Are Gen Zers just boomers in disguise? What marketers must be mindful of as kids become adults

In 2025, the last Gen Zers will turn 18, meaning by the end of this year, the entire generation will have entered adulthood. 

As they age into an “unprecedented” world, it turns out their hopes and dreams are not so dissimilar from prior generations. Our recent survey of 1,022 Gen Zers in the US, in collaboration with the University of Southern California’s Center for Public Relations, showed that nearly two-thirds of them are not, in fact, the trend-obsessed, glued-to-their-phone kids they’re made out to be. They’re worried about the cost of housing or fading career paths. 

In other words, they’re growing up. 

In our study we uncovered three primary cohorts: Neo-traditionalists, fluid pragmatists and internet-age explorers. The deluge of Gen Z headlines over the past few years insinuates the majority of this generation falls into the internet-age explorer bucket — low commitment, progressive urbanites who are into work-life balance and seeing the world. But our study found that this cohort, while certainly the most talked about by marketers, only makes up one third of Gen Z. 

The other two-thirds — neo-traditionalists who dream of stability and conservative values and fluid pragmatists who fall somewhere in the middle — are certainly earning more attention, but are so often left out of the marketing conversation shaped by internet-age explorers on either coast. 

An unexpected shift toward stability 

A striking 74% of the neo-traditionalist cohort dreams of full-time employment, 81% see homeownership as a key goal and 93% want long-term relationships. They even prefer gas-powered cars, rejecting the blanket assumption that Gen Z’s all in on sustainability. 

As economic uncertainty looms and cultural divides widen, many young people are prioritizing security, legacy and offline community — values often associated with elder generations. This shift mirrors a broader historical pattern. Boomers in their youth were often associated with counterculture movements in the 1960s and 1970s, but as they aged, many gravitated toward conservative values, homeownership and financial security — just as we are now seeing with a significant portion of Gen Z. A recent study shows that approximately 54% of baby boomers who currently own a home never plan to sell it and expect to live in it for the rest of their lives. 

Our findings are supported by Brock Colyar’s brilliant New York Magazine piece on young conservative creators (and the like) having their very own 2008 moment after the inauguration. A political microcosm perhaps, but a relevant one when considering the combined follower count of Trump’s young devotees. This conservative shift resonates with traditional boomer-era values, proving that generational cycles often repeat.

The resurgence of these traditional values, and the popularity of magazines such as Evie, coincides with a broader political shift. While Gen Z has often been portrayed as overwhelmingly progressive, this election cycle demonstrated a more complex reality. The growing influence of neo-traditionalists suggests that brands must recalibrate their approach, recognizing that a significant portion of Gen Z values familiarity, tradition and long-term stability over a complete shirking-off of norms and morays.

Engage with nuance

Marketers have long attempted to distill generational behaviors into easy stereotypes, but clearly Gen Z resists these tidy boxes. Just as millennials grew out of their avocado toast-loving, gig economy-driven personas, some of Gen Z is walking a well-worn path. These findings serve as a reminder that youth is often just that — youth. 

This isn’t a call to abandon meme-filled, culturally relevant marketing tactics if that’s what works for your brand, but a reminder that Gen Z isn’t just a generation of disruptors; they’re also a generation coming of age in uncertain times, seeking assurance and continuity. Each of the three cohorts demonstrates unique values and aspirations, proof that targeting by demographics alone is like lassoing the wind — you’ll miss.

It’s time to rethink how we approach Gen Z — not as a singular entity, but as a generation rich with nuance. Youth will always capture marketers’ attention, but grouping all young consumers into one archetype means missing out on deeply engaged, curious individuals who defy easy categorization. Just as past generations evolved in unexpected ways, Gen Z is doing the same. And once we think we finally have them figured out, marketing priorities will shift to Gen Alpha, and so on. 

The key isn’t chasing youth as a trend, but rather understanding its complexity and listening to them as individuals, to better engage them with a thoughtful, adaptive approach that doesn’t abandon your brand’s north star.

Josh Rosenberg is CEO and cofounder of Day One Agency.