Millennials versus Generation Z
Posted on April 20, 2020 by Cicilia Visser, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
For the untrained eye Millennials 1981-1994) and Generation Z (1995 – 2011) might seem very similar, however, there are a few notable differences.
Career:
As we know generations are shaped by the socio-economic and political contexts of their formative years. Millennials grew up during an era of economic prosperity whereas Generation Z grew up during the economic downturn. This explains Generation Z-ers’ preference for job security, structure, and a good salary and their prudent, realistic, and conservative spending habits. On the other hand, Millennials are widely known for being digital nomads with little corporate loyalty, opting for freelance jobs or career fluidity, and meaningful work that makes an impact.
Technology:
Many Gen Y.1 Millennials (older Millennials) remember a time before mobile phones and the internet. However, Gen Z-ers are digital natives and don’t know of a time before mainstream technology to socialize, shop, travel, date, and record their experiences.
Generation Z has a digital fluency envied by most Millennials, but their tech dependence should not be mistaken for tech aptitude, as many of Gen Z-ers struggle to work on operating systems designed by older generations. Gen Z-ers are hypercognitive and prefer visual communication such as emoticons, GIFS, and memes, therefore making Snap Chat, Instagram, Tic Toc, and YouTube preferred social media communication platforms. Millennials prefer short, text-based communication platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
Team collaboration:
Millennials are known for being collaborators who prefer to work in teams or shared spaces, whereas Generation Z-ers prefer to work individually on projects in collaborative spaces. Gen Z-ers are more selective in what they share online and place a high premise on their privacy and individuality.
Activism:
Both generational cohorts are avid supporters of socio-environmental issues. However, Generation Z-ers’ early exposure to global events and diverse social media influences make them more informed and inclusive than any generation before them. They fiercely drive issues such as gender rights, workplace equality and diversity, global warming, animal rights and being a responsible and conscious consumer.
