“Hear people out,” one Gen Z-er encouraged in Barna-led focus groups for Gen Z Volume 3, the latest in a series of studies produced in partnership with Impact 360 Institute. This sentiment captures a core desire of the emerging generation: to be listened to, as well as to allow space for others to speak.
In the spirit of hearing Gen Z out, here are some key themes from the research that give a glimpse into their views and desires—paired with first-person quotes from our focus groups.
Finding Success & Happiness
When asked about what goals they have for themselves, 65 percent of Gen Z respondents want to be happy—their top goal. More specifically, thinking about career, the top three things Gen Z want are to have enough money to support themselves and their loved ones (47%) to have a good work-life balance (40%) and to have enough money to pursue their dreams and passions (35%).
In Gen Z’s Words:
“Money is a big factor, but I wouldn’t put that first. I’d say having people, a family that cares about you … that’s successful.”
“I feel like my parents are hard workers, but they go through a lot of stress. I want to live my life being a lot more relaxed because I know it’s not good for me to be stressed out.”
“I put a lot of value in my comfort, my health and my happiness. Nothing else in your life really flows if you’re not happy where you’re at.”
Accepting a Diversity of Viewpoints
While their moral code is still evolving—and more flexible compared to older generations—Gen Z may be trending away from what some would consider moral relativism (ethics determined by one’s particular standpoint or framework) toward more fixed or absolute views of right and wrong. Still, 63 percent agree that “what is morally right or wrong depends on what an individual believes.”
In Gen Z’s Words:
“Recently in religion class, each person had a different religion that they researched, and we did a presentation. I thought it was really interesting to see about other religions and what they believe. Some of it confused me. Some of it is really odd. But I wasn’t judgmental about it. I wanted to learn more about why they think that way and why they live that way.”
“Anybody can have their own belief system, and I think everybody should respect people’s beliefs. There’s no reason not to. As long as it doesn’t harm anybody, there’s no reason to scold someone just because they have a different belief than you.”
“I can be religious; just please, do not attack me for being religious. [At the same time], religious people shouldn’t attack someone else for not being religious or not being of their faith.”
Wanting Older Generations to Listen
Fewer than half of Gen Z (46%) feel their parents or guardians understand them. Additionally, one in four meets Barna’s definition of “externally pressured”—meaning, they always or usually feel “judged by older generations” and “pressured by my parents’ expectations.”
In Gen Z’s Words:
“[Adults] don’t want to listen. [When certain] subjects are brought up … you get kicked out, and that’s not fair at all. I feel like everybody should have their own opinion and be able to state what they want to state.”
“A lot of times it’s not about wanting advice [or] them saying what they think that I should do; it’s about having somebody to listen. If I’m upset about something or something happened … maybe sometimes I’ll ask for advice, but a lot of the time, I just [want someone to] listen and understand, or at least try to.”
“We’re all learning and growing at the same time. Experience is probably our best teacher, more than what anyone has to say.”
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About the Research
This study was based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. adult and teenaged members of Gen Z, ages 13–24, conducted August 23–30, 2023. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 2.1 percent at the 95 percent confi dence level. For this survey, researchers used an online panel for data collection and observed a quota random sampling methodology. Quotas were set to obtain a minimum readable sample by a variety of demographic factors, and samples were weighted by region, ethnicity, education, age and gender to refl ect their natural presence in the American population (using U.S. Census Bureau data for comparison).
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