How the young spend their money

Young people are always an enigma to their elders: Socrates surely wasn’t the first to grumble that the young are disrespectful, even tyrannical, towards adults. It’s no wonder, however, that today’s youth seem mysterious. Gen-Z are woke, broke and complicated. They have thin wallets and expensive tastes. They crave authenticity even as they are constantly immersed in an ersatz digital world. From brands they demand both instant gratification and a social conscience. They want different things from their employers, too: flexibility, more security—and more money. Their elders, meanwhile, argue over everything from how strictly to discipline children in school to how much time kids should spend on their phones. But if youngsters baffle the rest of the world, they also inspire it for their activism and ambition. They constitute a generation unlike any before. Whether, like Socrates, you are infuriated by the young or enthused by them, we have an article for you. Happy reading. Adam Roberts Digital editor The Economist