A new study has found that half of Gen Z claims that traditional gender roles are yesterday's issue.
The new U.S.-based survey was conducted by ad firm Bigeye and asked 2000 Americans of various generations a series of questions regarding gender identity and gender representation. They varied from the kinds of garments they wear and how they define if children would be more open to engaging in a wider variety of professions as adults if they were given gender-neutral toys to play with.
According to the study, half of gen Z agrees that gender stereotypes and binary labels are out of date, and just over half of respondents (54%) believe that, ten years from now, we will equate gender with stereotypic personality characteristics, products, and jobs even less than we do now.
There were a few other valuable observations from the poll surrounding gender. Parents ages 18 to 55, for example, are more likely to have gender-free early education than parents older than 56. And 73% of cisgender moms approve of gender-neutral games. In comparison, just 45% of LGBTQ+ respondents found themselves represented in today's ads.
"While the majority of Americans are cisgender, a significant percentage of younger generations believe the notion of identity is fluid and decidedly non-traditional," said Adrian Tennant, lead researcher and vice president of insights at Bigeye. "This study provides a snapshot of the broad, generational spectrum of opinions and beliefs held toward gender identity and expression within the media we consume daily through TV, ads, and online platforms.
Millennials also strongly favored advertisements that show men and women with equal skills and roles-80%t of Gen Y supported this, compared to 67% of Gen Z and 69% of Boomers.
One thing everyone agreed, though-Gen Z is undoubtedly the most informed age group when it comes to gender identity. A majority of people in all age groups agreed to this.
LGBTQ-identified participants were more likely to have faith in the next generation, with 82% of queer millennials and 88% of queer Boomers believing that Gen Z is better educated about non-binary and transgender identities.
