To me, it seems that almost every generation has written, commented on, and spoken about the development of the new generation, except the generation itself. Being a generation of individuals born between 1995 and 2010, it is quite ironic that we are the youngest, yet most talked about generation. Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the powerhouse of the future – Generation Z.

The major difference between Millennials and Generation Z is that Millennials have been raised during the calmness and peace of the 1990s, and were devastated and shocked to see the serenity of their world crushed by the 9/11 attacks and financial crises in 2000 and 2008. Their innocence was lost. In contrast, Generation Z was born right in the aftermath of the era of war on terror and recessions. Our eyes were open from the start.

According to Business Insider, the impact of watching our families struggle with the aftermath of the wars and recessions leads Gen Z to have a natural desire to be entrepreneurial, independent, and financially literate. Looking around us, we can see that the youth of today share the following things in common: a strong interest in social justice, a taste in philanthropy, and the will to grow in maturity. Another strong factor that comes into play is technology. Gen Z have never lived a day without powerful technology. Gen Z is accustomed to receiving all the information they need within seconds.

In terms of career, Gen Z has no interest in spending our days in front of a computer screen for hours on end. Despite how hard-working we are, Gen Z wants more. Gen Z is powerful enough to make any difference in the world – all it takes is initiative. We are mindful, high achievers with a strong character and adaptability to change and develop accordingly to the ever-changing society of today. Gen Z youth are the leading influencers of the future. Take a look at the significant comment The New York Times makes on Gen Z:

“Put it all together — the privacy, the caution, the focus on sensible careers — and Generation Z starts to look less like the brash millennials and more like their grandparents (or, in some cases great-grandparents), Mr. Howe said.

Those children of the late 1920s through the early ’40s, members of the so-called Silent Generation, were shaped by war and the Depression and grew up to be the diligent, go-along-to-get-along careerists of the ’50s and ’60s — picture Peggy from “Mad Men.”

“The parallels with the Silent Generation are obvious,” Mr. Howe said. “There has been a recession, jobs are hard to get, you can’t take risks. You’ve got to be careful what you put on Facebook. You don’t want to taint your record.”

Which leads to a final point worth mentioning about the Silent Generation. As Mr. Howe pointed out, it was not just the most career-focused generation in history. It was also, he said, the richest.”

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Writer: Mariam Walaa

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