The key difference between millennials and gen z is that millennials include people born roughly during the 1980s and 1990s while gen z include people born during mid-1990s and mid-2000s. Millennials and Gen Z are two demographic cohorts that receive a lot of attention, as they include the youth of today’s society. It is essential to understand their nature and preferences, as although they share some similar characteristics like technological knowledge and diversity, there are also various differences between them.
Key Takeaways
- Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born roughly during the 1980s and 1990s and are the first generation to grow up entirely immersed in digital technology.
- Gen Z, born during the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, is the most populous generation and is more frugal, entrepreneurial, and has a shorter attention span than millennials.
- Both generations are more tech-savvy, ethnically diverse, and tolerant than previous generations, as well as being more inclined to entrepreneurialism.
Who are Millennials?
Also known as Generation Y, millennials are the demographic cohort that follows Generation X. This includes people born roughly during the 1980s and 1990s. They are the last generation to be born in the 20th century. Millennials are the first generation in history to have grown up totally immersed in a world of digital technology. This has formed their identities and created long-lasting social, political and cultural attitudes.
Some view millennials as narcissistic, self-centred, and lazy, prone to move from job-to-job. When compared to the previous generation, there seems to be an emphasis on the self in millennials. Thus, this generation is also known as the Generation Me. Researchers state that this emphasis on the self is probably a result of the rising individualism in society.
Millennials also tend to be more tolerant of differences when compared to the previous generations. They are also more educated and have a high level of technical knowledge than the preceding generations. Some research studies have also indicated that millennials tend to be less patriotic, and more globally minded.
Who is Gen Z?
Generation Z or Gen Z is the demographic cohort that follows millennials. Demographers and researchers typically use the mid-1990s to mid-2000s as starting birth years for this generation. In other words, those born during the mid-1990s and mid-2000s are considered are generation Z. iGeneration, Net Gen, and Gen Tech are some other names for gen Z. It is the most populous generation of all times since it has over 2 billion individuals.
Since gen Z had access to the internet and various smart devices from birth, they are very tech-savvy. Mobile technology, internet and social media are very important in the lives of gen z, and they spend more time online than their preceding generations. Interestingly, social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram are more popular than Facebook among gen Z. Moreover, individuals in gen z have a very short attention span. Researchers indicate that this probably due to their overexposure to the internet and fast-paced life. However, they are very good at multi-tasking. Some other characteristics of gen z are as follows:
Have less traditional family backgrounds – ex: single parents, same-sex parents, etc.
Have friends from various ethnic and religious groups
Spend more time online
More open-minded and tolerant
More inclined to entrepreneurialism
Value their privacy
More health-conscious
What are the Similarities Between Millennials and Gen Z?
Millennials and gen z are both more tech-savvy than previous generations.
Internet, social media and technology play a major role in their lives.
Both generations are more ethnically diverse and are more tolerant of differences.
They are more inclined to entrepreneurialism.
What is the Difference Between Millennials and Gen Z?
Millennials are a demographic cohort that includes people born during 1980s and 1990s whereas gen z is a demographic cohort that includes born during mid-1990s and mid-2000s. Hence, the difference between millennials and gen z stems from these different periods of birth. Furthermore, millennials were raised during an economic boom whereas gen z grew up during the recession. This has a big impact on their attitudes money and saving. Gen z is more frugal than millennials and tend to have more focus on money. Moreover, they are comparatively more entrepreneurial.
Furthermore, another significant difference between millennials and gen z is that the millennials are considered to be idealistic whereas gen z is considered to be pragmatic. Although gen z has a shorter attention span than millennials, they are better at multi-tasking. Hence, we can consider this also as another significant difference between millennials and gen z. Moreover, millennials are more likely to collaborate with others to complete a project whereas gen z is more likely to prefer working individually.
Summary – Millennials  vs Gen Z
Millennials include people born during 1980s and 1990s whereas gen z includes born during mid-1990s and mid-2000s. There are many similarities between them since they are differentiated only by a decade or so. However, there is a distinct difference between millennials and gen z based on their attitudes, preferences as well as experiences.
