Distinguishing between millennials and Gen Z is something of a nightmare, because a lot of people only use the term “millennials,” and they use it as a blanket term meaning “young, fledgling Internet addicts who don’t know what a Walkman is.”
But the general consensus seems to be that millennials were born between 1980 and the mid-90’s, whereas Gen Z was born any time from the mid-90’s onward. And while the marketing universe tends to split hairs about them, millennials and Gen Z are basically two sides of the same coin, and it’s a coin that has had its life irrevocably shaped by technology. Millennials just barely remember a time before the Internet (they might recall ye olde days of yesteryear when households had something called a “computer room”), whereas Gen Z has never really experienced a life without it.
Whatever you want to call them (whippersnappers, young’uns, the youth), it’s important when you’re marketing to them to remember that they live in a world where technology is an omnipresent force. And we get that. Every stat in the world supports it (like the fact that 96% of college-aged millennials have Facebook accounts*, and 40% of toddlers already have access to a tablet**). Basically, technology is theirs to command from the get-go. But here’s something else that’s important to bear in mind:
That’s right. Today’s tech-obsessed neonates want a better world—and not only that, but they want to have a hand in making it. They’re not just content with a job, according to Sparks & Honey—they want a job that will make a difference. Maybe this is simply an overarching quality of youth culture, but maybe it has something to do with the interconnectedness of modern society. You can make your voice heard around the globe on Twitter in 140 characters or less. A single YouTube video can reach hundreds of thousands of subscribers within hours of being uploaded. With Twitch, Meerkat, and Periscope throwing their hats in the live-streaming ring, today’s narrative is focused on making an impact now.
Companies can capitalize on this obsession with tech and social media, but it means nothing if they don’t grasp the motivation behind it. As much as we want to dismiss them as the generation that’s obsessed with Instagramming their food, it’s not that simple. In a world where people are getting their 15 minutes of fame for everything from going to the dentist to wearing the most T-shirts in recorded history, changing the world—for better or for worse—has never seemed more possible. And it really says something that the youth of today is focused on better.
* Statistic courtesy of Concentric Marketing.
** Statistic courtesy of Forbes.