Zillennial Magazine

Zillennial

What in the Zillennial? Living on the Cusp

What It’s Like To

Be a Zillennial

The Generation Caught Between Gen Z and Millennials

Understanding Zillennials as Customers

Dear Fellow Zillennials,

There are many points throughout my daily life where I am surrounded by 2 generations I don’t quite fit in to, and being influenced by people in two different generations often feels dysfunctional and confusing. I know there is a whole generation of people who relate and that’s where Zillennial Magazine comes in. This magazine is for that micro-generation of people who are too young to consider themselves a millennial, and too old to relate to the Gen Z’ers. We are called zillennials.

Being a zillennial is strange because the spectrum between generation Z and millennials is so broad. The generational differences cover many aspects of life from politics to personal fashion sense, and this magazine will explore these differences and more! We want this to be a place where the zillennials of the world feel seen, heard, and understood. We’ve lived through some unique experiences and are not to be underestimated or overlooked– we will change the world. It’s easy to be misunderstood when there is such a small fraction of people who completely get you, so for the people who live their life on the cusp of generational boundaries, this is for you.

A Message From The Editor —Alexis Reid

Featured Zillennial:

Breaking Boundaries on the Dance Floor: The Story of Simone Wright

Simone Wright is a 25-year-old Zillennial who is making waves in the dance world with her unique style and boundary-breaking performances. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Simone grew up surrounded by the vibrant hip-hop culture of the city. She was drawn to dance from a young age and began taking classes at a local dance studio when she was just 8 years old.

As a Zillennial, Simone has been influenced by a wide range of dance styles and has developed a unique fusion of hip-hop, contemporary, and classical ballet. She has trained with some of the top choreographers in the industry and has performed in numerous dance competitions and showcases around the world.

Simone’s passion for dance is not just about the technical aspects of the craft, but also about the emotional and spiritual connection he feels to the music and the movement. She sees dance as a powerful form of self-expression and a way to break down barriers and connect with people from all walks of life.

In addition to her work as a performer, Simone is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the dance world. She believes that dance should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or identity, and she has worked with several organizations to provide opportunities for underprivileged youth to explore their creativity through dance.

For Simone, dance is more than just a hobby or a career, it’s a way of life. She sees himself as a part of a new generation of dancers who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the dance floor and breaking down the stereotypes and limitations that have long held back the industry.

As a Zillennial, Simone embodies the spirit of creativity, passion, and innovation that defines her generation. Her story is an inspiration to anyone who is pursuing their dreams, breaking down barriers, and making a difference in the world through their art.

We want to hear your stories about Zillennials! Do you know someone who is breaking down barriers, pursuing their passion, or making a difference in the world? We want to hear their story. Whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a colleague, we want to know how Zillennials are making their mark on the world.

Share their story with us and help us celebrate the creativity, passion, and innovation of this amazing generation. You can submit your story by email, social media, or through our website. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Are You a Zillennial?

Sorry, Only People Born Between 1994–2000 Will Relate To These 23 Things

Trying to figure out if you are a Zillennial? Other than the year when you were born, these statements should also help you figure it out. If you answer ‘yes’ to the majority of them then the chances are you’re a Zillennial.

Burned mix CDs.

“Learned”

to

how

use Microsoft Office at school.

Played with Polly Pocket, Bratz, Betty Spaghetty, Pixel Chix, and My Scene dolls.

Manually rolled up car windows as a kid before electric windows were a standard thing.

Watched movies on portable DVD players.

Made a Myspace account in elementary or middle school (Top 8!!!), then a Facebook account later.

Played with and on Webkinz.

Had one family computer (and printer) at home.

Learned how to use floppy disks before flash drives took over.

And, lastly, you bounced on (or wanted to bounce on) Moon Shoes.

Spent a majority of your childhood playing outside and a majority of your teen years behind a screen.

12 11

Used Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 in school.

Watched what are now classic and iconic videos online when YouTube first started.

Started elementary school with an iMacG3 in the classroom, graduated high school with an iPad at home.

14

Actually hung up your corded landlines.

Took care of your beloved Tamagotchi...

Were sort of taught cursive, but then never used it.

Owned flip phones or phones with physical QWERTY keyboards.

Played CD-ROM games and drew on Microsoft Paint for fun.

Watched “older” Disney shows like Lizzie McGuire and “newer” ones like The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Carried a Walkman, an MP3 player, and then all of the iPods.

Used dial-up internet...

Shopped at Limited Too before it became Justice.

Wh a t i n th e Z il l e n n ia l ?

You’ve heard of Millenials and Gen Z — but how did we get from the first to the second? Those who were born on the cusp of both generations know all too well. Get ready to meet Zillennials.

Let’s face it — none of us fit neatly into a category. And while generations can be useful to pinpoint mass cultural behaviors and phenomenons, there are a fair few people who fall on the cusp of generational boundaries.

If you’ve been following the Gen Z vs Millenial debate on TikTok— which, as this Vox column outlines, isn’t quite as deep as you think— you may well have noticed a few other terms being thrown around.

The phrase “geriatric millennial” started popping up on Twitter last week, much to the mild distress of anyone who fell within its age range. Zillennial has been around in the internet lexicon for a little bit longer – in part due to a swathe of people who aren’t quite sure if they’re a Gen Z or a Millenial.

So, who are Zillennials?

First things first: they’re not quite as defined as Gen Zs and Millenials. That said, we can roughly place Zillennial birthdays sometime between 1993 and 1998. That means that as of 2021, the youngest are 23 years old, while the oldest are 28. Many are already taking those first steps into the world of work – now largely inhabited by Millenials. But they’ve still got one foot in the ironic-humored, digital world of Gen Z. They can relate to both generations, without feeling fully immersed in either.

Quite simply, yes. Whether you choose to view them as pre-eminent Gen Zs or the last of the Millenials, there’s no denying that this cohort has lived through some pretty unique experiences (more on that later). But the main reason is that they’ve explicitly said they don’t really relate to either Gen Z or Millenial characteristics. Zillennials are literally telling us that they are Zillennials.

There are a lot of different ways to refer to zillennials, as they’re a relatively new concept. You might hear them called “cuspers”, for example; a reference to their precarious position between Gen Z and Millennials. There are also other variations: Zennials, Zilenials, Zillenials and more.

Why so many terms? Well, Zillennials aren’t quite a ‘real’, defined generation. This means that you’ll see a lot of words bandied about to describe them – but all you really need to know is that they’re inbetweeners, caught between two major generations.

9

“ “

You might be thinking – “does it really matter? Is a Zillennial really that different from a Gen Z – or a Millennial?”

users, but they’ve got a degree of separation from it. They have one foot in the digital past – still remembering the button controls of their Gameboy Advance, but equally as agile when swiping through the latest mobile app game. And their social media presence was likely desktop-first –think Youtube, Facebook and Tumblr as opposed to TikTok and Instagram.

digital natives

Pioneers of Activism

Gen Zs are well-known for being vocal on a whole range of issues. 93% feel that there’s still a generational divide between how different age groups view gender and transgender issues. 93% feel that brands should care about sustainability and the environment – and 86% of UK Gen Zs have actively supported the Black Lives Matter movement. We’ve seen how they respond to performative activism, and they aren’t afraid to call people out – from parents to presidents.

It’s likely that this activism, in part, was supercharged by Zillennials.

crisis of 2007/8. The fallout of these global events may or may not have directly affected them. But as social media brought world issues to their fingertips, they became the first of a new type of activist – one that uses online platforms as a springboard for change.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Zillennials may occupy a tiny age range – compared Gen Zs’ 14 and Millennials’ 15, five is a relatively thin slice. But they are not to be underestimated.

Take the Gen Z V Millennials debate over on TikTok, for example. All it really takes to debunk the feud is a person who can relate to both parties. Zillennials are a stark reminder of how much can change in five years – and a manifestation of what it’s like to grow up on the cusp.

ZILLENIAL REPELLENTS

Although this demographic shares select common traits with Gen Z and Millennials, some traits possessed by one or the other of these two age groups also have the ability to frustrate and repel Zillennial customers. Here are some of the things you should avoid when targeting the Zillennial age category:

Content Overload

Zillennials’ attention spans are somewhere between those of Gen Z and Millennials, 8 and 12 seconds, respectively. This means that this age group doesn’t respond well to large amounts of information, particularly in text format. They’ll generally take a video over a piece of writing any day! This short attention span also means that having attentiongrabbing content from the word go is a necessity.

REPELLENTS

UNDERSTANDING ZILLENNIALS AS CUSTOMERS

You might be wondering how targeting Zillennials differs from targeting Gen Z or Millennials. While it’s not entirely different, this segment of individuals has a niche set of characteristics, some of which are mutual with Gen Z-ers and some that are mutual with Millennials, hence the “hybrid” description. These characteristics include:

A day-to-day reliance on digital technologies

On the whole, if something can be done digitally, Zillennials choose to do so. Convenience and efficiency play major roles in this; this generation is unlikely to spend more time doing something offline if they can do it more quickly and easily online.

For the benefit of almost all customers, now more than ever is a crucial time to ensure the digital experience your company offers is the best it can be, from start to finish. This is especially applicable to those aiming to attract Zillennials, Gen Z and Millennials - the generations of “digital natives”.

Although, it’s worth noting here that Zillennials are less concerned about super-quick loading speeds for things like websites and apps than Gen Z, a trait they have in common with Millennials.

To give an example, a Zillennial might choose to pay a higher price for Fairtrade coffee grounds because they believe in fairer pay for workers and traders, and they strive to be someone who wants to make a difference.

BEING VALUESDRIVEN

Having common values with brands is something that’s highly valued by Zillennials. Be it sustainability, diversity, community or authenticityrelated (to name a few!), a Zillennial is more likely to support brands who have aligned beliefs and values with their own, much like how people choose to be friends with others of similar beliefs and values. This means that if you want to target this age demographic, promoting your brand values can be just as important as promoting your products and/or services!

Purchasing as a means of expressing

To this microgeneration, selfexpression can be achieved through purchasing particular products from particular brands; this inexplicitly links with being valuesdriven. Zillennials are concerned with making purchases that say something about what they value, believe in, or the person they’re striving to be.

A SALE-ONLY EXPERIENCE

Gone are the days when the customer experience only consisted of searching for a product, buying it, then using it.

Zillennials highly value knowing where their products have been sourced from, who helped make them, how the company they’re buying from treats their employees, along with many other related factors. Their customer experience should be viewed holistically, as opposed to a sale-only experience. This way, you’re more likely to attract and retain Zillennial customers because they see your company as being transparent and honest with them. Honesty is the best policy!

VIEWING SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PLATFORM INSTEAD OF A TOOL

Social media may be a great way for your company to reach large numbers of people and increase your sales, but for Zillennials it is part of their lifestyle; it’s something they dedicate time to every day to connect with people and brands. This means that it provides a perfect opportunity for your company to utilise social media to form connections with Zillennials who support your brand and make them feel valued, rather than broadcasting static messages without interacting with your customers and wider audience.

What It’s Like To

To Be a Zillennial

The Generation Caught Between Gen Z and Millennials

“It’s that sweet spot of being responsible like a millennial but also being relevant like Gen Z”

Ultimately, it’s like being caught between two fighting parents, with neither of the parents hav ing a good reason for this fight. At the same time, it’s that sweet spot of being responsible like a millennial but also being relevant like Gen Z, which is pretty cool.

— Idris Bakri, 24

I started working six years ago for a fashion magazine in the print industry, but within a year, made the shift to a digital magazine. I feel the transition from writing for a print audience to a digital one was not as hard for me as it was for some of my older millennial colleagues. I’m in the sweet spot where I can associate with both generations, even if neither will have me in their camp.

“Nobody wants to listen to your opinions because older millennials think you’re too young while the younger generation thinks you’re too old and won’t take your advice”

—Amanda Martin, 25

Gen Z’s social media is curated in a way that seems spontaneous. As a zillennial, I feel like social media comes more naturally to me, even though I grew up with a flip phone like millennials.

When it comes to Gen Z’s war on side parts and skinny jeans, I feel like it’s irrelevant. You have to wear what makes you feel good and confident, not what other people say you should.

media comes more naturally to me, even though I grew up with a flip phone like millennials”

“Social

—Yamini Nambimadom, 22

“I tend to agree more with Gen Z because millennials get so riled up, whereas Gen Z is pretty chilled out”

In the Gen Z-millennial war, I tend to agree more with Gen Z because millennials get so riled up, whereas Gen Z is pretty chilled out. As a zillennial, my humour is so drenched in irony that it’s hard to use the laughing emoji, which is so overused unironically. I feel like while millennials were ready to die on the hill for problematic cultural icons like Eminem, Harry Potter or Friends, zillennials were the first to question them, and Gen Z has taken that whole discussion forward.

Amaya Sanders, 23

CONTRIBUTORS

Shamani Joshi

Shamani Joshi is a Gen Z-focused culture reporter who curates conversations on tech, drugs, sex, and unconventional lifestyles.

Alex is a career coach and personal finance expert who has helped many Zillennials navigate the job market and manage their finances. He has written several articles on the topic and is passionate about helping others achieve financial stability.

Alexis Reid

Jamal williams

Jamal Williams: Jamal is a social justice activist who has been involved in several grassroots organizations focused on issues such as racial justice and LGBTQ rights. He is a frequent commentator on political and social issues.

Alexis Reid is experienced editor and writer who has been working in the publishing industry for over a decade.

After graduating from college, Alexis began her career as an editorial assistant at a popular lifestyle magazine before moving on to become a features editor at a national publication. Alexis’ passion for understanding the unique experiences of the Zillennial generation led her to launch a new magazine focused on this age group.

alex wong