Gen-Z, the Future of Parenting has Arrived

Collage Group recently partnered with BabyCenter to place gen-z alongside current millennial moms to offer an early look at how this young generation of digital natives will prioritize, shop, communicate, and connect when they become parents. 

The results from the Futurecasting Families study uncovers important differences between gen-z and their millennial predecessors – differences that don’t necessarily fit with previously held assumptions. These distinctions will require brands and retailers to adjust their thinking and approach to successfully reach the next generation of parents.

The New Traditionalists

Gen-z moms are carving a unique path to adulthood, emphasizing “success” as a key measure of the ideal life. But even with this younger set, some traditional values, such as marriage and teaching responsibility, still hold weight. In some cases even more so than with their millennial mom counterparts.

For example, no matter age and whether a parent, roughly one-third of gen-z females say that “success” is a top ideal, while just one-fifth of millennial moms say the same.

On the traditional side, when asked if as children they pictured themselves getting married, more than 6 in 10 gen-z females said that they envisioned the walk down the aisle.

Brands need to be careful to not fall into the trap of thinking “traditional” means a throw back to 1950’s ideals and imagery. Ensure your creative reflects a more egalitarian, gender-neutral perspective.

Gen Z is Connected, yet Conflicted

There’s no doubt that this generation has an intense reliance on screens. Gen-z women are spending 7 hours on screens for leisure – this doesn’t include screen time for work or homework.

Not surprisingly, screen time decreases when a woman becomes a mom.

Mealtime, bath time, negotiating bedtime… all of it adds up and leisure time is even more compressed. While gen-z moms are spending less time on screens, they’re still outpacing millennial moms. A big part of this is due to the digitally savvy generation they were born into.

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