The Best Gifts for Gen Z, According to Zoomers

With insight from several in-the-know zoomers.

graphic of gifts for gen z
(Image credit: Jonelle Afurong/Future)

Gen Z is widely considered to be an enigma—and I say this as a zoomer myself. I was born in '98 (anyone born between 1997 and 2012 is considered part of the club), and even still, I find myself confuddled by my generation. In the face of tumult (and boy, there's been a lot of it in our seminal years), we cope with post-ironic humor. We have a penchant for self-deprecation, yet are proud, oustanding members of the self-love moment. And despite having not-so-sunny dispositions about the futurestudies show that Gen Z is perhaps the most socially and politically conscious of any generation yet—and we're energized to create the world we want

We're also a generation that grew up with constant connectivity through social media and the internet, which means we've grown accustomed to having everything at our fingertips. As such, when it comes to getting a gift for Gen Z, where are you to start? For the generation that has access to it all, what exactly do they want? In pursuit of finding out what exactly is on their wishlists, I crowdsourced amongst several in-the-know Gen Z-ers on what they're hoping to receive this holiday season. From Apple's AirPod Maxes to quirky-kitschy charm necklaces to high-tech jewelry, discover the best gifts for Gen Z ahead, straight from the zoomer's mouth.

Emma Childs
Fashion Features Editor

Emma is the fashion features editor at Marie Claire, where she writes deep-dive trend reports, zeitgeisty fashion featurettes on what style tastemakers are wearing, long-form profiles on emerging designers and the names to know, and human interest vignette-style round-ups. Previously, she was Marie Claire's style editor, where she wrote shopping e-commerce guides and seasonal trend reports, assisted with the market for fashion photo shoots, and assigned and edited fashion celebrity news.

Emma also wrote for The Zoe Report, Editorialist, Elite Daily, Bustle, and Mission Magazine. She studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University Lincoln Center and launched her own magazine, Childs Play Magazine, in 2015 as a creative pastime. When she's not waxing poetic about niche fashion topics, you'll find her stalking eBay for designer vintage, reading literary fiction on her Kindle, and baking banana bread in her tiny NYC kitchen.