Most studies explain loneliness can be linked to social media and frequent life transitions, including COVID-19 — for more than two years, people were forced into isolation and unable to have “normal” social lives, creating room for a big transition.
Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with self-stigma.
For generation Z, 73 percent of respondents said they weren't currently dating or looking for a relationship because they had more important priorities at the moment. The survey showed a generational gap in the different reasons why Americans are content with being single.
New research from talent management company Cangrade has looked at workplace happiness generation by generation. And a survey of 600 individuals found that Gen Z is the most unhappy generation at work. Just 59% of Gen Z workers are happy, compared to 69% for Baby Boomers and 76% for Millennials and Gen X.
They tend to play it safe. That's very like the Silent gen. In fact, Time magazine gave Silents their name because they played it safe, keeping their heads down and not speaking out about issues like McCarthyism and civil rights. Silents were shaped by the Great Depression when millions of Americans lost their jobs.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
A CM Group consumer research effort that polled 1,000 consumers found Gen Z consumers are better educated, more practical, more ambitious and more skeptical than Millennials.
From record collecting and the resurgence of Kate Bush to '90s grunge and Y2K aesthetics, Gen Z is obsessed with nostalgia.
GEN Z: REDEFINING HYPER-SENSITIVITY
Being sensitive simply means as a generation, Gen Z are more tuned into human emotions and more determined to take everyone's feelings into consideration.
There are good reasons for optimism in considering the future for Gen Zs. They've survived a global pandemic and arguably some of the biggest historical struggles, but they have the opportunity to learn, develop their resilience and bond with others through hard times.
Aligned with the job satisfaction insights, Gen Zs also proved to be the generation most likely to quit their job if they are unhappy with their workplace, the report found.
For members of Generation Z between the ages of 18-24, 53 percent said that they would consider having children if the cost of living were lower. Similarly, of Millennials aged 25-34, 55 percent said a lower cost of living would make them think seriously about having children.
Gen Z, while focused on their goals for now, believe the average age they will get married is 27.
According to a February 2022 Ogilvy study, 70% of Gen-Zers say their mental health needs the most attention or improvement. And an American Psychological Association report found that Gen-Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than any other demographic group.
Feelings About Dating in America
More than 30% of the survey's Gen Z respondents said they're not looking for a relationship at all, and almost 20% said they'd like to date like cats do—more on that later. Overall, 79% of Americans feel like finding the right partner is harder than finding the right job.
According to respondents, the reason they feel Gen Z is difficult to work with is because they lack technological skills, effort and motivation. But those shortcomings hint to deeper, more convoluted issues that date back to the pandemic.
Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation. The statistics for their behavioural-health issues – mental and substance disorders – are alarming.
According to a recent study published in the open-access scientific journal Plos One, Millennials and Gen Zers are the most self-absorbed generation by far and by their own admission.
Never mind the fact that Baby boomers have been dubbed the Healthiest Generation, since they have the longest life expectancy of any previous generation, and that they were able to exploit advances in medical care and reap the benefits of public health campaigns highlighting the dangers of smoking and unhealthy diets.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life. Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform.
It starts with what values are important to Gen Z'ers and moves into what brands and products they rate. “Teens feel that being cool is about just being yourself, embracing what you love, rejecting what you don't, and being kind to others.”
75 percent of Gen Z feel they are challenging dating and relationship standards that were passed down to them, the report found. 18–25 year olds make up more than 50 percent of Tinder's user base, according to the dating app. They're not alone in acknowledging that dating culture is shifting.
The Greatest Generation commonly refers to those Americans who were born in the 1900s through the 1920s. The Greatest Generation members all lived through the Great Depression and many of them fought in World War II. These individuals have often been described as driven, patriotic, and team-players.
Gen Z has learned to think, learn, and communicate in an environment defined by wireless internet ubiquity, wholesale technology integration, infinite content, and immediacy.
Baby boomers have the highest household net worth of any US generation. Defined by the Federal Reserve as being born between 1946 and 1964 (currently in the ages between 59 and 77), baby boomers are in often in the sunset of their career or early into retirement.