Your stereotypes about Gen Z aren’t just inaccurate. They’re hurting your business

Are you sick of hearing about Gen Z yet? For more than a decade, they’ve been the premier target audience for brands and entertainment. They’ve dominated trend reporting, research, and the cultural zeitgeist. But, despite all of those studies, what have we actually learned? Is there really any connective tissue that unites everyone born between 1997 and 2010? The truth is, there is no Gen Z—not how we’ve come to define it. We’ve painted the generation as more socially conscious and purpose-driven, more addicted to technology, and credited (or blamed) them for new slang. We’ve complained that they don’t take life seriously and use humor as coping mechanisms, and that they don’t want to work or go to college. But these are the same stereotypes that have been articulated about young people for generations. The reality is more nuanced. And unfortunately, when it comes to how brands categorize and engage different generations, nuance is not generally welcome. That disconnect has led to some