Children of the tech revolution

Pinned to the wall of my daughter's grade 1 classroom is a sheet of butcher's paper, listing questions she and her classmates would like to answer. Will the water run out? How many children travel to school in a sustainable way? Are cities a good idea? The next sheetlists ways they will find out the answers. First on the list: checkthe internet.These six and sevenyearolds are part of the emerging generationZ. Demographers and social researchers have banged on endlessly about gen Y and their rapid embrace of new technology but gen Z isthe first generation born into a digital world. It's a bit likelearning a language in high school compared with being a nativespeaker (hence an alternative name for gen Z: digital natives).This key difference, and others, is now attracting the attention ofthose who want to know the answer to the question: what kind ofadults will gen Z this century's first generation grow up tobe?First things first, though: the age group. It's a bone of contention among the experts, who argue that the first gen Zs wereborn as early as 1991 (making the oldest now 17) or as late as 2001(so the oldest is seven). "I get frustrated beyond belief with allthe age spans," says IBISWorld founder Phil Ruthven, who firmlyplumps for a 2001 start point and a 2020 end point, supported by150 years of charts. Others, including social researcher MarkMcCrindle, say gen Z began around 1995, so the oldest are nowhitting 13, and the last gen Zs will be born next year.That's a huge discrepancy, based largely on differing start and endpoints for the preceding generations Y, X and baby boomers. Untilthe experts sort out their differences, it seems safe to assumethat today's babies to sevenyearolds are definitely gen Z, Rosetta Stone Spanish (Spain) andkids aged eight to 12 are on the fuzzy line between very young genY or the oldest gen Zs. Certainly, these older preteens weretoddlers when the internet took over the world, so on that pointthey can be classified as "digital natives".McCrindle, founder of McCrindle Research, says that understandingwhat sort of adults will emerge from today's primary schoolsrequires a close look at their home environment. Families aresmaller, parents are older and most mothers are in the workforce.There's less smacking, a lot of structured afterschool activitiesand a bit of a "bubblewrap" mentality where kids are drivenevery where and playgrounds have rubberised surfaces. All thistranslates, McCrindle says, into a generation that's "fairlydemanding and maybe a bit precocious" with high expectations andplenty of material comforts and toys.If this sounds scarily like "all about me" generation Y (raised bythe baby boomers), it is but with an important difference.McCrindle says generation X parents are reacting against the babyboomers' overindulgent and freespirited parenting style. Althoughgen Xers have a tendency to be "helicopter parents" hovering overevery aspect of their kids' lives they are also swinging back towhat might be termed traditional values.McCrindle explains this as an emphasis on oldfashioned notionssuch as work ethic, etiquette, resilience, fortitude and takingresponsibility for oneself."This character development is the key thing to watch," he says."All the research we've done shows gen Y lacks resilience and awork ethic. Generation Z is different." He detects a move away fromthe past decade's rampant materialism, a stronger emphasis onsocial justice and a generation of highly educated, technologicallysavvy, innovative thinkers."They will be incredible achievers, leading the nation throughissues like the ageing population and climate change," saysMcCrindle, himself the father of four gen Zs aged six months to sixyears. "I'm optimistic." His research predicts that rather thantaxpayer Z resenting their entry into the workforce just whenageing peaks, they will soar up income and power ladders fasterthan their forebears.IBIS World's Phil Ruthven is also optimistic about gen Z. Heclassifies them as "adaptives" a "silent" generation that isobedient and socially aware and has scruples.

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