Zillennials: The Newest Micro-Generation Has A Name

The term millennial (also known as Generation Y) refers to anyone born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z refers to anyone born from 1997 through 2012, according to the Pew Research Center.

Along the blurry edge at the cusp of the two generations, between Gen Y and Z, is where zillennials live.

Unfamiliar with the term? It’s a tiny group, reports CNN.

“Zillennials refer to a small cohort born between the early 1990s and the early 2000s,” said Deborah Carr, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science at Boston University. “They’re on the cusp of Gen Z and millennial, thus the mash-up label of zillennial.”

This micro-generation, loosely defined as being in their early to mid-20s, have faced and overcome much adversity in their relatively short lives, said Carr via email.

“They were babies and children when 9/11 struck and don’t know life before airport security screenings, rampant domestic terrorism and other frightening threats,” she said. “They attended college during the pandemic, and missed out on important social markers.”

Zillennials were born roughly between 1992 and 2002, but there isn’t one consistent cut off point that experts agree on, Carr said.

Zillennials straddle the generations of millennials, who are considered digital pioneers, and Gen Z, who are considered digital natives who never knew life before screens.

In addition to a shared relationship with technology, members of a generation or birth cohort often share critical life experiences, said Carr.

For the “Greatest Generation,” that includes being called to serve during World War II, she said. For baby boomers, having grown up together as young adults in the tumultuous 1960s is a commonality. Gen X was born after boomers, from the early 1960s to the late 1970s.

Gen Z attended high school during the pandemic and missed out on major youth milestones. For Americans, that might be prom and traditional graduations.

While zillennials often feel they don’t fit in with either Gen Z or millennials, Dorsey said the middle zone they occupy has its own advantages.

“At our research center, we’ve seen cuspers like zillennials often end up having an advantage because it tends to make them more aware of both generations before and after their own,” states Jason Dorsey, a generations researcher and president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, a generational research firm.

His firm’s research has shown Gen Z to be more connected to social causes than millennials, with zillennials similarly more interested than millennials when it comes to social issues.

From a young age, zillennials have learned the effects of climate change, said Carr. “They are very mindful of the threats to the planet—yet also know they can play an important role in reducing their carbon footprint (Think, Greta Thunberg),” Carr said.

But the stereotypes society creates for generations are just stereotypes, Carr said.

“We need to remember that every generation of young people has their own struggles and that they’re coping the best they can with the world that past generations have created for them,” she said.