Generation Z has never been far from technology. They grew up in the middle of the mobile age and are true mobile natives—which is different than Millennials who were the first digital natives. Today, smartphones’ and their constant connectivity are a fact of life. You see this in restaurants, education, dating, work, investing, and shopping. A YouGov survey from May 2017 showed that nearly 4 out of 10 teens would not make it through a single day(!) without their cell phones.
In a study by eMarketer, it’s estimated that 78.9% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the US will be smartphone users this year, which puts them at the same level as the total adult population, but still falling short of Millennials. This will likely change as Gen Z continues to get older and more of them move to smartphones. This will happen both for connectivity and practical reasons as well as the youngest members of Gen Z being given permission to finally have their own smartphone (which they’ve likely wanted now for years).
In a report by Think with Google, respondents ages 13-17 are reported to receive their first smartphone at around 12-years-old. “Now they have established habits by age 13,” said Jason Dorsey, co-founder and President at The Center for Generational Kinetics.
Some of the defining applications that have made smartphones so valuable to Gen Z are camera-centric platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, and extensive use of social networking. eMarketer estimates that 70.8% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the US will use social networks at least once a month this year. All of this points to a generation who is growing up not just digital, but truly mobile.
As the youngest members of Gen Z finally get their smartphones we can only begin to imagine the change that this new generation will bring to every area of life—including family holidays!
At The Center for Generational Kinetics, we turn Millennial and Gen Z trends into fuel for your sales, marketing, employment, and growth.