Talk:Generation Z

Experiences Over Numbers

It should be established that Generation Z begins in the mid-1990s and ends around 2010. Some have suggested that the generation's range is 2000-2020 but this hypothesis is based on a mistaken adherence to arbitrary numbers rather than historical sociology. This hypothesis has its origins in the claims made by some scholars (notably Strauss and Howe) in the late 1990s/early 2000s that Generation Y was born between 1982-2000, and thus the generation that followed would be born between 2000-2020. This classification was made mainly because Generation Y was not yet well defined and year 2000 mania led many to use the year to represent epochal benchmarks in ways that events later revealed to be inaccurate. Indeed, it is difficult today to find many similarities between those born in 1982 and those born in 2000.

Rather, it is now more widely agreed upon by historical sociologists that the range of Generation Y is 1982-1995. Although those born in the early 1990s are quite different from those born in the early to mid-1980s, the former has more in common with the latter in terms of shared cultural experiences than they do with those born starting in the mid-1990s. These types of experiences are the main factors historical sociologists use in defining cultural generations. For Generation Y, such experiences include being substantively alive before the Internet and other personal technology became ubiquitous in society (mid to late 1990s), as well as being able to substantively remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks, among others. Another measure of classification is the generation's parents. Baby Boomers are mostly the parents of Generation Y, and Boomers' youngest members mostly stopped having children by the mid-1990s. This being the case, those born after 1995 or so are mostly the children of Generation X. Parents of differing generations raise children differently, and this in and of itself has an effect in defining the generation of their children.

The end point of Generation Z was originally based on the idea that around 2010 the oldest cohort of Generation Y members would begin having children (and Generation X would begin to stop having them), which is likely to be true given the average age of parents having their first child in the West. This apt conclusion has been reinforced by the fact that in the latter part of the last decade there was a significant cultural/economic shift in the West, particularly in the United States, as a result of the Great Recession. This will undoubtedly shape the rearing of children, and thus will likely mean that children born in the coming years will have markedly different experiences than their older peers born in times of mostly unbridled prosperity between the mid-1990s and the late 2000s. (Refer to: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/business/economy/03experience.html)

76.24.188.10 (talk) 10:16, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

New generations isn't defined when a previous generation is starting to reproduced them. The WWII Generation is at least 25 years long, that means the oldest members and their son could have been in the same generation.

???

Generation Z should be defined: People born after 1998. This is the cutoff year for the Asian financial crisis and the 9/11 attacks.

It doesn't matter what you think is important now. In ten years 9/11 may turn out to be a trivial side-note. It could be something no one noticed that defines the next generation, or something amazing may happen that no one could have dreamed of. I'm fine with giving them a default name, but I'm not fine with defining them on what we think will affect them. Don't count your chickens before the eggs hatch. :D

It has really been known as the "Echo Generation" by the majority of others. To claim that a book decides what each generation is called is ludicrous. Echo generation has many references, including but not limited to:

http://www.echogeneration.com/blog/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/01/60minutes/main646890_page2.shtml
http://www.keyfindings.com/healthcare/article2.htm
http://www.footwork.com/globe11.html

Echo Boomers are generation Y, not Z.

Generation Fat is an insult

I wanted to say a lot of hateful things toward this article and its authors, but anyways, I hope Zers grow up to be better than any of could ever be. I also wanted to question the use of calling them Generation Fat when we all know that it is going to cause negative stereotypes and unnecessary problems in the future for them. We could stop this future hardship now by not calling them Generation Fat. We want them to grow up happy right? Are the authors psychic? It's best to wait until those born 1996-98 are old enough to write about themselves rather than people who don't belong to the generation (at least 20-30 years older than them) trying to portray what they don't know.r430nb

How about generation lazy? Many, this generations kids don't work for anyhting.(the older ones in this generation of course) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.219.138.19 (talk) 01:40, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Gen Z does NOT begin in 1990, or any time before 1994

I agree firstly becuase my brother was born in 1990 and i was born in 1992. My brother is way more into Myspace and has some of the sleeping vs cell phone problems mentioned here. I think this is becuase my brother was a freshmen in high school when myspace became popular. Also i remember Diseny with out Miley Cyrus, the Back Street Boys, when having a computer wasn't a necessity, and wathing tv on 9/11 in my 3rd grade class. They should wait until this age group is older before labeling them.

I was born in 1990 and I do not identify with this generation at all. The Internet has been around since I was very young, but it was not as big a part of life as it is now. Ipods, cell phones and all the other great things about now did not become mainstream until the Iraq War started, when I began my TEENS.

I remember pagers, VHS tapes, when the Bulls were good, Goosebumps, glow in the dark, floppy disks, shit i remember POGS.

To be categorized as the same generation as babies born now, you should at least be born in 1995. To them 9/11 would be a faint memory and the Backstreet Boys what Tiffany is to me.

what?! i was born in 1995 and i remember the 9/11 clear as day! i remember what the worl was like befor that too. i might have only being young but i do remember what the world was like befor that and i think thats a huge thing, there are kids today who never knew a time that. i also remember when my dad got our first computer , i remeber before DVDs, i remeber when floppy disks were this big deal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sophieeht (talk • contribs) 07:12, 14 July 2009 (UTC) Damn 1980s births being snobs about Gen Y.

I myself was born in 1989, and I agree with your points (except the snobs bit). However, when you or I think Gen Z started doesn't matter, because we are not reliable sources, and to add our own opinions into this article would be to commit original research. In fact the reliable sources themselves disagree, some say 1990, some say 10 years later etc. This is still an ongoing generation finding its identity (if it does follow the pattern of being a distinct generation) so this article's info is still in its infancy. Only time will tell. Finally, please remember to sign your comments here using four tildes: "~~~~". Thanks. Deamon138 (talk) 15:37, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

I was born in January 1996 and can clearly remember the Florida recount, 9/11, The Iraq Invasion, Yankee Dynasty. I think somewhere between 1997 and 2000 is a good start to the generation since those born before June 1996 would have been in school on 9/11 and could have interacted with peers about the events. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Duffy2032 (talk • contribs) 03:11, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

It's cool dude. Not ALL 1980s births do, it just seems some people born in the 80s (mostly those born before 1988) can't see themselves as having anything in common with those born in 1990 or 1991 so consider them Gen Z like those born in this century. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.237.91.129 (talk • contribs)

Could you blame them? Those born around 1982 to about 1985/1986 can recall life before the end of the Cold War. Someone born in 1990 would be 1 when it ended. - Joe —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.78.125.116 (talk) 03:19, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Four tildes and omit the "< nowiki >", just so you know. I'm sort of with you in that I'd set the incept date of Gen Z at 1995, but my choice is as arbitrary as anyone else's, so we go with what the sources say, even if they're wrong also.--Father Goose (talk) 06:23, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

I was born in 1991 and i had only used a computer a few times until about 2000/2001 and not until about 2005 did i use a computer regularly, in my opinion the first of generation y were born in 1996 or 1997. Euan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.131.216.122 (talk) 05:51, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

We do need to be careful of original research, but I think it's fair to say that people born 1990-95 did not have computers/the Net until they were 5+. Heck, the Web was only invented in 1989. Nearly all of Generation Z have had the Net/PCs their whole lives. That's the difference. --Josh Atkins ^{(talk - contribs)} 11:37, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

I was born in 1994, and I remember floppy disks (actually I still have some), VHSs, Windows 98, 56k Internet, pre-OSX Macs, Palm Pilots, the Kosovo War, the Y2K bug & 2000 celebrations, etc., etc. --Josh Atkins ^{(talk - contribs)} 11:42, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

I still have 56k Internet... -- Army1987 ! ! ! 13:58, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

What's all this dispute about? I was born in 1993 and I clearly remember floppy disks and the days of nasty, un-XHTML web pages, although very young (all of this stuff was when I was before or in the very early stages of elementary school); everything kind of faded and modernized away after that. However, I did not start using a computer until I was four years old; even then, I only made a few appearances and didn't abuse it hardcore until I was ten or eleven years old. (I'll be sixteen in April, if you were too lazy for the math.)

Anyway, yes, they should wait a few more years before labeling this generation, but I think it shouldn't start any earlier than 1997 or 1998. Even 1995 or 1996 would be pushing it, as we popped out a few years before the big "2000" and everything. The kids in elementary school today take technology and all that for granted. Whatever, I will stop before this all stems into a NPOV/OR flower, and we all have to wait and see. ★Dasani★ 21:46, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

Eh, I was born in 1993 and I remember using Windows 95 on a IBM Thinkpad when I was barely old enough to write, Windows 98 on a custom-build, NT, ME and 2000 from years preschool-3, XP during yr 5 onwards, and have ever since. I was browsing the internet on my 56k when I was 5-7ish, I remember playing Matchbox games on the internet, and printing stuff on a bubblejet. I remember coding my first HTML about three years ago (11), doing graphics editing at 12ish, getting into the Free Sofware movement at 14, doing photoediting as a job a few months before by 15'th birthday, getting a job as an IT Support Officer last November, turning 15, having a gaming LAN party for said birthday, entering year 11 and still with the IT job. I assume this is Gen-Z behavior? _{(Btw, I just installed a CentOS 5.2 box to run Squid last night at work under Xen, so I'm not useless xDD)} 220.235.131.32 (talk) 22:20, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Actually, Generation Y. Gen Z has all the flashy, cleaned-up, standardized XHTML and Web 2.0 goods. 75.4.225.0 (talk) 22:47, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

I think the main problem with this whole article is that it's written by the people it describes (me)(also, I didn't edit it) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.102.176.183 (talk) 05:16, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

i feel the need to comment. i was born in 1983. my first computer was a Tandy 1000rsx (with an 8086 proc. i remember windows 3.1. i remember MS-dos 5.2. i remember when the super Nintendo was the new latest greatest thing. yet, i consider myself a Digital native, but also share traits with Gen Y.

i think what is confusing people in this discussion is that there is no hard cut line between generations, and that personality traits affect how well we mesh with the different generations. also, there is grey area between generations. 216.57.96.1 (talk) 20:17, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Ambiguous

This article doesn't really teach me anything about what "Generation Z" is, other than they were born after "Generation Y". Inductively, it seems like these articles can be auto-generated by simply incrementing the letter "Z". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.50.1.50 (talk) 14:40, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

That is because relatively little is actually known about this generation. Peregrine981 (talk) 18:37, 27 August 2009 (UTC)

Or because the term itself is vacuous and devoid of all meaning. Fifelfoo (talk) 23:25, 27 August 2009 (UTC)

Fictional Usage

Should a small blurb be included about literary appearances of the term 'Generation Z', 'Z'ers' in works of post-modern fiction? I've seen the phrase appear several times in fiction and I think a small reference to it should be included. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 226Trident (talk • contribs) 22:30, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Next Generation - Alpha

I note in this article, ([Sunday Telegraph- Australia, 15th Nov 2009]http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26351988-36398,00.html) that the generation born in 2010 will be called Alpha (greek alphabet).

Are there any more credible sources that may wish to verify this theory?

--124.176.10.68 (talk) 23:14, 14 November 2009 (UTC) --Phenss (talk) 23:15, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Delete the fashion section

First of all, no Gen Zer was into fashion in the early 00s, when the oldest members would be like, six years old. Second of all, even if they were, that fashion surely counts Gen Y too, who were also young in the 00s?