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Understanding the iGeneration

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Video courtesy of Lancaster University

This project considers whether and how those born after the proliferation of the internet are different from those born prior to it.

The research team developed a multidisciplinary, cross-national study with in-depth interviews of over 100 college students. Preliminary results from these interviews suggest that members of this group place considerable emphasis on finding their identities and respecting the identities of others, strive to be pragmatic problem-solvers, prefer to work in collaboration with others and reject a hierarchical form of leadership. The Internet is a key tool that aids this generation in implementing strategies to achieve goals that align with their values.

Understanding the iGeneration is led by 2016-20 CASBS visiting scholar Roberta Katz, 2017-2018 CASBS fellow Sarah Ogilvie, 2018-19 CASBS research affiliate Jane Shaw, and 2018-19 CASBS fellow Linda Woodhead.

Understanding the iGeneration has received funding from the Knight Foundation.

For more information, please contact CASBS Program Director Zachary Ugolnik (zugolnik@stanford.edu).


Publications

Gen Z Explained- The art of living in a digital age

Understanding Gen Z
Understanding the iGeneration - in collaboration with Pacific Standard - produced 36 articles that address different aspects of the values, beliefs, and behavior of Gen Z. Through these articles, we hope to approximate a portrait of this generation and an idea of where they’re leading us.

Ask the Kids by Roberta Katz in Public Books
Project leader, Roberta Katz, reviews Jean Twenge’s book, iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us, and other studies on Generation Z for Public Books article. 

Related: iGen Project Partners with Pacific Standard