Students today are entering college at a unique time in history, shaping who they are and how they see the world. For colleges and universities, it's critical to recognize this generation's deep-rooted motivations, preferences, characteristics, beliefs and behaviors before they arrive on campus. Presented in Orlando at the 2018 AMA Higher Ed conference, this is Gen Z.

1. Voices of a New Generation

2. Nathan Thornton
Ologie
Kathryn Bezella
University of Pennsylvania
Meghan Grace
Vanderbilt University
Corey Seemiller
Wright State University
Introductions
Your Expert Panel

3. Agenda
Gen Z in Context Connecting with Gen Z1 3
Gen Z Insights Discussion2 4

4. Gen Z in Context1

5. Silent Generation
(Born 1945 and earlier)
7.9%
Gen X
(Born 1965–1979)
20.2%
Gen Z
(Born 1996 and later)
26.5%
Millennials
(Born 1980–1995)
22.1%
Baby Boomers
(Born 1946–1964)
22.5%
Gen Z:
Today’s
college and
high school
students

6. But how
is Gen Z
different?
ATTITUDES:
Before Gen Z
A privilege
Purchased
Value creators
Avoided
Non-value-add play
Prepared for
A destination
A luxury
Internet access
Influence
IP/Patents
Failure
Gaming
Uncertainty
Retirement
Connectivity
After Gen Z
A human right
Earned
Barriers
Embraced
Foundation for engagement
Predicted
A journey
A necessity
Source: The Gen Z Effect

7. Source: @heathermcgowan
Some context:
Shifting
Demographics
in America
Gen Z is coming of age as
the United State is shifting:
FROM
White Majority
(Judeo) Christian Norm
Suburban-Urban (Rural Roots)
Rep-Dem-Independent
You to Middle Age
Mom + Dad + 2.5 Kids
Fixed and Binary
Sexual Harassment Permissible
Fixed Employee Identity
(White) Male Patriarchy
Earned + Credentialed
Race
Religion
Region
Politics
Age
Family
Gender Identity
Consent
Occupation
Leadership
Expertise
TO
White Minority
Unaffiliated (Plurality)
Overwhelmingly Urban
Polarized or Independent
Aging Society
Plurality of Types, Fewer Kids
Gender Fluid
#MeToo, #TimesUp
Portfolio of Self Expression
Diverse + Female Leaders
Personal Brand

8. MILLENNIALS
WILL SAVE
THE WORLD!
But people are still confused:

9. MILLENNIALS
WILL SAVE
THE WORLD!

10. Why does
higher ed care?
Because we are in the business
of getting 16-year-olds to make a
quarter-million-dollar decision.

11. Gen Z Insights2

12. CHARACTERISTICS
INTEGRITY
Honesty
Fairness
Loyalty
Responsibility
Judgment
OPENNESS
Creativity
Open-Mindedness
Humor
Curiosity
Sense of Adventure
Spontaneity
Perspective-Taking
Tolerance
TENACITY
Eagerness
Hard work
Motivation
Determination
Competition
Drive
CARE
Understanding Others
Thoughtfulness
Compassion
Kindness
Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.

13. RELATIONSHIPS
• Not wanting to let others down
• Making a difference for others
PASSION
• Advocating for something
they believe in
ACHIEVEMENT
• Knowing they could gain credit
towards the next milestone
• An opportunity for advancement
Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z goes to college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
MOTIVATIONS

14. NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL
AND PHYSICAL WORLD

15. • Getting a cell phone is among teens’ top
milestones in life, right after graduating
school and getting a driver’s license.
• Gen Z-ers prefer smartphones over laptop
computers, tablets, and gaming consoles.
• More than 70% of Generation Z
teens watch 3+ hours of video on
their smartphones each day.
• 2/3 of Gen Z-ers frequently are on
multiple devices at one time.
TECHNOLOGY
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019).
Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.

16. TECHNOLOGY
• 70% of younger Millennials and older
members of Generation Z have their phone
within arm’s reach when they sleep, and more
than half check their phones if they happen
to wake up sometime during the night.
• 43 percent of people under the age
of 35 would give up their smartphone
forever if they were paid to do so,
but only to the tune of $5 million.
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019).
Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.

17. From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
Prefer face-to-face communication
over text, email, and phone
SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORM
HOW GEN Z
USES IT
PREVALENCE OF USE
AMONG GEN Z
WHAT GEN Z HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT
YOUTUBE
Learn new
information and for
entertainment
Eight in 10 have used
YouTube in the last month
“I use YouTube the most because I am able to
listen to music and find videos that sometimes
are related to school or just random facts.”
SNAPCHAT Connect with friends
67% of those in Generation
Z use Snapchat and one
in three use it to stay
connected to friends
“It’s fast and more fun than texting.”
INSTAGRAM Share about
themselves
73% of teens and young
adults (13 to 24 year-olds)
use Instagram
“Instagram is the method I use most because
I like to communicate through pictures.”
COMMUNICATION

18. From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORM
HOW GEN Z
USES IT
PREVALENCE OF USE
AMONG GEN Z
WHAT GEN Z HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT
FACEBOOK Follow others’ lives,
especially family
46.2 million users between
the ages of 13 and 24
“More of my friends and family are on
Facebook so I can talk to them much more
than through another social media outlet.”
TWITTER Keep up with short
updates and news posts
1 in 3 teens use Twitter
“Twitter is a good way to get short
concise information”
Prefer face-to-face communication
over text, email, and phoneCOMMUNICATION

19. From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORM
HOW GEN Z
USES IT
PREVALENCE OF USE
AMONG GEN Z
WHAT GEN Z HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT
TUMBLR Share opinion or expertise
One in six teens and young
adults (13 to 24 year-olds)
use Tumblr
“It’s anonymous and I can express
myself freely.”
ONLINE Share opinion or expertise
One in six Generation Z
users are utilizing online
communities/Reddit
“It gives me specific boards made to
talk about the things I’m interested in
with others who share my interests.”
Prefer face-to-face communication
over text, email, and phoneCOMMUNICATION

20. MONEY
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M.
(2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
• Nearly 75% are concerned
about financial security.
• They worry about student loan debt,
their future financial situation, and
not having enough money to provide
for themselves or their families.
• 57% prefer to save their money
than immediately spend it.
• 23% believe that personal debt should be
avoided no matter the circumstances.
• 2/3 have gotten information about
money from family and friends, whereas
only 54% of Millennials have.

21. RELATIONSHIPS
• Most Influential Relationships
– Parents
– Peers
– Teachers/Educators
• Having friends with similar values is
important for most of Gen Z.
• But far fewer believe that having the same
hobbies or belonging to the same groups or
organizations is important for friendship.
• Proximity is not a factor for most
in terms of their friendships.
Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z goes to college.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

22. MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT

23. HEALTH
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019).
Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
• While there is still evidence of underage
drinking, drug use, smoking, vaping, and
unprotected sex with this generation,
the rates of many of these behaviors
continue to be on the decline.
• More than 20% of college students
surveyed by the American College
Health Association had been
diagnosed or treated for anxiety, an
increase from around 4% in 2000.
• Biggest worries
– Fear of failure
– Money
– World issues

24. RELIGION
• Religious
• Spiritual but not religious
• Not religious or spiritual
22%
31%
47%
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M.
(2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
ATTENDANCE
1985
(GENERATION X)
86.5%
2001
(MILLENNIAL)
83.1%
2015
(GENERATION Z)
69.5%

25. LIFE AND CAREER PREPARATION

26. EDUCATION
Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z goes to college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Applied learning makes
learning enjoyable more
than any other factor.
• Their most preferred learning
style is intrapersonal.
• Interpersonal learning is one of
their least preferred learning
styles, with 25% who believe
it is not effective at all.

27. CAREERS
WHAT GEN Z WANTS IN A JOB
Enjoyment and happiness
Making a positive impact
Fulfillment, passion, and greater meaning
Financial stability
Advancement and personal
growth opportunities
Success
Welcoming, diverse, and inclusive workplaces
Hybrid work options
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019).
Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.

28. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

29. From a variety of sources published in Seemiller, C. & Grace, M. (2019). Generation Z: A century in the making. London: Routledge.
Percentage of eligible
voters who voted in 2016
Concerned about environment and human rights.
Many think politicians are corrupt, greedy,
and that the whole system is broken.
Silent and G.I.
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Millennials
Generation Z
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Census.gov. (2017).
70.09
68.66
66.1
51.92
40.1
POLITICS
Political Ideologies
of Gen Z
2013
First-Year
Students
2017
Seniors
Far Left 2.8 5.8
Liberal 27.7 38.5
Middle-of-the-road 46.3 34.1
Conservative 21.2 20.6
Far Right 1.9 1

30. Thank you.