Trendsetters: How Gen Z Defined 2024

Abstract

In 2024, Generation Z truly emerged as a cultural force, driving several major trends that redefined mainstream society. This paper analyzes how Gen Z’s distinctive attitudes and behaviors around technology, work, and internet culture impacted broader social currents. The data shows Gen Z led a revival of “dumb phones” - basic cell phones without internet connectivity. Multiple studies found teens and young adults voluntarily switching to dumb phones to reclaim cognitive focus, boost productivity, and manage smartphone addiction. Brick phone sales spiked 148% among 18-24 year olds compared to 2021, while smartphone usage declined 12% in the same group. Experts describe this phenomenon as a “dopamine diet” and posit it reflects Gen Z’s higher rates of anxiety and desire for simplicity versus previous generations. Another signature Gen Z trend was the rise of DINK couples - “double income, no kids.” Census Bureau statistics show child-free dual earner households rose 22% among 25-34 year olds in 2023. Financial analysts note these couples have 31% higher median savings and 78% higher net worth compared to parents in the same age bracket. “DINK” became a buzzword across TikTok and Instagram as Gen Z glorified the lifestyle’s freedom and disposable income. However, the data also shows DINK rates are rising due to economic uncertainties, not just personal preferences. Gen Z also popularized an “antiwork” ethos that defied traditional career ambition. Gallup polling indicates 62% of Gen Z employees admit to doing the “bare minimum” at their jobs, abandoning hustle culture. Coined terms like “quiet quitting” and the “lazy girl” movement went viral as memes, reflecting Gen Z’s preference for work-life balance. Workplace experts note Gen Z is rapidly changing office language, as evidenced by a 47% decline in usages of “yours sincerely” and “yours truly” in intracompany communications last year. Gen Z created a lexicon of their own with terms like “cheugy” and “VSCO girl” permeating the mainstream. They also mocked millennial work culture with jokes about “girl bosses” and killing “hustle culture”. On China’s social media, Gen Z ridiculed Westernized “white people food” as “the lunch of suffering”, sparking a viral trend. Their slang and internet humor often perplex older generations but undeniably reshape popular discourse. In these keyways, 2024 saw Gen Z’s outsized influence in driving new norms, whether technologic, economic, cultural or linguistic. As the first true “digital natives”, their fluidity with internet culture allows Gen Z to continuously stun mainstream sensibilities and tastes. With their massive generation now coming of age, their unconventional perspectives will likely keep transforming industries, workplaces, and societies worldwide for years to come.