Gen Z are the WOKE WARRIORS of the world collectively called Zoomers by some. They see things as they are and take note of who is responsible. Having a distinction between the physical. Spiritual and digital worlds is not necessary for them, because they refuse compartmentalization! The critical element is that they can seamlessly move between all worlds they do not accept things at face value they access the truth in all its iterations.
Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of what is termed as Generation Z. Mainstream media will paint a picture of this generation as distracted by technology and tuned out but nothing could be further from the truth. Gen Z have valid and pressing concerns but at the same time they are acutely aware of societal hypocrisy and its war against truth and critical thinking.
They are concerned about about how hard jobs are to get when they want you to have years of experience for entry level jobs. Or you could work at McDonald's or something whereas most jobs in this economy aren't giving livable wages. Gen Z entered adulthood at a time that inflation was through the roof, now jobs don't pay enough, rent is three times more than it was in the early 2000s and 90s, the price of everything has increased but pay hasn't, jobs are adding more responsibilities on people, more pressure, and less rewards.
For Generation Z this country is being led by old people with very little leadership skills who have stayed on far beyond their usefulness and the newest adult generation is blatantly being screwed with every new policy and law. Most of Gen Z see the leadership of the world as complete idiots bent on destroying the world as long as they can do it comfortably and in luxury!
The older generations feel entitled despite the messes they leave for each successive generation to fix. Generation Z asks the questions: Why would I want to give my life to a company who will fire/replace me whenever it benefits them and doesn't pay enough to comfortably afford a basic rent. Gen Z sees how the world's socio-economic systems are treating them whenever they fight back for equitable pay, safe food, decent transparent and affordable healthcare, access to free renewable energy, even access to reproductive rights, education, freedom of speech, rainwater and sunlight! No matter the circumstance Gen Z are labeled as lazy, disrespectful, unrealistic and ill informed. And this is being done while world powers state publicly they don't intend to focus on solving the problems their policies caused like climate change/global warming but leave it for the next generation to solve!
The implications of growing up in an “always on” technological environment are only now coming into focus. Gen Zers are not monolithic in any way but generally have strong values related to racial justice, technological advances, and sustainability. Mobilizations like the Global Climate March, led by Gen Z activist Greta Thunberg, thrive on the activism of young people. Climate change is one of the issues Gen Zers care about the most. In a recent survey, 70% of Gen Zers said they'd break the bank to buy a house with sustainable features like solar panels. The goal of Gen Z is not access to wealth as much as access to freedoms not reliant upon a lifetime of wealth building and stress.
Before the pandemic in 2019 to be exact Zoomers looking at more than 70,000 properties nationwide on the real-estate listing site Redfin, found that residences tagged with a "green home" designation went for an average of $828,955, 41% more than the $589,227 brought in by comparable homes without the designation. In some cities, eco-friendly features drew an even greater premium: In Detroit, green homes sold for an average of $321,989, or 180% more than traditional residences. Prospective buyers are also seeing green in Chicago, Philadelphia and Montgomery, Alabama. Now in 2024 new home buyers have seen a housing technology boom in response to mass homelessness and an influx of migrant workers and asylum seekers.
Affordability is a significant concern for Gen Z, given the financial challenges they face, including student loan debt they reject lifetime debt and 20 year mortgages. As they enter the housing market, they are seeking affordable options, such as starter or tiny homes, cooperatives and co-living arrangements, or land ownership, and rehabbing or retrofitting homes in up-and-coming neighborhoods. In fact Gen Z will change the American housing market forever!
Gen Z believes in the American Dream of homeownership. Nearly all of them, 97%, hope to own a home in the future. About 100,000 members of Gen Z have already purchased a home. Almost half of these paid less than $10,000 for a down payment. Most of these had saved for a down payment for less than five years. But Gen Z is not seeking mansions or suburban money pits to spend a lifetime paying for they see too many affordable options that offer a higher quality of life than their parents could afford. Prior to 2020 housing technological paradigms and not changed in any essential way for over 100 years!
Homeownership isn’t just about the American Dream for Gen Z. Having grown up watching HGTV and YouTube DIY videos, Gen Z wants to customize their spaces make them green, energy efficient and smart. Some research shows over 60% of Gen Z said making a home unique to their personality and lifestyles was the primary reason for wanting to buy a home. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual homebuying tools and remote transactions. Gen Z, being digital natives, are comfortable with these technologies. Gen Z values flexibility and adaptability in their living spaces. They prefer open floor plans that can be easily customized to suit their needs and changing lifestyles. They are looking at things like Powerwall units to store excess energy from solar and wind for use to power electric vehicles and the whole household on cloudy weekends.
In terms of housing Zoomers are purchasing old barns, empty strip malls, old warehouses, mills, pastures, abandoned buildings, pond or lakefront properties and closed schools. New technology companies like Boxable offer the ability (after demolition) to build homes with Rooms that stack and connect to create almost any building type. Single and multistory houses, multifamily and residential buildings, and many more affordably without til death do us part mortgages. It is safe to say that members of Gen Z also spend much of their time educating themselves. These young people are ambitious and eager to learn new ways to better the world around them.
Gen Z groups are forming online (like Facebook's GenZ Homes) to connect people who wish to explore housing cooperatives in urban areas. In these arrangements, future residents decide to collectively own and manage a building, multifamily home, former mall church or housing complex, exponentially reducing costs and fostering a sense of community and upward mobility. there is also a duality or strange dichotomy within Gen Z culture as much as they like technology they love green spaces. The pandemic had a lot to do with this. Many members of Zoomer generation lost their jobs, so they had less or no income and therefore spent less. They spent most days at home, spending less money. Living a socially-distanced lifestyle for over a year led to more purchases being made online. Yet 78% of Gen Z's say that they buy most of their products online.
Contactless payment has also risen in popularity as a result of COVID. Online banking and paying services like Venmo, Paypal, and Apple Pay are super prominent especially in the hands of young adults. Payments like these make it way too easy to spend money but also easy to be aware of credit debt and hidden fees. Between April and June 2023, Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, had an average credit card balance of $3,328, a 4.23% increase from January to March 2023, where their average balance was $3,193, according to Credit Karma. Most American Gen Zers (aged 18 to 25) currently have an average of $2,282 in credit card debt. But compared to the average American Boomer, Gen Z's debt doesn't look all that bad. New Experian data finds that baby boomers have an average of $25,812 in credit card, and auto loan debt. (Updated Tue, May 16 2023).
Politicians especially fear what they deem to be the Techno Savvy Tree Hugger generation! Generation Z is leaving their youthful mark on politics, heading to the polls and shifting the electoral landscape for years to come. Born after 1996, the oldest Gen Zers will turn 27 this year. They are racially and ethnically diverse, progressive and pro-humanity before governments! Instead of looking ahead to a world of opportunities, Gen Z now peers into an uncertain future. Gen Z doesn't trust much of anyone they will fact check a priest in a heartbeat. It's daunting to have one whip out a phone and fact check you every three minutes of a conversation! Politicians hate this as monetizing uncertainty is there bread and butter.
Most see the country’s growing racial and ethnic diversity as a good thing, and they’re less likely than older generations to see the United States as superior to other nations. they see the US fearmongering and continual funding and focus on maintaining American policing presence in every country while our schoolchildren have to endure mass shootings as at best wasteful and at worse insane! Gen Z is more pragmatic than Millennials. The reason behind this shift in preference can be attributed to the practical mindset of these generations. Growing up in a rapidly evolving world has given them a more realistic outlook on life. They have learned to value practicality over emotions and understand the importance of being independent. Basically the closest thing to Star treks Vulcans. Over half (55%) of Gen Zers have considered buying an electric vehicle (EV) in the near future, different from their Gen X parents (41%), they cite long-term financial benefits (52%). Additional factors cited include their environmental impact (54%) and not needing to pay for gas or oil (52%) which only exacerbates climate change issues.
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