Comparing Generation Z with Millennials and Generation Y: Their Media Awareness and Mentality

Dentsu Inc. Media Innovation Lab promotes audience research projects that study consumers from the perspective of their information behaviors and media engagement, aiming to provide insights for business and new marketing strategies. This time, we present research findings focused on "Generation Z."

The term "Generation Z" was frequently heard in 2021. As the young people who will drive future consumption, they are attracting significant attention in marketing. They are also a crucial target group for understanding the future of Japanese information behavior and media usage.

In 2021, our lab collaborated with Professor Emeritus Yoshiaki Hashimoto of the University of Tokyo (currently Professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University) to conduct a survey on media awareness and mentality. Based on this data, we will examine the characteristics of Generation Z, comparing them with the preceding Millennial generation and Generation Y (hereafter referred to as Generation Y).

*Generation Z is generally defined as those born from the mid-1990s to around 2010. For this article, we analyze those aged 15 to 24 in 2021 (born 1997–2006) as "Generation Z." Similarly, individuals aged 25 to 34 (born 1987–1996) are referred to as the "Millennial generation," those aged 35 to 44 (born 1977–1986) as the "Generation Y," those aged 45 to 54 (born 1967–1976) as the "parents of Generation Z," and those aged 55 to 74 as the "senior generation."

*Please note that age classifications for generations vary among scholars, and generations are not sharply divided at specific ages; overlap between generations may occur.
 

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What are the characteristics of the "Millennial Generation" and "Generation Y" preceding Gen Z?

First, a brief explanation of the Millennial and Generation Y generations, which serve as comparison points for Generation Z.

Generation Y generally refers to those born from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Around the time Generation Y reached adulthood, the PC operating system "Windows 95" was launched. Generation Y, who were around college age at the time, gained the ability to engage in truly unrestricted online activities thanks to this OS. In job hunting, this generation was the first to utilize platforms like Rikunabi. Furthermore, many founders of IT companies emerged from this generation (e.g., Mixi, GREE, Hatena, 2channel, etc.).

Generation Y experienced severe employment difficulties due to the impact of the bubble economy collapse, earning them the nickname "Ice Age Generation" and giving rise to the term "Lost Generation." On the other hand, it is said that experiencing hardship strengthened their rebellious spirit and fostered a mindset of self-reflection. Symbolizing the spirit of Generation Y, the late 1990s saw a proliferation of "self-discovery" themed dramas on television.

It's said that members of this generation were the first to be able to firmly decline invitations to drink from seniors, stating, "I have plans tonight." During their youth, urban-style music by so-called "Shibuya-kei" artists like Pizzicato Five and Kenji Ozawa was popular.

Next, the Millennial generation, born from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, overlaps with Japan's "Yutori generation." They received Yutori education, where events like running races without first-place awards were held at elementary school sports days.

Mentally, they tend to value a sense of connection, emphasizing "friends" and "unity." For example, when gathering with friends at a family restaurant, they would be careful not to order the same menu items, showing a tendency to constantly read the room.

SMAP's hit song "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" ("The Only Flower in the World"), which included the lyrics "It's okay not to be number one♪," was released in the early 2000s, seemingly reflecting the zeitgeist of the time. Regarding responses to drinking invitations, while Generation Y might decline invitations from seniors, the connection-focused Millennial generation often readily accepts with "Let's definitely go!", leading to a revival of the "drinking communication" culture.

Regarding information behavior, while Generation Y ventured into the vast ocean of the internet using PCs running Windows 95, Millennials entered the online world via mobile phones, influenced by NTT DoCoMo's "i-mode" launched in 1999. They developed a style of furiously tapping away at their phone keys, chatting text-based with friends all day long. For example, it was common for friends to constantly check in with each other around the clock, asking things like, "You at work now?", "Where are you?", or "Still awake?".

Information Behavior and Communication of "Generation Z"

Now, turning to Generation Z, they encountered smartphones during their teens (the iPhone launched in Japan in 2008). While Millennials entered the online world via mobile phones in their teens, Generation Z grew up with smartphones from their teens onward, in an environment where SNS existed as naturally as water or air.

While Millennials primarily connected with close, real-life friends and used SNS services like Mixi, which required approval from people they knew to join, Generation Z uses a wider variety of SNS platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram. They connect and communicate with a broader world, including people they've never met in person.

Furthermore, Gen Z is heavily influenced by video services like YouTube, actively communicating through videos. Some have even adopted lifestyles immersed in video content all day. Recently, the behavior of "searching YouTube first" instead of using Google or Yahoo! has become widespread, including among this generation.

Media Awareness and Mentality of "Generation Z"

This survey asked about perceptions regarding the functions, roles, and benefits of four information sources: ① "TV broadcasts," ② "Internet information (Note: excluding online videos and SNS)," ③ "Online videos," and ④ "SNS."

[Figure 1] shows the percentage of Generation Z respondents who answered "agree" for five items regarding the four information sources: "I can obtain reliable information," "I can understand the social atmosphere," "If I don't engage with it regularly, I won't understand common knowledge," "I can access high-value content," and "I can be moved."

[Figure 1]

Generation Z showed a tendency to highly value online sources, such as giving high ratings to online videos for "providing moving experiences" and to social media for "gaining insight into the social atmosphere." On the other hand, it is interesting to note that television broadcasts stand out significantly higher for "providing reliable information."

Therefore, we isolated television broadcasts and compared the five perceptions across generations. As shown in [Figure 2], Generation Z showed a higher percentage of respondents who answered "agree" for each item compared to Millennials and Generation Y.

[Figure 2]

One might expect that older generations, who grew up experiencing television's golden age, would hold higher opinions of TV, while younger generations influenced by the internet would hold lower ones. However, these results show that Generation Z holds a solidly positive view of television, surpassing Millennials and Generation Y and appearing to share perspectives closer to those of their parents' generation.

Next, regarding questions about mentality, as shown in [Figure 3], a higher percentage of Generation Z respondents answered that they are "highly interested in social issues and world events" compared to Millennials. They also had the highest percentage for "tend to view things from a third-party perspective." They appear to be young people with a high level of social interest, a tendency to coolly observe the world from a bird's-eye view, and what could be called an "adult mentality." Internationally, the young environmental activist Greta Thunberg also belongs to Generation Z.

[Figure 3]

What lies behind the "adult mentality" and TV attitudes closer to their parents' generation?

The "adult mentality" observed in Generation Z and their high positive feelings toward television may be understood through the lens of the historical context in which they grew up, particularly events that occurred during their impressionable teenage years.

First and foremost among the historical events occurring during their teenage years was the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Those born in 2000 within Generation Z experienced this disaster while in upper elementary school. Being children at the time, when few had smartphones or personal computers, they witnessed the tsunami footage, the explosions at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and the nation's state of confusion through daily television news broadcasts. This likely imprinted television's "presence" and "influence" deeply on their minds.

While various rumors circulated online at the time, this experience likely fostered a sense of trust in television as a medium less prone to spreading such unfounded information. Similarly, it's reasonable to assume this event helped cultivate a mindset that "life is unpredictable."

Beyond the earthquake, television coverage of events like the 2008 Lehman Shock, the 2009 Democratic Party of Japan's rise to power, and the 2012 political transition also made a strong impact on viewers. These likely influenced Generation Z's mindset to some degree.

Incidentally, in a 2020 Dentsu Inc. survey, the percentage of respondents who reported being influenced by the AC Japan ad "The Magic of Greetings (popopopoon♪)"—which flooded television immediately after the disaster—was highest among Generation Z (those aged 15-24 in the survey year, 2020) (Figure 4).

[Figure 4]

The strong presence of television among Generation Z can also be attributed to their status as "social natives," having grown up alongside social media. They are the generation where "social viewing" – watching TV programs and then discussing their content on social media – became widespread.

For example, they would watch variety shows and banter with comments like "This is insane!" or "No way!" They would imitate popular K-POP groups seen on music programs, filming "twin dance" videos with friends and posting them on video sites. When the movie "Castle in the Sky" aired on terrestrial TV, viewers simultaneously tweeted the phrase "Balus!" on Twitter, setting a new world record for tweets per second.

In this kind of social viewing behavior, actually watching the TV program and being familiar with its content became a "prerequisite for participation" to get excited on SNS. This also served to enhance the presence of television as the gateway.

Furthermore, in recent years, a new trend has emerged beyond the "TV to SNS" flow: topics trending on SNS now flow into television, which then feeds back into SNS. This indicates an even closer relationship between television and SNS.

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This survey revealed that Generation Z exhibits tendencies somewhat distinct from previous youth demographics. Consequently, in fields like marketing, messaging must carefully consider their heightened social awareness and bird's-eye perspective.

For those in the television industry, we hope you will continue to deliver high-value content to maintain and expand the presence and trust in television that is deeply ingrained in their hearts. Finally, forcing a connection to the topic of "drinking," perhaps Generation Z could be called the "remote drinking debut generation" (laughs).

【Dentsu Inc. & Professor Hashimoto Joint Survey - Survey Overview】
Survey Participants: Men and women aged 15 to 74 nationwide (high school age and above)
Survey Period: July 9–13, 2021
Valid Responses: 7,717
Survey Method: Internet panel survey