Gen Z: The Most Connected Generation Yet

Gen Zers are getting older, and that’s a good thing for marketers.

Gen Z is getting older, and they’re steadily moving toward becoming the most digitally connected generation. In 2024, US Gen Zers will surpass Millennials in regular internet use. They’ll also overtake them in smartphone penetration in 2026.

Let’s take a deeper look into Gen Z stats:

The internet is the primary source of information for Gen Z. They’re also more likely than other generations to use it to make purchases, with nearly 60% saying they use smartphones to shop and 46% saying they have made a purchase with their mobile device in the past year.
In 2024, when US Gen Z internet penetration will jump to 99.1%, Gen Zers will be between 12 and 27 years old.

The rise of Generation Alpha is likely to alter the digital landscape.

Members of this demographic, who are now under 10 years old, will adopt smartphones earlier than Gen Z did.

While 71% of parents with children under 12 are concerned about their kids spending too much time on screens, per a March 2020 Pew Research Center survey, smartphone penetration is not slowing down. In fact, by 2026, 99.6% of Gen Zers will be regular internet users.
The younger generations are driving the world forward with their increased ability to connect with each other and access information. This means sales and marketing opportunities available to brands could expand significantly in the coming years.
As digital literacy increases, the average age of digital connectivity will decrease.

As the youngest Millennials are approaching their mid-30s and the oldest Gen Zers near their mid-20s, you might be wondering what this means for your marketing strategy.

The answer is simple: it means it’s time to shift your focus. Millennials have already made their mark on consumer behaviour, and if you haven’t been paying attention to them so far, you’ll have a hard time catching up at this point—but it’s not too late to start tracking Gen Z consumer behaviour and making updates in anticipation of the next generation of consumers.