It may come as no surprise to you that Generation Z is the most Internet-dependent generation and has been at the forefront of technology usage across all generations.
Gen Z was born between 1996 and 2015, making it the youngest of the generations. The third annual international study on Gen Z, conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics and commissioned by WP Engine, shows Gen Z's new expectations for the web.
So why should we take care of it?
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, among other things, that digital things are important.
Many of us started working from home, exercising from home, training from home – and became incredibly dependent on the internet.
The companies that will be successful in this new world are those that have reinterpreted activities that were typically performed in the physical world as digital experiences. For many consumers, these new digital experiences – from training at home to picking up food in advance – have often proven to be more convenient.
While this is a whole new world for many people, they have been doing this for Gen Z for some time.
"Gen Z is a digital pioneer and has shown the way for the rest of the world to go completely digital," said Country Manager ANZ of WP Engine Mark Randall.
“In Australia, blocking has fundamentally changed the way we do everything from shopping to eating to dealing with friends and family. Gen Z has already felt comfortable in this new paradigm. So if you meet the digital requirements of Gen Z, you are now meeting the needs of the rest of the world. "
Digital is part of the identity of Gen Z.
Many of those who are Gen Z think very positively about the advancement of technology. 65% believe that artificial intelligence will have a positive impact, and 75% believe that the Internet will bring us closer together.
When asked what value, what quality or which attribute is most important for your generation, Gen Z rated technical performance (22%) almost as high as freedom (27%).
Quick facts about Gen Z traits:
- 52% of Gen Z can't survive 4 hours without internet access before feeling uncomfortable.
- In 5 years, 67% of Gen Z believe that the Internet will determine what they will do every day.
- 54% of Gen Z are friends with someone they ONLY know online.
Facts about your brand ideas:
- 66% of Gen Z go online to access entertainment.
- 82% of Gen Z trust a company more when the images they use in their ads come from actual customers.
- 75% of Gen Z is more likely to buy from a company that contributes to social purposes.
The complete study can be found at: wpengine.com/gen-z-aus/