Generation Z's Challenges to Financial Independence: Adolescents' and Early Emerging Adults' Perspectives on Their Financial Futures
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| Title: | Generation Z's Challenges to Financial Independence: Adolescents' and Early Emerging Adults' Perspectives on Their Financial Futures |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jennifer D. Rubin (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Adolescent Research. 2026 41(3):639-672. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 34 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | High Schools Secondary Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Barriers, COVID-19, Pandemics, Generational Differences, Money Management, Financial Literacy, Long Range Planning, Early Adolescents, Late Adolescents, Economic Factors, Expectation, Aspiration, High School Students, College Students, Young Adults |
| Geographic Terms: | Washington |
| DOI: | 10.1177/07435584241256572 |
| ISSN: | 0743-5584 1552-6895 |
| Abstract: | This research examines how shared generational challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shape Generation Z's perceptions of their financial futures in the United States. We were particularly attentive to young people's "future orientation"--an individual's image of their future--as they developed aspirations, expectations, and plans for attaining financial independence in adulthood. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 adolescents and early emerging adults (aged 14-22) from Washington State who were diverse in race and gender. We found that participants perceived the instability of the economic system in the U.S. as restricting Generation Z's ability to imagine and prepare for financial independence later in life. Participants responded to economic constraints, such as rising living costs and education, by altering their expectations, aspirations, and plans for their futures. These findings have implications for Generation Z's developmental transition to adulthood. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1502301 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This research examines how shared generational challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shape Generation Z's perceptions of their financial futures in the United States. We were particularly attentive to young people's "future orientation"--an individual's image of their future--as they developed aspirations, expectations, and plans for attaining financial independence in adulthood. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 adolescents and early emerging adults (aged 14-22) from Washington State who were diverse in race and gender. We found that participants perceived the instability of the economic system in the U.S. as restricting Generation Z's ability to imagine and prepare for financial independence later in life. Participants responded to economic constraints, such as rising living costs and education, by altering their expectations, aspirations, and plans for their futures. These findings have implications for Generation Z's developmental transition to adulthood. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0743-5584 1552-6895 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/07435584241256572 |
