Born for this? Gen Z and the Covid-19 pandemic

Ipsos polling shows that Canadian’s sense of urgency towards coronavirus, as well as their willingness to change their behaviours to combat it, is high. However, within the Canadian populous, one generation emerges from our data that has not shared in all of the struggles the rest of us have: Generation Z.

What you need to know about Gen Z is that, in many ways, COVID-19 has not changed their day to day behaviours. In fact, as the “digital native” generation, Gen Z could be the best prepared generation to weather this crisis. The behaviours Gen Z is often criticized for – using social media to connect rather than socializing in person, using apps and the internet to work and eat – will allow them to seamlessly adapt to the new COVID-19 normal.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Ipsos polled Canadians on their attitudes towards the future, exposing generational divisions. Gen Z was most likely to foresee themselves subscribing to a food, car, or alcohol/cannabis delivery service in the next several years. They believed, more than any other generation, that people would become more attached to an online community or network of friends than to a geographic-based community. As many of these phenomena have come to pass in recent weeks, it’s no wonder that when we polled Canadians this past week, Gen Z showed some of the lowest levels of concern regarding the coronavirus.

The Gen Zers I know were living like they were on lockdown far before any of us had heard the words “social distancing.” The data tells us that Gen Z had meal delivery services on their radar and were utilizing the internet for their social lives far before the rest of us were organizing our first Zoom meetings. Now, as COVID-19 spreads across the country, they are more likely than all other generations to be using online tools to stay close to friends and family and using apps to order their food. It’s no wonder that Gen Z shows the lowest sense of disruption- while the rest of us have been struggling to adapt, Gen Z was ahead of the curve.

Why does any of this matter? Gen Z are the consumers of tomorrow and the habits they form now will be those that they will carry through the rest of their lives. If their behaviours are the same as they were prior to coronavirus, we can project that they will remain constant after lockdown lifts. So, take the opportunity now to learn about this generation.

For those trying to reach Gen Z remember that coronavirus has not significantly altered major parts of Gen Z’s lifestyle. They are a forward-thinking generation, focussing on what will happen after the pandemic passes, which they believe will be a return to normalcy. As well, avoid talking about how the world has changed and “many people are struggling.” Gen Z struggled before COVID-19, and they will continue to struggle afterwards. Speak to how you can affect their lives now and after the conclusion of the pandemic.

If we consider how many of our lives have changed, we can reflect on how we’re already acting a bit more like Gen Z using our phones and computers for work, to order food, and connect with our friends. Gen Z has always had the internet at their fingertips, but now they’re utilizing the same digital skills that they’ve been lambasted for to their advantage.

The data in this article comes from Ipsos Public Affairs’ Context Advantage Suite. For more information on Generation Z and Ipsos’ social research offering, please contact Chris Chhim, Haley Jones, or Jessica Weber. For more information on the Context Advantage Suite please click here.

Haley is a Research Analyst at Ipsos Public Affairs based out of Toronto. She holds a master's degree from the Munk School of Global Affairs specializing in migration and human rights. Prior to joining the Public Affairs team, she worked as a researcher with the University of Toronto and an intern with the United Nations.