Fuse, LLC, released new research on 2,000 13-17-year-olds and their expectations of 2030. In the year 2030, the majority of Gen Z will be in their 20’s and 30’s and likely considering family, career, and what it means to be a full-fledged adult. It’s at this point too that their economic power as a consumer group will begin to be fully realized.
While last month the data focused on education, income, career, social issues and tech, this month the data shows results from the study in five additional areas that may impact a brand’s marketing during the next decade.
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Marriage & Relationships: Gen Z prioritizes committed relationships
Whether due to their busy lives or their frustration with the online dating scene, according to a 2017 Pew Research poll, only 42% of young adults live with a romantic spouse or partner.
But according to our study, 81% of current teens – double that of young adults – expect to be “partnered” in the next ten years. 43% said they expected to be married, while 38% expected to be in a committed romantic relationship. Teens views on “partnering” are impacted by the economy, divorce rates, marriage equality, and other environmental factors teens have grown up with.
Family and Aging: Growing life expectancy is creating unique needs
Only 38% of our teen respondents believe their parents will live with them at some point in the future when they are young adults. But due to the growing life expectancy of today’s older adults, the real number is likely to be as much as 70%.
The challenges for today’s teens (by then young adults) in caring for their elderly parents will include the availability of long-term care insurance, finding mental health support services, and changing how our culture views aging. The growing life expectancy will create new opportunities too, including growth in medical and retirement fields, changes in financial services, and even the development of a multigenerational real estate model.
Politics: Teens have political fatigue
A majority of Gen Z surveyed expressed a disinterest in politics, and nearly one-third said they don’t plan to vote in the future. Teens that do plan to be involved in politics said they are more likely to identify as
- Independents (25%)
- Republicans (21%)
- Democrats (20%)
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In addition, 34% plan to be apolitical, and that is of interest to us; while it’s doesn’t cut into Independent or Republican support (Millennials similarly identify as Independents (26%) and Republicans (22%), it severely depletes those who identify as Democrats.
The political disinterest doesn’t stop at voting though, as 45% of social media users aged 18-49 reported to Pew feeling “worn out” by the amount of political social posts. The party divide in social media exhaustion was 53%/43%, with Republicans reporting more negative reactions to the amount of politics they have to see online.
Religion: Spirituality in teens continuing to decrease
While religious participation and spirituality among Gen Z is decreasing, what’s most notable is how religion and spirituality are being practiced. In our study, 34% of respondents said they do not regularly attend places of worship, while 32% actively visited. 31% of teens reported they don’t practice religion of any kind.
The decline in religious participation is correlated to Americans’ lack of confidence in organized religion. Trust in organized religion has been decreasing since 2009, with a 2018 Gallup Report showing “high confidence” in the church at only 38%. Teens say their views have been impacted in part by the news in recent years about fraud, “conversion therapy,” and sexual abuse scandals.
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