Gen Z stands for Generation Zoomers which refers to people born approximately between 1997 and 2010. Generations are defined by the birth year ranges. These ranges are used for grouping cohorts of people with shared experiences.
There existed other generations, such as the Silent Generation for those born between 1928 and 1945. Then came Baby Boomers from 1946 to 1964. Came Generation X from 1965 to 1980. Came Generation Y or Millennials from 1981 to 1996; the generation to which I belong. After Gen Z came Generation Alpha, which is a generation born between 2011 and 2024. Then comes Gen Beta for those being born in 2025 onwards.
Gen Z is the first generation to grow up completely in the digital age, with constant access to the internet, smartphones, and social media. Gen Z is characterised by being tech-canny, pragmatic, and concerned about leadership, social and environmental issues, as they have been shaped by events, such as the Great Recession and the rise of climate protests. Gen Z members are digital natives. They are the first generation to grow up with the internet and social media as a central part of their lives, which gives a shape of how they communicate and interact with the world.
Gen Z is pragmatic and financially cautious. Witnessing the 2007-9 recession has made Gen Z more financially conservative and career-focused, compared to the previous generations. Gen Z often prioritizes saving and investment. Gen Z is socially conscious. Known for being a diverse and socially progressive generation, Gen Z advocates for issues like racial and gender equality, and they are passionate about social and environmental justice. Gen Z has a strong desire for authenticity. Despite being digital natives, Gen Z seeks authentic, in-person connections and is wary of the performative aspects of social media.
Gen Z is more prone to anxiety than the previous generations and is more open about discussing mental health, thus championing anxiety and mental health awareness. Looking at Gen Z in the entrepreneurial point of view, it has an entrepreneurial mentality as it shows an entrepreneurial spirit, and is often more interested in creating its own opportunities. Gen Z values diversity, equity and inclusion.
Gen Z is not known for coups. It is known for nationwide strikes that call for an end to bad governance, injustice, dictatorship and neocolonialism, thus shaping political and social discourse. Gen Z is more pronounced in all other African countries except South Sudan, with the recent Gen Z-led protests in South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, and the ongoing one in Tanzania. South Sudan is a very unlucky country.
When other African countries were giving birth to the life-saving Gen Z from 1997 to 2010, South Sudan was at war with Sudan and so, she had had what doctors call “secondary infertility”; a medical condition where a woman who gave birth previously fails to conceive. So, from 1997 to 2010, South Sudan never gave birth to any child. So, no one is 28 years old in South Sudan. Where other countries pick gold, South Sudan picks a null stone.
Thank you for reading “Sowing The Seed Of Truth”.