Zillennials — the microgeneration spanning consumers born between 1991 and 1999 — are using voice technology across their daily lives.
From going about their daily routines to managing disruptions, zillennials are using voice assistants more than older generations. This demographic integrates voice tech for a variety of tasks, including online shopping, financial management and retrieving information.
PYMNTS Intelligence research, drawn from a survey of 2,721 United States consumers, explores how zillennials’ use of voice technology compares to that of other generations. The findings suggest that this generation’s demand for assistants could drive further advancements in voice technology going forward.
Most Zillennials Use Voice Assistants to Carry Out Day-to-Day Tasks
Most zillennials use voice technology to complete basic tasks at least occasionally. Nearly two-thirds of zillennials reported using voice technology around the home in the previous year. This share was greater than that of any other generation. Zillennials were 26% more likely than the population overall to say they had done so.
An even greater share of consumers in this bridge generation use voice technology for identification and information. Sixty-eight percent reported having done so in the previous 12 months, a share 18% more than the sample overall.
Moreover, most zillennials use the technology to shop and pay. Fifty-five percent did so in the last year, which marked 34% more than the total population. Similarly, half of zillennials at least occasionally use voice technology for financial tasks, which was also 34% above average.
Zillennials’ adoption of these technologies consistently outpaces that of millennials. There are several areas, however, in which Generation Z consumers are quicker to engage with the technology than zillennials. Gen Zers show higher voice technology adoption when it comes to identification and information, shopping and paying, and financial tasks.
Voice assistant technology is evolving, with leading providers racing to offer the most advanced options. In September, for instance, OpenAI began giving Advanced Voice access to ChatGPT’s Plus and Team users. Amazon, meanwhile, is reportedly getting ready to upgrade Alexa’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice service and to add a paid subscription. Plus, Apple has been working toward developing a more seamless, intuitive version of Siri.
Zillennials Are Using Voice Assistants to Complete Tasks From Start to Finish
Consumers are often more likely to use voice assistants for only part of an undertaking than to complete entire tasks. Take, for instance, shopping. Across generations, 19% of voice technology users said they utilized these capabilities to partially complete tasks related to shopping and paying for retail purchases in the previous year. These consumers also needed help from a screen, mouse, keyboard or some other means to finish the task. Only 10% were able to fully accomplish retail tasks by voice assistant alone.
Zillennials, however, are more likely to take a pure-play voice commerce approach. Among these voice assistant users, 14% completed such tasks with voice technology alone. They are 35% likelier than the overall population to do so.
A similar trend can be seen across other activities. Voice assistant users are likelier to complete tasks related to identification and information partially using the technology rather than fully. Zillennials are 9% likelier to conduct these tasks fully by voice assistant.
In addition, zillennial voice assistant users are the likeliest to use voice technology to fully complete tasks around the home. Twenty-seven percent reported having done so in the previous year — a greater share than any other generation. Moreover, this share is 26% higher than the 21% of the sample overall that did so.
Zillennials are also the age group most likely to use voice assistants to fully complete financial tasks. Among voice technology users in this demographic, 15% had done so in the previous year versus 11% of the sample. These consumers are 43% likelier than those across generations to do so.
Zillennials Turn to Voice Technology to Deal With Unexpected Disruptions
Consumers in this microgeneration are disproportionately likely to say they would use voice technology — provided it was as smart and reliable as a person — to assist them in adjusting to a number of unexpected events.
For example, zillennials are more likely to say they would turn to the technology to help plan their schedules around traffic. Say traffic was unusually heavy, and a voice assistant could prompt them to leave earlier than usual for an appointment. Zillennials are the age group most inclined to take advantage of this option. Forty-three percent would be highly likely to do so, a share 19% greater than the sample overall.
Zillennials also show above-average interest in using voice assistants to push back reservations if they encounter traffic jams. Specifically, 41% would be highly likely to do so, which is 22% greater than the population-wide average.
Zillennials are also the most likely of all to tap voice technology if, say, a doctor’s appointment ran late, and they needed the voice assistant to notify their spouse to pick up their children. Forty percent of zillennials reported being highly likely to use the technology in this case, versus 33% of the sample.
Similarly, zillennials are the likeliest generation to use voice assistants to change their Uber’s pickup time if their flight gets delayed. They said they would be highly likely to do so 14% more than the sample overall.
Finally, zillennials are disproportionately likely to use the technology in dire straits. For example, many would use voice assistants to get help and contact friends and family following an auto accident. Nearly half said they would be highly likely to do so if they could — 13% higher than the sample-wide average.
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The PYMNTS Intelligence Zillennials MonitorEdge Report Series offers insights into the actions and preferences of consumers in this microgeneration. Continue reading to learn about how they digitally engage, how they pay and how they make purchasing decisions.
