Top 10 Differences Between Generation Z and Millennials

The world is constantly changing and evolving, with each new generation bringing a new aspect to life along with them. Today, I will discuss the top ten differences between Millennials and Generation Z. For those who might not know, the Millennial era consists of those born somewhere between the early ‘80s and late ‘90s. Generation Z is made up of those born from the year 2000 – present. This list will not be ranked by significance.

1 – Gen Z has a much shorter attention span

George Beall of Huffington Post states that “Today ‘relevant’ is constantly being refined and Gen Z lives in a world of continuous updates. Gen Z processes information faster than other generations thanks to apps like Snapchat and Vine.” Due to Generation Z being born in the age of technology, their average attention span is significantly shorter than the average adult. This can be seen as a potential problem when it comes to keeping a job or even interacting with friends. Generation Z is used to quick, simple solutions, whereas Millennials have a lot more patience in general.

#2 – Millennials cannot multitask as efficiently

Modern-day kids have become accustomed to using multiple devices/tools at the same time for multiple reasons. Millennials did not use as much technology in their school lives as Generation Z does today. This has increased productivity among Gen Z, but also has the potential to create more mistakes due to the divided amount of attention given to each task. Only time will tell if extreme amounts of multitasking are a good thing.

#3 – Generation Z does not care much for saving money

The average millennial would be far more concerned about sales and clearance events at a retail store than a member of the newest generation. Millennials grew up during the recession, which is a valid reason for reaching for coupons more than Gen Z does. Beall of Huffington Post reports that Millennials have a tendency to click on more online ads, while Gen Z is more likely to click on the “X” button, implying Gen Z partakes in impulse buying far more.

#4 – Generation Z are not fans of college or higher education

College has been correlated with a higher level of success for a while now, but Generation Z is having a tough time seeing the value in it. The chance of a current teenager attending college is lower than ever, due to the limitless options available to them after graduating high school. This is scaring the parents of current children, due to this being a fairly uncharted territory in the country.

#5 – Gen Z thinks ahead, when it comes to money

There are far more Generation Z members eager to start a business than their Millennial counterparts. When surveyed, 72% of current teenagers said that they are interested in starting a business someday when they are older. This is most likely due to the world as a whole becoming a more competitive place to live in, forcing Gen Z to grow up quicker and make more responsible decisions in order to stay on top. According to Gen Z marketing strategist Deep Patel, “the newly developing high tech and highly networked world has resulted in an entire generation thinking and acting more entrepreneurially.”

#6 – Millennials have much lower expectations for people, and life in general

Generation Z has set the bar very high for everything in their life, from family to school. This is a result of their extreme lack of patience. If a company has bad customer service on a certain day, for example, they will be very lucky to have their business again if the customer is a member of Generation Z. If a family member makes a mistake, Millennials are much more likely to forgive-and-forget than members of Gen Z are.

#7 – Generation Z enjoys figuring out “who they are”

Massively due to social media, modern-day kids are much more likely to follow their own individual dreams. Due to the mass amount of career choices available, future employees will most likely enjoy their jobs more than Millennials currently do, since Millennials became used to more limited options when being forced to make a career choice.

#8 – Generation Z is more global— in every way

Social media has exploded and has certainly impacted the lives of Gen Z and Millennials. Gen Z knows about world news more than Millennials might, and Generation Z is obsessed with knowing as many people as possible. Technology has made this possible, making Generation Z the most social generation of all time.

#9 – Generation Z tends to be more protective online

Millennials did not necessarily grow up in the age of the internet, while Generation Z did (and still is). This has conditioned Gen Z to be more protective of their information and property online. Millennials are more likely to share more about themselves on their profile pages, and Gen Z has a tendency to lean towards short-term contact, such as Snapchat.

#10 – Millennials are much more open to group work

Generation Z has the potential to become the most competitive and divided generation ever. Studies have shown that Millennials are much more willing to collaborate with each other to complete a certain task. Generation Z has proven to prefer working alone. Gen Z is growing up in the most competitive age in human history, and as a result, have become conditioned to being on their own.

These two generations are so close to each other, yet the differences between them are more nuanced than possibly any other set of generations. Millennials and Gen Z both still consist of very young people. We as a species will have to see where they lead us next.