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Generation Z (often shortened to Gen Z), also known as zoomers,[1][2][3] is the demographiccohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years with the generation loosely being defined as people born around 1997 to 2012.[4] Most members of Generation Z are the children of Generation X.[5]
As the first social generation to have grown up with access to the Internet and portable digital technology from a young age, members of Generation Z have been dubbed "digital natives"[6] even if they are not necessarily digitally literate[7] and may struggle in a digital workplace.[8][9] Moreover, the negative effects of screen time are most pronounced in adolescents, as compared to younger children.[10]Sexting became popular during Gen Z's adolescent years, although the long-term psychological effects are not yet fully understood.[11]
Generation Z has been described as "better behaved and less hedonistic" than previous generations.[12][13] They have fewer teenage pregnancies, consume less alcohol (but not necessarily other psychoactive drugs),[14][15][16] and are more focused on school and job prospects.[12][17] They are also better at delaying gratification than teens from the 1960s.[18]Youth subcultures have not disappeared, but they have been quieter.[19][20]Nostalgia is a major theme of youth culture in the 2010s and 2020s.[21][22][23]
Globally, there is evidence that girls in Generation Z experienced puberty at considerably younger ages compared to previous generations, with implications for their welfare and their future.[24][25][26][27][28] Furthermore, the prevalence of allergies among adolescents and young adults in this cohort is greater than the general population;[29][30] there is greater awareness and diagnosis of mental health conditions,[17][16][31][32] and sleep deprivation is more frequently reported.[33][34][35] In many countries, Generation Z youth are more likely to be diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders than older generations.[36][37]
Generation Z initially held left-wing political views,[38] but has been moving towards the right since 2020.[39][40]
In Asia, educators in the 2000s and 2010s typically sought out and nourished top students; in Western Europe and the United States, the emphasis was on poor performers.[41]East Asian and Singaporean students consistently earned the top spots in international standardized tests in the 2010s[42][43][44] and 2020s.[45][46][47]