen-year-olds. It commented that "disruption to routines, education, recreation, as well as concern for family income, health and increase in stress and anxiety, [caused by the COVID-19 pandemic] is leaving many children and young people feeling afraid, angry and concerned for their future." It also noted that the pandemic had widely disrupted mental health services. Anxiety over climate change has compounded the problem. Though males remain more likely than females to commit suicide, the prevalence of suicide among teenage girls has risen significantly during the 2010s in many countries. For example, data from the British National Health Service (NHS) showed that in England, hospitalizations for self-harm doubled among teenage girls between 1997 and 2018, but there was no parallel development among boys. due to a combination of poor sleep hygiene, caffeine intake, beds that are too warm, a mismatch between biologically preferred sleep schedules at around puberty and social demands, insomnia, growing homework load, and having too many extracurricular activities. Consequences of sleep deprivation include low mood, worse emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, increased likelihood of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and impaired cognitive functioning. A study by Glasgow University found that the number of schoolchildren in Scotland reporting sleep difficulties increased from 23% in 2014 to 30% in 2018. 37% of teenagers were deemed to have low mood (33% males and 41% females), and 14% were at risk of depression (11% males and 17% females). Older girls faced high pressure from schoolwork, friendships, family, career preparation, maintaining a good body image and good health. In Canada, teenagers sleep on average between 6.5 and 7.5 hours each night, much less than what the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends, 10 hours. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, only one out of five children who needed mental health services received it. In Ontario, for instance, the number of teenagers getting medical treatment for self-harm doubled in 2019 compared to ten years prior. The number of suicides has also gone up. Various factors that increased youth anxiety and depression include over-parenting, perfectionism (especially with regards to schoolwork), social isolation, social-media use, financial problems, housing worries, and concern over some global issues such as climate change. Cognitive abilities In many countries, Generation Z youth are more likely to be diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders than older generations. A 2010 meta-analysis by an international team of mental health experts found that the worldwide prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) was around one percent. But the share of individuals with such a condition in low- to middle-income countries were up to twice as high as their wealthier counterparts. The researchers also found that ID was more common among children and adolescents than adults. A 2017 study from the Dominican Republic suggests that students from all sectors of the educational system utilize the Internet for academic purposes, yet those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds tend to rank the lowest in terms of reading comprehension skills. A 2020 report by psychologist John Protzko analyzed over 30 studies and found that children have become better at delaying gratification over the previous 50 years, corresponding to an average increase of 0.18 standard deviations per decade on the IQ scale. This is contrary to the opinion of the majority of the 260 cognitive experts polled (84%), who thought this ability was deteriorating. Researchers test this ability using the Marshmallow Test. Children are offered treats: if they are willing to wait, they get two; if not, they only get one. The ability to delay gratification is associated with positive life outcomes, such as better academic performance, lower rates of substance use, and healthier body weights. Possible reasons for improvements in the delaying gratification include higher standards of living, better-educated parents, improved nutrition, higher preschool attendance rates, more test awareness, and environmental or genetic changes. Some other cognitive abilities, such as simple reaction time, color acuity, working memory, the complexity of vocabulary usage, and three-dimensional visuospatial reasoning have shown signs of secular decline. Physical A 2015 study found that the frequency of nearsightedness has doubled in the United Kingdom within the last 50 years. Ophthalmologist Steve Schallhorn, chairman of the Optical Express International Medical Advisory Board, noted that research has pointed to a link between the regular use of handheld electronic devices and eyestrain. The American Optometric Association sounded the alarm in a similar vein. According to a spokeswoman, digital eyestrain, or computer vision syndrome, is "rampant, especially as we move toward smaller devices and the prominence of devices increase in our everyday lives." Symptoms include dry and irritated eyes, fatigue, eye strain, blurry vision, difficulty focusing, headaches. However, the syndrome does not cause vision loss or any other permanent damage. To alleviate or prevent eyestrain, the Vision Council recommends that people limit screen time, take frequent breaks, adjust the screen brightness, change the background from bright colors to gray, increase text sizes, and blinking more often. Parents should not only limit their children's screen time but should also lead by example. While food allergies have been observed by doctors since ancient times and virtually all foods can be allergens, research by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found they have been growing increasingly common since the early 2000s. Today, one in twelve American children has a food allergy, with peanut allergy being the most prevalent type. Reasons for this remain poorly understood. Nut allergies in general have quadrupled and shellfish allergies have increased 40% between 2004 and 2019. In all, about 36% of American children have some kind of allergy. By comparison, this number among the Amish in Indiana is 7%. Allergies have also risen ominously in other Western countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, the number of children hospitalized for allergic reactions increased by a factor of five between 1990 and the late 2010s, as did the number of British children allergic to peanuts. In general, the better developed the country, the higher the rates of allergies. Reasons for this remain poorly understood. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that 46% of Australians aged 18 to 24, about a million people, were overweight in 2017 and 2018. That number was 39% in 2014 and 2015. Obese individuals face higher risks of type II diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and stroke. The Australian Medical Associated and Obesity Coalition have urged the federal government to levy a tax on sugary drinks, to require health ratings, and to regulate the advertisement of fast foods. In all, the number of Australian adults who are overweight or obese rose from 63% in 2014–15 to 67% in 2017–18. Puberty in girls Globally, there is evidence that girls in Generation Z experienced puberty at considerably younger ages compared to previous generations, with implications for their welfare and their future. To compound matters, factors known for prompting mental health problems are themselves linked to early pubertal onset; these are early childhood stress, absent fathers, domestic conflict, and low socioeconomic status. Possible causes of early puberty could be positive, namely improved nutrition, or negative, such as obesity and stress. Other triggers include genetic factors, high body-mass index (BMI), exposure to endocrine-disrupting substances that remain in use, such as Bisphenol A (found in some plastics) and dichlorobenzene (used in mothballs and air deodorants), and to banned but persistent chemicals, such as dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and perhaps a combination thereof (the 'cocktail effect'). A 2019 meta-analysis and review of the research literature from all inhabited continents found that between 1977 and 2013, the age of pubertal onset among girls has fallen by an average of almost three months per decade, but with significant regional variations, ranging from 10.1 to 13.2 years in Africa to 8.8 to 10.3 years in the United States. This investigation relies on measurements of thelarche (initiation of breast tissue development) using the Tanner scale rather than self-reported menarche (first menstruation) and MRI brain scans for signs of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis being reactivated. == Political views and participation ==

Views and votes As a group, Generation Z in Western countries was initially on the left to center-left of politics, but has been moving towards the right since the early 2020s. Moreover, there is a significant gender gap in political views among the young around the world. Polling on immigration in various countries receives mixed responses from Generation Z. Among developed democracies, young people's faith in the institutions, including their own government, has declined compared to that of previous generations. In many European nations, the economic crises of the late 2000s and early 2010s have shaken young voters' faith in the welfare state, which they view as something that mostly benefits old people. In tandem with more members of Generation Z being able to vote in elections during the late 2010s and early 2020s, the youth vote has increased in both Europe and the United States. In Australia, Millennials and Generation Z outnumbered the Baby Boomers as voters by the 2025 federal election. By the mid-2020s, young adults on both sides of the North Atlantic have demonstrated a willingness to vote for the populist right. In the United States, while Generation Z might still support some left-wing causes like the Millennials, they have shifted noticeably towards the right since 2020 as their priorities change. Polls consistently show that the Democratic Party has been steadily hemorrhaging support among young adults during the late 2010s and early 2020s, even though they largely disapprove of the Republican Party. By the early 2020s, young voters in Europe have become increasingly concerned about the rising cost of living, violent crime, declining public services in rural areas, immigration, and the Russo-Ukrainian War. In the United States, the single most important issue for Generation Z is the economy (including inflation; the costs of housing, healthcare, and higher education; income inequality; and taxes). Political scientist Jean-Yves Camus dismissed the stereotype of young people altruistically voting for green or left-wing parties as misguided and outdated. Both young men and young women are willing to vote for politically extreme parties or candidates. In the United Kingdom, while young adults are broadly left-leaning, young women are more likely to support the Green Party. In the United States, although a majority of male Zoomers voted for Donald Trump in 2024, Some individuals who support gender equality are hesitant to identify as "feminist" because there are different interpretations of what the term represents in contemporary society. Furthermore, the backlash against feminism among young men is quite strong in many countries; older men tend to hold similar views to women across age groups on this topic. Significant numbers of Gen-Z men support traditional gender roles, believe that it is much harder to be a man today, This polarization of the sexes is exacerbated by social media. Social media are platforms using which those on the margins of politics can directly address the public, eroding the advantages of establishment figures. Around the world, large numbers of people from this cohort feel angry, anxious, guilty, helpless, and sad about climate change and are dissatisfied with how their governments have responded so far. In Iran, activists, most of whom women, took to the streets in 2022 to voice their disapproval of their government after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in morality police custody; she was arrested for allegedly violating the state's Islamic dress code. In Bangladesh, students overthrew the autocratic regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the July Revolution of 2024, putting an end to what they deemed an unfair quota system of the Bangladeshi civil service and a massacre. In Kenya, young people, long faced with government corruption and economic precariousness despite being better educated than older generations, protested the 2024 tax hikes of President William Ruto. In 2025, Generation Z took to the streets of Nepal to protest a ban on social media platforms (which was later lifted) and the extravaganza and nepotism of the ruling class; they also toppled the communist government of Prime Minister Sharma Oli. This cohort also demonstrated to voice their disapproval of their governments' corruption and economic mismanagement in Indonesia and the Philippines, taking advantage of social media to organize and plan their events. In Morocco, Generation Z organized civil disobedience on Discord in response to inadequate public services, high unemployment, and high government spending on the 2030 FIFA World Cup. In Peru, the president was impeached following mass unrest in response to an unpopular pension reforms and violent crime. Protests in one country in many cases have inspired those in other places, facilitated by social media platforms. This flag was first used in the protests in Indonesia, but has since been spotted in Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, In South Korea, K-pop music, such as the song "Into the New World" (2007) by Girls' Generation was used in anti-corruption protests of 2016–17, despite its largely apolitical lyrics. It was also used in pro-democratic rallies in Hong Kong in 2019–20 as well as in Thailand in 2020-21. == Religious tendencies ==

In the Middle East and North Africa, young people were much more pious in the early 2020s compared to the late 2010s. Young Latin Americans of the 2020s are markedly more likely to be irreligious than the previous decade, making their region as a whole more secular. Those with higher education are especially likely to be religiously unaffiliated. Nevertheless, belief in astrology and spirituality remained common. In Western Europe and North America, Generation Z is the least religious generation in history. However, there is a significant gender gap in certain countries, such as Finland and the United States, According to British Office for National Statistics (ONS), people under the age of 40 in England and Wales are more likely to consider themselves irreligious rather than Christian, as of 2023. In Canada, 43% of people aged 15 to 35 were religiously unaffiliated in 2021. Young Canadian adults, who are much more likely to have higher education than their counterparts in other countries of the OECD in the 2020s, tend to have a negative opinion of religion, viewing it as incompatible with modernity. In the United States, although the long-term decline of religion has slowed during the 2020s, the generational shift in religiosity remains palpable. The United States saw one of the fastest declines of religion between the late 2000s and early 2020s, behind only Greece and Italy. Millennials and Generation Z are driving the trend. Young women are leaving religion at a faster pace than young men, and have become no more religious than men, breaking a historical norm. == Risky behaviors ==

Adolescent pregnancy Adolescent pregnancy has been in decline during the early 21st century all across the industrialized world, due to the widespread availability of contraception and the growing avoidance of sexual intercourse among teenagers. In New Zealand, the pregnancy rate for females aged 15 to 19 dropped from 33 per 1,000 in 2008 to 16 in 2016. Highly urbanized regions had adolescent pregnancy rates well below the national average whereas Māori communities had much higher than average rates. In Australia, it was 15 per 1,000 in 2015. In the United States, teenage pregnancy rates continued to decline, reaching 13.5 in 2022, the lowest on record. Northern European countries, above all the Netherlands, have some of the world's lowest teenage pregnancy and abortion rates by implementing thorough sex education. Alcoholism and substance use 2020 data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on a per-capita basis, members of Generation Z binged on alcohol 20% less often than Millennials. However, 9.9% of people aged 16 to 24 consumed at least one drug in the past month, usually cannabis, or more than twice the share of the population between the ages of 16 and 59. "Cannabis has now taken over from the opiates in terms of the most people in treatment for addiction," psychopharmacologist Val Curran of the University College London (UCL) told The Telegraph. Moreover, the quality and affordability of various addictive drugs have improved in recent years, making them an appealing alternative to alcoholic beverages for many young people, who now have the ability to arrange a meeting with a dealer via social media. Addiction psychiatrist Adam Winstock of UCL found using his Global Drug Survey that young people rated cocaine more highly than alcohol on the basis of value for money, 4.8 compared to 4.7 out of 10. As of 2019, cannabis was legal for both medical and recreational use in Uruguay, Canada, and 33 states in the US. In the United States, Generation Z is the first to be born into a time when the legalization of marijuana at the federal level is being seriously considered. While adolescents (people aged 12 to 17) in the late 2010s were more likely to avoid both alcohol and marijuana compared to their predecessors from 20 years before, college-aged youths are more likely than their elders to consume marijuana. Marijuana use in Western democracies was three times the global average, as of 2012, and in the U.S., the typical age of first use is 16. This is despite the fact that marijuana use is linked to some risks for young people, such as in the impairment of cognitive abilities and school performance, though a causality has not been established in this case. Youth crime During the 2010s, when most of Generation Z experienced some or all of their adolescence, reductions in youth crime were seen in some Western countries. A report looking at statistics from 2018 to 2019 noted that the numbers of young people aged ten to seventeen in England and Wales being cautioned or sentenced for criminal activity had fallen by 83% over the previous decade, while those entering the youth justice system for the first time had fallen by 85%. In 2006, 3,000 youths in England and Wales were detained for criminal activity; ten years later, that number fell below 1,000. In a 2014 report, Statistics Canada stated that police-reported crimes committed by persons between the ages of 12 and 17 had been falling steadily since 2006 as part of a larger trend of decline from a peak in 1991. Between 2000 and 2014, youth crimes plummeted 42%, above the drop for overall crime of 34%. In fact, between the late 2000s and mid-2010s, the fall was especially rapid. This was primarily driven by a 51% drop in theft of items worth no more than CAN$5,000 and burglary. The most common types of crime committed by Canadian adolescents were theft and violence. At school, the most frequent offenses were possession of cannabis, common assault, and uttering threats. Overall, although they made up only 7% of the population, adolescents stood accused of 13% of all crimes in Canada. In addition, mid- to late-teens were more likely to be accused of crimes than any other age group in the country. == Family and social life ==

Upbringing and Giulia M. Dotti Sani analyzed the diaries of 122,271 parents (68,532 mothers and 53,739 fathers) aged 18 to 65 in households with at least one child below the age of 13 from 1965 to 2012 in eleven Western countries—Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Slovenia—and discovered that in general, parents had been spending more and more time with their children. In 2012, the average mother spent twice as much time with her offspring than her counterpart in 1965. Among fathers, the average amount of time quadrupled. Nevertheless, women were still the primary caregivers. Parents of all education levels were represented, though those with higher education typically spent much more time with their children, especially university-educated mothers. France was the only exception. French mothers were spending less time with their children whereas fathers were spending more time. This overall trend reflected the dominant ideology of "intensive parenting"—the idea that the time parents spend with children is crucial for their development in various areas and the fact that fathers developed more egalitarian views with regards to gender roles over time and became more likely to want to play an active role in their children's lives. In the United Kingdom, there was a widespread belief in the early 21st century that rising parental, societal and state concern for the safety of children was leaving them increasingly mollycoddled and slowing the pace they took on responsibilities. The same period saw a rise in child-rearing's position in the public discourse with parenting manuals and reality TV programs focused on family life, such as Supernanny, providing specific guidelines for how children should be cared for and disciplined. According to Statistics Canada, the number of households with both grandparents and grandchildren remained rare but grew in the early 21st century. In 2011, five percent of Canadian children below the age of ten lived with a grandparent, up from 3.3% in the previous decade. This is in part because Canadian parents in the early 21st century could not (or believe they could not) afford childcare and often find themselves having to work long hours or irregular shifts. Meanwhile, many grandparents struggled to keep up with their highly active grandchildren on a regular basis due to their age. Because Millennials and members of Generation X tend to have fewer children than their parents the Baby Boomers, each child typically receives more attention from grandparents and parents compared to previous generations. Friendships and socialization According to the OECD PISA surveys, 15-year-olds in 2015 had a tougher time making friends at school than ten years prior. European teenagers were becoming more and more like their Japanese and South Korean counterparts in social isolation. This might be due to intrusive parenting, heavy use of electronic devices, and concerns over academic performance and job prospects. Although the sociocultural zeitgeist of social media platforms have a greater influence on them than their families and schools, authenticity is of great importance to them. Romance, marriage, and family According to a 2014 report from UNICEF, some 250 million females were forced into marriage before the age of 15, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Problems faced by child brides include loss of educational opportunity, less access to medical care, higher childbirth mortality rates, depression, and suicidal ideation. During the 2020s, young adults around the world are much more likely to be romantically unattached, either by choice or circumstance, than older living generations at the same age. East Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America saw the steepest declines compared to the 2000s. Some have pets instead. Social media, online dating sites, and political polarization are contributing factors to this social trend among Generation Z. In China, young people nowadays are much more likely to deem marriage and children sources of stress rather than fulfillment. This trend is an extension of the "lying flat" movement, popular among Chinese youths. Pluralities of young urban residents of the 2020s told pollsters they were not planning to get married due to having trouble finding the right person, the high costs of marriage, or skepticism of marriage. While urban university-educated young women of the 2010s and 2020s often hold gender-egalitarian views, this is not the case among young men. In China, for instance, men with higher education view feminism as a threat. Pew Research reports that in 2016, 88% of American women aged 18 to 21 were childless as opposed to 80% of Generation X and 79% of Millennial female youth at a similar age. == Use of information and communications technologies ==

Generation Z is one of the first cohorts to have Internet technology readily available at a young age. With the Web 2.0 revolution that occurred throughout the mid-late 2000s and 2010s, they have been exposed to an unprecedented amount of technology in their upbringing, with the use of mobile devices growing exponentially over time. Anthony Turner characterizes Generation Z as having a "digital bond to the Internet", and argues that it may help youth to escape from emotional and mental struggles they face offline. According to U.S. consultants Sparks and Honey in 2014, 41% of Generation Z spend more than three hours per day using computers for purposes other than schoolwork, compared with 22% in 2004. In 2015, an estimated 150,000 apps, 10% of apps in Apple's App Store, were educational and aimed at children up to college level, though opinions are mixed as to whether the net result will be deeper involvement in learning and a lack of self-regulation that may hinder child development. A 2015 study by Microsoft found that 77% of respondents aged 18 to 24 said yes to the statement, "When nothing is occupying my attention, the first thing I do is reach for my phone," compared to just 10% for those aged 65 and over. In a TEDxHouston talk, Jason Dorsey of the Center for Generational Kinetics stressed the notable differences in the way that Millennials and Generation Z consume technology, with 18% of Generation Z feeling that it is okay for a 13-year-old to have a smartphone, compared with just 4% for the previous generation. An online newspaper about texting, SMS and MMS writes that teens own cellphones without necessarily needing them; that receiving a phone is considered a rite of passage in some countries, allowing the owner to be further connected with their peers, and it is now a social norm to have one at an early age. An article from the Pew Research Center stated that "nearly three-quarters of teens have or have access to a smartphone and 30% have a basic phone, while just 12% of teens 13 to 15 say they have no cell phone of any type". These numbers are only on the rise and the fact that the majority own a cell phone became one of Generation Z's defining characteristics. The article states that "24% of teens go online 'almost constantly'." Digital literacy Despite being labeled as digital natives, the 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), conducted on 42,000 eighth-graders (or equivalents) from 14 countries and education systems, found that only two percent of these people were sufficiently proficient with information devices to justify that description, and only 19% could work independently with computers to gather information and to manage their work. ICILS assesses students on two main categories: Computer and Information Literacy (CIL), and Computational Thinking (CT). Countries or education systems whose students scored near or above the international average of 496 in CIL were, in increasing order, France, North Rhine-Westphalia, Portugal, Germany, the United States, Finland, South Korea, Moscow, and Denmark. Countries or education systems whose students scored near or above the international average of 500 were, in increasing order, the United States, France, Finland, Denmark, and South Korea. By the early 2020s, many members of Generation Z were entering the digital workplace without some basic ICT skills, though they can learn more quickly than older workers. Pornography viewing While pornography is made for entertainment, teenagers are increasingly turning to it as a source of information on sexuality, especially what to do during a sexual encounter, as teachers tend to focus on contraception. Many interviewees told researchers they felt anxious about their body image and the expectations of their potential sexual partners as a result of viewing, and their concerns over sexual violence. About one-third of the British population watches these films, according to industry estimates. Indeed, an absolute majority have used social media and are frequently online. Some also report online fatigue and want to spend less time on the Internet Speed and reliability are important factors in their choice of social networking platform, and they make frequent use of emojis. Unlike older generations, who prefer newspapers and television reports, Generation Z uses social media to access the news. Nevertheless, even though people aged 18 to 24 are heavily reliant upon social media networks, they have very little trust in them. (2022)|left Once the single most popular social media site among teenagers, Facebook has been on the decline since the early 2010s. The share of teenagers using Twitter has fallen as well. At the same time, YouTube has claimed the top spot while Snapchat and Instagram have also made significant gains. During the late 2010s and early 2020s, TikTok exploded in usage among adolescents and has become the second most frequently used platform, According to Advertising Age, Generation Z finds Snapchat and TikTok appealing because videos, pictures, and messages send much faster on it than in regular messaging. As of 2022, TikTok has around 689 million active users, 43% of whom are from Gen Z. So popular is TikTok among people under the age of 30 in Europe and North America that they typically ignore their own governments' concerns over issues of user privacy and national security. Based on current growth figures, it is predicted that by the end of 2023, TikTok audience will grow by 1.5 billion active users, 70% of whom will be members of Generation Z. Effects of screen time In his 2017 book Irresistible, professor of marketing Adam Alter argued that not only are children addicted to electronic gadgets, but their addiction jeopardizes their ability to read non-verbal social cues. A 2019 meta-analysis of thousands of studies from almost two dozen countries suggests that while as a whole, there is no association between screen time and academic performance, when the relation between individual screen-time activity and academic performance is examined, negative associations are found. Watching television is negatively correlated with overall school grades, language fluency, and mathematical ability while playing video games was negatively associated with overall school grades only. According to previous research, screen activities not only take away the time that could be spent on homework, physical activities, verbal communication, and sleep (the time-displacement hypothesis) but also diminish mental activities (the passivity hypothesis). Furthermore, excessive television viewing is known for harming the ability to pay attention as well as other cognitive functions; it also causes behavioral disorders, such as having unhealthy diets, which could damage academic performance. Excessively playing video games, on the other hand, is known for impairing social skills and mental health, and as such could also damage academic performance. However, depending on the nature of the game, playing it could be beneficial for the child; for instance, the child could be motivated to learn the language of the game in order to play it better. Among adolescents, excessive Internet surfing is well known for being negatively associated with school grades, though previous research does not distinguish between the various devices used. Nevertheless, one study indicates that Internet access, if used for schoolwork, is positively associated with school grades but if used for leisure, is negatively associated with it. Overall, the effects of screen time are stronger among adolescents than children. Other researchers hypothesize that girls are more affected by social media usage because of how they use it. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015, researchers discovered that while 78% of girls reported making a friend through social media, only 52% of boys could say the same. However, boys are not explicitly less affected by this statistic. They also found that 57% of boys claimed to make friends through video gaming, while this was only true for 13% of girls. According to a 2020 report by the British Board of Film Classification, "many young people felt that the way they viewed their overall body image was more likely the result of the kinds of body images they saw on Instagram." == See also ==