Gen X, Z inclined towards altruism: Study

Different age groups across India dealt with last year's national lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic in their own unique ways. Godrej Group's latest survey 'Little Things We Do' highlights revealed how different age groups across the country coped with the lockdown in 2020 in different ways.

A majority of those in the Gen X grouping (59 per cent), aged 45 and above, and the Gen Z (53 per cent) grouping, aged 18-24, turned to altruism, distributing sanitizers, food packets, old clothes, blankets, or medical devices to those in need.

It added that a majority of millennials (54 per cent) made environmentally-conscious actions their top priority. A dissection of the millennials age-group further revealed that younger millennials (25-34) were the most environmentally-conscious among all age-groups with 54.83 per cent giving topmost priority to growing plants at home, being conscious of energy consumption and of the environmental impact of the products they purchased.

The 'Little Things We Do' research was commissioned to highlight how little contributions and their subsequent impact often leaves a lasting mark on our lives.

Almost three out of five (59 per cent) millennials took to a physical or mental fitness activity like yoga, Zumba, walking or meditation to keep themselves healthy and happy. At the same time only a small percentage quit vices such as smoking, overspending, junk eating and drinking across all age groups.

Only 36 per cent of respondents surveyed said they had quit unhealthy habits. Gen Z fared the worst on this count (34 per cent) followed by Gen X (35 per cent). Eating healthy home-made food due to lockdown restrictions warranted a behaviourial consensus among respondents falling in the Gen Z and younger millennials (74 per cent) group in comparison to older millennials (75 per cent) and Gen X (77 per cent).

Sujit Patil, Vice President & Group Head -- Corporate Brand and Communications, Godrej, described the research as an insight into the minds of different consumer age-groups in response to a challenging period. He said, "The current pandemic has taken a toll on the lifestyle and aspirations of Indians. People from different age groups, therefore, have started incorporating 'little' changes in their lives that can boost mental and physical well-being. While some of the age groups have shown great interest towards altruism, others have taken steps to safeguard their own health and well-being.

He further added, "There is a scope improvement in the area of hand and product sanitization as only 86 per cent of respondents said they are sanitizing their hands or things as a measure to stay healthy and happy. This does requires a concerted effort from all of us to raise the bar of personal hygiene further."

According to the study, confinement and other restrictions have also given time for entertainment and spending time with family: more than a quarter (27.35 per cent) of respondents contented themselves by spending time with family and watching content (26.59 per cent) and nearly a quarter (23.19 per cent) preferred to spend time reading or listening to music. Almost one in every five started cooking as a form of positive therapy.

To stay positive and happy during lockdown, almost 33 per cent of the Gen X-ers surveyed preferred to spend time with family, followed by watching OTT content and TV shows (21 per cent) or listening to music or reading books (23 per cent). In contrast, for other age-groups watching content on OTT platforms or listening to music was their go-to space for happiness.