Mind the Gap: Gen Z is seeking ‘main-character energy’ in 2023

CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

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Global leaders, Industry & Capabilities Practices

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Illustration of a woman getting her eyes checked

Do you feel like the protagonist of your own life? If not, perhaps you need to move out of NPC (nonplayer character) status and harness the much-loved trend of “main-character energy” when planning your 2023.

(And guess what, we have tips for that—in our guide to managing yourself and others.)

Simply put, main-character energy can refer to investing in and advocating for yourself and doing things that make you happy. It’s no surprise it’s a Gen Z favorite term, with more than 170 million tagged videos; research has shown that the circumstances we’ve grown up under have bred increased individualism and self-reliance.

Main-character energy isn’t a new term—it’s a throwback to 2021—but as more Gen Zers become independent adults in the coming year, they’re more likely to be acting on it. Here are just a few ways Gen Z will continue the game of create-your-own-reality:

You do you. Individual expression is king, and The State of Fashion 2023 report, from senior partners Anita Balchandani and Achim Berg in collaboration with the Business of Fashion, found that 50 percent of Gen Zers have shopped across gender categories to value style over tradition—and 70 percent plan to do so next year.

Never too early. Most Gen Zers believe that if they want financial security, they’ll have to make it for themselves—and the median age Gen Zers start to save for retirement is just 19 years old, far younger than previous generations.

Moneymaker. Gen Zers aren’t just looking to employers for financial security; they see themselves as a resource too. An Instagram trends report found that 64 percent of social media users planned to monetize a project this year.

No more five-year plan . . . Senior partners André Dua and Kweilin Ellingrud and coauthors found that 45 percent of young people are concerned about the stability of their jobs or their current job’s ability to provide a good quality of life.

. . . but planning for the future. The threat of climate change is very real for Gen Z, and they’re acting with their wallets. Younger people are willing to pay more for carbon-neutral flights; the Instagram report also found that two-thirds of young people plan to buy climate-proof skin care products to protect against extreme weather and sun.

Also, we might actually want to be the main character.

Technology and media have enabled us to step right into the action with first-person video games and immersive virtual reality. And then there’s the metaverse, which has many Gen Z fans and which McKinsey research shows has the potential to generate up to $5 trillion in value by 2030. Some interesting stats to consider:

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Forty-one percent of Gen Z find it easier to be themselves online than in person, research from senior partner Jennifer Schmidt found.

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Employed Gen Z consumers spend an average of $107 a year on metaverse-related assets.

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Young people expect to spend up to five hours a day in the metaverse.

(Want to know more about the metaverse? Read through our Explainer on the topic, a no-nonsense guide backed by our insights—now available on all platforms.)

Whether it’s gathering the courage to ask your boss for a raise or logging on to a video game raid, 2023 will bring even more opportunities to place yourself as Player One. Are you ready?

Thanks for reading. Mind the Gap will return on January 10. Enjoy the holidays!