Due to the pandemic, Gen X and Gen Z move towards altruism

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, different age groups across India has dealt with the outbreak of the coronavirus in their own little unique ways.

According to a study conducted by the Godrej Group’s ‘Little Things We Do’, the majority of those in the Gen X grouping (59%), aged 45 and above, and the Gen Z (53%) grouping, aged 18-24, turned to altruism, distributing sanitisers, food packets, old clothes, blankets, or medical devices to those in need.

A majority of millennials (54%) 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 amongst all age groups with 54.83% giving top-most 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 by the Godrej Group to highlight how little contributions and their subsequent impact often leaves a lasting mark on our lives.

Almost three out of five (59%) 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% of respondents surveyed said they had quit unhealthy habits. Gen Z fared the worst on this count (34%) followed by Gen X (35%). Eating healthy homemade food due to lockdown restrictions warranted a behavioural consensus amongst respondents falling in the Gen Z and younger millennials (74%) group in comparison to older millennials (75%) and Gen X (77%).

 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. Speaking about the same 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 wellbeing. While some of the age groups have shown great interest in altruism, others have taken steps to safeguard their own health and wellbeing.

He further added, “There is a scope improvement in the area of hand and product sanitization as only 86% of respondents said they are sanitizing their hands or things as a measure to stay healthy and happy. This does require 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%) of respondents contented themselves by spending time with family and watching content (26.59%) and nearly a quarter (23.19%) preferred to spend time reading or listening to music. Moreover, almost one in every five started cooking as a form of positive therapy.

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