Generation Z

Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z and informally known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort 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 typically being defined as people born from 1997 to 2012. Most members of Generation Z are the children of members of Generation X and older Millennials, and it is predicted that many will be the parents of members of Generation Beta. As children during the mid-late 2000s and 2010s, Generation Z was the first social generation to grow up with Web 2 and digital technology as an established commodity. From a young age, they have watched online videos and web series (often via YouTube), and played online games. As adolescents and young adults in the 2010s and 2020s, members of the generation were dubbed "digital natives", even if they were not necessarily digitally literate and might struggle in a digital or virtual workplace. Generation Z has been described as "better behaved and less hedonistic" than previous generations. They have fewer teenage pregnancies, consume less alcohol (but not necessarily less of other psychoactive drugs), and are more focused on school and job prospects. They are also better at delaying gratification than teens from the 1960s. Sexting became popular during Gen Z's adolescent years, although the long-term psychological effects are not yet fully understood. There is greater awareness and diagnosis of mental health conditions among Generation Z, and sleep deprivation is more frequently reported. Moreover, the negative effects of screen time in the late 2010s were most pronounced in adolescents, as compared to younger children. Youth subcultures have not disappeared, but they have been quieter. Nostalgia is a major theme of youth culture in the 2010s and 2020s. Meanwhile, Generation Z has been active in politics around the world.