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How the first global generation is redefining adulthood

Photographic portrait of Marcie Merriman
Marcie Merriman

EY Americas Cultural Insights & Customer Strategy Leader

7 minute read 28 May 2025
Related topics
Workforce
Consulting
Transformation Realized

The first global generation is reimagining adulthood – and forcing businesses to reinvent themselves in the process.

In brief

  • Access to technology has driven the convergence of shared global experiences for the most informed, interconnected generation in history.
  • A health revolution has emerged as young adults prioritize wellbeing over wealth and career advancement.
  • Financial security is a means rather than the goal itself. However, economic realities make achieving financial independence increasingly difficult. 

In a world where the pace of change is no longer incremental and is rarely linear, today’s young adults — the first global generation — aren’t only adapting; they’re actively reimagining what it means to be an adult.

In a new EY global study that charts the attitudes, values and hopes of 18-to-34-year-olds across 10 countries, we learn that these young adults are prioritizing financial independence, but on their own terms. They are embracing responsibility, but without conforming to standards that are no longer relevant. They are redefining success — not as a fixed goal, but as an evolving, holistic pursuit beyond just their bank account.

In response, C-suite executives are having to question long-held assumptions about every aspect of their organization. Here are five insights from our research for organizations to consider as they prepare for the next generation of consumers, employees and citizens.

1. This is the first truly global generation: connected, informed and culturally fluid

Unlike prior generations, today’s youth have grown up with real-time exposure to global culture and crises, creating unprecedented interconnection alongside unique regional distinctions. While not everyone is watching the same videos or diving into the same threads, the impulse to look on the same common social platforms for answers is a global one.

Technology serves as a foundation for these shared global experiences. It has given young people worldwide a common digital vocabulary and experience, bridging languages and bringing cultures closer together. The nearly ubiquitous nature of social media among the young has intensified this effect, with 94% of participants engaging with these platforms daily. However, growing up in this environment is not without consequences. In our study, 44% of respondents globally said they would prefer to spend less time on social media, with those in Brazil, Germany and Sweden most likely to say this. 

Technology is the foundation of shared global experiences ...
of young adults spend time using social media on a typical day.
... but technology is not without its consequences
of young adults globally would prefer to spend less time on social media.

How EY can help

Understanding how technology shapes the worldview of today’s youth is crucial for business leaders planning tomorrow’s future. It will inform how organizations evolve their product and services strategies to appeal to both global tastes and local preferences.

 

 2. Past milestones are irrelevant in an era of rapid change

 

In 1935, when the Social Security Act was passed in the US, the official retirement age was 65, and the average life expectancy in the US was 60.7. Today it is around 80.1 The Social Security Act was literally designed to support a group of people who were largely expected to die before needing it. Meanwhile, in China, life expectancy has soared from 33 in 1960, to 79 today.2  The timelines of the past – how long we live, when we should stop working, and how we should approach retirement –have shifted from decades past, along with the extended length of our lifetimes.
 

Similarly, we are seeing a profound shift in how young adults approach life’s traditional milestones. They are the “Pragmatic Generation,” approaching life milestones not with rebellion but with reasoned scepticism and a global perspective. For example, rather than joining a company with the goal of sticking with it for life, our research shows that 59% of young adults globally believe they should work for two to five organizations throughout their lives, while 19% believe they should work at six or more. In many countries, job hopping is no longer viewed as a negative, but an essential step to open doors and advance opportunities.


This represents more than just another generational shift — it is changing the fundamentals of human life. In tomorrow’s world, the blurring of boundaries will merge into a timetable that is limitless and malleable. Organizations will have to find ways to adapt products, services and employee value propositions to meet consumers where they are.  

3. Young adults are prioritizing physical and mental health over wealth and career advancement

Young adults are prioritizing their physical and mental health and relationships with family over wealth and career advancement. A staggering 51% of young people globally rate their mental and physical health as the primary measure of future success, the No. 1 metric globally. Family relationships follow closely at 45%, outranking both wealth (42%) and occupation (41%). This is a wake-up call for societies that have long equated success with financial gain, material possessions and personal sacrifice.


This isn’t to say that today’s youth aren’t deeply concerned about finances — they are. However, they seek more than just a paycheck. They want employers that align with their values (69%) and seek employers who respect their personal time (61%). Importantly, this is about more than searching for “work-life balance.” Young adults seek careers and jobs that support stable lives, rather than lives that revolve around their careers.

As priorities shift in how young adults measure success, organizations will want to evolve their consumer and employer value propositions to reflect the deeper meaning they’re seeking in life.

4. Money is a means, not an end

In uncertain economic times, the pursuit of wealth is changing. For younger generations, financial security serves as a foundation for a fulfilling life rather than the ultimate goal. This moment of global convergence around financial security is striking — 87% of young adults globally consider financial independence very or extremely important. More than half of the countries surveyed (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, India and China) rated this importance above 90%. Sweden was the exception at 58%, potentially due to its robust education, welfare and social systems.

Financial security is the foundation for fulfilling life
of young adults globally consider financial independence as very or extremely important.

How EY can help

Yet young people in many countries grapple with the gap between their desires for financial independence and the economic realities that make it increasingly difficult to achieve. This reflects broader trends of economic instability and heightened financial anxiety. Young adults in the US are inundated with what some might call the “unattainability complex.” Similarly, in China, South Korea, and Japan, many young adults perceive homeownership in “desirable” cities as a distant dream unless they inherit property from their parents.

 

Looking to attract and retain both customers and employees will want to consider how they communicate the value of their products and services, or their employee value proposition in terms beyond monetary benefits.

 

5. Young adults seek the right balance between security, anxiety and optimism

 

In a world marked by economic challenges, geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change, a complex tapestry of optimism and pessimism has emerged that transcends borders. However, our research reveals a striking dichotomy. While 31% of young adults worldwide are very or extremely excited about their future lives at 50, slightly more — 34% — harbor deep fears about the future.

 

Our research suggests that optimism is closely linked with opportunity and a desire to make the world a better place, while pessimism correlates with distrust, apathy and risk-aversion. As we navigate this complex landscape, the future has become more than a destination; it reflects our collective beliefs, shaped by the interplay of opportunity, culture and geography.

 

Organizations will want to consider how their products create opportunity, optimism and stability in uncertain times.

 

In an era of constant change, charting the future of your organization requires understanding the people that are driving it. As we navigate the most transformative period in human history, the perspectives of younger generations offer valuable insights into the shifts occurring in our global society.

 

Organizations that have the courage to think differently and embrace the unknown will do more than face the future — they’ll create it.


Summary

A new EY global study reveals how young adults — the most connected generation in history — are redefining adulthood. Prioritizing wellbeing over wealth, they view financial independence as a means, not an end. Their shifting values challenge organizations to rethink strategies, from product development to talent engagement, in a rapidly evolving world.

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    About this article

    Photographic portrait of Marcie Merriman
    Marcie Merriman
    EY Americas Cultural Insights & Customer Strategy Leader
    Student of human behavior, lover of transformative design. Living at the intersection of culture, commerce and technology to build human-centered experiences. Catalyst. Entrepreneur. Mom.
    Related topics
    Workforce
    Consulting
    Transformation Realized

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