Financial wellbeing is becoming a status symbol for Gen Z, even as 51% of the cohort globally says they’re living paycheck to paycheck (Deloitte, 2023). While most aspire to save for down payments on a home or grow their retirement savings, many young adults struggle to do so. Subsequently, some are looking to money management strategies to support their lifestyles.

As the oldest members of Gen Z reach their late twenties, some are struggling to evolve from youngsters into ‘real grown-ups’ who are mature and in control of their lives. To cope with ongoing stressors such as inflation and increased house prices and rents, those who can are increasingly leaning on their parents to get by.

Globally, Gen Zers are slightly more likely to say that social media has a positive effect (32%) rather than a negative one (27%) on their mental wellbeing (McKinsey, 2023). But growing awareness of potentially harmful impacts on everything from body image to friendship dynamics has parents and governments seeking strategies to limit screen time.

Driven by financial insecurity and fears about job stability, young employees are chasing better wages and job conditions. Some are job hopping, others are finding part-time work, and many are establishing stringent work-life boundaries. But as we note in Mastering the Multigenerational Workforce, these attitudes occasionally create misunderstandings with older co-workers.

From the age of eight, 43% of British kids have access to TikTok, and 19% to Instagram (Ofcom, 2023). But as they spend time on these sites, they’re seeing content geared to adults – from skincare routines to tech product reviews. As a result, children are emulating adults’ behaviours, even favouring ‘grown-up brands’ like Sephora and Apple.

Growing up hearing about school shootings (in the US), stabbings (in the UK) and hate crimes (see Key Stats for global data) may have increased young people’s sense of physical vulnerability. Brands are stepping in to (sensitively) provide anxious youth with services intended to alleviate day-to-day safety concerns.

Young people are going out less due to strained budgets: enter Gen Stay-At-Home. Sixty per cent of Brits aged 18-24 prefer staying in over partying (YouGov, 2023), and 71% of Australians partied less in 2023 than in years prior (Mamamia, 2023). With more time spent at home, Gen Zers are diving into domestic hobbies, from knitting to gardening to cooking.

Globally, 85% of young people say they value in-person connection more since the pandemic (Vice Insights, 2024). Cue a popularity boom for libraries, book clubs and youth centres. These are becoming go-to spots for young people to make new friends, socialise and participate in hobbies together.

Although 72% of Gen Zers worldwide say they’re very concerned about the environment, they don’t always follow eco-conscious practices, especially when shopping (Bain, 2023). This say-do gap is driven by young people’s desire for affordability and convenience, but smart brands can overcome it with services that make sustainable choices the easiest ones.

Gen Alpha will be the first generation of artificial intelligence (AI) natives; its youngest members, born in the 2020s, won’t know a world without generative AI. As we detail in Education’s AI Revolution, this shift is already influencing learning. AI is supporting kids with classroom tasks and powering personalised bots for at-home tutoring.