How Gen Z's lack of driving could exacerbate loneliness epidemicNBC News Dana Griffin explores why Gen Z is driving less than other generations and how the major cultural shift could potentially exacerbate the loneliness epidemic.
Less and less of Gen Z -- roughly defined as people born between 1997 and 2010 -- are on the roads. Today (for year 2022), just 25 percent of 16 year olds have any type of driver's license. Compare that to nearly three decades ago (1997) when that number was 43 percent.
Why do all of that when you have things like public transportation, ride sharing, and food delivery aps?
teen girl: "The modern accessibility for getting rides, and all of that, has sort of balanced out the fact that I don't have a license."
It's also part of some broader shifts we're seeing in Gen Z.
They're drinking less, sleeping earlier, and staying home. Part of it may have to do with their 'coming of age' being interrupted.
"Many of these young adults really finished middle school, or high school in the pandemic where everything shifted to online. So in real life, interactions seemed less important."
They're spending a lot of time glued to their phones. Just about half of teens say they're online almost constantly (2022), double that from 2014 to 2015, according to a recent Pew study.
Another part? Finances.
85% of Gen Z citing barriers. Maybe less focus on getting a car and paying insurance, and more on groceries and paying off student loans.
Last year 24 percent of Gen Z adults reported always or often feeling lonely over the past 12 months. Compared to 18 percent of Millennials, according to the American Enterprise Institute's Survey Center on American Life).
How Gen Z's lack of driving could exacerbate loneliness epidemic, NBC (video), Feb. 12, 2024