Is Generation Z the most progressive generation to date? As more evidence comes to light about those born between the mid-1990s and 2000s, I can’t help but think it might be.
Raised in a post-9/11 era when terrorism, environmental catastrophe and increasing extremes of poverty were the norm, Gen Z is emerging as a highly activistic, socially-conscious group with ambitions to save the world. They’re doing it in increasingly inventive ways too, turning to the internet, social platforms and video games to make their case. It’s little wonder that i-D’s recent Gen Z issue was themed around Gen Z activists. Vice magazine, its parent media group, also has a powerful citizen journalism platform driven by engaged teens.
Building on this theme, we’ve conducted a deep-dive study of UK and US Gen Zers, including polling 1,000 12-19-year-olds in both countries. When asked what they were most worried about, 61% mentioned terrorism and 60% said wars around the world. 57% were concerned about the planet and 53% about the economy.
They’re making change in inventive, sometimes alternative and quite humorous ways. One of the case studies in our report came from Sophie, a New York-based teenager who was frustrated by sexualisation in video games and that periods were still a taboo for girls to talk about.
After taking part in a Girls Who Code summer camp, she coded her own war game featuring tampons as the weapons that destroy enemies. She’s since received a lot of online buzz and praise for championing coding and breaking barriers about off-limit subjects.
One of the most striking things about Gen Z is its heroes. Far from the reality TV stars and glossy celebrities beloved of millennials, Gen Z heroes include Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai and Bella Thorne, a 17-year-old actress, singer and model who published her first novel about dyslexia.
Thorne also works with the Thirst Project, a youth activism initiative dedicated to delivering safe drinking water to Africa. There’s also Jazz Jennings, a 14-year-old transgender activist who uses her YouTube channel to speak about issues and has been interviewed by ABC’s Barbara Walters. Lorde, the New Zealand Grammy-winning singer who tweets to her 3m followers about body image and social issues, is also a Gen Z hero.
The thread continues when it comes to gender and sexuality, where Gen Z shows remarkably progressive – and new – attitudes. Feminism was also a recurring theme among those we interviewed. Emma Watson’s UN speech endorsing gender equality was cited as an inspiration. 82% of respondents said they didn’t care about sexual orientation while 67% had a friend of a different sexual orientation. Gender roles seem less defined with Gen Z: 81% agreed that gender doesn’t define a person as much as it used to.
Race is also thought of differently, with 77% agreeing with the survey statement: “I view race differently than my parents’ generation.” They are realistic, however, as just 56% thought men and women were treated equally in the workplace, with 87% saying that racial discrimination still exists.
It’s not surprising when you consider the era in which they’ve been raised. Same-sex marriage has been legal in parts of Europe and the US for as long as Generation Z can remember. Some may not personally remember a white president of the United States. They’ve also had ample access to the internet from the word go, witnessing world events live and being able to connect with other teens in an instant.
There’s also an attitudinal shift with Gen Z. Tellingly, happiness came up more than money as a desire in our survey. Raised with economic stagnation and malaise, they’ve seen their older millennial siblings graduate in mountains of debt and high expectations, only to flounder – or at least struggle – in the stagnant economy. As a result, they are very aware that life isn’t handed to them on a plate and are already working for the things they want.
Lucie Greene is worldwide director of JWTIntelligence
This advertisement feature is brought to you by the Marketing Agencies Association, sponsors of the Guardian Media Network’s Agencies hub
