To date, the most numerous and active Internet users are millennials and zoomers. And if you’re not sure what those are, here are some definitions:
- Millennials (Generation Y) — people born between 1982 and 2000.
- Zoomers (Generation Z) — people born between the late 1990s and 2016.
Some experts use slightly different chronological periods, but the variation is usually small.
Millennials watched the emergence, spread and development of the Internet in the world. And zoomers were born when the Internet had become completely ubiquitous. Therefore, how they interact with the World Wide Web in general and with online dating services in particular differs significantly. Let’s try to figure out what these differences are.
Millennials and zoomers: the difference is bigger than you think
Millennials met the new millennium as children or teenagers. Distinctive features of generation Y:
- Millennials are active users of technology – they got smartphones in their teens, and consume information mainly through the Internet. Traditional media such as television, radio or newspapers are rarely used.
- They are quite willing to get acquainted on the Internet, but they prefer to transfer their acquaintance offline as soon as possible.
- Dating sites and apps are generally treated with loyalty, but they are not widely used.
Zoomers, despite the relatively small difference in age, are quite unlike millennials:
- They were born in an era of widespread use of digital technologies and the Internet. Zoomers practically do not use traditional media at all, and smartphones and computers have been familiar to them since childhood.
- They prefer to get acquainted on the web, spend less time offline, and prefer video communication instead of texting.
- They suffer more from loneliness, and more often face depression and stress.
- They are very loyal to dating sites and apps, support same-sex marriage, and generally treat the LGBT community well.
In general, millennials and zoomers are the main user base of the modern Internet. Previous generations spend much less time online, and the latest generation is still too young to use the Internet.
Generations Y and Z use dating services differently
Let’s try to find the commonalities between generations and key differences between them in how they go about online dating. To begin with, we can say that both millennials and zoomers are quite active users of dating services.
But their approaches are quite different.
- 74% of zoomers prefer to get acquainted online. Only a quarter of them prefer offline dating. But millennials are equally active both online and offline. They don’t perceive any difference in how they meet.
- Millennials are usually “slower”. They can chat for days or weeks by text, then gradually move to video communication, and only after that to a real meeting. Zoomers, on the other hand, prefer video calls and video dates, rather than texting. In this regard, they value their own time more and do not waste it.
- Zoomers on dating sites and apps are looking not only for a potential soulmate, but also for new friends. At the same time, millennials are mostly looking at dating sites as platforms for finding their love. But there are exceptions in both cases.
- Representatives of generation Y are rather distrustful of people on the Internet and often look for the catch in new acquaintances. Zoomers are more open to the world and make contact easier. At the same time, they do not run into the tricks of Internet scammers so often, because they navigate the Internet space better and know about common methods of fraud on the Web.
- Zoomers love everything new. Their interest is attracted by new applications and dating sites. Especially the ones recommended by their favorite bloggers and influencers. Millennials, on the other hand, prefer the tried-and-true classics — Tinder, which turns 10 in 2022, Match, Badoo, and so on. They don’t really like to experiment, and use what they’ve long been familiar with. Zoomers are constantly looking for unusual features and capabilities on familiar platforms. A striking example is the interactive series Swipe Night from Tinder, in which users can directly influence the course of the plot. Or Vibes — a quiz in which you need to answer questions, and where you can see the answers of other users.
It’s worth adding that the principles of using dating services are determined not only by the age of the audience, but also by the development of technology. Even 10 years ago, video communication on a dating site was a rarity, and the speed of the Internet did not always allow for comfortable interaction in this way.
Today, it’s easier than ever, so both zoomers and millennials prefer to communicate via video more and more often. And it’s not just about the video calling feature on dating sites and apps.
Video chat: a format that suits both generations
Random video chat is far from a new phenomenon. The first Omegle and Chatroulette video chats appeared in 2009. Soon, dozens of excellent alternatives were spawned, many of which have become even more popular today than their predecessors.
Random videochat Omegle.com, online cam chat Ome.TV, video chat with girls and ladies VideochatOmegle.com and other video chats give the current Internet audience many important advantages:
- Fast and convenient communication without loss of time. You just go to the site or launch the application, and in a couple of seconds you are chatting with a new person.
- Fast registration or even none at all. Many video chats do not require registration or entering personal data at all, for example Omegle.
- Huge and switched-on audience. Coming to video chat, users pursue specific goals — to communicate with new people, make interesting acquaintances, find friends, possibly even meet their true love.
- Anonymity and confidentiality. Video chats, if we’re talking about the long-established services, do not collect any personal user data and provide a high level of confidentiality.
- A bridge between generations. Yes it’s true. For many modern people, online video chats are convenient services for communication without reference to age, location or other parameters. Maximum freedom!
We believe that today video chat can completely replace dating sites for both millennials and zoomers. You can see for yourself by using this format. Or even combining two formats of online dating, thereby expanding your circle of communication.
The difference is in the detail
As you can see, there really is a difference between generations Z and Y. Can it be called massive? Of course not. But in various small details, as well as behavior and perception of the outside world, millennials and zoomers still differ in many ways.
The main thing we must remember is that everyone suffers from loneliness in the same way. Each of us needs communication in order to feel like a full-fledged member of society and live in harmony with the world. And it is dating services of all kinds that can give us this opportunity. Discover them for yourself, and maybe your life will change forever!