Why Gen Z Should Be Defined as Those Born in the 2000s Until the 2010s Are Old Enough to Understand How They Grew Up

I know this take is tired but let's be honest.

When people think of Gen Z, they think of people born in the 2000s, not the 90s or 2010s. Our childhood years were (mostly) in the 2010s. Anyone born before or after the 2000s claiming to be Gen Z is subjective. The 1997-2012 range is outdated and doesn't make sense. 1997 borns graduated in 2015 before COVID, and were 22 by the end of 2019, while 2012 borns were only 7 in 2019, barely remember the 2010s and are currently still in middle school. The rapid speed of technology and the internet divides our generation as well. We grew up playing outside like the older gens, but we also had a mix of social media, phones, and cable TV, while kids today are growing up on iPads and streaming services like TikTok.

Using COVID as a dividing factor makes more sense: if you were in middle/high school when COVID hit, you can be considered Core Z. If you were in elementary school, you're Gen Alpha. If you were out of school already, you're early Z. Most of us 2000s babies are now adults, with only 2008-09 borns still being minors.

Argue with the wall 🤷‍♀️