Homelanders, Zoomers, Digital Natives, Screenagers. Who is Generation Z? They are all of the above, the so-called iGen bubble-wrap generation. Most Gen Zs have been raised by overprotective Gen-Xers, who have responded to their own marginalized childhoods by becoming helicopter parents. Generation Z comes after the Millennials and before Generation Alpha.

When I began blogging about Generation X in 2007, almost nobody referred to Millennials as Millennials. We called them Generation Y or Ys. It quickly changed overnight, however, based on a popular article about their coming of age. I’m not sure the name Generation Z will stick, although my kids seem to really like it.

Here are some of the names historians, psychologists and marketing experts have used for Generation Z.

• Homeland Generation or simply Homelanders
• Digital Natives
• Generation Edge
• Hookup Generation (Research Tinder and Kik apps, etc., to understand more.)
• Mobile Natives
• Bubble-Wrap Kids (because of Generation X helicopter parenting)
• iGen
• Screenagers
• Zees

To understand how the name Generation Z formed, you have to go back to Generation X. Following World War II, Magnum photographer Richard Capa did a photo essay about featuring young people who came of age after the war. He called them Generation X because their futures were unknown.

In 1964, Jane Deverson wrote a story about British teens for Woman’s Own Magazine. Highlights included teens who hated the monarchy and slept together before marriage. The article was never published, however, because the editors thought it was too controversial. Deverson then collaborated with Charles Hamblett who published her research and titled it Generation X. In 1976, Billy Idol borrowed the title for his band, Generation X.

In 1991, Douglas Coupland cemented the name Generation X in the history books with his novel, Generation X: Tales For An Accelerated Culture.

Furthermore, the generation born after Generation X was called Generation Y. It’s been given many other names like Echo Boomers, Net Generation, and Millennial Generation. In the spirit of X, Y, and Z, the generation that came after Gen Y was naturally called Generation Z. This name has had more staying power than Y, because, in my unscientific opinion, Z is a fun letter — the coolest member of the alphabet.

Other than their parents, nothing has shaped Generation Z more than technology. Despite the helicopter parenting of Generation. Zees have had unfettered access to the Internet. They’ve been called the iGeneration and screenagers for their emotional attachment to smartphones and tablets, etc. Because of too much screen time, they’ve also been called the Distracted Generation.

Social media has significantly impacted the relationships and self-esteem of Generation Z. These impacts have at times manifested themselves in sexting, cyber-bullying, Facebook mourning, and the Werther Effect. Many parents now attempt to keep their kids off Facebook for as long as possible, especially since social media is now linked to depression in kids and teens.

There are also concerns that the Internet is actually making our kids stupid, however, most experts cite the high intelligence and advanced problem-solving skills of Gen Z.

The War on Terror and severe economic recession have also shaped Generation Z. None of them remember life before 9/11, and many came of age with Occupy Wall Street. Generation Z’s parents worry constantly that their children will fall out of the middle class. When they aren’t worried about their financial futures they worry about things like the rise in opiate use and the epidemic of texting while driving.

The following is a list of things that have shaped Generation Z. You can think of others, please share them in the comments section.

• COVID19 and the Global Pandemic
• Black Lives Matters (George Floyd, 2020 Riots)
• War On Terror, ISIS
• 9/11
• Columbine, Sandy Hook, and the Aurora Shooting
• Severe Economic Recession (And their parent’s crushing debt)
• Helicopter Parenting/Over-parenting by Generation X
• Tiger Moms (Overly strict, Hyper-focused on academic prowess)
• The Advancing Global Society
• Social Media including Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Whisper, etc.
• Global Warming
• Technology
• Screens: TV, tablets, smartphones, desktops, laptops
• Cyber-bullying, Sexting