Generation Z begins to vote in 2020... how will that change things?

[Blue3]

The oldest of Generation Z, those born in 2001 and later, will be able to vote in the next presidential election.

There's already been some academic research talking about tensions between Generation Y and Generation Z and the different values and backgrounds they have. I could post a summary of one I received at work later.

Having a childhood in the relative peace/prosperity/optimism of the 80's/90's versus having a childhood during the War on Terror, Katrina, Financial Crash, and being told they won't have things as well as their parents, using smart phones practically since they were in kindergarten, etc.

What do you think the impact of their generation will be?

[Blue3]

I could post a summary of one I received at work later.

Could you? I'm rather interested.

What do you think the impact of their generation will be?

Can't say for sure since I don't really know what their views are. If I had to guess, though, maybe they will be more Republican due to growing up under the weight of the Great Recession with a Democratic president to blame.

This is from the "generational trends" section of a training I had on community engagement at work. It has the same format for previous generations too, but I'll just focus on the last two.



Millennials, Generation Y, Echo Boomers
1981-2000
The Millennials at the fastest growing segment of today's workforce.

Tech Savvy: Millennials are plugged-in 24/7. This generations prefers to communicate through email and text messaging rather than face-to-face contact and prefers webinars and online technology to traditional lecture-based presentations.

Family-Centric: The fast-track has lost much of its appeal for Millennials who are willing to trade high pay for fewer hours, flexible schedules, and a better work/life balance.

Achievement-Oriented: Millennials are confident, ambitious, and achievement-oriented. They have high expectations of their employers, seek out new challenges and are not afraid to question authority. They want meaningful work and a solid learning curve.

Team-Oriented: Part of a no-person-left-behind generation, they are loyal, committed and want to be included and involved. They may benefit from mentors who can help guide and develop their careers.



Generation Z, Net Generation, Digital Natives
2001-present
This tech-savvy, multiethnic generation has grown up entirely in the post-Cold War world.

Highly Connected: Members of Generation Z have never known a world without the Internet, cell phones/smartphones, MP3 players, text messaging, and other communication and media technologies.

Diverse: Generation Z's ethnic composition is the most diverse of any generation in America: 54% Caucasian, 24% Hispanic, 14% African-American, 4% Asian, and 4% mixed race/other. They welcome and celebrate this diversity.

Lowered Economic Expectations: With the lingering effects of the Great Recession, Generation Z is the first generation expected to earn less than their parents. However, having gone through such difficult economic times, they have developed a sense of social justice, philanthropy, and maturity, and are more likely to pursue careers they think will help society.

Empowered: The combination of the independence gained from powerful, mobile technology and the constant sense of affirmation from their parents has produced a sense of entitlement in Generation Z that can be seen as a double-edged sword. They have the resources and initiative to make positive changes where they see the need, but may not have the experience with the failure necessary to know what it takes to persevere.



It also has a similar format for other generations, I just took the pictures in case anyone is interested:

[Blue3]

1. The absolute earliest that this generation will be defined as down the line will be the year 2000. 96ers and others like myself are definitely not members of Generation Z.

Gallup, among many others, disagrees.

I've been called a millennial my whole life. All of my friends (born in 96' or 97' usually) have been called millennials. We all remember the sh**t show that was George Bush, we came of age during the Obama administration, and as a result almost all of us are liberals in one form or another. We're just as liberal as our older siblings born in the 1980's and there's no reason to think we're any different. I share a lot in common with my 32 year old brother and there's no single event that separates us.

As for the start date, there's no agreed upon start date. But plenty of sources say 2000-onwards.

Yes, I've always seen 2000 or 2001 as the cutoff date.