What exactly is Generation Z?

Question

I'm told that Generation Z will have characteristics similiar to those of the Silent Generation, but I'm not entirely sure what that means. On the surface that appears to mean indifference that isn't completely different from that associated with my own Generation, Generation X, but upon further reading it appears to be a bit more complex. For reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation

Also, the only real differences I've noticed between Gen X and Gen Y are few; some of Gen Y seem more dissaffected and unmotivated than anyone in Gen X ever were, and some Gen X went on to become very successful, and were never as nihilistic or transgressional as Gen X was portrayed to be. I could be wrong though, does anyone have any take on this?

Answer 1

Generation Xers have been up and down the slide. At 35 I am a classic Xer and went through the stockmarket crash of 1987, then the bad employment of 1993 then the stockmarket run of the late 90s, then the crash again in 2000, then 9-11 2001, then the real estate market crash of 2005+ years.

I had 6 phone lines in 1995 then the internet in 1998 etc.

Essentially, the Gen Y folks were trained with way better technology, and the Gen Z folks are going to have been born with great internet access.

Gen Xers have been through a lot, and should make good leaders for the next 20 to 30 years.

Gen Y has a leg up on the technology, and they have also seen a lot of hardship.

Gen Z should be very creative and quiet with a blank look at the world.

Motivation will probably be in X and Z....