Life Actually, A No Bullshit Study

In collaboration with the USC Center for Public Relations
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Youth culture drives our work at Day One. We're deeply curious about what's rising to the top and why, who is influencing this generation on the verge of or in the early stages of adulthood, and, of course, what does it mean for brands?

However, we're the first to admit that the race to understand youth culture and be a “part of the cultural conversation” has led to a frenetic trend cycle, a clogged feed and insights increasingly disconnected from reality. How, we wondered, is Gen Z really thinking about the future? What does their Game of Life look like?

In partnership with the USC Center for Public Relations, we surveyed 1,022 Gen Zers across the country to understand their hopes and dreams. Turns out, they’re not so different from any other young person from any other generation. The data revealed three cohorts: the Neo-Traditionalists, Fluid Pragmatists, and Internet-Age Explorers. Understanding these groups and their singular yet universal motivations is how we move beyond cultural catnip and actually build connection.

We're not monolithic. I feel more self aware than they [my parents] do.We're not monolithic. I feel more self aware than they [my parents] do.
We see young influencers hitting big milestones early, but I remind myself that everyone's journey is different. I'm not behind, I'm on my own path.We see young influencers hitting big milestones early, but I remind myself that everyone's journey is different. I'm not behind, I'm on my own path.
I would turn down a job that is higher paying because of the obligation to my community.I would turn down a job that is higher paying because of the obligation to my community.
I think about money way more than I should. It's always on my mind. It's not even funny.I think about money way more than I should. It's always on my mind. It's not even funny.
I want to go into each room knowing that my opinion and my voice is valued.I want to go into each room knowing that my opinion and my voice is valued.
I want to be more responsible than the last generation.I want to be more responsible than the last generation.
We're not monolithic. I feel more self aware than they [my parents] do.We're not monolithic. I feel more self aware than they [my parents] do.
We see young influencers hitting big milestones early, but I remind myself that everyone's journey is different. I'm not behind, I'm on my own path.We see young influencers hitting big milestones early, but I remind myself that everyone's journey is different. I'm not behind, I'm on my own path.
I would turn down a job that is higher paying because of the obligation to my community.I would turn down a job that is higher paying because of the obligation to my community.
I think about money way more than I should. It's always on my mind. It's not even funny.I think about money way more than I should. It's always on my mind. It's not even funny.
I want to go into each room knowing that my opinion and my voice is valued.I want to go into each room knowing that my opinion and my voice is valued.
I want to be more responsible than the last generation.I want to be more responsible than the last generation.

Introduction

Gen Z isn't Special

You'd never know it from the feverish headlines covering their every move over the past four years.

In an effort to tap into the generation's $450 billion spending power, brands, agencies (including us!), journalists and trend forecasters have turned to—and helped create—an endless trove of “insights” to bolster their desired narrative or course of action.

This yackety sax-backing tracked quest to decipher an entire generation has ultimately resulted in reductive and often comical clichés. Untold budgets are spent on Gen Z rebrands: an amorphous catch-all covering everything from chrome bubble letters and “nostalgic references” to an emphasis on vertical video. “Here’s why Gen Z is doing ____” is reliable LinkedIn fodder. The phrase “Gen Z” alone is reliable, low-hanging SEO fruit. A Google search for “Gen Z” recently turned up the same headline about “conscious unbossing” (???) by over twelve different media outlets. Rinse and repeat for: “quiet quitting,” disdain for the 👍 emoji, broccoli haircuts, aversions to carbonated beverages, etc.

Meanwhile, brands and agencies obsess over speaking Gen Z's language, using TikTok terminology, leaning into trends and dishing out products that are really just signalers for other marketers.

"Meanwhile, brands and agencies obsess over speaking Gen Z's language, using TikTok terminology, leaning into trends and dishing out products that are really just signalers for other marketers."

Youth marketing is not new, and is obviously very valuable. But with so much noise it's hard to discern said value. The ease with which certain behaviors are reduced to a marketable trend, and clustered under the ubiquitous “Gen Z” label has created this vision of youth culture devoid of nuance. Foggy metrics, and videos with millions of “views” are suddenly authoritative resources eagerly capitalized on by brands looking to understand consumers' behaviors and purchasing habits. Data dissonance—the disconnect between data used to tell stories about culture, and culture itself—is especially pronounced when it comes to Gen Z.

It's a choose your own adventure game:
Gen Zers are soup can throwing socialists or misogynists helping to fuel the MAGA movement and Nigel Farage's Reform party in the U.K.
It's a choose your own adventure game:
57% of Gen Zers want in-person jobs or 87% of Gen Z respondents said that the benefits of working from home outweigh the perks of working in-office full-time.
It's a choose your own adventure game:
60% of Gen Zers are optimistic about the economy right now…and yet 73% of ‘Zoomers’ feel that the current economic environment has made it more challenging to save money.
It's a choose your own adventure game:
Gen Z is the “TikTok generation,” but according to Pew almost 40% of TikTok users are in their 30s and 40s, users aged 35-49 are more likely to actually upload videos than people aged 18-34 and TikTok's 30-49 demographic is actually growing faster than the 18-34 cohort.
Yes, “Gen Z is not a monolith” and two things can be true at the same time. There are, for sure, also a unique set of circumstances—political turbulence, economic instability, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and omnipresent tech whose double-edged swords facilitate both cultural connection and chaos.

We must confront a few questions:

Are these behaviors and attitudes unique to this cohort? Or are they common across generations? We've gotten so caught up in meaningless minutiae of the day-to-day trend cycle, dissecting every fleeting headline in order to strip mine something substantive from it. Are these trends, insights, and data points bringing us to new and interesting spaces? Are we boxing ourselves in by focusing strictly on demographics? Is Gen Z really…just like us? This distinction will help cloud out the junk and unlock tangible, actually useful lanes for brands to connect with younger consumers.

We're over the data and the noise, so of course we're offering you data to prove why you should be too.

The Study

In partnership with USC Center for Public Relations, we set out to understand what this generation wants. How are they thinking about their future as they navigate early adulthood, how do they plan to play the Game of Life? We asked 1,022 Gen Zers how they feel about topics like politics, finance, relationships and more.

When the results came back we grappled with stand-alone data points—and what to do with them. We could've focused on one singular statistic around screen time, Zyn or polyamory (the holy trinity…kidding), and framed a story about a horny generation hooked on nicotine and videos of Subway Surfers and soap shavings. It's all storytelling. But who does that actually serve? Respectfully, this is an academic study.

We took a different approach, conducting a cluster analysis of the data, and found three core groups.
Neo- Traditionalists
Fluid Pragmatists
Internet-Age Explorers

Some held more “traditional” values around family, relationships and the workplace, whereas others were more experimental. Some were optimistic about the future while others had a bleaker forecast. Sound familiar?

We found that most traits, characteristics and desires are as unique to Gen Z as to any prior generation—further emphasizing the need to think critically about what we read and uncover about Gen Z, and to look to psychographics for valuable insights.

Methodology
Using the survey platform Qualtrics, we surveyed 1,022 18-25 year-olds across the general population. Each was asked 66 questions, and asked to respond on a sliding scale. We then supplemented our findings with a smaller focus group of university-aged Gen Zers.
You can download the full data set at the bottom of this page.
Unsurprising to anyone who's paid attention to the trad wife discourse, or the (actual) gains that the Republican party has made with younger, especially male, voters, nearly 29% of our respondents fall into the bucket we're calling Neo-Traditionalists.
This group values so-called traditional lifestyle choices, like homeownership and suburban living. Turns out not every 18 to 25 year old is putting all of their eggs into the influencer basket.
64%
are more interested in making more money than in pursuing any creative passion
74%
dream of stable,
full-time employment
93%
hope to have a stable, long-term relationship
81%
prefer their vehicles with gas, sorry Elon
"I value the safety a suburb can provide for my children and the financial stability that comes with having a lower cost of living more than anything."
“Definitely starting a family is a big thing, like you need to have a family. It's a credit, I think, like [to] get married and have kids, and other than that, just financial stability”
Takeaway
Neo-Traditionalists seek stability and value heritage. Purpose or “TOV” is not likely top of mind. Brands should lead with a consistent value proposition for product that's not easily swayed by a trend cycle or shifting expectations on how you “should” act.
Ok fine, we didn't actually research every generation, but we'd bet money that this group, 33% of our respondents, has existed for as long as we’ve talked about generations. This moderate, thoughtful, slightly cautious person takes a pragmatic approach to life.
No dreams of fame or white picket fences, with their feet firmly planted on the ground, they are, above all, realistic. Even the data for this group lacks some oomph.
73%
want higher income over work-life balance
38%
are open to
renting forever
40%
are open to having
an electric vehicle
66%
value mental over physical health
(34% the opposite)
"I aspire to live a DINKWAD lifestyle: double income, no kids, with a dog."
“Right now. My goals are very like, I have to be financially independent, financially stable. It's like early career. Yeah, sure, if I have kids in the future, that's good. That's amazing. But this is the time I get to be selfish. I won't get my early twenties back where I can make decisions only for myself, only for my career.”
“I'm gonna save also because I do kind of see the future. And I'm more so like in that balance area.”
Takeaway
Fluid Pragmatists are utilitarian and don't like to rock the boat. Brands can reach them by playing the role of stewards and guides. This cohort prizes tangible and enduring value, frictionless ease and pragmatism.
Any regular reader of Gen Z headlines, anyone with screen time upwards of 7 hours, is forgiven for thinking that all of Gen Z falls into this group.
This, the largest cohort at 38%, takes what some might call a modern approach to life. They want to live in the city, explore the world, not even think about settling down. Smoking? Sure! They'll try anything.
55%
less inclined toward
civic engagement
like voting
46%
more inclined to
live in the city
54%
strong desire to
explore the world
60%
favor remote work
52%
balance between
work and life
“Just wanna do exactly what I want.”
“At my age, my parents were married and pregnant. They were intentional and had a more condensed timeline. I feel like I have more time to do that later and can prioritize what I want to pursue.”
“I mean, I'm always thinking, Oh, my God, the future, like the economy, is so bad. Blah blah. But then, after a point, you just reach the limit. And you're like, what am I doing? Why am I even living? I want to enjoy life, and, you know, you have that mood swing where it's like I mean, you live only once. Let's have fun, and then that just that impulse, just, you know, takes over”
“I feel like as long as I have a peaceful and universal gamma energy [to] take me to where I should be, and I just kind of tell myself every day that I'm where I need to be right now. So and if I would like, try to plan every day of my life. I probably will miss something better than that. You know the universe has plans for me.”
Brand Takeaway

Internet-Age Explorers are open to new endeavors online and IRL.

Brands should offer lanes to facilitate experimentation, customization and unique travel experiences.

Why it
Matters

The Demographics Mirage
Interests and cultural references are more fluid across generations than we think. “Gen Z is doing [fill in the blank behavior]” is not an insight. It is at best reductive, and at worst misleading. Focusing on what drives emotional resonance within niche communities regardless of age, rather than broad, generational resonance, will get you to more interesting and exciting spaces.
Clickbait Fuels the Feed, Culture Moves the Audience
Legacy = ideas, not phenomena. Enough with the “trends.” We discuss “Gen Z's” behavior (real or not) ad nauseam without really understanding anything better, or in a more productive way. Enduring brands don't jump on every surface trend. They have a singular, consistent, distinct POV, output and value that isn't reliant on tapping into every new video or phrase that's on the FYP or timeline.
Being Memorable Doesn't Mean Being Everywhere
Engagement metrics have lost meaning. The presence of big numbers or quick-click survey data isn’t necessarily indicative of a successful campaign, breakthrough insight, or cultural shift. Culture is getting harder to measure but it is always felt, especially when brands play a little harder to get. Shift to thinking about what consumers do after they engage with your brand or community, rather than the surface-level interaction.
Be Intentional
Make something useful. The brand communities that actually work are rooted in a true need among younger consumers—a tangible benefit (connection, exploration, stability) and not a buzzword. The product is useful, and so is the content.
Define Your North Star
Every brand needs a north star, that's what allows it to be nimble and enter conversations most relevant to it online and off. It's how you know which of the three cohorts make the most sense for your brand, and how to connect your brand truth to the fan truth.

Download
the raw data

Build your own story.