Gen Z and Millennials: Impacting the Future of America
In the US Gen Z and Millennials make up about half the population (Gen Z aged 8 to 24 and Millennials 25 to 40). They are our future and they are extremely important to our country and economy. Besides the current daily marches and the title wave of change, these generations of young adults are not afraid to act on their beliefs - authenticity, transparency, justice, and truthfulness.
Gen Z and Millennials are amazing and rapidly changing the social consciousness of our country (as well as other countries) with their energy, insistence, and numbers in support of “Black Lives Matter”. Earlier I posted strengths of Gen Z and now I would like to expand on those strengths and include the force of Millennials. These young people (comprised of all races) have risked their lives and their health (as have other generations) and have created a vortex of awareness, compassion, and determination.
Not only are they marching in the streets for justice but in their homes too where they are challenging learned racism in their families. The actions and passions of Gen Z are culminating into intense battles between young Gen Z-ers and their parents. Check out Tic Toc and you will see some samples. One young 15-year-old went from about 50 followers to thousands when she posted her devastating emotions after an argument with her family over “Black Lives Matter”.
Gen Z and Millennials have both traditionally put great pressure on companies to increase their social-consciousness and now they are demanding that they “open the purse”. Gimmicks and words are not enough. Some of our largest businesses have made gestures with lip service and gimmicks, but they haven’t “opened the purse.” Gen Z and Millennials are calling them out.
The buying power of Gen Z and Millennials, despite being strapped with college debt, will increase over the years. I am wondering if leaders recognize the connection between the values of these two generations, their actions and passion towards social consciousness, and the future viability and success of companies, organizations, corporations, and brand-names. These young people are united in their beliefs and have revealed their power to act on their principles and values.
So I have to ask, do our business leaders and politicians fully understand the importance of not only the social consciousness of this current movement but the current and future economic impact? Are they taking these generations seriously? Do they recognize how high the bar has been raised? Are they ready to fully embrace diversity and go way beyond the Diversity Director, and instead integrate, support, and embrace people of color into all levels of leadership? Or are leaders trying to check the boxes, trying to say and do the right thing without any true commitment (as is done so often), and quietly hoping this all goes away?