This is the first generation to really grow up online. Today's 17-year-old was just two when Facebook launched, three when YouTube was founded, and in kindergarten when Apple unveiled the iPhone.
2.
In 1998,
Netflix launched
and Gen Zers
were not born.
In 1994
Amazon launched
and Gen Zers
were not born.
In 2004,
Facebook launched
and Gen Zers
were 2 years old.
In 2005,
YouTube launched
and Gen Zers
were 3 years old.
In 2007,
the iPhone launched
and Gen Zers
were 5 years old.
In 2010,
Instagram launched
and Gen Zers
were 8 years old.
In 2011,
Snapchat launched
and Gen Zers
were 9 years old.
Click on the companies to see how old Gen Zers were when it launched
Gen Z ranges from 13 to 21 years old.
1.
Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation in US history, with minorities about to outnumber the white population.
3.
Most of the generation sees diversity as good for society.
4.
One in three Gen Zers knows someone who prefers to use gender-neutral pronouns.
5.
Gen Z is the first generation in which the majority believes that forms should include gender options other than "man" or "woman."
6.
Most of Gen Z doesn’t work, but it’s not because they don’t want to. They cite not having time or not being able to get a job as the main reason they’re unemployed.
7.
More than one in four Gen
Zers say they use cannabis
or marijuana, more than twice
the national average, according to a survey by Bloomberg.
13.
Younger voters are pushing hard for legalized weed. Americans under 35 are twice as likely to support legalization as baby boomers.
12.
Still, the overwhelming majority say the biggest issue America is facing today is President Donald Trump.
10.
When it comes to political beliefs, Gen Z skews more conservative than many realize. The generation is split between the right and the left.
9.
Gen Z believes things in America are going poorly.
8.
Gen Z seems to be resisting
e-cigs. While they’re more likely to vape than smoke a cigarette, most say they won't do either. Most also aren't interested in drinking alcohol.
14.
They’re all about Amazon: 90% of Gen Zers say they’ve shopped there.
18.
McDonald's reigns supreme.
17.
There are a couple brands Gen Z loves, though. Nike is a standout.
16.
Gen Z’s shopping habits could destroy a lot of traditional retail brands. That’s because they don’t shop by label. In fact, they actively avoid labels — seeking out little-known thrift stores and boutiques to find unique styles — and shop by price instead.
15.
Gen Z pretty firmly believes humans are causing climate change, even young Republicans.
11.
Snap is still the communication tool of choice. They talk to friends primarily by text or snaps.
24.
But Facebook’s teen problem is real. Gen Z says it’s fleeing Facebook and Kik quickly.
23.
In general, Instagram and YouTube dominate Gen Z’s social-media usage, with more than 60% percent saying they use them every day.
22.
Most of Gen Z gets its news from social media, and Instagram has become the new front page.
21.
Netflix is easily winning the streaming wars.
20.
As Gen Z constantly multitasks, adding up all the hours they spend on various screens and social media networks makes
it appear as if they have more than 24 hours in a day.
19.
If you don’t own an iPhone, you’re more or less "a loser," and Gen Z will make you feel like one. Some 83% of teens own an iPhone, according to a recent Piper Jaffray survey.
25.
Gen Z doesn’t know a world without social media, and it has led them to think about personal identity in
a new way.
START OVER
While Gen Z is split politically, they could revolutionize the Republican party as they push for LGBT rights and fight to address climate change.
They could kill some
of the most iconic American brands, as they seek out little-known thrift stores and boutiques to find unique styles.
Teens are battling FOMO – fear of missing out – and know they have a tech addiction problem. But they desperately want to break the habit.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
42%
48%
52%
62%
62%
Silent
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
Gen Z
PCT. WHO SEES DIVERSITY AS GOOD
1940
1960
1980
2000
2010
1990
1970
1950
1930
GEN Z
13–21
MILLENNIALS
22–37
GEN X
38–53
BOOMERS
54–72
SILENT
Ages 73–90
BIRTH YEAR
18%
30%
39%
48%
Boomers in 1968
Gen X in 1986
Millennials in 2002
Gen Z in 2018
PCT. OF NON-WHITE 6–21 YEAR OLDS
7%
12%
16%
25%
35%
Silent
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
Gen Z
PCT. WHO PERSONALLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO PREFERS GENDER-NEUTRAL PRONOUNS
5.9%
8.1%
15.9%
19.2%
24.7%
Not interested
Get enough allowance from my parents
Other
Applied but didn't get one
Not legal to work
REASONS GEN ZERS DON'T HAVE JOBS
Don't have time
26.1%
8%
34%
36%
19%
Very well
Well
Poorly
Very poorly
How Gen Z thinks things are going in the US
3%
Other
33.4%
16.2%
9.9%
8.2%
9.6%
7.9%
7.4%
7.4%
38%
Gen Z
Millennial
Gen X
Boomer
Silent
WHAT GENERATIONS THINK IS CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE
Human activity
Natural patterns
No evidence
Not sure
45%
48%
56%
54%
85%
12%
35%
49%
18–34
35–49
50–64
65+
how age groups feel about marijuana legalization
For
Against
12%
63%
59%
44%
Juul
Cigerettes
Alcohol
how likely gen zERS ARE to use the following
Extremely likely
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Other
63%
76%
58%
Not so likely
Extremely unlikely
30.7%
33.1%
33.2%
46.5%
Forever 21
Nike
PERCENT OF GEN ZERS WHO BOUGHT SOMETHING FROM THESE BRANDS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS
Adidas
29.8%
Old Navy
Victoria's Secret
Vans
Calvin Klein
American Eagle
H&M
Hollister
26.5%
24.4%
19.6%
19.5%
18.8%
41.2%
40.2%
39.5%
35%
29%
23.8%
23%
42.1%
45.5%
62.8%
Taco Bell
Wendy's
McDonald's
Starbucks
Chick-fil-A
Burger King
KFC
Papa John's
Pizza Hut
PERCENT OF GEN ZERS WHO BOUGHT SOMETHING FROM THESE FAST-FOOD CHAINS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS
Dunkin'
60%
18%
9%
7%
Price
Shared values
Social media
Friends are wearing it
6%
Other
MAIN FACTOR FOR GEN ZERS WHEN BUYING SOMETHING
18.7%
27.1%
31.2%
9.9%
One of most-visted sites, but don't typically buy
10.6%
HOW GEN ZERS FEEL ABOUT AMAZON
2.5%
One of most-visited sites, and often buy
Browse occasionally, and sometimes buy
Browse occasionally,
but have never bought
Never used it
Other
24%
45%
56%
44%
Almost constantly
Several times a day
Less often
20%
How often GEN ZERS use THE Internet, computer, OR CEll phone
11%
2014–15
2018
34%
24%
22%
14%
11%
11%
8%
51%
63%
65%
30.8%
29.3%
21%
9.7%
9%
2.6%
36.2%
49.9%
58.7%
TECH
SPENDING
IDENTITY
The oldest Gen Zer doesn’t remember life before Facebook, and that’s led to some dark consequences
IDENTITY
READ MORE
READ MORE
READ MORE
READ MORE
PART 1
Source: Pew Research
Source: Pew Research
Source: Pew Research
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survery
Source: Pew Research
Source: Pew Research
Source: Pew Research
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survey
Source: INSIDER survey
READ MORE
READ MORE
READ MORE
READ MORE
America's teenagers skew a lot more conservative than most people realize, and they get most of their news from Instagram
BELIEFS
PART 2
Gen Z is leading an evolution in shopping that could kill brands as we know them
SPENDING
PART 3
America’s phone-obsessed teens are always multitasking, and it’s starting to cost them
TECH
PART 4
START
Here’s how they view the world.
is overstimulated, overconnected, and over the status quo.
We surveyed 1,800 teens and 20-somethings and analyzed data from the Pew Research Center, industry experts, and more.
32%
37%
40%
50%
59%
Silent
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
Gen Z
PERCENT WHO SAY FORMS/ONLINE PROFILES SHOULD INCLUDE OPTIONS OTHER THAN "MAN" OR "WOMAN"
Source: Pew Research
Very conservative
Very liberal
Moderately liberal
Slightly liberal
Moderately conservative
Slightly conservative
Neither liberal nor conservative
Don't know/
rather not say
HOW GEN Z DESCRIBES THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS
Hulu
YouTube TV
Netflix
Cable
Twitch
Amazon Prime Video
DirectTV Now
PlayStation Vue
Vevo
HBO GO/
NOW
PCT. of Gen Zers who say they use these streaming services
Source: INSIDER survey
24%
19%
14%
7.6%
7.6%
5.2%
4.6%
29%
32%
75%
TV
Friends
Social media
Parents
Radio
Online news
Avoids the news
Other
Newspaper
WHERE GEN Z GETS THEIR NEWS
Source: INSIDER survey
YouTube
Snap
Instagram
Twitter
FB Messenger
Facebook
TikTok
Tumblr
Discord
Pinterest
PCT. of Gen Zers who say they check these apps on a daily basis
Source: INSIDER survey
Kik
Skype
Facebook
Instagram
Snap
Twitter
Tumblr
Pinterest
TikTok
FB Messenger
PCT. of Gen Zers who say they used to check these apps but no longer do
Source: INSIDER survey
21%
20.3%
18.2%
16.2%
15.9%
15.2%
14.1%
24.6%
29.7%
30%
Snap
Instagram DM
Text
Phone
Other
FB Messenger
Fortnite
WhatsApp
Other video game chats
Discord
HOW GEN ZERS TALK TO THEIR
FRIENDS MOST OFTEN
Source: INSIDER survey
6.9%
6.1%
5.5%
3.7%
3%
1.7%
1.5%
8%
24.9%
33.3%
START
TECH
BELIEFS
IDENTITY
SPENDING
Click on the companies to see how old Gen Zers were when it launched
In 1994
Amazon launched
and Gen Zers
were not born.
In 1998,
Netflix launched
and Gen Zers
were not born.
In 2004,
Facebook launched
and Gen Zers
were 2 years old.
In 2005,
YouTube launched
and Gen Zers
were 3 years old.
In 2007,
the iPhone launched
and Gen Zers
were 5 years old.
In 2010,
Instagram launched
and Gen Zers
were 8 years old.
In 2011,
Snapchat launched
and Gen Zers
were 9 years old.
2.
This is the first generation to really grow up online. Today's 17-year-old was just two when Facebook launched, three when YouTube was founded, and in kindergarten when Apple unveiled the iPhone.
TECH
BELIEFS
IDENTITY
SPENDING
Source: Business Insid`er
