By investing $100 every month from the ages of 25 to 65 into the likes of a Roth individual retirement account (IRA), Gen Z could retire as millionaires. "With a 12% annual average rate of return-the markets can do that for you-you'd have a million dollars," she explains. Depositing a monthly investment of $100 into an account with a 12% yield would net someone approximately $1,188,342 in 40 years' time.
The attitude that you bring to the office-and to your employees, your peers, and the people you serve alongside every day-is what ultimately will determine a lot of your success,
For Gen Z, that's especially true. What was once just a device for making calls and sending texts has evolved into a full-blown extension of our hands, a constant companion that keeps us connected to friends, trends, and an endless stream of content. But what if all that screen time could do more than entertain? What if your phone, the very thing that parents and teachers might chide you for using too much, could actually become a money-making machine?
As a certified Young Person (for now, that is...I'm hanging on by a freakin' thread), I'll admit that a bunch of the trends my generation comes up with don't make sense. And although us youngins are so unaware of how cheugy our current fascinations will become in just a few years, older generations seem to have a bit more foresight.
Fiber supplements brand BelliWelli took a risk with its cringey TikToks, including deeply uncomfortable celebrity interactions, and it paid off. The approach netted the brand 1B+ views and grew revenue 405% between 2023 and 2024. Food brand Natural Heaven promoted the launch of its products at NYC's Fairway Markets by sending two employees dressed as boxes of pasta and rice prancing down the store's aisles. Blueland - a sustainable cleaning company whose CEO regularly films herself pulling stunts like cleaning toilets at Costco (one of the brand's retailers) - did $200m+ in sales last year, up 40% YoY.
Despite their reputation as digital natives, Gen Z is pretty poor when it comes to cybersecurity practices. Analysis from consumer insights platform GWI found that while many in this demographic have grown up online, only three-in-ten have made a habit of regularly changing their passwords compared to 42% of Baby Boomers. They're also the generation least likely to keep software and devices up to date, with only 43% bothering. Gen Z was found lacking in other basic cyber hygiene practices, the study noted.
Until very recently, it looked like the teens of the 2020s were behaving very differently. In 2023, more than a fifth of Gen Zers were sober and only one in 10 had tried a Class A drug, with many turning away from drink and drug-induced depravity in favour of healthier, more wholesome activities like gym dates and ' grandma crafts'. But a new IWSR survey, released in June, indicates that famously sensible ' generation clean ' are back on the booze.
In mid-August, social media started buzzing with posts about "The Great Lock In." As the name suggests, it's built around the Gen Z slang for fully committing or hyperfocusing on a task, goal, or activity. From now until the end of the year, the idea is to "lock in" and to get your life in order and your goals checked off before 2026.
Amber Shion was born with a remarkable and ultra-creative genius, a distinctive DNA that allows her to craft musical and lyrical compositions that transcend the boundaries of conventional wisdom. Her exceptional human instincts empower her to engineer sounds that capture the essence of people's innermost desires, ardent passions, profound fears, and relentless ambitions. Growing up in a vibrant cultural landscape, she was immersed in diverse artistic influences that shaped her artistic vision.
From chronic struggles with burnout to a pragmatic, even skeptical take on how to lead their careers, the generation that entered the workforce during the age of quiet quitting has come to exemplify the quarter-life crisis. But what if this is the new norm, and the midlife crisis is going extinct the way other trappings of the 20th century have, like dial-up internet and Kodak film? What if Gen Z has giant, macroeconomically valid reasons for being plunged into a collective quarter-life crisis?
Nostalgia has become an inescapable feature of the 2020s. Whether it's the resurgence of Y2K fashion, old digital cameras or reruns of Friends, The Office or Gilmore Girls. Gen-Z are looking to teleport back to a more comfortable, less stressful past. And brands are looking to capitalize on the demand for retro fashion, products and experiences. But what makes nostalgia so powerful? What are the benefits and watchouts of nostalgia marketing?
Gen Z is often stereotyped as frivolous spenders, but new data reveals a far more sobering reality. Nearly half have already dipped into their retirement savings-not for luxuries, but to pay down debt and cover emergencies. Many are also skipping meals, delaying medical care, and selling belongings just to make rent. Despite being the most active 401(k) contributors, Gen Z is being forced to choose between financial responsibility and basic survival.
According to a piece by The Guardian, Bupa surveyed 8,000 workers on their feelings toward hybrid work and office responsibilities earlier this year. Gen Z's apparent drive for offices and traditional desks appears to be fuelled by an innate loneliness, with 38% saying they feel 'socially isolated' due to their work setup. This is notably more than their older peers.
JPMorgan research shows Gen Z-particularly men-have driven a surge in retail investing since the pandemic, with participation among 25-year-olds jumping from 6% in 2015 to 37% in 2024. While gaps by gender and income persist, the bank said financial education will be crucial as more first-time investors face the realities of taxes, volatility, and losses. Over the past decade retail investors have become a force to be reckoned with, proving they have the strength in numbers to outplay Wall Street professionals.
Instagram announced a new school experience for US college students. After verifying their student email through UNiDAYS, students can add a school banner to their profile and access a directory of confirmed classmates, organized by graduation year. Why It Matters: The feature is Instagram's take on TikTok's Campus Verification, which launched about a week ago. It allows students to connect with others on their campus - from making new friends, to finding other student creators to collaborate with, to recruiting peers for brand ambassador programs.
Gen Z is changing the rules of work-and the results are redefining what professional success looks like in 2025. According to a new Glassdoor report, "career minimalism" is at the heart of this shift: younger workers see their jobs as a means to financial stability, saving real passion and ambition for hours off the clock and increasingly lucrative side hustles.
If you're Gen Z, you probably grew up on algorithms that whisper "monetize it" the moment anything feels fun. The importance of personal brands is constantly drilled into you, along with a side of LinkedIn wins, Etsy grinds, and side hustle culture. If you're good at something, you're told to sell it (or at least make it go viral). Google queries for "how to monetize content shot up 305% in the past month, while "how to build a personal brand " is up 67% year-on-year.
COVID hit nine months into my role and I was cold calling in my childhood bedroom all alone without any support. That's when I started sharing sales tips and videos of me live cold calling on TikTok. Very quickly, I realized there was a whole lot of other people in the same boat as me. So, I launched SellingSara about 11 months ago.
