You’ve probably heard some of these phrases before:
“Gen Z doesn’t like to work.”
“Millennials post too much on social media.”
“Boomers are extremely loyal to brands.”
These kinds of statements have been repeated so many times that we often start believing these traits and behaviors are natural or even genetic.
The belief that such patterns are absolute truths has become the foundation for many business plans, marketing campaigns, and sales strategies. But aren’t we oversimplifying highly complex topics like human behavior and buying habits? The real question is: does it still make sense to segment people by generation?
Lately, dividing people into generational categories has become increasingly common. And to be fair, each generation did experience unique contexts, economic cycles, crises, innovations, and cultural shifts.
Boomers grew up during times of optimism and stability.
Generation X witnessed the birth of the digital world.
Millennials faced the 2008 financial crisis and the collapse of many certainties.
Gen Z came of age amid climate chaos and with instant access to the internet.
These historical references matter, of course. But do they truly explain people’s buying behavior today?
The truth is: the generation you were born into is not a decree on how you will think, act, or live.
You can be 22 years old and love pen and paper.
You can be 55 and prefer traveling and collecting experiences instead of owning things.
Today, consumer choices are shaped by a complex mix of context, access, personal values, identity, technology, and past experiences.
When we segment people solely by age, we risk ignoring crucial factors such as social class, regional background, ethnicity, digital literacy, lifestyle, education level, mental health, and even vastly different life stages among people of the same age. That’s a lot of important nuance left out.
The result? You’ve probably seen it before: generic campaigns that claim to “speak to Gen Z” but seem to have been created by a small bubble of people who’ve never had a deep conversation with an actual 20-year-old. Or brands that think they understand Millennials just because they post a meme about coffee and bills. It sounds clever on the surface, but it’s shallow at its core.
The good news is that there are far better ways to understand human behavior and get stronger marketing campaigns results, whether to deliver products people truly need, improve user experiences, or simply build stronger relationships. But for that to happen, segmentation needs to be smarter, based on micro-behaviors and affinity tribes.
In other words, instead of asking, “How old is this person?”, we should be asking:
- What do they value?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What kind of content do they consume and where?
- How do they balance work and personal life?
- What habits shape their daily routine?
Today, a 20-year-old vegan gamer might have a lot in common with a 35-year-old lawyer who also plays video games and is vegan. But that same gamer could be completely different from another Gen Z who hates online games and eats meat three times a day.
When we look at affinity, context, and life experience, the diversity of consumer behavior starts to make real sense. And what does that change for those who create, sell, or communicate? Everything.
Brands that move away from “generationalism” and connect with affinity tribes based on real behaviors create more inclusive, honest, and relevant experiences, instead of pressuring people to like things that have no meaning or value to them.
So why try to please an entire generation when you can connect deeply with groups that actually share the same pains, desires, and languages?
In short: more depth, less stereotype.
More real connection, fewer generic trends.
Yes, segmenting by generation was once useful. But today, it can be limiting. The real challenge is to step out of the age bubble and see the human being, in all their complexity, contradictions, and diversity.
That’s what we believe in here at Super Plural.
And you, have you ever fallen into a generational stereotype? Or been labeled as something that has nothing to do with you? Feel free to share your experience.
See you next time!
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