Z-Generation and sustainability: a new way of expression

“Who are Generation Z and what kind of world awaits them? Which values and role models inspire them? What are their ambitions and passions? How do they experience their present and envisage their future? ”

I like to define this generation as “TeenAcers”: young people who use their incredible tenacity to fight an almost daily battle to claim (back) their own power of expression from an adult society that appears to acknowledge their existence but substantially disregards - probably unknowingly - the role that is rightfully theirs in a future-facing society.

The TeenAcers are (self-)determined and inclusive, strongly oriented towards social engagement, responsible and idealistic, hoping to change the world and “take care” of what is around them. Young people who, in my opinion, are building a sort of parallel society made up of new identity codes, new job opportunities, new cultural models and new structures which are thus far proving largely “unmalleable” for the adult world. 

A "horizontal" generation

Born between 1995 and 2010, TeenAcers express themselves and their identity through a strong inclination to speak up for urgent issues and ideals: from protecting the environment and fighting for civil rights, to defending freedom of expression and promoting diversity in all its forms. A “horizontal” generation, therefore, that does not identify with past models but aspires to build new ones, confident that they can make a difference – both inside and outside the online universe they know so well as experienced and conscious users – by recognising the enormous potential of social media platforms as “spaces for expression” where they can experiment and design their own future.

Work with an element of freedom

Being digital natives, TeenAcers are ardent supporters of self-affirmation and self-entrepreneurship: often unimpressed by the idea of a “permanent job”, they seek immediate tangibility, each according to their own inclinations and passions. For them, work is anchored in a time dimension that is fluid, constantly transforming: a way of working that incorporates an element of freedom, transcending working patterns inherited from the past.

Indeed, when asked to express their vision of the future1, 29% stated they would not give up their ambitions for a job just because it guaranteed a steady income; about one in three (34.9%) felt that work was not something to be sought but created, guided by their passions as non-negotiable factors.

Proactive Sustainability

As the perfect example of “community resilience,” I believe TeenAcers are also motivated by a constant focus on the environment – through their interest in people, resources and region – and embody a concept of well-being that transcends the economic dimension, championing a proactive kind of sustainability that is elevated to the level of a fully-fledged “lifestyle.” Environmental protection is a priority concern for around 70% of TeenAcers, whilst for over half of young people (53.6%), far from being a “passing fad”, sustainability is an important tool for making citizens and businesses accountable.

 And it is precisely because of this drive that 22.9% “berate” the inconsistency of a society that does not yet appear “ready” to embed positive environmental and sustainability action into their daily lives, almost drawing a line between their own (growing) awareness and the unchanged “lip service” paid by the adult world.

The "take care" generation

Attracted to all things green – from nutrition to fashion and technology – TeenAcers are the flag bearers of a “new consciousness”, one that protects the ecosystem and health and immediately reflects on daily behaviour and consumer habits, increasingly influenced by the focus on the “quality” and social engagement of corporate brands.

Desirous to express themselves through multiple identities, they also evade easy stereotypes and labels and manifest their ability to “take care of others” by promoting the values of altruism, tolerance and equal opportunities, and championing gender equality and diversity. This general openness to others is also reflected in the TeenAcers’ attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine, which the vast majority support (84.6%), driven primarily by the altruistic impulse to protect loved ones, starting with parents and grandparents (46.4%).

The world I want to see

There is one last point I would like to make. As I said above, the young people of the TeenAcer generation are characterised by the tenacity with which they stake their claim to exist in the world, and by the culture of expressiveness they have cultivated, often in the face of indifference from the surrounding social context. Their propensity to build a “different world” and their vocation for “cultural cross-pollination” – which translates into a bona fide “form of expression” in terms of identity choices, social battles and even relationships and consumerism – run the risk of being silenced or at least overlooked by an adult world that is failing to allocate them an active role in the present. Nevertheless, the TeenAcers continue on their path, racing resolutely and of course tenaciously in the opposite direction.

I am firmly convinced that, in a few years’ time, we will magically wake up in the world that the TeenAcers are busy creating today, almost in the undergrowth, and we will be surprised by how much, to paraphrase Vasco, it is the “world I want to see”.