Here comes Generation Mobile - are you ready for what comes after Gen Y?

Here comes Generation Mobile - are you ready for what comes after Gen Y?

There is naturally a lot of focus right now about the millennials, the so-called Generation Y - Gen Y for shorthand - and the implications for societies and the workplace as these new digitally aware citizens grow to become the leaders of tomorrow.

For those not familiar with the term, Gen Y generally refers to people born roughly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. You can read some of my thoughts about the impact of Gen Y in a previous post of mine on here.

They are the first generation, certainly at the later end of that date range, to be born into a digital rather than analogue world and to grow up using technology as part of their everyday lives and not just something that is in the workplace.

But what comes after Gen Y and are we ready for them? On a superficial level what do we even call this next generation? The newspaper USA Today and, separately, the Pew Research Centre have been running contests to try and find a name for them other than simply 'Generation Z'. Some of the suggestions include iGeneration, @generation, the Swipe Generation and the Tweennials.

Whatever we end up calling this generation, they are going to have a transformative effect on the world around us as they move into adulthood. Their coming of age is starting to happen now, peaking around 2020. This is a generation that is not only growing up with digital interaction but also with a more mobile-first mindset as those interactions take place on smartphones and tablets.

What made me think about this was an interesting US-based study just published, called Speak Up, as part of Project Tomorrow. The study is mainly about the use of mobile technology in education but the results highlight some noteworthy trends among young kids today that will have implications for consumer trends, society, business and government as they grow older.

The study polled 3.4 million students, teachers, administrators and parents about the use of tech in education. Here are some of the most interesting stats from the research that highlight how much mobile is a part of their lives (and bear in mind that these stats relate only to access in school). When the home environment is also factored in I would expect these figures to be even higher.

  • 41 per cent of K-2 students (ages 6-7) have access to a tablet.
  • Half of students in elementary grades 3–5 (ages 8-11) have access to a smart phone, and 58 per cent have access to a tablet.
  • 73 per cent of middle school students (ages 11-14) have access to smart phones, 61 per cent have access to tablets.
  • 89 per cent of high school students (ages 14-18) have access to smartphones, yet only 50 per cent have access to a tablet.

The study also reveals some insight into future social media trends with students reporting less regular interaction with traditional social networking sites like Facebook. Meanwhile almost half (44 per cent) of students in grades 6-12 report using social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Vine. Nearly a third of high school students report using Twitter.

Given the evolution of social media over the past five years we may well see another start-up turn into a market-dominating giant like Facebook or Twitter but these stats seem to show the primary and middle school students favouring more instant and mobile app friendly social media over the likes of Facebook. If that is true that will have an impact on consumer trends and how brands and marketers will need to target those people.

Back to that contest to name so-called Generation Z - I propose Generation Mobile. Do you agree?

Photo credit:Brad Flickinger 

Chris Williams

Broadcast Media Professional

9y

I noticed above it mentiond 2020 I guess that dose not mean when the compatition ends Orange is now Tmobile EE I have got an Orange phone from September 2004 my dongle is Tmobile do not have a smart phone but the one I have got has lasted quiet a few years mobile phone that is

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No it doesn't. not is you're an Orange customer!

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Sheikh Taimur Nawaz

Marketing I Pricing I Business Development I Commercial Strategy I Mobile Devices I Product Management I xQualcommI I xAlcatel I xEtisalat I xTelenor I xChina Mobile

9y

the stats are mind blowing as shared in the article about the penetration levels for tablets as well as smart phones amongst the younger generations and with regards to naming of this generation, its the intersection of mobile and internet since these people are hooked on to internet and social media and accessing mostly via mobile app version as oppose to world wide web so I suggest we can call them 'MI-Generation' a short for 'Mobile Internet Generation'

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Why not call them G.smart

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