GENERATION ZSavvy, connected,

changing the world

Like the badly behaved older child, millennials are getting

all the attention. Ignored is their younger sibling—the

ambitious, engaged, sensible child. It’s time we looked at

generation Z, a group that wants to change the world

and might just do it.

GENERATION Z

GENERATION Z 3

GENERATION Z

Generation Z are today’s teenagers. And they’re full of surprises. Born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, they are the first true digital natives. Making up about a quarter of the population in the UK and US, under-20s have got a lot to say and a lot to spend. In the US alone, they have $44 billion in annual purchasing power.

Like the badly behaved older child, millennials are getting all the attention. Ignored is their younger sibling—the ambitious, engaged, sensible child. It’s time we looked at generation Z, a group that wants to

change the world and might just do it.

Unlike millennials, generation Zers have grown up in tough times and, if anything, have watched millennials and learned from their mistakes. They know education needs to be active rather than passive and that unemployment is a real risk. In a

celebration of generation Z, energy drink brand Lucozade called them “self-starters, not selfie-takers.” They’re active and aware.

If millennials are content to use the internet to browse paparazzi shots of the Kardashians and wallow in 1990s nostalgia, generation Z wants to create, connect and change.

i-D magazine’s recent “Activist Issue” looked at generation Z: “The internet has helped us in making the world a better place. It's our generation's ears and eyes, giving us the knowledge and tools to implement change.”

INTRODUCTION

Ian Van Buskirk, Minerva Schools student, San Francisco. Photography by Winni Wintermeyer.

GENERATION Z 4INTRODUCTION

“The generation before could be characterized by excessive consumption …it makes sense for the next generation

to distinguish themselves from their older siblings and cousins.”

Fiona Measham, Durham University

The caricature of a millennial is Hannah Horvath, Lena Dunham’s character in Girls. The series opens with Hannah’s parents telling her they will no longer pay her rent. Hannah, 24, self-obsessed and directionless, is appalled. Her generation Z counterpart is Alex Dunphy of Modern Family. She’s ambitious, always worrying about school work and getting into a good college. She doesn’t break the rules and worries about the world around her, especially the environment.

Generation Z is a remarkably mature generation. While the teenage years are typically seen as a time for experimentation and reckless behavior, that isn’t the case with generation Z. Drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking and teenage pregnancy are at their lowest levels for decades.

“The generation before could be characterized by excessive consumption,” Fiona Measham, an academic at Durham University in the UK, recently told The Daily Telegraph. “It makes sense for the next generation to distinguish themselves from their older siblings and cousins.”

Generation Z is rebelling by conforming. There’s a greater sense of responsibility as today’s teenagers are more concerned about the future. Professor Measham explained, “I talked to a 17-year-old who said, ‘We have to stay sober to sort out the mess your generation have made of things.'”

GENERATION Z 5TRENDS

G E N E R AT I O N Z B Y N U M B E R S

Connected and conscientious, generation Z is not easily typecast.

They’re always online…86% use their smartphone multiple times a day

…and they worry about that79% agreed that “people my age spend too much time connected to digital devices”

Technology brands are important to them…73% say the brand they buy is important to them

…but that doesn’t mean they want the latest gadgetJust 35% thought that if you didn’t have the latest device you weren’t cool

They still watch TV…69% watch more than two hours of television a day

…but they favor YouTube70% watch more than two hours of YouTube content each day

They still love Facebook…71% of our SONAR™ survey used Facebook, more than any other social network

…but they’re cautious about what they post82% think carefully about what they put on social media

They’re happy shopping online… 68% of our survey said they were as comfortable purchasing online as offline

…but they prefer shopping offline67% would rather shop in stores

They’re preparing for the future…83% agree it’s important to start saving for their future now

…but they’re concerned64% worry about how successful they’ll be in the future

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1 Think about your vocabulary Talk about “the internet” not “the Internet.” It’s not a brand name or a destination. It’s just there, another part of our life. Remember that the internet is now classed as a utility, like water or electricity. Even words like “online” are problematic. Generation Z is always connected; there is no offline anymore.

2 Don’t underestimate them They aren’t just teenagers. They’re consumers, activists, and content creators.

3 Don’t stereotype them Generation Z is racially diverse and moving beyond binaries like “straight” and “gay,” “male” and “female.”

4 Have a positive impact on the world Generation Z wants to change the world. Brands should join them.

5 Don’t assume you speak their language There’s more to engaging with this generation than adopting teen slang.

6 They listen to their friends and peers And those peers might be someone they watch on YouTube.

7 Don’t make them wait Whether it’s ordering a taco on their phone or wanting a new outfit that day, generation Z isn’t used to waiting.

8 Move beyond the mainstream Embrace and celebrate niche trends. They might be tomorrow’s big thing.

9 Don’t be provincial Generation Z takes inspiration from around the world, from food to fashion.

10 Let them choose Whether ordering from a secret menu or hacking education, generation Z will not respond to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Things to Remember

GENERATION Z 7

SAMPLE CASE STUDY

Clockwise from top left: Tim Arboo, photography by Angela Moore; Caroline Weiss, photography by Patrick Strattner; Peter Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore; Ruby Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore.

8

Ruby and Peter don’t have a TV. They used to, but they never really watched it.

There are plenty of other screens to choose from though—Peter loves gaming, while his sister Ruby would be lost without her phone.

Generation Z watches less television than their parents’ generation, instead preferring gadgets and devices. Our survey of 1,000 12- to 19-year-olds showed that while 81% watched more than two hours of TV every day, 83% used their smartphone and 89% their laptop for more than two hours.

Peter’s dad describes him as “obsessed with video games.” “That’s completely fair,” laughs Peter. “I play them on everything you can play them on, basically.” He’s got an Xbox One and is building his own gaming PC. “You need a good computer for PC games,” he explains. “The only real option is to build it yourself. I’ve got a decent sound system but I need better graphics and more RAM.” Most days, he plays for hours at a time.

R U B Y, 1 2 + P E T E R , 1 4 , L O N D O N

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Ruby Scheybeler, Peter Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore.

GENERATION Z 9RUBY, 12 + PETER, 14, LONDON

Ruby uses her phone to browse Instagram, use Snapchat, and listen to music. She’s looking to upgrade as well. “I’ve got no space on my phone anymore because I download so much music. It has, like, 5GB, which isn’t really enough,” she complains. “I’ve got no games and hardly any apps—it’s all taken up with music and photos.”

Both worry a bit about how much time they spend attached to their devices. “I guess it makes me kind of sad how much I rely on it. If I didn’t have it, I’d be so bored all the time,” admits Ruby.

They both love social media. Peter likes Facebook but rarely posts anything. “I just like looking. I can be on there for ages just scrolling through without thinking about anything,” he says. His sister isn’t a Facebook fan. “I really hate it all. I went through a phase of really, really loving it and then realized it was stupid. I never use it anymore,” says Ruby.

She loves Tumblr though, especially the idiosyncratic humor, a mix of pop culture references and animal pictures. “If I showed my mum that she’d be, like, ‘Why’s that so funny? Why are you almost in tears at a picture of a frog?’ It’s hard to explain if you haven’t grown up with it.”

99

“I guess it makes me kind of sad how much I rely on [my phone],” says Ruby. “If I didn’t have it, I’d be so bored all the time.”

Ruby Scheybeler, Peter Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore.

GENERATION Z 10RUBY, 12 + PETER, 14, LONDON

They also disagree about YouTube. “I’m addicted to YouTube,” says Peter. He loves watching gaming videos, especially those made by NerdCubed, a British YouTuber known for his rapid editing style and humorous commentary. He also likes the excitement of watching live-streamed games on Twitch: “I like the fact that it’s live and I can ask questions.”

While Ruby’s friends love YouTube beauty videos, she’s losing interest. “It used to be the first thing I did when I came home from school,” she says. One of the reasons she watches fewer videos is she finds that success has made YouTubers less relatable. “I used to like them because they were living with their parents and now they’re modeling, and writing books, and doing sponsored videos. I find it really annoying.”

One thing they do agree on is a dislike for shopping. Peter finds it boring, Ruby finds it stressful, and they’d rather spend money on music, games or technology than clothes.

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Ruby Scheybeler, Peter Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore.

GENERATION Z 11RUBY, 12 + PETER, 14, LONDON

R U B Y !

I can’t live without my phone

I spend most of my money on downloading music

I’m saving up for a new phone

My favorite social network is Tumblr

The thing I care about most is the well-being of my friends

P E T E R !

The gadget I can’t live without is my PC

The thing I spend most of my money on is games

I’m saving up for parts for my gaming PC

My favorite social network is Facebook

The thing I care about most is my bed

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Peter Scheybeler, Ruby Scheybeler, photography by Angela Moore.

GENERATION Z 12

Jazz Jennings, 14Jazz has been a transgender activist for years. She’s been interviewed by ABC News’ Barbara Walters, co-wrote a children’s book, and uses her YouTube channel to speak about the issues she cares about. This summer she’ll appear on her own reality TV show on TLC called All That Jazz.

Romeo and Brooklyn Beckham, 12 and 16Paparazzi favorites for years, the Beckhams have now started modeling. Romeo has appeared in Burberry campaigns, while older brother Brooklyn models for Reserved, Poland’s leading fashion brand. It’s not all glamour though: last year Brooklyn got his first job, working in a London coffee shop.

Tavi Gevinson, 18After starting a distinctive style blog at age 11, Tavi became a regular fixture at fashion week front rows. At 15 she launched Rookie, a smart, funny online magazine for teenage girls, as likely to discuss feminism and race as boy problems. Actress Lena Dunham and radio and TV host Ira Glass are admirers. Tavi has also moved into acting, making an acclaimed Broadway debut last year.

Activists, entrepreneurs and polymaths, these are the faces of generation Z.

G E N E R AT I O N Z I C O N S

GENERATION Z 13GENERATION Z ICONS

Willow and Jaden Smith, 14 and 16The children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, these two have a wider range of interests than most child stars: quantum physics, ancient texts, and states of higher consciousness. Full of creativity, they act, release albums and write. Willow explained, “There’re no novels that I like to read so I write my own.”

Lorde, 18A winner of two Grammys at 17 years old, Lorde shows such maturity through her music that she had to present her birth certificate to prove she really was a teenager. Her lyrics deal with friendship and alienation, mocking the lavish lifestyle presented in rap music that had no significance for a girl growing up in New Zealand. She uses Twitter to talk to her 3 million followers about body image and social issues.

Nick D’Aloisio, 19Four years ago Nick created Summly, an app that summarizes news stories; in 2013 he sold it to Yahoo for $30 million, making him one of the youngest self-made millionaires ever. But unlike college dropouts Mark Zuckerberg and Biz Stone, Nick wanted to continue his education, and is studying computer science and philosophy at Oxford University.

Malala Yousafzai, 17The world’s most famous schoolgirl and youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala continues to fight for education for every child. She told the UN, “The terrorists thought they would change my aims, and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.”

Bella Thorne, 17An actress, singer and model, Bella has just written her first young adult novel about dyslexia, which mirrors her own life. She has 4 million Instagram followers and works with a number of charities, including Thirst Project, a youth activism project to bring safe drinking water to Africa.

The Innovation Group is J. Walter Thompson’s futurism, research and innovation unit. It charts emerging and future global trends, consumer change, and innovation patterns—translating these into insight for brands. It offers a suite of consultancy services, including bespoke research, presentations, co-branded reports and workshops. It is also active in innovation, partnering with brands to activate future trends within their framework and execute new products and concepts. It is led by Lucie Greene, Worldwide Director of the Innovation Group.

The Innovation Group is part of J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, a platform for global research, innovation and data analytics at J. Walter Thompson Company, housing three key in-house practices: SONAR™, Analytics and the Innovation Group. SONAR™ is J. Walter Thompson’s research unit that develops and exploits new quantitative and qualitative research techniques to understand cultures, brands and consumer motivation around the world. It is led by Mark Truss, Worldwide Director of Brand Intelligence. Analytics focuses on the innovative application of data and technology to inform and inspire new marketing solutions. It offers a suite of bespoke analytics tools and is led by Amy Avery, Head of Analytics, North America.

Contact:Lucie GreeneWorldwide Director of the Innovation GroupJ. Walter Thompson Intelligencelucie.greene@jwt.com

Report author: Graeme Allister