Gen Z is ready for the spotlight.
TIMOTHY A. Clary is a photographer.
The media darling of the moment is Gen Z.
The generation that turns 24 this year is in the spotlight as they begin to influence over lifestyle, work, and consumer trends. There are many headlines promising how to meet Gen Z demands in the workforce or market beauty brands to them.
Gen Z is the first digitally native generation and they're best reached online, where they're often catapulting new trends. They are ready to create and shape a better world.
They were hit by the Pandemic during their most formative years, which could shape their futures over the long term. The oldest members of the "TikTok generation," who graduated into a recession, are already showing signs of behaviors that could define them for years, trying to save and invest early and embracing a lifestyle based on thrift.
They're set to take over the economy in a decade, but their spending restraint and skepticism about markets could make that economy very different.
It's hard to capture an entire generation when some members are still teens and others are adults, but here's what life will look like in 2021.
The images are from View Apart.
Gen Z is the most diverse generation in history, and will overtake the younger generation as the most educated generation. The research firm Center for Generational Kinetics is not a reflection of the current generation, according to the head of the firm.
He said that the oldest members are entering the life stage in which they're exert enough influence to take the mantle as the "it."
He explained that society is shifting its focus to the next generation, which is a mystery. He predicted that Gen Z will shift and drive much of the conversation for the next 15 years.
Roy Rochlin is a photographer.
Gen Z was born into a world marked by technology. The average Gen Zer got their first phone when they were 12. They use social media and texts more than older generations do, and spend more time on their phones.
The digital behaviors of the people were increased by the Pandemic. With ample time to scroll on their phones, they were able to bond with one another as they did during the Pandemic.
This helped blow up TikTok during the Pandemic. The social media app grew by 75% by September 2020. It shows the influence of Gen Z in leading consumer behavior.
Klaus Vedfelt is a photographer.
70% of Gen Zers were already earning their own spending money by the year 2017, according to a survey. The amount is the same as the one given to the baby boomers.
A survey in 2020 found that the Pandemic has taught Gen Z how to be frugal. They've begun saving money and investing earlier than previous generations, and they're looking for good job benefits.
The State of Gen Z report shows that more than half of Gen Zers are saving more since the beginning of the Pandemic. Thirty-eight percent have opened an online investment account, while 39% have opened an online bank account.
Gen Z is going to have to work harder to get a return. Gen Z can expect to earn less than previous generations on stocks and bonds, according to Credit Suisse's global investment returns yearbook.
Tim P. Whitby is a photographer.
According to the report, Gen Z had the most debt growth of any generation, with the average balance increasing by 67.2%. The greatest growth occurred among the youngest consumer group, and the increase seemed to track with age.
Gen Z owe more than $169k in mortgage and personal loan debt. Homebuying Gen Zers are leading the charge in their generation's debt upswing.
Alexi Rosenfeld is a photographer.
Humans are more likely to feel nostalgia during times of economic turmoil. Gen Z's version of a nostalgic escape from the Pandemic is reviving fashions from the time before social media took over.
They're reviving the Y2K trends of yore in a "throwback economy" according to Sara Fischer of Axios. Gen Z uses corded headphones to make an "anti-finance bro" statement.
They've been lusting after an "old money" aesthetic characterized by Oxford shirts, tennis skirts, and tweed blazers, a contrast to the casual outfits of the new billionaire class that characterized the 2010s.
The VSCO girl had the internet buzzing. She had a natural look that was a contrast to the makeup on her face. Gen Z's continued embrace of nostalgia is showing she was not a one-off.
The images are by Su Arslanoglu.
Gen Z is not following in the footsteps of the younger generation. The New York Times' Emma Goldberg wrote that young 20-somethings are challenging tradition by asking for mental health days, working less once they've accomplished their tasks for the day, and setting their own hours.
It's part of a permanent shift in slowing down productivity with the aim of having more separation from work, according to a recent opinion piece for the Guardian.
Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, called it a "Great Reshuffle" because some Gen Zers are quitting their jobs. He said that his team tracked the percentage of members who changed their jobs on the professional networking site and found that Gen Z's job transitions have increased by 80%.
A study done by Personal Capital and The Harris Poll found that more Gen Zers wanted to switch jobs than any other generation. Some people are opting out of working altogether, bolstering the "antiwork" movement that embraces a work-free lifestyle.
The majority of Gen Zers haven't yet entered the workforce, but they'll be just as progressive as their older peers.
Agence France-Presse via Getty Images.
Gen Z has been at the forefront of activism, from the March for Our Lives anti-gun protest to the climate change movement, because of their childhood defined by international protest movements. The most famous member is the climate-crisis activist.
The killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis sparked anti-brutality demonstrations. According to a survey conducted by Yubo and Insider, more than 75% of respondents attended a protest to support equality for Black Americans.
The generation played a pivotal role in the 2020 election, which may have finally captured the elusive youth turnout.
The change may start with Gen Z.
More: Economy Pandemic.
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