Welcome to the weekly update from the ‘Generation Z’ Good Conversation project!

Nine trailblazing charities: Age UK, Barnardo's, Crisis, Guide Dogs, RNLI, St John Ambulance, The Children's Society, The Royal British Legion and WaterAid, have collaborated to dig deep into the 16-25 year old audience known as Gen Z or Zoomers, and, with Good Innovation’s help, have launched a 3 month long, 100 participant-strong online community to do just that. 

We’re thrilled to welcome you on board, and we’ll be bringing you weekly inspiration reports like this one from now on, so that you can keep up to speed in real-time with what’s happening in this insight rich and opinionated space. This week we’ve been on-boarding our participants and getting to know them. The first week's objective was to get a general understanding of their everyday lives, needs, desires, motivations and frustrations with the world and spaces they exist in.  

We’ve launched three activities: a) Treasure Island, b) Exploring the worlds of dating, friends and school/careers in 3 words, and c) Past Present Future; already had hundreds of comments and a swathe of videos. 

So... Let’s meet Generation Z. Here's a taster of what we learned...

Tension Tracker

Young Survivalists vs. Mature Search for Happiness

When faced with a desert island style activity, our younger Zoomers chose to be more pragmatic and rational with their choices as a way of enduring. However, the older groups prioritised their happiness and wellbeing, almost always selecting objects and moments that brought them and the group joy. 

Young Individualists vs. Older Group Mentality 

Teenagers are desperately searching for relief from the stresses of school and are consumed by the pressure to get into a university of their choice. Their inwards focus on their career ambitions contrasts with the older groups who are also equally concerned with the world around them. They judge society by its failures and are demanding a more equal world for all.

“One thing to keep about now would be the progress that minorities have made in getting social equality as it’s great that LGBT people are more accepted in society. One thing I’d change would be the economic inequality that is so prevalent in society.”

Cynical vs. Hopeful

There are two key outlooks beginning to emerge in our group. Those that are optimistic and hopeful about the future and those that are more challenging, unsettled and nervous. The younger groups remain more disillusioned by the world and society around them, whilst the older groups are making an active effort to remain optimistic.

Obsession with remaining connected vs. Living in the present

Zoomers ‘can’t live without [their] phone’ as a means to staying connected to their personal networks and the world around them. However, many yearn to experience a world where technology was less prevalent, there were less distractions and they had the opportunity to live in the moment. The constant pressures and comparisons that accompany social media mean it’s second nature to ‘film a concert’ rather than enjoying the moment. 

“If I don't have my phone I feel disconnected and don't feel like I'm up-to-date with society which feels really scary"

“I’d go back to the 90s when there was no phones or social media and people were more free and hopeful.”

"I would love to go back to the 80s, for the music culture and fashion. Pre-social media, I think there would have been a lot less to worry about and a lot more living for the moment (as it should be!)"

Friendships: Escape vs. Exhausting

For many, socialising with friends can be a great way of relieving stress. However, for others it can be exhausting and draining maintaining friendships that demand consistent and sometimes anxiety-inducing social interactions. 

“I love socialising with my friends it makes me truly happy and I do nothing but laugh when I’m around them especially as I don’t see them as often now!”

"Socialising is something I struggle with a lot, I get very apprehensive and anxious before meeting up with anyone and I usually end up cancelling last minute which also makes me feel left out."