What is a tech native? Explanation of the meanings of Generation Z and Generation Alpha

Digitalization has progressed with the passage of time, and we have grown into a world where various things function conveniently. Furthermore, we live in a world where various behavioral characteristics can be seen depending on each age group.

In recent years, the behavioral characteristics of young people have been attracting particular attention, partly due to the rapid expansion in importance of SNS. “Tech native” is a symbol of this.

The term “tech native” is a term that broadly focuses on today’s young people, but what exactly does it mean?

In this article, we will introduce various characteristics in detail, starting from the basics of “What is a tech native?”

What is a tech native?

So, what is a tech native? Let’s start with the basics.

First, understand that “tech native” is a term that broadly focuses on today’s young people.

To explain in more detail, it refers to people who have had access to the Internet in their daily lives from the time they were born, and who have access to various electronic devices as a matter of course.

In addition, representative types of electronic devices include computers, televisions, smartphones, and tablet devices. In this way, young people who have a deep relationship with digital devices, which are currently being actively developed around the world, fall under the category of tech natives.

In today’s digital market, tech natives, also known as digital natives, are attracting the attention of users who are sensitive to trends.

Relationship between tech natives and young people

There is a feature that further divides the young people who fall into the category of tech natives introduced above into different generations.

Recently, terms such as “Generation Z” and “Generation Alpha” have been frequently heard in the news and various media. This word is one of the words that was born in modern times to categorize tech natives by age.

Although there are various opinions, people born from the late 1990s to the 2000s are known throughout the world as the so-called “Generation Z.” Cell phones have already begun to become popular among people born in this age group. Mobile phones of this era were mainly used for calls and e-mails, so although their functionality was inferior in some respects compared to today’s functionality, it was a time when advances in digital technology were clearly visible.

The birth of smartphones was a major feature of this generation and had a major impact. The penetration rate of smartphones among Generation Z is extremely high, and as they grow, they will continue to be equipped with innovative functions. The explosive penetration of SNS is hidden behind the smartphone penetration rate among Generation Z.

Generation Z is characterized by actively using SNS tools, collecting a variety of information on a daily basis, and enjoying it as a form of entertainment. For Generation Z, SNS has become a natural part of their daily lives, and the impact of SNS is immeasurable, with some users even becoming addicted to it.

Perhaps because of this influence, they tend to exhibit different behavioral characteristics when performing various actions compared to people of other generations. During the growth process, SNS and the Internet environment were established as a familiar presence, so there was little resistance to actively communicating in the

online

environment. There is a characteristic aspect that can be seen that they want to avoid such exchanges.

In addition, changes in

purchasing behavior

are also becoming more diversified, and by using SNS and the Internet, people tend to carefully compare and purchase various products, and they also have the characteristic of thoroughly pursuing their favorite items. For this reason, there is relatively little impulse buying, and there is a tendency for people to engage in lean and minimal consumption behavior.

Next, we will introduce the “Alpha generation” in detail. Generation Alpha refers to the generation born after Generation Z introduced above. At first glance, Generation Z and Generation Alpha are often seen as being mixed together, but there is a big difference.

In fact, people born after 2010 fall under the Alpha generation. Among the major characteristics of the Alpha generation are the fact that Instagram has already been created and tablet devices such as the iPad have penetrated the market.

Unlike Generation Z, when they were born, highly functional tablet devices already existed, and SNS was not at the stage of emergence, but rather entered the stage of development and is a new generation filled with cutting-edge technology.

In addition, it can be predicted that the growth process of the parents who take care of the alpha generation is that they have grown old in a digital environment from childhood, and have lived in a digital environment where they are exposed to the Internet on a daily basis. .

Therefore, the latest digital technology and information are already present on a daily basis in the lives of the alpha generation, whose parents are relatively digitally savvy, and by being exposed to cutting-edge technology from an early age, they will It can be inferred that it holds sufficient potential for generational evolution.

Due to the outbreak of the global pandemic, contactless ways of doing things are attracting a lot of attention worldwide. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha is attracting attention as a generation that has been directly affected by the pandemic.

At many elementary schools in Japan, attendance was restricted, and online classes were held at home using the internet environment.

One tablet was actually distributed to each student to be used in online classes, and even though they were elementary school students, they were able to use the tablets and experience new initiatives.

Among them, the Alpha generation born after 2020 does not know the normal life before the pandemic, so it is possible that they will grow up with values ​​that are even more different from those of the Z generation, and that they will also have distinctive behavioral characteristics. It is expected.

Who are Millennials?

Millennials

are said to be the first generation of tech natives.

Generally, people born from the 1980s to the mid-1990s are called Millennials. Please remember that the word millennium has the meaning of “millennium” and refers to the generation that reached adulthood or entered the workforce after 2000. Millennials are also said to have different values ​​and behavioral characteristics than other generations.

The generation before the Millennium generation mainly used computers, but many of the Millennium generation have used mobile phones since childhood.

With the spread of the Internet, people spend a lot of time on the Internet on a daily basis, and it has become a trend to actively communicate using SNS and bulletin boards.

There is also a generation above the Millennium generation called the “Generation X”, and the Millennium generation is also called the “Generation Y” as the next generation following the X generation. Please remember that there are also.

A major characteristic of the Millennial generation is that they value the individual. Firstly, it can be said that the fact that the Internet was around them and that they experienced school life in the midst of “yutori education” were major factors in valuing “individuality.”

For this reason, people are actively changing jobs or becoming independent in business by freeing themselves from seniority-based thinking and values ​​that were commonplace in the past, and focusing on improving their own work skills and growth. We are also seeing an increase in.

Furthermore, when looking at values, it is said that there is a tendency for many people to find experiences more appealing than tangible things such as physical existence.

Rather than possessing material existence, it is characterized by behavioral characteristics that seek memories and memorable experiences that can be reflected in the tools of SNS.

Tech natives tend to have a negative image

The term “tech native”, which refers to people of all ages, has the characteristic of giving rise to negative connotations. So why do negative images take precedence? Here, we will briefly explain such questions.

The cases mentioned above are typical causes.

If you just look at the text, it gives off a negative image, but what is the reality? Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Being able to use the Internet freely and having no qualms about actively communicating with strangers = being defenseless

Let’s take a look at an example of how to obtain communication using SNS.

In order to enjoy university life to the fullest, relationships with friends who share activities with you are extremely important. Therefore, when the university entrance season approaches, people use the “# (hashtag)” on Instagram and Twitter to post messages such as “I’m going to enroll in #○○ university” or “#○○ university in spring.” Nowadays, there is an increasing number of students who try to make friends in advance by posting introductions or conducting searches to find out what kind of people are out there.

However, the modern Internet market is full of concerns, including the leakage and misuse of personal information and anonymous impersonation. I’m sure there are quite a few people who have actually had dangerous experiences.

However, there is a benefit to this kind of advance preparation that only this generation understands. Because they have been exposed to the digital environment since childhood, they often understand the dangers better than anyone else, and it is their own decision to communicate with anyone regardless of their pretense. It has the characteristic of self-avoidance.

Recently, cases of people meeting on SNS or the Internet leading to marriage, and “online matchmaking” have become a hot topic. It seems that there are cases where it is considered to be a low hurdle even for beginners, as it allows you to know detailed information about the person you are dealing with before meeting face-to-face.

In this way, people’s behavior is diversifying.

Being aware that you are not good at face-to-face communication

One of the reasons why tech natives tend to have a negative image is that they are not good at face-to-face communication.

This generation has become accustomed to communicating via the Internet, SNS, chat, email, etc., and this has left a negative impression on them.

However, face-to-face communication and phone calls can also be viewed negatively, such as taking up the other person’s personal time. On the other hand, email and chat, which do not require direct interaction, are considered useful tools that do not affect the other person’s personal time.

Lack of originality due to not being able to give priority to one’s own thoughts and ideas as one searches for everything using the Internet environment

There was a time in the past when it was recommended to go to a library or bookstore when you had a question or wanted to research something. It is true that the information contained in books is reliable and is a tool for acquiring a variety of knowledge.

However, depending on the size of the bookstore or library, there were many cases where the book you were looking for was not available, or because you were unable to replace the information, you only had old information.

On the other hand, the Internet always has the latest information and can flexibly respond to various cases. Additionally, by being able to derive search results instantly, it is possible to significantly reduce time and effort.

We can see a change in behavior that emphasizes speed, such as “taking in useful information before thinking about things on my own.”

summary

In this article, we have introduced various characteristics, starting from the basics of “What is a tech native?”

Tech natives, who target young people, are expected to have a large impact on the future Internet market from many directions.

Please deepen your understanding of the tech natives who are attracting attention and utilize them in your business and marketing.