Gen Z: Turning Point
Where next for the Next Generation?
Thursday 25th June 2020 | 9am-10am
The coronavirus pandemic is a once in a lifetime event for all of us, but for Gen Z (those born between roughly 1996 and 2010, currently aged 10-24) it is the defining event of their young cohort.
In recent years we have looked in depth at the forces shaping Gen Z and the possible futures they will drive. In that analysis we showed that Gen Z are not yet done being shaped – that at this point in the previous generational cycle Millennials’ positive future narrative was being rewritten in the wake of the financial crash.
Pre-crash Millennial narratives centred on their ambition, power, questioning of authority (Generation WHY) and fortune at reaching maturity in time to reap the benefits of the digital revolution. This changed – seemingly overnight – and Millennials spent much of the last decade being referred to as the Jilted Generation; the losers of the crash, priced out of the housing market and laden with student debt.
Will a similar fate befall Gen Z? Certain defining aspects – their demographic diversity, their connection to their parents, their digital savviness – are unlikely to be dramatically altered by the current crisis. But almost everything else, including their social values, their attitudes to work and leisure, their education and their economic opportunity will all be shaped by the pandemic.
Join us on 25th June as we explore how the pandemic will shape Gen Z – for better and for worse.
We’ll be joined on 25th June by Gen Z founders Harry Beard and Adam Flanagan (of Future Labs), who work with brands to help further understand Generation Z and bring the voice of Gen Z to their communications. They’ll be sharing their perspective on this generation and their response to the pandemic.