Generations Y and Z in Russia: similarities and differences. X, Y, Z: How the theory of generations and the history of modern culture are connected Generations x y z search for essay dialogue

26.11.2021

The modern theory of generations was developed by American sociologists William Strauss and Neil Howe, who tried to describe the history of the United States (and later the entire Western world) as the history of generations that succeed each other: the generation of Prophets is followed by a generation of Wanderers, and after them - generations of Heroes and Artists. The almost esoteric, but not devoid of wit, scheme was much criticized, but still the authors were able to find some patterns in the development of society. Moreover, their observations - albeit with amendments - are also valid for Russia.

Lost generation. 1883–1900

People born at the end of the 19th century were given the name by Gertrude Stein, who picked it up from an old auto mechanic. “That's who you are! And all of you are like that! - Miss Stein. - All young people who were in the war. You are a lost generation.<…>You have no respect for anything. You’ll all get drunk…” Stein became the godmother of the “lost generation”, and the godfather was Hemingway, who made the biting phrase the epigraph to his first novel.

From these young people, who saw how the world was being crushed by the World War, which then had no number yet, many masters of words grew up. And - Stein was right - many of them touched the bottle too often. In America it was Hemingway and Fitzgerald, in Germany - Remarque and Kafka, in Russia the “lost generation” became known as the Silver Age: Yesenin, Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov. The British group “Inklings” - Tolkien, Lewis and Charles Williams - stand apart. Outside of literature, the most famous representative of the “lost generation” - and the most sinister - is Adolf Hitler.

Great generation. 1901–1924

This generation was called great only at the end of the century, in 1998. These men were generally too young to take part in the Russian Revolution or fight in the trenches of World War I, but they faced just as many hardships. The youth of the “great generation” occurred during the civil war and Stalin’s purges in Russia, and the Great Depression overseas. And as they grew up, they had to fight on the fields of World War II.

Journalist Tom Brokaw, who coined the term “Great Generation,” explained their greatness simply: these men and women fought not for glory, but only because “it was the right thing to do.”

If many representatives of the “lost generation” went deep into reflection, their younger brothers, hardened by the Second World War, looked into the future, terrible - like George Orwell, or bright - like John Paul II. Pop culture, as we know it, also began to be created by the “great generation.” They created new characters on paper, like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and on screen, like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and invented new music, like Louis Armstrong. The generation of his peers in the 20th century turned out to be a match for him: strong, bright and unbending.

The quiet generation. 1925–1942

The “Silent Generation” are the children of World War II, and overseas, also the children of McCarthyism. They are considered to be conformists and quiet people, The Time, that the place of ambition in this generation has been replaced by an uncanny ability to see good even in bad situations.

All this is true to a certain extent, but among these quiet voices there were several dozen voices of such power that no one could drown them out. Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Che Guevara, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin - all these are representatives of the “silent generation”, but they were the ones who made history. In art, the “quiet generation” also made quite a bit of noise: Chuck Berry, Elvis and The Beatles showed how to turn the knobs on amplifiers all the way.

And among these same serious people who grew up in serious times, the most ironic and sarcastic voices of the century were found: Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Monty Python, George Carlin, who taught us not to go through life with an overly gloomy face.

Baby boomers. 1943–1960

The Great Depression ended, so did the war, and the future began to look much brighter - of course, the most noticeable consequence was a surge in the birth rate. The number of baby boomers is the main reason that many developed countries are aging today: in Russia, almost the population is people born between the end of the war and Gagarin's flight.

The post-war baby boom gave its name to the first generation to recognize itself as a generation. They were more active than their parents, more liberated, more successful. Baby boomers turned out to be a fabric of contradictions: they created a consumer culture and demonstratively renounced it, continued the work of their fathers and rebelled against them.

Trying to somehow determine the character of baby boomers, some American researchers divide them into two unequal parts: those born before 1954 and those born later (they are also called Late Boomers). But this doesn’t help much: the former, for example, includes Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, who were born in 1943, and three US presidents at once: Clinton, Bush Jr. and Trump (by a strange coincidence, they were also born in the same year). The main creators of the computer revolution, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, were also baby boomers - and, also obeying the strange magic of numbers, were born in 1955.

Baby boomers became the best evidence of the randomness of the very concept of “generation”: they sang about freedom - and they were the ones who sold this freedom for the sake of stability and security.

Generation X. 1961–1981

The generation that took over the baton from the baby boomers became the record holder for the number of names that were given to it. “Post-Boomers” and “Thirteenth Generation” (Americans counted down from the year of the Declaration of Independence), “New Lost Generation” and “MTV Generation”. The name “Generation X” was invented by photographer Robert Capa - only he had in mind those who were born in the last pre-war years. And a new meaning to the apt term was given by Douglas Copeland, who published the novel “Generation X” in 1991.

Generation X was completely different from the Baby Boomers. There were fewer of them: in the early 1960s, the first oral contraceptives appeared on the market. They were more ethnically diverse: the number of migrants to the United States was growing, and Martin Luther King declared that he had a dream. They were more independent: often both parents worked late - and the children, returning from school, opened the door with their own key (hence another nickname for the generation - latchkey kids, “children with keys”).

“Generation X” is usually associated with the birth of grunge, but it also gave us modern hip-hop and Rʼn’B (MC Hammer was born in 1962, Beyonce in 1981, everyone from Tupac to Eminem in between). David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and the Wachowski siblings shredded the old film language and created a new one from its ruins. Sergey Brin in the USA and Segalovich and Volozh in Russia launched the Internet into a new orbit, and Elon Musk began launching rockets a little later. YouTube is also their brainchild - who else could create the main video platform in the world if not the MTV generation?

Generation X was left to its own devices, and this served them well. Many of them were lost, but contrary to predictions, they never became the “new lost generation.”

Generation Y. 1982–2000

After “Generation X” came, oddly enough, “Generation Y” - the children of the late baby boomers, the last flowers of the 20th century, who have matured in the new century. Hence their second, ingrained nickname - millennials.

It is customary to treat this generation with slight contempt: supposedly they are selfish, unserious, do not look up from their smartphones and can concentrate a little better than goldfish. There is some truth to this: Millennials grew up with the Internet, they coined the phrase YOLO, selfies and Snapchat. They live longer with their parents and generally seem to shy away from growing up, for which sociologist Kathleen Chaputis called them the “Peter Pan generation.” Their financial situation is more precarious than others, since their youth and adulthood occurred during a period of economic recession.

But in any case, it is “Generation Y” that owns the world. It was they, the most liberal people in history, who elected Obama as President and almost elected Bernie Sanders, it was they who invented Facebook and VKontakte, it was they - Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd - who became the main stars of the new centuries. And while the young punks are growing up, they will still be the main generation of our time.

It would be Trump (however, there is a lot to these studies). But these same guys embark on adventures, launch startups during breaks and are not afraid to go out into the square - some for freedom, and some for hype. This tribe, young and unfamiliar, has already begun to change the world - and we will soon find out how.

Recently, the global network and Runet have been energetically discussing Generation MeMeMe, which in Russian is called “Generation YaYaYA”. The quintessence of half of these articles: “The MeMeMe generation is not cute. It’s difficult to communicate, live and work with them.” The other half is trying to protect these guys by “debunking myths”, but it seems to only make things worse by creating confusion in concepts. Zillion decided to clarify some of the nuances and offer its position.

The essence of the problem

The problem with generations, which has been on everyone’s lips lately, is actually more complex and deeper than is formulated in articles entitled “how should we live and work with them.” Because, firstly, this is a new phenomenon of “witch hunt”: man, as the most cruel species of all the fauna of the Earth, historically needs to find a common enemy. Secondly, ironically, those who were not “targeted” by social accusers, that is, representatives of other generations, age groups and lifestyles, come under attack as a result of negligence and the subsequent confusion in concepts. So, it’s better to call Generation MeMeMe classically - Generation MeMeMe (sounds like “MiMiMi”) - so as not to confuse the terms (there are already so many of them). And especially not “Generation Millennials” or “Generation Y”. Because it turns out that millennials/Y have had nothing to do with it for 10-15 years. Thirdly, the inflated negativity around the generation, which is called “YAYA”, will not lead to anything good. Millennials, accustomed to the fact that they are “forever young” and that they are always scolded, take articles about the MeMeMe/YAYA generation personally and begin to write articles in their defense. Although society didn’t really have any questions about the generation of 30-year-olds, with families, mortgages, children and startups.

What is a generation anyway? Strictly speaking, not everything is clear with the definition itself. According to the dictionary, in demography, a generation, or as they also say “cohort,” is people born in the same year. Generations are also called steps in descent from a common ancestor, each of which covers 30 years. And everything seems to fit smoothly: according to this logic, the MeMeMe Generation belongs to the Millennial Generation. But in practice, a gap of three decades at our stage of civilizational development is a gigantic difference in worldviews, and it is also worth taking into account the transition across the border of millennia. Sometimes they say that one generation spans five years, and more or less this seems to be true: a year is not enough, ten is already quite a long time, and a 30-year gap means people with different paradigms of consciousness and a set of socio-technological skills. The confusion in concepts occurs due to the fact that the “acceleration of time”, the acceleration of progress, and the fact that measuring generations in thirty-year periods is not taken into account is a formalism and an irrelevant approach. Disciplines do not manage these processes, but only reflect and explore. New generations and subcultural branches are not immediately identified, but are formed within each generation - and it is possible to assess what has become a “dead-end branch” and what has taken shape and dissociated itself as a new generation only after several decades.

It’s time for us thirty-year-olds to admit that for ourselves we are forever young, but from the point of view of society and demographics we have “aged” - we are no longer the very heart of what is called youth. Thirty-year-olds are young adults. She got the historical opportunity to remain an eternally young adult, even to a very old age, and this can be comforted. After 30-year-olds, that is, millennials/Y, “young, long-legged and politically literate” have already grown up, who today, by inertia, are still classified as millennials. But it is already becoming clear to many researchers and journalists that this is like a “generation within a generation,” a new generation that has many differences from 30-year-olds and a different social psychology. A comical situation arises: old people lamenting about how 30- and 40-year-olds can live and work next to 20-year-olds (+/-).

This column is not really about whether the MeMeMe generation is good or bad - it is very heterogeneous. The very idea of raising such issues in society only to be the first to express a provocative and obviously imperfect idea in a well-known magazine, and then watch how it spreads virally around the world, overgrown with inventions, is absurd and dubious. In Generation MeMeMe there are girls and boys obsessed with selfies and techno-fetishes, bringing obscenities to spend the night under the door of Apple Stores, trying to get on vulgar reality shows, selfish narcissists overestimating their personal value and value in the labor market. Among 50-year-old celebrities and non-celebs from different countries, there are also plenty of those who take comical selfies in toilets and elevators and then post them on Instagram and Facebook: strictly speaking, love for such things is an unclear criterion. And in the MeMeMe Generation (the one that is self-made called YAYA) there are bright heads, young scientists and just normal guys, from whom by the age of 30 they will grow up to be very decent people and good specialists. The same can be said about any generation: technological realities and habits change, social trends rise and fall, but only one thing remains constant - society is always heterogeneous. In any generation there are people who rush to absurd or even dangerous extremes of behavior and worldview at any stage of progress.

At first, it is not clear why this fuss is happening with a comprehensive discussion of the traits of the MeMeMe Generation and Generation Y, that is, millennials. And it looks like this: Millennials (that is, 30-year-olds with families, relationships, children, mortgages, MBA degrees and 1-3 higher educations, with their own business or a bunch of work tasks) suddenly learned that they are “problem people”: selfish narcissists, careerists, overestimators their talents, and generally do not like to think, work and wait, but want to sell themselves at a higher price, etc.

First of all, very “timely”. And secondly, all these lists of qualities and myths around which lines of defense and attack are built are absurd: any normal person strives to avoid waiting, find more effective work algorithms in order to shorten the path to the goal and make a career leap.

About overestimating their talents, inflated demands and narcissism with selfishness: the new youth belonging to the MeMeMe Generation have been given a difficult set of social trends, problems and contradictions to which they are adapting. Life in the era of universal media and mutual responsibility of social networks requires new protective mechanisms, and when going to extremes, they show “holes in reality.” This allows us to “cure” or weaken another social neurosis, such as our dependence on social media, networks and services.

The recent Internet sensation, the festival short film Noah, is all about MeMeMe. In the film, a young man, Noah, continuously switches from his (ex-)girlfriend's hacked Facebook account to a porn channel, Chatroulette, and back. Two Canadian film students, Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg, made a 17-minute film as their thesis and better than any article they described the difficult lifestyle situation of the MeMeMe Generation.

The fact is that the new generation, which for now can loosely include both 20-year-olds and schoolchildren, grew up/is growing up in the era of the Internet and the heyday of social media. Most 30-year-olds first experienced the Internet at college in the early 2000s. And those who are younger do not remember a time when the Internet and social networks were not immediately accessible. The Internet has set a global trend for the speed and accessibility of information and contacts, and social networks have absorbed and exaggerated all the most painful features of their most grateful and natural audience - schoolchildren, students, and young people in general. From them, the new laws of Internet sociality spread to the older generation, to 25-35 year olds, who have their own typical problems, mainly related to the issue of self-worth and social achievements: “what have I achieved compared to...?” (substitute the name of a classmate/Zuckerberg, etc.). Thus began and continues to be a continuous cycle of fake and real coolness in social media, which sometimes degenerates into comic forms. When a 20-year-old person or a middle/high school student, exhausted by typical complexes and age-related problems, opens his page on a social network and sees there a celebration of the “protective” vanity of another schoolchild/student, imitation, copying, imitation begins, and so on ultimately patterns emerge. The distance between these patterns and real young people can be incredibly large: the online image is one, but the real person is completely different, sometimes even more adequate.

There is also a great distance between those who belong to the same generation. Here is the young talented scientist Ionut Alexandru Budisteanu, with whom we recently interviewed (read also: ) After all, he can also be attributed to a lesser extent to the Millennial Generation and to a greater extent to Generation Z (this is another name for the MeMeMe Generation): he was born in 1993. Frikessa (currently) Miley Cyrus was born in 1992. The generation is approximately the same, but while Miley is demonstrating her abilities and achievements in the field of twerking, Ionut Alexandru is demonstrating her abilities and achievements in the field of developing self-driving cars based on artificial intelligence. And, by the way, he not only dreams of helping the people of Earth, but has already developed a device that helps blind people see with their tongue, while Miley demonstrates to the people of Earth the length and flexibility of her tongue. Moreover, Ionut is also quite MeMeMe in the sense of the concept - there is also a lot of “YAYA” in his words. But, firstly, this is not at odds with the matter: the main prize of Intel ISEF - the Gordon E. Moore Award is given for a reason. Secondly, in the construction of this “YAYA” there are three key meanings: “ I I want to see if I can do this project too,” “ I I want them to be proud of me, and for the neighbor’s children to follow my example” and “ I I want my inventions to become useful to all people on the planet” (literally). If this is selfishness and narcissism, then perhaps more selfishness and narcissism. Naturally, we can say that there are only a few such 20-year-old guys. Not as much as we would like, yes. And in order for there to be more of them in the transitional MeMeMe Generation, and in the next one after it, the main thing is continuous education.

If we talk about the negative qualities attributed to generations, then there is an exhaustive thesis on this subject: “each generation has its own ELLs.” And then there is recursion: depending on the meaning of “YAYA”. Don't worry about the new generation of 20-year-olds seeming arrogant and overestimating themselves. Half of this is superficial, a mask. In the other half of the cases, the 20-year-old generation is testing boundaries and luck, seeing many examples of overnight success. And who wouldn’t want to try to find quick legal success if given the chance? The depreciation of generations smoothes out these rough edges and in 15-20 years those who are today scolded/defended as Generation YAYA will also be indignant at the vices and “vices” of those born in 2013. The same thing was done in Ancient Greece. This is simply the fatigue of the spirit of growing up and adults - and envy of other people's youth.

Another point: society loves to tickle its nerves. It is quite possible that the medieval witch hunt was essentially something similar, but it turned into such a nightmare due to general intellectual poverty and underdeveloped ideas about humanity. Man is by nature hostile. Throughout history, he searches, finds and assigns enemies to himself: it doesn’t matter whether we are talking about another nation, representatives of another faith, party or social group with an unusual image/behavior.

generation Z /MeMeMe /YAYA had a contradictory time with its own characteristics (however, just like 30-, 40-year-olds, etc.). They cope as best they can. Why further complicate their task with articles in the spirit of “how to live and work with them”? Yes, it’s normal to live and work as usual: choosing the most pleasant and adequate ones for your relationships, family, friends and work, which is a universal rule for everyone. Well, a new generation has emerged, so what? What is such an urgent need to decide what to do with them: “how to live and work with them.” A couple of years ago, “kids were scared” by hipsters. Now they have begun to promote the “YAYA” theme. And they promote it unpurposefully: it’s just a fun thing for humanity to find a common “enemy” and “make friends against” him. Then they get bored, and they take on someone new, who is still fresh in the image of a “social threat”.

What millennials and the MeMeMe generation have in common are serious social problems: with work, education and personal life. The world has become more open and at the same time sociopathic: people have a lot of quick contacts, but strong comfortable connections are problematic for many. Millennials are also a “generation of disappointed hopes”: they expected more from life than most millennials received by the time they were thirty. Both generations faced financial difficulties in accessing classical higher education and higher unemployment rates than previous generations. And the hype around millennials and the MeMeMe generation is not harmless: it programs society and employers for negative stereotypes that manifest themselves in attitude and behavior. If, for example, a MeMeMe representative in one situation or another behaved at work differently than his 40- or 50-year-old manager was used to, such behavior will immediately be interpreted in the context of horror lists describing the strangely generalized qualities of the MeMeMe Generation. But what could really happen? Millennials and the MeMeMe Generation are truly people with a different paradigm of thinking. Although, again, not everyone: you can be a progressive 60-year-old and a dense 20-year-old. The names of generations mean not so much the years of birth and life, but rather the paradigms of thinking. So, millennials and MeMeMe are distinguished by a “horizontal” vision of social contacts, while the “parental” generations adhere to a “vertical”, hierarchical paradigm of social interactions.

Greg Kress, an American engineer, designer, physicist, futurist, researcher in the field of team building, founder and CEO of the innovative startup Radicand Lab, spoke interestingly about this topic in a recent interview with Zillion. (read also Gregory Kress: "If you can predict the outcome, you are not doing anything new." :

- I believe that most effective teams do not need a leader at all. The best teams have no hierarchy and decision-making responsibilities are shared evenly. I've found that the best managers are the ones that leave people alone. I have often encountered cases of mismanagement or being assigned to a task that was clearly below my potential. This did not happen when I managed my work myself in a team context. So in a sense, the best leader is the best teammate.

This is precisely why the lack of sacred hierarchical fear among millennials - and even more so among MeMeMe - is called arrogance: it is incomprehensible and outrageous to those who are not used to it. But in essence, the idea of “horizontal” social interaction - that is, without hierarchical nods - is a healthier, essentially democratic paradigm. Behind its development is a future in which everyone can become truly equal, and not so that “everyone is equal, but some are more equal.” If we talk about arrogance in another context, then this is always a matter of personal ethics.

Today, several generations have been identified unscientifically or pseudo-scientifically, which appeared in the 20th century and exist in the 21st. Almost each of them has duplicate names, which also carry a slightly different meaning. There are many options for separating generations by decade, especially when it comes to Generations Y and Z. An option is proposed here that seems convincing, although for now the time boundaries of these generations can only be designated conditionally - time will clarify and correct.

Lost Generation

These are those born in 1880-1900. The authorship of the term belongs to the American writer Gertrude Stein: this is what she called the emigrated American writers who gathered in her house. Subsequently, the meaning of the term covered a whole group of post-war writers, whose works expressed pessimism, loss of ideals and disappointment in modern civilization. The same extended to readers who shared these sentiments. Historical events that influenced the formation of the Lost Generation: the First World War, the Great Depression and the events that led to the emergence of the USSR and the development of the Union's policy according to the Stalinist scenario.

Greatest Generation

Other names: Generation GI, Generation of Winners. Those born in 1901-1924 are included in it. The term was coined by journalist and NBC anchor Tom Brokaw (sometimes spelled Tom Brokaw). Representatives of this generation witnessed such historical events as the Second World War and the creation of the UN.

Silent Generation

This is what Time magazine called those born between 1925 and 1945. Significant historical events for him are the Korean War and the Cold War. This generation is called the silent generation due to conformity and lack of significant cultural contributions (with the exception of the beatnik movement).

Baby Boom Generation

Other titles: Me Generation,Generation Me , Baby Boom Generation. Branches: Golden Boomers, Generation Jones, Alpha Boomers, Yuppies, Zoomers, Cuspers. These were born in the decades of the population explosion, in 1946-1964. The sharp increase in population was associated with the sexual revolution, the popularity of rock music and the hippie movement, and the evolution of the socio-political views of a democratic society. The term was coined by the New York Times. Events that were most significant for this generation: the emergence and flowering of rock music, the sexual revolution, the Vietnam War, the invasion of Czechoslovakia and May 1968 in France (a social crisis that resulted in demonstrations, riots and huge changes in French society) . The main feature of baby boomers who grew up in comfort was their rebellion against authoritarianism and “classical” moral principles. Interestingly, baby boomers as a generation were segmented into Golden Boomers, Generation Jones, Alpha boomers, Yuppies, Zoomers and Cuspers, but it was not possible to give clear boundaries to the different branches.

Perhaps it will be the same in the case of millennials and the MeMeMe Generation - this can only be assessed in a historical context, from a distance, which once again confirms the pointlessness of trying to evaluate millennials and YAYA here and now.

The baby boomer generation is also called a term coined by the writer Tom Wolfe - Me Generation. Wolfe, like Christopher Lash later, noted the rise of narcissism among the younger generation. Narcissism meant the priority of self-realization at the expense of social responsibility. But here is an important point: socio-political and economic hypocrisy are the best demotivators that encourage people of any generation to protest or go into internal emigration and focus on self-realization and enjoying life. That is, compared to the middle of the last century, now there is no terrible new generational misfortune: everything has already happened and will be repeated. If several decades later the features of Generation Me were multiplied by three to form Generation MeMeMe, this only speaks of one thing - demotivation by socio-political and economic hypocrisy has tripled in half a century.

Generation X

Other names: Xers, Xers, Generation 13, Unknown generation. These are those born in 1965-1982. The term was proposed by British researcher Jane Deverson and Hollywood reporter Charles Hamblett, and established by writer Douglas Copeland. Events that influenced this generation: the Afghan War, Operation Desert Storm, the beginning of the era of personal computers, the first Chechen war. Sometimes people born in these years are classified as generation Y and even generation Z (although the latter were not included in the project), and sometimes they try to unite millennials (Y) and MeMeMe (Z) with the letter X. In the United States, Generation X is commonly referred to as people born during the post-Baby Boom decline. Jane Deverson's 1964 study of British youth for Woman's Own magazine found that young people "sleep with each other before marriage, are not religious, do not like the Queen or respect their parents, and do not change their surname when they marry." The journal declined to publish the results. Deverson traveled to Hollywood to publish the book with reporter Charles Hamblett. He came up with the loud name “Generation X”. Canadian writer Douglas Copeland liked the catchy title and incorporated it into his book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, which addressed the fears and anxieties of people born between 1960 and 1965: they talked about the loss of cultural connection with the Baby Generation. boomers. It is interesting that those born between 1965 and 1982 were given other high-profile names. For example, “Generation 13” - in the book by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1991. Strauss and Howe believed that Generation 13 was formed by:

Dissatisfaction with authority, lack of trust in management.
Political indifference.
An increase in the number of divorces.
An increase in the number of women-mothers in production places.
Zero population growth.
Availability of oral contraceptives.
Growing divisions in the educational system.
Reduced funding for the educational system and difficult access to student loans.
Increased academic demands and intellectual abilities.
Ecological problems.
The emergence of the Internet.
The end of the Cold War.

Millennials, or Generation Y

Other names: Generation Y, Millennium Generation, Peter Pan Generation, Next Generation, Network Generation, Echo Boomers, Boomerang Generation, Trophy Generation. Different sources refer different people to this generation. Some say that these are all those born since the early 80s. Others specify: from 1983 to the end of the 1990s. And still others capture the early 2000s. The second option - from 1983 to the end of the 1990s - is perhaps the most convincing.

You might think that two people born 1-3 years apart could belong to different generations just for this reason. Two people born on the same day can belong to different generations depending on opportunities, cultural context, growing up environment, social, educational and technological opportunities, as well as trends - this is more like the truth.

Back to Generation Y: the term was coined by Advertising Age magazine. It is believed that the formation of his worldview was influenced by: perestroika, the collapse of the USSR, the “dashing 90s”, terrorism, wars (in Iraq, Chechnya, etc.); international financial crisis, rising housing costs and unemployment; television, pop culture, torrent trackers and video hosting, the development of mobile and Internet communications, computer technology, social networks, digital media and video games, flash mob and meme culture, online communication, the evolution of devices, etc.

The main thing that characterizes this generation is involvement in digital technologies, the philosophical paradigm of the new millennium (millennium), a new round of division between liberal and conservative views. But the main thing, as they say within the framework of the classical interpretation, is the desire to delay the transition to adulthood, but in fact - the concept of eternal youth (albeit with depressive interludes).

In sociology, a pressing question has arisen: what is considered adulthood? Researcher Larry Nelson suggested that millennials are hesitant to take on the responsibilities of adulthood because of negative examples from their predecessors. On the one hand, this is logical and true. On the other hand, it is not taken into account that this is the Millennium Generation, that is, people with “different brains.” The coordinator of the project “Theory of Generations in Russia - Rugenerations” Evgenia Shamis suggested that Generation Y does not and will not have heroes, but there are idols, and in the future representatives of the millennial generation themselves will become heroes for other generations. This is, in general, what we are seeing in the era of startups. Generation Y has developed a special attitude towards corporate culture: representatives of this generation expect results and benefits from work, strive to adjust working conditions to their lives, prefer flexible hours, outsourcing, etc. Naturally, for those layers of managers who are accustomed to “corporate slavery,” this situation is uncomfortable. But the logic of the generation in it is transparent: people realized that life is beautiful and diverse, they need to work on what is a real passion, and hierarchy is a convention, a construct of society, and in fact, “all people are brothers.”

Generation Z (Generation Z), or Generation MeMeMe (Generation MeMeMe)

Other names: Generation YaYA, Generation Z, Net Generation, Internet Generation, Generation I, Generation M (from the word« multitasking"), Homeland Generation, New Silent Generation, Generation 9/11(a reference to the 9/11 Attack as a turning point in a generation). Until recently, people born before the early 2000s were “canonically” included in the millennial generation. And only now, after dozens of articles, many university professors and journalists, realizing the discordance of the resulting “generation tree,” are inclined to believe that it is incorrect to unite today’s thirty- and twenty-year-olds into one generation, because significant differences are visible, hinting at a new round of social evolution .

So, Generation Ζ (or Generation MeMeMe) are people born in the early 1990s and 2000s (Business Insider writes that Gen Z is those born from 1996 to 2010). Their philosophical and social worldview was influenced by the global financial and economic crisis, Web 2.0 and the development of mobile technologies. Representatives of Generation Z are considered as children of Generation X, and sometimes as children of Generation Y, that is, millennials.

The fundamental property of Generation Z is that technology is in their blood; they handle it on a completely different level than even millennials. The key term in this whole story is Digital Natives. In the digital world, they are locals themselves. And their parents and older sisters and brothers belonging to generations X and Y - Digital Immigrants, digital immigrants. Moreover, the entire Generation Z (GZ) was born in the era of globalization and postmodernism. Z have accumulated the features of predecessors close in time and those features that we already feel, but cannot yet accurately formulate. In ten or twenty years it will be easier: then it will be possible to compare what is being achieved in between and where it began. And since the “building material” for this are more pronounced arrogance, denial of hierarchy, selfishness and narcissism, the “dark side of power” of Generation Z is intuitively called MeMeMe, that is, YAYA.

It is still difficult to look beyond the horizon and understand why human evolution “needs” these qualities of Generation Z (Generation Z). It is quite possible that they will serve something that is not fully understood even by thirty-year-olds. Timid positive assumptions can be made now: having suffered from puberty diseases, generation Z, accused of selfishness and narcissism, will take the first steps towards a balanced lifestyle of the future, in which they work for creative pleasure and social benefit, create a family out of feelings, and not because society considers It is indecent to be alone, having children not for a glass of water in old age, but to pass on their matured digital and libertarian values to Generation Alpha, as demographer Mark McCrindle predicts. Negative scenarios for Generation Z are also possible: time will clarify a lot. Here is Mao Zedong’s brilliant answer to everything: “It’s too early to draw conclusions.”

Generation Alpha

The Alpha people are already among us. They were born around 2010. This is the real generation of the 21st century. Millennials, that is, today's thirty-year-olds, are actively participating in the creation of Generation Alpha - and will pass on their values to them in order to build a brighter future. Therefore, the best thing we can do for Generation Alpha today is to continuously learn and help others learn: support the “bright side” of Generation Z.

Let us stipulate that all these divisions are not strict and are not fixed by science - different interpretations and positions are possible: since we are witnesses of transition processes, we can only assume that such a continuity of generations is now emerging. In general, it will be seen.

P. S.

University of Georgia psychology professor William Keith Campbell shared some interesting thoughts with Zillion about generations, individualism, and narcissism.

William Keith Campbell

(W. Keith Campbell)

Professor, Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia, Ph.D. Specializes in the study of narcissism. Author of numerous articles, including in USA Today, Time and The New York Times. Guest expert on popular radio and television programs. His books include: When You Love a Man Who Loves Himself: How to Deal with a One-way Relationship, The Narcissism Epidemic Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement”) and many others (“The Hand book of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Theoretical Approaches”, “Empirical Findings, and Treatments”). Official site: WKeithCampbell. Com

For every generation There are several names, and none of them are scientifically correct. We found in our research that change occurs smoothly. Someone born in 1980 will be closer in psychology to someone born in 1979 than someone born in 1990.

United States Culture, like many other countries, it is changing towards individualism. This has many positive aspects, in particular, increasing the level of tolerance. Our work is focused on the increase in narcissism as one of the negative manifestations. To explore this cultural phenomenon, we observe various social activities: from how people behave on Facebook to what they name their children.

Overall, watching generations, we see individualism, narcissism and self-esteem increasing - but also tolerance.

Narcissism is a grandiose or inflated assessment of oneself. Attached to narcissism are character traits such as self-centeredness, attention-seeking behavior, and a sense of being chosen. Narcissism is associated with individualism, but it is individualism with less responsibility and a sense of superiority over others. In extreme cases, narcissism can become a mental disorder, but this is quite rare.

Professor William Keith Campbell: "I think what's really interesting is the question: why haven't the psychological traits of young people changed in line with the economic downturn that we've seen over the last five years?"

Changes in culture that we are seeing began at least in the early 1970s. So this is more than the influence of social media or reality television. I think there is an important difference between staying young and full of life—like being energetic and open to new ideas—and not growing up and giving up important adult responsibilities and duties.

There is a theory that millennials must be a very involved generation with a civic consciousness: its traces stretch from the ideas of the Russian economist Kondratiev. However, the large amount of data we collected does not support this idea. I think what's really interesting is the question: Why aren't the psychological traits of young people changing in line with the economic downturn that we've seen over the last five years?

When you do research Group differences - whether across cultures, genders or generations - always run the risk of viewing differences and stereotyping individuals in negative (and sometimes positive) ways. Each generation represents a wide variety of individuals.

In younger generations much more tolerance. At the same time, there may be a tendency to identify less with nations and more with transient groups. I don’t know whether we will have a global nation or whether the importance of belonging to a nation will simply decrease, which will become key to the organization of society.

Cover illustration: Photo by on

Generation - a group of people who were born in a certain period of time and were influenced by the same characteristics of upbringing and events, have similar values. We do not notice all these factors that act inconspicuously, but they are the ones who largely determine our behavior: how we build teams and resolve conflicts, communicate, develop, how and what we buy, how we set goals, what motivates us.

Sociologists distinguish generations X, Y and Z. After reading this article, you will learn which people should be classified as one or another of them, as well as what are the characteristics of each of these groups. Of course, it is only very conditionally possible to distinguish generations X, Y, Z. However, each of them has its own characteristic features by which they differ from each other. The XYZ generation theory is becoming very popular today. We invite readers to get to know her. Let's start with the oldest group, which is distinguished by the theory of generations.

Generation X

These are people born between 1965 and 1982. The term itself was proposed by Jane Deverson, a British researcher, as well as Charles Hamblett, a Hollywood reporter. The writer consolidated it in his work. Events that influenced - “Desert Storm”, the Afghan War, the beginning of the computer era, the First Chechen War. Sometimes people born in these years are already classified as generation Y, and sometimes even as generation Z (although the latter were not included in the project). The letter X sometimes brings together generations Y and Z.

Features of representatives of generation X

People X in the United States are usually called those who were born during the period of decline in the birth rate that followed the population explosion. In 1964, Jane Deverson conducted a study of British youth. It revealed that people belonging to this group are not religious, enter into intimate relationships before marriage, do not respect their parents, do not love the queen, and do not change their surname after marriage. Womans Own magazine refused to publish the results. Then Deverson went to Hollywood to publish a book with Charles Hamblett. He came up with the name "Generation X". Douglas Copeland, a Canadian writer, appreciated this catchy title. He included it in his book. Copeland's work is dedicated to the anxieties and fears of people who were born between 1960 and 1965.

Generation Y

Different people can be classified as this generation, based on different sources. Some argue that this is everyone born since the early 1980s. Others believe that the border should be drawn from 1983 to the end of the 1990s. And some also capture the early 2000s. Another option (perhaps the most convincing) is from 1983 to the end of the 1990s.

It should be noted that for this reason, 2 people who were born only 1-3 years apart can be classified as different generations. What seems more likely to be true is that even two people born on the same day can belong to different generations. It depends on the cultural context, growing up environment, technological, educational and social capabilities of these people.

Traits characteristic of generation Y

The term "Generation Y" was coined by a magazine called Advertising Age. The formation of the worldview of its representatives is believed to have been influenced by the collapse of the USSR, perestroika, terrorism, the dashing 90s, wars (in Chechnya, Iraq, etc.), the international financial crisis, unemployment and rising housing costs, pop culture, television, video hosting. and torrent trackers, the development of the Internet and mobile communications, social networks, computer technology, video games, meme and flash mob culture, the evolution of devices, online communication, etc.

The main thing that can characterize this generation is its involvement in digital technologies, as well as the philosophical paradigm of the millennium (new millennium). In addition, it is characterized by a new round of division between conservative and liberal views. Perhaps the most important thing is the desire to delay the transition of its representatives into adulthood, which in fact is the concept of eternal youth (not without depressive interludes).

Today in sociology there is an acute question about what should be considered adulthood. Larry Nelson suggested that representatives of Generation Y, due to the negative example of their predecessors, are in no hurry to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. This, on the one hand, is truthful and logical. However, on the other hand, this does not take into account the fact that people Y already have different brains. Evgenia Shamis suggested that generation Y does not and cannot have heroes, but there are idols, and subsequently representatives of this generation will become heroes for new ones. Also, people belonging to Y have a special attitude towards corporate culture. They expect benefits and results from work, prefer a flexible schedule, strive to adjust their working conditions to their life, etc. They realized that life is diverse and beautiful, and hierarchy is a convention.

Generation Z

Until recently, Generation Y also included people born before the early 2000s. And only now, after a series of studies, many university journalists and professors, realizing the discordance of the “generation tree,” began to understand that it is incorrect to unite today’s twenty- and thirty-year-olds into one group, since significant differences between them are visible.

Generation Z are people who were born in the early 1990s and 2000s. It is believed that their social and philosophical worldview was influenced by the global economic crisis, the development of mobile technologies, and Web 2.0. Its representatives are considered children of generation X, and sometimes Y.

The fundamental property of the new generation

The fundamental property of the new generation is that it has high technology in its blood. It treats them on a completely different level than even representatives of Y. This generation was born in the era of postmodernism and globalization. It has accumulated the features of predecessors close in time, as well as features that we already feel, but are not yet able to accurately formulate. It will be easier for us to do this in 10-20 years. However, the “building material” is denial of hierarchy, arrogance, narcissism and selfishness.

Possible scenarios for generation Z

It is still not easy to look beyond the horizon in order to understand why human evolution needs these qualities. It is likely that they will begin to serve something that is not fully understood even by today's thirty-year-olds. At present, we can only make timid assumptions that, having suffered from illnesses, this generation, accused of narcissism and selfishness, will take steps towards a balanced lifestyle of the future. It is characterized by work for public benefit and creative pleasure, the creation of a family out of personal feelings, and not because being alone is considered indecent in society, the decision to have a child not in order to avoid loneliness in old age, but in order to convey life values to him. Negative scenarios are also possible for generation Z.

Only time can clarify many things. After all, the oldest representatives of this generation are barely 18 years old. However, they already have a bad reputation. Marketing companies and the media have declared that this generation is “screen-addicted” and has very poor attention spans. The salvation of the world and the need to correct the mistakes of the past are also placed on their shoulders.

Note that the theory of generations often does not have sufficient scientific accuracy, and research in this area is a confusing process. This also applies to recent scientific articles. Many recent studies on generational theory are full of stereotypes and prejudices. Gen Zers do not deserve to be treated this unfairly. Already, this group makes up about a quarter of the population, and by 2020, about 40% of consumers will come from it. Therefore, it is critical for companies to understand this generation.

"Eight Second Filters"

If you believe recent research, it can be noted that Generation Z's attention span has decreased to 8 seconds. They cannot concentrate on anything for a long time. However, it would be more correct to talk about “eight-second filters.” Representatives of this generation grew up in a world in which the possibilities are simply endless, but there is not enough time for everything. This is why they have adapted to the need to evaluate and sift through enormous amounts of information very quickly. In mobile applications and the Internet, they rely on sections and tabs where the most recent and popular content is collected.

Following curators

Representatives of this generation follow the curators. They trust them to try to figure out where the most relevant information and the best entertainment is. All of these tools are necessary for Generation Z to reduce the potential choice from a multitude of options.

However, if this group has deemed something worthy of their attention, they can become dedicated and very focused. The Internet in their era made it possible to study any topic in depth and learn a lot from like-minded people.

This generation's radar is set to find something worth their time. To gain their attention and overcome these filters, you need to provide experiences that are immediately rewarding and highly engaging.

Social interactions

Generation Z is often portrayed in the media as a group of socially inept internet dwellers. Older people cannot understand why young people spend so much time online. However, in reality, this generation is under enormous pressure to manage both professionally and in order to be able to fit into reality and stand out at the same time.

Social media influence

Generation Z, on a personal level, strives to be instantly accepted and validated through social media. This is where important conversations take place and where their peers are located. With the help of social media, they manage multiple personalities in order to be able to satisfy each of the audiences, as well as reduce the risk of conflict.

Generation Z, on a professional level, is very attentive to the negative stereotypes that haunt Generation Y. Its representatives strive to stand out by their ability to survive and work hard offline.

Generation Z is caught between two forces: they need social media to build personal brands, but they don’t want social media to define who they really are. Those who belong to Generation Z strive for social approval, but do not want to be differentiated in terms of profession.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Generation Z has also been dubbed the “entrepreneurial generation” by the media. At the same time, the desire of their representatives to build their own startups is emphasized, and not to be immersed in corporate routine. Although this generation values self-employment, many people in Group Z tend to be risk-averse. They are pragmatic and practical. The entrepreneurial spirit they supposedly possess is more of a survival mechanism than an idealistic pursuit of wealth or status.

While Generation Y has often been criticized for not being focused enough, Gen Z wants to plan long term. Parents belonging to X (individualists who rely on themselves) influenced them greatly. They want to avoid the mistakes made by their Group Y predecessors.

To overcome their inherent anxiety, they want to find work in growing fields that are not heavily automated: medicine, education, sales, etc. At the same time, they are developing fallback options in order to apply them if the labor market will change quickly.

The truth is in the middle

Society tends to either criticize youth for doing things differently or romanticize it. However, in reality, Zorro Generation (Z) falls somewhere in the middle. Its representatives face problems that arise at a certain stage in life for everyone: separation from parents, starting a career, forming a personal identity. However, they have to do this in a fast-paced technological era.

So, you have briefly become acquainted with such an interesting topic as the theory of generations. In Russia, its adaptation was carried out in 2003-2004. a team led by Evgenia Shamis. This theory itself originated in the USA. Its authors are considered to be William Strauss and Neil Howe. In 1991, the Howe-Strauss theory of generations was created.

Who is usually classified as the “Greek” generation, and why are these people interesting from the point of view of psychology and sociology?

Generation Y usually includes people who were born between 1981 and 2003. In the CIS, however, there is another starting point, which falls on 1983-1984 (the beginning of perestroika).

According to William Strauss and Neil Howe, authors of the Theory of Generations, the values of each generation are formed before the age of 12-14, and therefore the youngest representatives of the “Greeks” are now still in search of themselves. However, the foundations have already been laid - and, most likely, their psychological portrait will not be too different from the portrait of those who are 5-10 years older.

Key characteristics of generation Y. What's on their mind?

Coping with “millennials” can be difficult for parents, teachers, and senior management. Understanding through what prism they see the world is not an easy task, especially considering the fact that in our time the cult of individuality is stronger than ever, everyone strives to be an individual and stand out from the “gray mass.” However, psychologists still managed to identify the main features that all people of generation Y have to one degree or another.

1. Ambition

In this regard, “millennials” have no equal, but their priority is not at all what mattered to their parents and grandfathers. Unlike older people, “Greeks” do not strive to build a career in the traditional sense of the word; career growth and the constant race for solid positions and higher salaries do not matter to them.

“The main thing is to follow your heart”- they say and really sacrifice career prospects for the opportunity to do what they really enjoy.

2. Cult of individuality

We have already touched on it above, but without a doubt, this topic is worth a closer look. The new generation Y has completely different requirements for work and life. And first of all, this is explained by the fact that they grew up during a period when there was no longer any forced distribution after universities, nor a strict “tie” to the place of work and study.

Freedom of choice in everything - from subculture to the opportunity to open your own business and develop it - has left its mark.

For “millennials,” the priority is no longer material stability and confidence in the future, but the opportunity to show their talents and maximize their potential, to do something that others will envy and admire.

3. Infantility

Perhaps this is the real scourge of all “Greeks”. Both those who are now 18-20 years old, and those who are in their forties, stubbornly do not want to say goodbye to childhood. They are in no hurry to move out from their parents, get married, or have children.

Many different reasons come into play here: partly, I don’t want to repeat the mistakes of my parents, who began an independent life early and were forced to spend most of it in a job they didn’t like, earning mere pennies and not being able to just... be free. Moreover, in the current economic situation, it is almost impossible to save up for the same apartment by earning an honest living, and no one is eager to get into mortgage “slavery.”

4. Inner emptiness and loneliness

Despite the fact that pleasure is at the center of the life of the “Greeks,” only a few of them are truly happy. And the vast majority live with a feeling of deep internal dissatisfaction, regret about missed opportunities and the feeling that there is not a single person in the whole world who could 100% understand them and accept them for who they are. The eternal race for more expensive things and pleasures is not pleasing, but only plunges a person even deeper into depression - hence the wild popularity of psychological consultants and trainings.

Motivation of generation Y. How can an employer work with such people?

The most difficult thing to communicate with “Greeks” is still those who hold leadership positions in different companies. Many people are generally put off by the coveted “nine” in the year of birth in the resume: but it’s impossible not to read it, because according to the law, the employer does not have the right to refuse a candidate for a position because of his age.

However, knowing the peculiarities of the thinking of generation Y, you can easily find an approach to them. In their work, regardless of the field of activity, they value:

· equal and fair competition, the opportunity to become the best;

· partnerships with colleagues and superiors - instead of a rigid hierarchy;

· wise leadership, not management;

· exchange of information, not its protection;

· making any decisions based on collective discussion or independent analysis, and not just instructions from above.

The best motivation for “millennials” is the opportunity to realize their potential, discover their talents, do something truly interesting and unusual, work in a friendly team and have fun to the fullest. And if you give them this opportunity, you will get the most motivated and dedicated employees you can imagine!

Over the past decades, marketing campaigns around the world have been aimed at millennials - easily trained, narcissistic, struggling for social status. In just a few years, a new generation will become solvent - generation Z. How it differs and how to work with it - read below.

Five Generations That Shaped Marketing of the Century

American scientists Neil Howe and William Strauss developed in 1991 a theory of generations, according to which a new generation of people appears every 20-25 years. The new generation differs from the previous ones in habits, character, values and goals.

Neil Howe

Every eighty years, the characteristics of a generation coincide, so today's teenagers resemble people born between 1923 and 1943. Scientists have described the periodicity from the first half of the fifteenth century, but the last five generations are of greatest interest to the public.

Silent Generation (born 1923-1943)

The last representatives are now 80-90 years old. The silent generation is law-abiding, conservative, patient. He manages to work best; people born during this period of time prefer to adapt to conditions rather than change them. The generation strives to save money; the main expenses are food, printed books, and interior details. Marketers attract the silent generation by showing care and attention.

Baby Boomers (born 1943-1963)

Compared to the previous one, this generation is much more active and cheerful. They tend to idealize the world, work hard, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and love self-medication. Money for them, first of all, is the key to status. They often spend more than they can afford. The optimal marketing images for them are bright pictures of a bright future.

Generation X (born 1963-1984)

A pragmatic generation, ready to pay more for speed and comfort. They have a completely different attitude towards their health - unlike previous generations, when they get sick, they prefer relieving symptoms rather than full-fledged treatment, all for the sake of maintaining working capacity. The first of generations ready to shop both in shopping centers and online. To appeal to Generation X, marketers need to show diversity and choice. Consumers who are not loyal will always have to fight for their attention.

Generation Y (born 1984-2004)

Millennials are fickle, narcissistic, ambitious, but do not always take life seriously. A stable job for the sake of money does not attract them; representatives of this generation are looking for pleasure and entertainment. They trust well-known brands and are loyal. Marketing companies to millennials are not promoting a product, but a lifestyle. A company without a website with a user-friendly interface and groups on social networks will not inspire confidence in them.

Generation Z (born 2004 and younger)

It is still impossible to form a final portrait of the generation, but certain characteristic features are already clearly visible. The idols of the generation are on social networks, the line between real and virtual life has been completely erased, they are practically immune to traditional advertising, but they are still eager to buy.

How does generation Z live?

Generation Z requires a significant revision of approaches to advertising companies and a change in platforms - from contextual advertising and landing pages to social networks. On the one hand, this is problematic - many proven concepts become ineffective. On the other hand, social media marketing is much cheaper than traditional marketing, so modern marketers can achieve high results at minimal cost. To know how to rebuild your advertising campaigns for a new generation, it’s worth remembering the differences between Z and Y.

Smartphones are ahead of computers

Unlike the previous generation, which prefers laptops and computers, Generation Z prefers to be online from a smartphone. The statistics below are compiled by the Global Web Index.

During the day, Generation Z spends more than seven hours online - 3:45 on the computer and 4:01 on the phone. Millennials spend roughly the same amount of time online, with 4:01 online from a computer and only 3:38 from a phone. Generation Z listens to music an average of 17 minutes more per day - 1 hour 40 minutes, and 18 minutes more watch less TV.

Pastime

Fill your free time: 51% - Z, 44% - Y.
Find entertainment content: 47% - Z, 40% - Y.
Stay connected with friends: 46% - Z, 43% - Y.
Stay up to date with the latest events: 42% - Z, 42% - Y.
Share photos and videos: 38% - Z, 36% - Y.

Search for information

Generation Z, in search of information about goods and services, is leaving traditional sites for social networks - compared to the previous generation, search activity in them is 6% higher. The frequency of using mobile applications for the same purposes increased by 2%; indicators for other methods decreased.

Top 5 information search channels:

: 51% - Z, 45% - Y.
Search engines: 48% - Z, 49% - Y.
Mobile applications: 30% - Z, 28% - Y.
Consumer Reviews: 29% - Z, 33% - Y.
Websites of brands and manufacturers: 25% - Z, 29% - Y.

Status

The new generation attaches great importance to social status, which affects brand preferences.

Top 5 smartphone brands.

iPhone: 52% - Z, 45% - Y.
Samsung: 42% - Z, 40% - Y.
Huawei: 16% - Z, 19% - Y.
Xiaomi: 15% - Z, 13% - Y.
Sony: 11% - Z, 11% - Y.

Desires and ability to pay

Due to their age, Generation Z is not yet very solvent, so its representatives cannot afford much of what millennials have. The only exceptions are smartphones.

Top 5 gadgets owned

Smartphone: 96% - Z, 84% - Y.
Computer/laptop: 68% - Z, 74% - Y.
Tablet: 29% - Z, 37% - Y.
Smart TV: 25% - Z, 34% - Y.
Game console: 23% - Z, 23% - Y.

Opinion leaders

Generation Z is immune to traditional advertising and is tired of contextual ads. For advice, they turn to opinion leaders who, on their social media pages, advise which cosmetics to choose and where to book a hotel.

Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing:% of users who said they discovered new brands after endorsements from stars or famous personalities.

Total: 14%

Men: 13%

Women: 15%

Age:

16-24 - 17%

25-34 - 16%

35-44 - 12%

45-54 - 9%

55-64 - 6%

Wealth:

Bottom 25% - 13%

Average 50% - 14%

Top 25% - 15%

How is Generation Z different from other generations?

Generation Z does not separate real life from virtual life, but carefully maintains the boundary between private and public life, which is why many people have two accounts on social networks.
According to Millvrad Brown less than a quarter of this generation respond positively to advertising. They respond especially aggressively to intrusive advertisements, such as pop-ups.
Decision-making is influenced by opinion leaders - celebrities, bloggers. The more subscribers, the higher the authority. At the same time, authorities should be as sincere as possible - Generation Z is looking for honesty in promotion.
They quickly switch attention. Millennials have an average attention span of twelve seconds, while Gen Z's attention span is reduced by another four seconds.
Generation Z wants to be involved, wants to be sure that their opinion matters. They easily communicate with the brand and are ready to participate in surveys and leave reviews. It will be easy to create a portrait of the target audience of this generation, but thanks to well-established communications, additional threats arise for marketers - information about a failed advertising campaign will spread very quickly.
Unlike millennials, who are focused on career success and financial independence, generation Z pays more attention to self-realization. They believe in the ease of achieving popularity and wealth by observing the experiences of fellow bloggers who have monetized their channels.
Generation Z strives to be active in their free time. because life experience becomes the new social currency. Positive and bright emotions are what will certainly attract representatives of this generation.
Values are shifting further and further from material to intangible. Exclusive designer bags are going out of fashion, but health care and natural products are making a comeback.

How to sell to Gen Z?

To engage the new generation, you need to occupy all available communication channels, especially being active in the digital environment. Generation Z does not know a world without digital technologies, so they use them intuitively.
Groups on social networks, mobile applications and brand websites should offer high-quality informative content, for example, details of production processes. Generation Z stands for usefulness and openness, so these methods can win loyalty.
Emotional involvement and imagination are the keys to successful interaction with Generation Z.
On average, a member of Generation Z works with five devices, so it is important to create cross-platform advertising campaigns. If your website looks great on a laptop, but is completely unreadable on a phone, it will not inspire trust.
Technology should become a natural part of the marketing process - virtual reality, augmented reality, multi-screen and cross-platform are becoming significant factors.