EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Based on a 1,500 person study, a shocking percentage of Millennials are comfortable with the concept of being reachable by phone at all hours.
- 71% of Millennial women and 74% of Millennial men appear not to have any qualms with the concept.
- In contrast, only 66% of Gen Z women and 57% of Gen Z men are comfortable with the idea of always being accessible.
- Across the spectrum of generations, approximately 60% of the US population is comfortable with the notion that someone could call them at any hour of the day.
(For reference, The New York Times defines Millennials as those born between roughly 1980 and 1995, while Gen Z came along starting in 1996…)
As with older generations, Gen Z approaches tech with a more reserved, and conscientious attitude.
Is this related to the fact that they’ve seen older generations make foolish mistakes on social media? Does it have to do with the gravitas of the social issues around them, and a natural human desire to pay attention to social upheaval?
Or, are they suspicious of the internet, and the cyber underworld lurking there? Most of us can recall a time without the internet, and then saw the internet in its infancy. Therefore, we trust in the internet’s utility, and know how to navigate its complexity. Is cyber too much of a rabbit hole for Gen Z?
Speculations abound.
In line with Gen Z’s leanings away from tech, big tech companies are publishing software that helps people monitor how much time they spend scrolling on their phones, or on apps. Facebook asserts that it wants for people to enjoy engaging with technology, not to resent it.
“Gen Zers, while native creatures to digital communication tools, actually prefer face to face communication,” says one reporter.
For more on this story, visit Recode, from Vox.