If you are a teacher who deals with teenagers daily, it is important that you know how they are, what they like, and what differentiates this generation from yours.

The most characteristic feature of what we know as Generation Z (which includes all those born between 1995 and 2010, and therefore it includes teenagers currently enrolled in secondary education) is the fact that they are digital natives: they have known the new technologies since they were born, so their relationship with them is very different from that of those who have seen the new developments emerge during our lives.

Main characteristics of the Generation Z

  • Digital life: this generation lives accustomed to the use of Internet and mobile devices, so they immediately access all the information they need. They get information and communicate naturally through social networks, and their idols are those that have the most visibility in the online world, such as youtubers or influencers.
  • Virtual friendship: for Generation Z, the friends you make on the Internet are just as friends as those in real life. They feel comfortable chatting, and prefer social networks where they know that they will only find other people their age. 
  • Self-taught: given that in many cases their parents have not been able to instruct them about new technologies, this generation has learned skills by themselves, through video tutorials. 
  • Creators: they are not satisfied with consuming content over the Internet, but also like to be the creators of their own content, either through blogs or video channels. 
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): a very common concern among young people of this generation is the feeling of losing something, of not being fashionable: for that reason they spend a lot of time in front of their screens, catching up on new trends.

As educators of Generation Z, it is our responsibility to understand them, empathize with them, and design activities in class that will awaken the interest of this generation, very different from the previous one, but with great expectations for the future.