4 Key Differences between Millennials and Generation Z

One of the worst mistakes you can make as a leader is mixing up the difference between Millennials and Generation Z. Just because someone is a “young person,” does not mean they are a Millennial. The average Millennial is 30 years old, working a full-time job, possibly a parent with a first-time mortgage. Even the oldest members of Generation Z are no longer teens but instead are college graduates entering the workforce.

As a refresher, according to Pew Research Center, Millennials are born between the years 1981-1996 and are between the ages of 24-39. Generation Zers are born between 1997-2012 and are 8-23 years old.

While Millennials and “Zoomers” hold many characteristics in common, there are some key differences between these two generations. Here are four to keep in mind:

Defining Moment

Nearly every Millennial has concrete memories of what they were doing when they first learned about 9/11. They are distinctly aware of the difference September 11, 2001, has made within our collective, global society. For Millennials, 9/11 was their defining moment.

Gen Zers probably do not have memories of 9/11. Even the oldest members of Generation Z were only 4 when the Twin Towers fell. Instead, sociologists and generational researchers are already predicting that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be their defining moment.

Technology Use

Millennials are “digital adaptives”; over their lifetimes they have continually adapted to new technologies and modes of online engagement that have emerged. They went from dial-up to high speed broadband to fiber optic. They changed from flip phones to iPhones, from MySpace to Facebook, to Twitter and Instagram.

Gen Zers are “digital natives.” They have never known a time without smartphones and the Internet. They have never needed to adapt or adjust, because technology use has always been a given for them.

Finance and the Workforce

Millennials chose college degrees and professional industries based on future careers that would give them purpose and meaning in the workforce. Consequently, they were left with thousands of dollars of student loan debt and graduated college into the Great Recession with difficulty finding jobs in their fields.

Gen Zers learned from watching their Gen X parents and Millennial older siblings struggle through the Great Recession. They began saving money earlier. They have taken a much more practical approach toward choosing their career path and entering the workforce, finding programs that would leave them with less debt and a guaranteed job after graduation. Their purpose and meaning are instead fueled through their activism and social justice causes.

Social Justice

Millennials are often criticized for being shallow with their social justice engagement. On social media they are social justice warriors, but in real life they have little engagement with actual causes. Millennials tend to work within the established systems to further their causes, such as by voting for political candidates they believe will back their social justice endeavors.

Generation Z is well-known as a generation of activists, both online and in real life. Indeed, their online engagement often fuels Gen Z led protests, rallies, and marches. Generation Z is also known to work outside of the established systems to further their causes, which they feel are rigged or unfair.