What to Know About Generation Z User Behavior Data

Generation Z, however, is a bucket all its own mainly because a significant portion of this demographic is still too young to be independent consumers of tech and other products and services. But with the growing power of predictive and Augmented Analytics, early user behavior analytics and data are highly useful in understanding future behaviors and priorities.

According to Pew Research, members of Generation Z were born between 1996 and 2012, putting their current age range between eight and 24 years old. So, those not in grade school are new to the workforce and therefore have a much lower disposable income than their Millennial and Gen X counterparts. But don’t underestimate their importance–the birth group will account for 40% of the nation’s consumer dollars.

As Amir Ghodrati, App Annie’s director of market insights said in an interview with Mobile Marketer,

“As [Gen Z] spending power grows, they’re starting to establish consumer habits and brand loyalty on mobile…If you’re trying to set yourself up for the future, you need to set yourself up for success for Gen Z now before those habits are established, because it’s going to be harder to switch someone from one service to another.”

Why is knowing user behavior analysis and understanding consumer psychology so crucial for this generation? Because they are so complicated, marketers have split them out into five groups. We’ve compiled some interesting data around user behavior for Gen Z (sometimes nicknamed “Zoomers”):

60% of Generation Z make online purchases “often or very often,” with food being the biggest spending area.

Video content ranks third for most viewed on mobile with Gen Z (peaking in the evening), and YouTube is their platform of choice (85% of teens are active on it). 81% reported putting on a video via mobile while multi-tasking.

On par with Millennial user behavior, Gen Z most commonly uses Snapchat, Reddit, and TikTok.

Gen Z loves Spotify, as audio streaming has been a part of their daily lives (as opposed to being introduced as a new technology at an older age). In a study, 50% of Gen Z consumers expressed an emotional attachment to Spotify.

Even though Millennials are often criticized for their love of come-to-me convenience, data says Generation Zers are the ones driving the food industry’s mobile order and delivery trend. In a recent survey, they ordered from fast-casual apps five times in the last six months, surpassing other generations.

55% use their smartphones at least five hours a day, despite that their attention span measures a few seconds less than Millennials. They are especially advocates (94%) for personal technology devices in the classroom–and as an educational and information-gathering tool, in general.

This generation has a 30% higher engagement rate with mobile apps vs. other generations.

Health is important to Generation Z. More than 15% turn to mobile apps for health and fitness management, and 11% “would do so if offered by a physician,” which is a higher rate than Millennials and Baby Boomers. Over half of Gen Z reports they exercise weekly. This kind of persistence crosses over to the workplace, with almost one-third expressing interest in entrepreneurship.

Members of Gen Z rank their top five interests as media, with music, films, and gaming. 12% have paid for bot assistance in gaming–spending around $200.

Gen Z is digitally native and easily adapts to new technology. For example, 56% believe virtual reality will be a part of the hiring process in the near future; 62% believe AI and automation will enhance the workplace.

They care more about owning up-to-date technology–particularly mobile tech–than a loftier financial status.

Price is the #1 determining factor in their purchase decisions, with a brand’s social media being the third most influential! Despite that, Gen Zers are more likely to go to a website than a social media profile when learning about new brands.

Brands that want to foster Gen Z’s brand loyalty will need to demonstrate political involvement in a way that yields social benefit–9 in 10 believe a company has a responsibility to the environment.