Mixed signals
There are key inconsistencies in Gen Z habits — what they say they want in theory does not always align with how they act in practice.
Frustrated by politics, still willing to vote.
Distrusting of mainstream media, still consuming it.
Anxious about AI, but using it every day.
Skeptical of big tech companies, still obsessively scrolling social media.
Split by gender, still trying to date.
Hungry for free speech, yet willing to condone violence against it.
Worried about finances, still spending.
This generation’s expressed frustration with the status quo is in tension with the fact that they willingly engage with it.
Earlier this week I wrote about Gen Z’s strategic spending, after analyzing PwC’s Holiday Outlook survey on how this generation plans to spend and save this season. That survey highlights the incongruity in Gen Z consumer habits calling Gen Z: “Digitally native, yet drawn back to physical stores. Fiercely brand-aware, yet ready to abandon brands for private labels. Cautious with money, yet quick to spend when the purchase carries emotional weight.”
PwC labeled this a “paradox” pointing out that Gen Z is “defined by contradictions.” And they are. Gen Z’s finicky budget mirrors their broader choosiness — from media, to tech, and relationships, this is a generation defined by selectivity. A selectivity that appears nonsensical but is often deeply curated.
At The Up and Up, we’ve noticed key inconsistencies in Gen Z habits — what they say they want in theory does not always align with how they act in practice.
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🔑 What You’ll Unlock: Highlights from this edition
The Up and Up Community’s biggest behavioral contradictions
My analysis on what to make of Gen Z’s selectivity