8 Big Differences Between Millennial Parents & Their Gen Z Kids

Millennials are the parents of Gen Z.  Gen Z are the kids in your ministry.  They make up 25.9% of the U.S. population.  They contribute $44 billion to the American economy.  By 2020, they will account for one-third of the population.  They have unique characteristics that set them apart from their Millennial parents.  If you're going to reach them, it's important to know what these are.  Let's look at 8 big differences between Millennial parents and their Gen Z kids.

1. Gen Z has a shorter attention span.  Believe it or not, attention spans continue to shrink with each new generation.  Gen Z intakes and processes information faster than their parents.  Apps like Snapchat, shorter videos and a boatload of constant information coming at them is causing this.

2. Gen Z is great at multi-tasking.  All of the information coming at them and devices at their disposal is forcing them to be great at multi-tasking.  A typical day will find them working on a desktop computer at school, doing research on their phone, watching TV with a laptop while face-timing a friend.  They can quickly shift between tasks and even work on multiple tasks at the same time.

3. Gen Z isn't as concerned about money as their parents.  This makes sense since Millennials went through the recession.  67% of Millennials said they would go to a website to get a coupon while only 46% of Gen Z said they would.

4. Gen Z is more independent.  One area this shows up is in education.  Studies show that more Gen Z'ers ages 16 to 18 will go straight into the workforce and opt out of the traditional route of college.  Many of them will use online school for their education.  They want to work on their terms and schedule.

5. Gen Z is more entrepreneurial.  Our increasingly connected world has propelled Gen Z to think and act more entrepreneurially.”  Generation Z desires more independent work environments. 72% say they want to start their own business. 

6. Gen Z has higher expectations than their parents.  Technology has given Gen Z the expectation of immediate information, service and results.  They expect businesses, brands and companies to be loyal to them.  If you are not, they will move on.

7. Gen Z champions individuality.  They were born social.  92% have a digital footprint.  Their participation in social media has caused them to seek uniqueness.

8. Gen Z is more global than their parents.  Their parents were considered the first global generation with the rise of the internet.  But Gen Z will be even more global as more of the world comes online.  They can constantly be connected to other people around the world.  40% of them self-identify as addicted to their digital devices.