Educational Research

 

image source: McCrindle, 2023

Infographic
According to this infographic, I fall into Generation Z. My friends also fall into Generation Z. When I checked Google, the Library of Congress Research Guide defines Gen Z as being born between the ages of 1997 and 2012. Based off the infographic from McCrindle, I would say it is off by a few years. I often see more Generation Alpha using TikTok and not many from Gen Z using it. I think our usage of Instagram is higher. The second page of the infographic is also off. The years do not completely match up with the social markers, iconic cars, and music devices. It is interesting to see that the graphic says a vast majority of the workforce is Generation Y but I know my friends and I have encountered far more Generation X and Baby Boomers in the workforce. It is also partly why it is difficult for us to get jobs since those generations are retiring later or taking on part time jobs to help supplement their income. 

Research Statistics
One of the sites I looked at was The Center for Generational Kinetics. This site talks about a book that was published in 2017. The main focus of this study is to see how Gen Z saves and spends money. One of the main take aways from the study was that Gen Z is smarter with money than previous generations. Something the study mentioned was that “the result is a young generation that behaves more like Baby Boomers than Millenials and is making plans to work during college, avoid personal debt at all costs, and save for retirement.” Something I think the study gets wrong is that Gen Z is also forced to take on personal debt in one way or another. The housing market is not great and rent is going up, which either means having roommates, living at home with parents, or taking out a loan. College practically forces you to take out a loan based off the cost. Most jobs require you to have some sort of college degree so you have to go through FAFSA, since there is no way around not filling out the FAFSA paperwork whether you qualify for federal aid or not. If you do qualify, turning it down means less money in future years if you do need it which means debt either way and if you don’t qualify you have to find another way to get the money to pay. It is one reason why so many politicians are running on the platform of college debt relief. They know Gen Z would vote for them if it meant that there was a reprieve in paying off the debt.

 

Why it is important

I do not work with Gen Z. The teens that come into the library and take part in our programs are born around 2013/2014. I think educational research is important for educators to explore. It provides new ways of looking at things and it gives them new ideas that they can bring into the classroom. It also opens doors for different opportunities and experiences that the students can go through. I do think that the educators should look at a variety of resources and not just pick one resource to focus on.

  

Comments

  1. NMZumpanoJune 5, 2024 at 5:53 AM

    You'll find different generational researchers list different years for certain generations. There truly is no authority out there that has the final answer. It's important to remember, too, that these are generalizations- many people exhibit traits from two generations, especially if they are born "on the cusp."

    Thank you for your point about how Gen Z takes on personal debt due to high costs in housing and schooling. This is absolutely a pivotal issue for this generation that needs to be addressed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miss HumesJune 5, 2024 at 7:10 AM

    I like how you point out where you are in the infographic and where you think you actually fall in the generation terms. I also like that you noticed that no matter how hard we try, we really can't avoid going into debt these days if we go to school, no matter how hard we try. Finding a job can be hard, entry level jobs want 3-5 years experience that no one will give you, or if they give it to you they pay you next to nothing, which doesn't help pay for school to try and get a better job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Samantha HoffmanJune 5, 2024 at 7:36 AM

      And some jobs are worse than others. I tried to get a teaching job but they wanted the 3-5 years experience, but would not count our student teaching time or substituting or even tutoring. Yet no one will hire us to give us that experience. I did notice a lot of jobs are doing education reimbursement and I've been lucky to work at two places that offered it but even that does not cover a whole lot of the cost. Especially when you are trying to get a Masters or phD.

      Delete
  3. laffeytaffyJune 5, 2024 at 9:55 AM

    Samantha, your focus on generations and how responsibility and issues fall differently on them is interesting. I definitely think technology has had a big impact on the mental health and scoual skills of Gen z and alpha, and I think the more research we can do the better! Thanks for your insight and I'm looking forward to seeing your infographic!

    ReplyDelete

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