Gen Z can also be called the "internet generation" since this is the first collective group that has never known a world without online access. This is also the generation that spends more time online than other age groups, which isn't exactly a major revelation. What's more, the internet is so important to Gen Zers that nearly 70 percent of the members of this age group say they would rather have unlimited online access than a college degree. Now, this may raise some eyebrows among parents out there, but it's also not a total surprise. Gen Z is also having a noticeable impact on the internet service world in many ways based on their preferences with online use and access.
Jump to:
- Just Who Is Gen Z?
- How Gen Zers Impact the Economy
- An Appreciation for New Technology and Trends
- An Increased Reliance on Internet Service
- The 'Logged In' Generation
- The Smartphone Generation
- More Accepting of AI Technology
- Preferring a Predictive Experience
- Less Concern about Privacy
- What This Means for the Internet Service World
Just Who Is Gen Z?
Gen Z refers to everyone born from 1996 all the way up to 2015-16. While millennials, encompassing people born between 1981 and 1996, get a lot of attention these days, Gen Zers are poised to be put in the spotlight in a much larger way as this generation comes of age. It's estimated roughly 90 million Americans currently fall in the Gen Z age group. This also makes them the largest age group in the country right now.
How Gen Zers Impact the Economy
According to a report from McKinsey, members of this generation accounted for approximately 40 percent of the active consumers in the world in 2020. Given this age group's reliance on the internet, it's safe to assume a lot of this purchasing has involved transactions made online to some extent. In order to have a seamless online buying process, there needs to be sufficient internet service and access. This, in turn, is why Gen Zers have certain service expectations when it comes to the online experience.
An Appreciation for New Technology and Trends
It should also come as no surprise that people in the Gen Z age group also have a tendency to seek out and adopt newer technologies more so than what's common with older online users. This is also a generation that's changing the social media world since most of them aren't on Facebook. Instead, according to emarketer.com, they're more likely to use Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. So, maybe internet services targeting younger uses should shift their attention to these platforms, too, if it makes sense to do so.
An Increased Reliance on Internet Service
Gen Zers are more likely to be impacted to some extent if they have to go without internet service. According to allconnect.com, nearly 60 percent of people surveyed in this age group said they would become "uncomfortable" if they had to go without internet service for more than four hours.
The 'Logged In' Generation
For the most part, people in other generations have a tendency to take breaks from the online world to do other things not requiring a need to be logged in. But this isn't what's common among Gen Zers. In fact, most people in this age group consider the concept of actually logging off as a foreign concept. Gen Zers are more likely to be logged in for many different purposes. For instance, during the day, they might need to be connected for school – or work if we're talking about the older members of this generation. Later in the day, however, it's not unusual for a typical Gen Zer to remain connected to enjoy access to:
• Online-based games
• TV Streaming and other online-accessible forms of entertainment
• Online shopping and ordering
• Casual viewing via platforms like YouTube
So, What's Up with Not Being into the Broadband Thing?
For many people in other generations, it's fairly common to have a broadband connection for home internet use. However, this isn't as likely to be the case with Gen Zers. What may come as a bit of surprise is that people in the younger age group aren't using broadband connections to stay connected. This revelation comes from a Pew Research Center survey. The results showed approximately 70 of people falling between the ages of 18 and 29 reported having a broadband internet connection for use at home. This may seem like a fairly sizable number, but it's not really when looking at other age groups. Nearly 80 percent of people between the ages of 50 and 64, for instance, report having a home broadband connection. For people in the 30 to 49 age group, this number was even higher at just over 85 percent.
The Smartphone Generation
So, just how are Gen Zers staying so connected? For many Gen Zers, smartphones are the preferred way to link to anything requiring internet access. The same survey found more 18- to 29-year-olds use their phones exclusively for online activities than what's typical among other age groups.
More Accepting of AI Technology
Artificial intelligence is already being used in the internet service world to some extent to improve the customer service experience. If, for example, someone needs to have a common service question answered when a live person isn't available, an automated program may provide responses based on what's frequently asked. On a related note, nearly 65 percent of Gen Zers report being open to AI technology in terms of seeing the possible impact on the world as being positive.
Preferring a Predictive Experience
When it comes to websites, Gen Zers prefer sites that are more predictive in nature as opposed to ones that are more one-size-fits-all in terms of what the typical user experience is like. In other words, they want results based on their past online behaviors and interactions when visiting sites they normally check out on a regular basis.
Less Concern about Privacy
Interestingly, Gen Zers are a bit less concerned about privacy than other generations, according to survey results. While anonymity is still preferred by the majority of people in this age group, it's not as much of a priority as it is with older generations. This really isn't all that surprising either given how willing many Gen Zers are to share more personal details via various online platforms.
What This Means for the Internet Service World
As people in the Gen Z age group get older and become more capable of making choices exclusively based on their own preferences, there will be a need to focus even more on the remote or mobile experience. For internet service providers, this means ensuring access to remote connections that are reliable. With at-home internet, Gen Zers are more likely to appreciate an equally dependable Wi-Fi connection so they can easily get onto their phones or tablets. A personalized experience is also more likely to be appreciated. For internet service providers, this means a need to be more flexible with how service is provided on all levels.
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