The report, published by Duolingo this month, examines the shared values and experiences of Gen Z, debunking characterisations of them as “tech-obsessed, attention-deficit and self-centred”, and highlighting their emerging role in shaping global politics and economics.
“What struck me was the cohesion of student perspectives. I spoke with students from a variety of countries, studying at universities across the globe, and yet so much of what they said was thematically united,” the report’s co-author Anna Esaki-Smith told The PIE News.
“In the past, previous generations like the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials… geographic boundaries played a bigger role in differentiating their experiences.
“As Gen Z is the first generation to be truly globally connected, with information now generally accessible no matter where people live, I sensed a greater cohesion in terms of how they viewed the world,” she added.
Based on interviews with seven international students attending universities in the US, the UK and Australia, the report highlights the students’ responsible approach to AI, their renewed appreciation for emails and their concerted efforts to detox from social media.
“While such a small sample cannot serve as an accurate representation of the Gen Z population as a whole, their perspectives and experiences may indicate emerging trends as well as an idea of how this generation views aspects of life and society,” the report reads.
The most racially and ethnically diverse generation, Gen Z is expected to be better educated than any previous generation, and the report aims to be a tool for policy makers and educators to understand their mindset to foster educational success and drive economic growth.
What surprised me most was how self-regulating the Gen Z students appeared to be
Anna Esaki-Smith, Education Rethink
The sheer size of Gen Z – defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 – is having a significant impact on global demographics and socio-economic landscapes.
In the US, this age group makes up an estimated 70 million young people, up from 57 million in 2010, and Gen Z could make up 17% of eligible voters in the 2024 election, according to the report.
In China, the Gen Z population is estimated as 251 million people, around 18% of the country’s overall population, while the Gen Z cohort numbers 116 million in urban India.
Despite Gen Z’s diversity, the interviews revealed a shared concern about social issues and climate change, and how profoundly this age group was impacted by the pandemic.
Economically, over half of older Gen Zers in the US – aged 18-23 during Covid – said that a member of their household had lost their job or taken a pay cut due to the pandemic, and young workers were disproportionately impacted by global service sector cuts.
I sensed a greater cohesion in terms of how Gen Z viewed the world
Anna Esaki-Smith, Education Rethink
Gen Z make up 45% of the world’s 4.7 billion social media users, with the average user spending 2.5 hours per day on social media.
For Esaki-Smith, the power wielded by such a globally-connected generation was epitomised by the social justice protests that took place during the pandemic, driven by a generation galvanised by social media.
At the same time, student testimonies revealed they are making concerted efforts to distance themselves from social media, with the report concluding that many of the myths surrounding Gen Z’s addiction to social media developed when both they and the technology were younger, and now they are losing interest.
“What surprised me most was how self-regulating the Gen Z students appeared to be… the students I spoke with have goals they are eager to achieve, and they view their education as a vehicle to accomplish them.
“The know how to mitigate their behaviour – from muting social media apps during school or deleting them altogether to adhering to school policies regarding AI tool usage – to prioritise their academics or work responsibilities. To be honest, I found their discipline to be commendable,” said Esaki Smith.
According to the report, Gen Z has proved more sophisticated in its use of ChatGPT than older generations often give it credit for, with student testimonies revealing a cautious approach to the tool.
Additionally, while more recruitment agents are turning to instant messaging apps to communicate with prospective students, the interviews revealed the enduring value of emails that “provide a greater degree of structure and detail” particularly in academic and professional settings.
