Generation Z

I just learned that there is a generation Z out there. Sorry, Millennials. You've been getting all the attention recently. Topping out at around age 20, they outnumber the Millennials. This younger herd, Generation Z is so important (in the eyes of the media and retailers) that they are said to be a prime spender for the economy. They are responsible for about $600 billion of family spending, and will comprise 40% of consumers by 2020 according to HRC Retail Advisory, a retail strategic firm. Businesses are offering products and services that are particularly appealing to the so called generation Z.  Generation Z comprises 25% of the U.S. population, the biggest segment of it.

The people who create these many labels, which I find annoying and imprecise say there are no firm dates for when Gen Z starts or ends. It supposedly tops out around age 20 and is the generation that is  too young to be a Millennial. That would be birth years that range from the mid-1990s to early 2000s. Guess what are the two main obsessions of generation Z. Yep! It's a fascination with and dependence on technology of all sort and with social media. It's hard to believe that any generation can be more addicted to avoiding real life, but apparently those Z kids are.

I get why the term generation Z was invented by marketers. It gives retailers a target to which to appeal.  Also, society today is uncomfortable with abstraction. Labeling makes it easier to avoid thinking about matters to find truth and simply being a sheep who follows the trends rather than the truth. And think about the typical Z . He or she was born after cell phones and Samrtphones, most never search for news outside of those dopey social media sites. Ouch! This group might also be labeled as be the 'Uninformed Generation', people with super short attention span and an overemphasis on speed in relationships and, well, everything. Hmmmm Maybe 'The ADD Generation' is an even better label for them. I suspect they are the petri dish for experiments that see what an over reliance on technology can do to the individual.

The positive to this generation (age group) might be that it is so detached from societal norms that it is more open minded and will be capable of making more meaningful change, more rapidly than the other generations. Too, I suspect the arbitrary label given to them will wither away and, like all generations, a more individual profile will be formed for the members of Z.

Hmmm There may even be a few Z's who adopt my cell phone hatred. I sure hope so.