Facebook? Of course. Books? Definitely not. Video games? For sure. Sport? No way. Speed? Yes. Patience? Not so much. This, in a nutshell, is the life of the “Generation Z” — independent, stubborn, pragmatic and always in a rush. Numbering around two billion, these youngsters, born after 1995 and unaware of a world without Internet, live a life that seems a million miles removed from the hopes, dreams and morals of previous generations. Here are a few of the habits of Generation Z: Daily life: They want everything, everywhere and immediately. They surf on two screens simultaneously. They don’t mind paying through the nose for the latest smartphone but turn up their nose at paying for a film or a song when you can get that for free online. Aged 13 to 20, they get all the latest trends from social media and find the morals of their elders out-of-date. Their fashions are those found worldwide over the web: they watch American blockbusters like Hunger Games or Divergent, listen to Korean K-pop and, when they dance, they “twerk”. When they speak, their vocabulary is peppered with acronyms, incomprehensible to those not in the know. “Swag” is the new “cool”. Their friends: People from Generation Z find it easier to talk online than in person. Their friends on social media are as important to them as their friends in real life but sometimes they do actually meet up in person with these “virtual” pals. What they know: Even as young as they are, they have already seen so many technologies become obsolete. For this reason, they have become the ultimate “self-educators”, learning how to use new stuff via self-help videos on YouTube. What they watch: They live in constant “FOMO”, fear of missing out. They can’t stand the idea of not being in the loop when something new and exciting comes out. Facebook is their main poison, despite its flagging popularity among some Americans. Photos on Instagram, quick messages on Snapchat. Twitter and Tumblr are omnipresent. At work: They believe success comes from their “network” rather than from qualifications and they prefer a flat organisation to a hierarchy at work. The future of Generation Z: These are children of the crisis and it shows in their outlook. Most of them say they are “stressed out” by what they see as a bleak future, especially in terms of economy and environment. Given the same pay, 25 per cent of the Generation Z in France would choose the most “fun” company, 22 per cent the most innovative and 21 per cent the most ethical. But like any idealistic generation, they want to change the world. Source: Articlee, Reference-Image
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