Move over millennials, here comes Gen Z—and its money

Three teenagers check their phones while back-to-school shopping. They’re researching the looks they want online and follow popular hashtags on social media so they can piece together looks before they get there. AP / Seth Wenig

By Kristin Toussaint @kristindakota

September 1, 2015

1 minute to read

If you’re sick of hearing about millennials, take solace: so are advertisers. Millennials—those between 20 and 34-years-old—are aging out of their spot at the nation’s most sought-after consumers and are being replaced by Generation Z, according to The Boston Globe.

Gen Z are teenagers who are starting to spend their own money. That means everything from Netflix to Target to Converse are trying to tap into how Gen Z thinks, the Globe reports.

This research into the mind of the modern-day teenager may seem daunting, but it may be worth it for advertisers. Gen Zers have some $44 billion in purchasing power, according to the Globe, and there are about the same about of Gen Zers in the U.S. (82 million) as Millennials (83 million).

This demographic comes with new challenges, though—they’ve grown up completely immersed in the Internet-connected world. Marketers will have to get their attention in about eight seconds, the Globe reports, and make ads that the teens will want to share with family, friends, and followers of their social-media accounts.

Read the full Globe story here.

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