An Informative List of Gen Z Activities Without Technology

Gen Z activities without technology? Doesn’t it sound like a fish out of water? These youngsters were born in a digital age. How come they won’t be in the thick of digital things?

But suppose such a young blood suddenly gets bored with the lighted screens and brain rot. What else is there for him to try?

Lots of things. Here in the Innocams blog post find some interesting alternatives to technology for Gen Z guys.

What is Gen Z?

Generation Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2012. They are also called digital natives and iGeneration.  These youngsters were born and grew up amidst a technological spectacle that includes the Internet and smartphones. 

General Traits of Gen Z

A guy belonging to Gen Z is more likely to be found slouching over their smartphones than gardening. But that doesn’t mean they don’t understand the values of activities other than technology. Following are some basic traits of people belonging to Gez Z:

• They are tech-savvy. Their love and knowledge of technology, especially the Web, is much more than their previous generations. 
• This is the most ethnically and culturally diverse generation in the world.
• They value climate change and sustainability.
• Their deep attachment to social media makes them more vulnerable to stress and anxiety than their previous generations.
• They value interesting jobs more than the salary they get. 

Physical Characteristics of Gen Z

There is no special physical appearance common to all Generation Z people. But, they are very health and fitness conscious. That’s why they usually look fitter and more athletic looking than older people.

They usually love an informal style of clothing, but again, there is no cut and dried generalisation about this. 

We must not forget that people from this group are the most diverse generation in the world. So their physical appearances and styles greatly vary from place to place. 

List of Gen Z Activities Without Technology

Gen Z activities without technology are many and varied. 

If you think technology is all these digital natives are interested in, think again. Did you know these people like reading much more than people of their previous generation, that too, long-form content? Here is a detailed discussion on the non-tech activities Gen Z people like.

Reading Long-Form Pieces

A study conducted by Nielsen, in which 30,000 respondents were involved across 60 countries, found out that Gen Z guys love reading more than playing games and surfing social networking platforms. 

And you thought that guy, sitting across from you in the park and hovering over his smartphone can’t read. How wrong you can get.

Following are some surprising facts about people belonging to this generation.

• They prefer physical books over ebooks. 
• They like long-form material.
• They have a taste for a broader range of  genres than the older generation. They prefer genres like romance, young adult, sci-fi, horror etc. 
• They prefer books with complicated plot construction and diverse characters.
• A major portion of Gen Zers prefer the young adult genre. 
• They spend a significant amount of their reading time on mobile reading. But prefer physical books and libraries.

Hiking and Gen Zers

Hiking is another popular activity for these Gen Z people. They are much more adventurous than their previous generations and hiking provides them a thrilling experience.

There are some reasons behind these digital natives’ love of hiking. Some of them are listed below. 

Adventure

Gen Zers are much more thrill-seekers than their previous generations. They are much more adventurous and daring. Hiking gives them an opportunity to satisfy their crave for high-adrenaline activities.

Climate Consciousness

Gen Zers are very conscious about nature conservation, sustainability and climate changes. Hiking gives them an opportunity to get connected with nature, which they love.

Affordability Factor

These young guys are money-conscious too. More than a third of those respondents in the Nielsen study said that making money is at the top of their wish list. 

Hiking gives them an opportunity to satisfy their love of nature in a cost-effective manner.

Digital Detox

The young generation is conscious of the dangers of excessive screen time and hiking gives them an opportunity to get out of digital brain rot. 

Physical Fitness Activities

Gen Z people are very health conscious. Most of them do some form of physical activities to stay fit and healthy regularly.

A recent report published on CivicScience, an ace opinion research organisation, revealed that the NBA All Star format is gaining quick popularity among Gen Z.

Their most favourite physical activities include calisthenics, strength training, pilates and outdoor sports like soccer. 

Yoga and Meditation

Generation Z is also heavily into yoga and meditation. They prefer group training rather than practising in solitude. This is one of the most important Gen Z activities without technology.

There is a reason for this tendency.

The Nielsen study found out that there is a significant amount of work-related stress among people from this younger generation. They are vulnerable to anxiety and depression. 

Yoga meditation gives them a de-stressing experience which they love. Practising in groups also gives them an opportunity to social networking–their natural inclination.

Shopping at Malls

These young people love shopping and they prefer shopping at malls rather than online buying. Recent studies have shown the following shopping trends among Gen Zers.

The Social Aspect

These youngsters love the social experience that shopping malls offer. They prefer to visit malls along with their friends. Besides, they love posting photographs that they click at malls on their social networking platforms. 

The Perfectionism Aspect

The Gen Z guys are very careful about their dress. The shopping malls give them an opportunity to try on garments before making a purchase.

Research and Purchase

These young people do a thorough online research then visit brick and mortar malls to buy stuff. Thus they can recheck what they find online before spending their money on clothes. 

Gen Z and Journaling

Gen Z activities without technology surprisingly include Journaling.

To de-stress themselves, Gen Zers are increasingly opting for journaling. The key points about Gen Z journaling are given below:

• They prefer physical journal diaries, but utilise various journaling apps too. 
• Journaling provides them relaxation and helps them re-centre.
• They take journaling as a means to express themselves.
• They love using stickers and experimenting with different fonts in their journals to improve their aesthetic appeal.
• They often post their journal entries on social media platforms which encourages others to start journaling.

Gen Z and Social Events

Gen Z people are party animals. They love social gathering and attending various social events. Their natural inclination to network with others gets an expression in such activities.

Their most preferred events are music shows, influencer-hosted shows and events and film festivals and book fairs. 

At such events, these youngsters meet new friends and like-minded people. They also give them an excellent opportunity to take photographs for their social media accounts. 

Gen Z and Gaming

Gen Zers love games. Both outdoor and mobile games attract them. The key points about Gen Z gaming are listed below.

• They have more games on their devices than their previous generations.
• They prefer action/adventure/shooting games.
• They often play multilevel long games.
• They love playing games online. 
• They actively look for new or updated games and download them on their devices.
• Boys of Gen Z play much more games than girls of this age group.

Gen Z and Substance Abuse

Unfortunately, these youngsters are prone to developing a substance abuse problem than their previous generations. 

This is one of the Gen Z activities without technology that has dangerous consequences for them and their families.

According to the Addiction Center, a significant portion of these digital natives fall prey to drug addiction and binge drinking. 

The Addiction Center identified three major causes behind Gen Z people’s vulnerability to drug and alcohol addiction.

1. Their Limited Access to Healthcare

Gen Zers have dangerously limited access to affordable healthcare. AC claimed that only around 27% digital natives in the US have access to consistent mental health treatment. 

This lack of treatment aggravates their depression and anxiety and makes them prone to substance abuse and drinking to change their mood.  

But instead of helping them, drugs and alcohol destroy their health and possibility of their living a healthy and fulfilling life. Their addiction also lays waste on their families and relatives.

2. The Social Media Factor

Gen Z people are big time users of various social media platforms, especially TikTok. Often posts go viral that show influencers using drugs. Fads like Benadryl challenge–where users use Benadryl and describe their experiences. 

Benadryl is an antihistamine that is often abused as a recreational drug. It can elevate mood and cause hallucination. 

In September 2020, a 15 years old girl in Oklahoma died after taking the challenge and overdosing. 

Thus the social media also may instigate these young people to try drugs and alcohol.

3. Mental Health Factor

As we have seen earlier in this post, Gen Z guys are among the most depressed people in the world. To make matters worse, they don’t receive the treatment they need.  As a result, their mental health condition steadily deteriorates. 

This declining mental health may make them try risky substances and alcohol to elevate their mood. Over time, this recreational use often becomes a killer addiction, difficult to get rid of. 

Conclusion

Gen Z activities without technology are many and varied. Most of them are positive and constructive. 

They play games, they go hiking, they socialise and read books. All this positively impacts their cognitive and social development.

However, they are a very depressed lot and often fall prey to dangerous drug and alcohol addiction that lays waste on their lives.  

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