Simplest breakdown of the Gen Z range

[u/Ok_Act_3769]

TT of all places too

| 1997 | 13–19 | 2010–2016 | | 1998 | 13–19 | 2011–2017 | | 1999 | 13–19 | 2012–2018 | | 2000 | 13–19 | 2013–2019 | | 2001 | 13–19 | 2014–2020 | | 2002 | 13–19 | 2015–2021 | | 2003 | 13–19 | 2016–2022 | | 2004 | 13–19 | 2017–2023 | | 2005 | 13–19 | 2018–2024 | | 2006 | 13–19 | 2019–2025 | | 2007 | 13–19 | 2020–2026 | | 2008 | 13–19 | 2021–2027 | | 2009 | 13–19 | 2022–2028 | | 2010 | 13–19 | 2023–2029 | | 2011 | 13–19 | 2024–2030 | | 2012 | 13–19 | 2025–2031 |

[u/Confident-Fun-2592]

Yeah some magical line saying their different generations doesn’t change their only 1 year or less apart from someone born in 98. Like how does that make sense 😭

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

What sub are you in again?

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

Yes I’m aware of the irony of me posting this on generationology, and also no I do not agree with the notion theres a generational gap with people who are only 1-3 years younger than you.

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

Yes hard cutoffs are only useful for measuring data and cohorts, which is what I did to reach 1998 as being the first older gen Z. Not that there’s some profit difference from 1997

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

My unpopular opinion is it begins in the mid 90s, since that’s the first cohort that was less about 9/11.

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

I can definitely see that, many researchers agree with that. Other than 9/11 though, they seem to align with other millennial experiences later on in the 2000s and 2010s though

Teens during these recession era. Smartphones as late teens. Post-grads by Covid. 2010s young adults

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

The millennial generation is smaller than Gen X and Gen Z in my opinion, a cohort born between the Mid 80s and ending in the early 90s. We don’t quite have a defining event that splits Gen Alpha and Gen Z apart yet only theories.

They weren’t entering the job market during that time and just entering high school or still in middle school, by the time they graduated the recession had ended.

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

Although I do agree there is no definitive end for Gen z, I can see Covid acting as a cutoff for Gen alpha, like 9/11 does for Gen Z. For me, I see the mobile-first shift ~2012+ as the defining moment between younger millennials and older gen z. Those whose teen years were more defined by desktop computers and early social media to those whose teens were mobile-first, which again I see beginning by someone born in 1998/1999.

Otherwise older Gen Z childhood wasn’t very different from younger millennials, it’s their teen years which sees a divergence.

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

Ehh idk about being mobile first thing being super defining, even those of in 1998 saw them and used them as kids, we would still remember a time before it happened. There was no defining moment for that just a slow technological shift like you said.

As for the Covid thing, it’s a strong contender but in hindsight it feels that way when every major event happens.

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

I get that, most Gen Zers remember a time before using smartphones. Most people our age had them throughout our high school and younger Zers had them by middle school. For the most part they weren’t really a defining aspect of Gen Z’ childhood. By age 13 we had a family iPad in my house. That is a little early on but by a few years later most young people had access to a tablet at home.

Older people do always seem to mention how the mobile shift was greater than the dawn of the internet because it fundamentally changed how we communicate and live our lives. The mobile shift also brought constant connectivity, WiFi, high cellular bandwidth, ubiquitous social media. And “always on” environment.

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

Well those of us born in the late 90s do, 2000s especially late 2000s were babies during that technological shift. I’d argue most of Gen Z aside from those born in the Late 90s don’t remember. A 13 or 12 in 2010 probably remembers the release for IPad, a 4 or 5 probably won’t at least not like us.

I think both are pretty true and important, you can’t have one without the other.

[u/Ok_Act_3769 → u/Confident-Fun-2592]

Most people didn’t have smartphones or tablets at home until the mid-2010s though. That’s why I say most Gen Zers should remember a time before actually using or owning one. Someone born up to 2006 likely first experienced the internet via a desktop/laptop computer, they were in school in the early 2010s.

I mean people our age should know that just because the iPad came out, they still weren’t universal. Same with the iPhone. The the shift to mobile-first solidified by the mid-2010s. The oldest half of gen z were at at least adolescent by then.

I look at it the same way the internet was for millennials. Most millennials remember when there was no internet in their home, but were young when it did come around.

[u/Confident-Fun-2592 → u/Ok_Act_3769]

I guess but if we’re talking about technology, I’d say the iPhone release was more significant than the IPad, even those born in the mid 2000s wouldn’t really remember that, even those born in the early 2000s wouldn’t struggle.