There are the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennial’s, and what may be the most complicated of them all, Generation Z. Gen Z is almost the youngest generation, being made up of people born between 1995 and 2010. They have many different characteristics that separate them from other generations, and makes them perhaps the most complex generation so far.

There’s no denying that Gen Z knows their way around the internet like nobody else. According to SHRM.org, some other names considered for this generation were “the ‘Selfie Generation’ and ‘iGen,’” because of their large presence on social media. YouTube and TikTok have become a very huge part in the culture of this young generation.

TikTok, an app where people can create lip synced videos, dances, and just about anything else to share online for others to watch and potentially enjoy, has become extremely popular, having over 500 million users averaging almost an hour of usage everyday. Most of this comes from Generation Z, as many of the apps most popular creators are Gen Zers as well.

YouTube is also a huge part in Generation Z. Created in 2005, YouTube is a video sharing platform as well, the biggest one in the world. There are numerous creators on the platform whom make a huge variety of videos that are posted at a rate of 300 hours of video per minute. Many of the watchers and creators alike are from Generation Z.

Musically, Generation Z is quite spread out. The people of this generation listen to just about everything, from pop music to classic rock. They enjoy listening to new hits and classics all the same.

Sophomore Gurtej Grewal says he “[likes] Tyler, the Creator and Juice WRLD.” Rap artists have become perhaps the most popular they have ever been in recent years, all thanks to Generation Z.

“I like listening to singers like Rex Orange County because, like, they have really good beats,” said sophomore Ella Shouman. A style of music which has recently become popular is a genre known as indie pop or bedroom pop, including artists such as Clairo, Mac Demarco, Cuco, and Rex Orange County. This genre is full of lo-fi beats which don’t require very high production and can be produced in the comfort of, you guessed it, your bedroom. Overall, Generation Z is an adventurous group when it comes to listening to music.

Internet and music are not the only things Generation Z is concerned with, though. 

“It’s just really important to think about the other things going on in the world around you, too,” said sophomore Faith Rodarme. The teens of Gen Z have been known to speak out about world issues they think are important. It isn’t uncommon to see your Instagram feed filled with both memes and opinions about controversial topics mixed together. Recently, the fires in Australia have been a very big topic on social media. A good number of this acknowledgment has come from Generation Z, who have recognized that something has to be done about this tragic event unfolding. Along with these fires, Generation Z was heavily interested in the abortion debate of early 2019 and the climate change crisis. Basically, Generation Z isn’t afraid to speak their mind.

Generation Z is quite a diverse group of people, and they embrace that. According to SHRM.org, “Generation Z marks the last generation in U.S. history where a majority of the population is white.” Since this diversity is so normal to them, for the most part, they barely even notice the differences and don’t really make a big deal out of it. Aside from race and ethnicity, Gen Z is also very diverse in their personalities. Individuality is something that could be considered very important to the people in Generation Z. These kids try to make themselves into something that is different from others. Less and less people are trying to fit in with the rest of the bunch, like other generations might have done as teens. To Gen Z, it is more about expressing yourself however you want to, not how others want you to.

It’s pretty clear that Gen Z is quite unique, but how exactly do they compare to other generations? Because of advancing technology, different work ethics have become popular with each generation based on whatever they grew up with. Because much of Generation Z relies heavily on technology, when it comes to working with their hands, they admittedly aren’t as great as other generations. This isn’t a huge problem, though, because new machinery is being made all the time that can work in place of human hands.

According to Kasasa.com, Generation Z is interested in “learning about personal finance” more so than other generations. Teen Gen Zers are definitely quite invested in their future and may think about it more than other generations did in their teen years. This doesn’t always mean college for this colorful group, but it does mean that many of them have some sort of plan as to what they would like to do after high school.

Generation Z is a very complex generation with many different layers. There’s no telling what they will accomplish in the future because there are so many possibilities open to them. No matter what you think about this group, one thing’s for sure: Generation Z is one fascinating generation.