Who are the Generation Z?  That is a great question that we will be talking about in the coming years.  These are the kids that were born in the mid-1990s to the year 2012...

Who and how can we reach this coming generation Z?

Here are some stats about generation z.

• They don’t trust advertisers whatsoever, preferring to take a word-of-mouth endorsement from friends or family any time they need something.
• Generation Z is also the first generation to publicly come of age on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
• 1 out of 4 Generation Z kids owns either a tablet computer or a standard tablet, like an iPad.
• 24% of online teens use Twitter, up from 16% in 2011.
• 60% of teen Facebook users keep their profiles private.
• 82% of teen girls today say that they have deleted friends from their network.

Here are some things that stand out: 

They are the online generation

What is a television?  According to this infographic they would rather watch or listen to content streaming on their device.  They are no longer waiting in the living room for a tv show to come on.  They can watch it anywhere they want.  Most likely in they room.

50% of teenagers globally are online everyday.  This is a crazy stat.  It should help us understand how crucial it is for youth workers to know how to communicate effectively online.  Teenagers are not going to come check out your youth ministry.  The are going to check it out on Facebook, instagram or instagram stories first.  This means you need to be on those platforms.

79% are addicted to their devices.  Marshall McLuhan famously states, “We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.”  We are becoming what we behold.  We desire significance and we are trying to find this online.

I see students all the time judge people on who follows them, or how many youtube subscribers they have.  This isn’t the measuring stick for life.  How an we help students understand their true meaning and significance is found in Christ and him alone?

There is hope.

This generation is passionate.  They are more connected than ever.  Let’s show them a God who loves and cares for them.  Let’s show this generation that they can’t find meaning or significance in how many likes or followers they have.  Let’s help parents to set up digital boundaries around their kids online access so that they don’t develop a digital addiction.