Millennials and Gen Z are people sharing the same planet, yet are very different. Generation Y inherited a lot from the generation before, but also shaped a lot of the society that we live in right now. From law changes, to activism, to social media. In fact, there are many factors why the differences between generations can be solid.
Millennials are the generation Y that starts at 1981, and extends to 1996. In other words, a portion of 90’s kids are considered Millennials, while the other portion belongs to Gen Z. Moreover, anyone born after 1997 is Generation Z. So, what are the big differences between us? And how is it shaping the actual society.
Diveristy
First of all, in a study conducted by the Brookings Institute, diversity rates reached its highest with Millennials. According to the research, ”Overall, [M]illennials are 55.8 percent white and nearly 30 percent ‘new minorities.’ However, Gen Z has been the one to really ‘witness’ the change. In fact, experts expect that by 2030, 50% of kids worldwide will belong to at least one minority group.
Stress
Stress levels hit the roof during this global pandemic. In fact, psychologists argued that it might just be one of the most traumatizing experiences both generations have lived. However, stress recorded a significant increase among young adults. Recent data shows that only ”fewer than half (47%) of Gen Zers say they’re content with their lives compared to 60% of Millennials.
Gender
Gender studies and sexuality have known an important shift with Millennials. However, Gen Z have been the ones to really push forward for reforms in both aspects. Even more, the new generation has proven to be more tolerant, ‘open’, and accepting of gender. In a 2016 survey presented by the Walter Thompson Innovation Group found that ‘‘only 48% of Generation Z identifies as “completely heterosexual” compared to 65% of Millennials.”
Technology
This is an obvious one. While most 90’s kids grew up in a time when Internet was not easily accessible, Gen Z grew up with all types of social media. In fact, the tremendous outcome of technology-based differences have been the subject of several studies. According to research, social media is used differently by the two groups. Actually, ”more than 50% of Millennials consistently post updates online compared to only 32% of Gen Z.”
Fashion
Trends change every year if not more. So, fashion is clearly one of the major differences between Millennials and Gen Z. Few days ago, a viral Tiktok calling for style change made some 90’s kids pretty mad. According to the findings of this research, here is what each generation thinks about common fashion styles.
Photos: Freepik.