Known for acting outside societal norms, making up new rules as they go, it is not surprising that a majority of this age group are ignoring one of the most romantic days of the year or marking it the best way they know how.

While many people are getting excited about and readying to celebrate Valentine’s Day, the hallmark holiday might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Apart  from those singles who stick like a sore thumb, Generation Z’s needs are rather different and Valentine’s Day might just be irrelevant to them. 

Born after 1996, this generation can best be described as ‘digital natives’ who have little or no memory of how the world existed before smart phones.

They constantly make up new rules as they go. It is no surprise that they are choosing to ignore the most romantic holiday of the year altogether in favour of doing almost anything else. 

Twenty-three year old digital content creator, Lemmy Sogohe shares that if he chooses to mark Valentine’s Day; it might not be as other people do. “I think Valentine’s Day is overrated — dressing in red and other so called love stuff.

There is a holiday feel in it, but I will probably just be doing nice things for myself, self-love is key. So yes, I might go shopping. And maybe send something nice to my mum because…well it’s a big deal for her,” he says.

Spending differently

CEO Japolo Homes and Beauty products, Allan Otieno says guests at his luxury Airbnbs in Homa Bay vary depending on the time of the month, with most clients at end months being Generation Z.

In between the month, he gets travellers both local and international and their age group stretches all the way to 60 plus. While the rates for the February are hiked, he shares that the facilities are completely booked for February.

“During end month we get age group of 18 to 35, so it’s both Generation Z and millennials; they mostly have disposable income and would like to change their environment.

Wi-Fi connection is a priority to them because they need to stay connected. They travel in groups, also. So as a business, we are prepared to cater for all these needs.

We provide a neutral environment with access to amenities such as swimming pools and in house food delivery and depending on how the guests are willing to spend, we can arrange for private in-house dinners for them.

Others services include access to a masseuse on request and unlimited supply of drinks on request,” he shares. 

When it comes to the range of imported beauty products, Allan shares that his customers are mostly Generation Z,.Surprisingly, girls buy gifts for their boyfriends, while the men rarely buy such gifts for their women. 

“Generation Z is known as a generation that likes coming up with their own rules. They want to do things differently from the norm.

How they go about their relationships is different from the millennials, they are more pragmatic with their relationship, and they are taking time before they commit. They have access to information and they want to make better choices.

Therefore, they will date many people to get a better fit for themselves before they commit to marriage. They also want to be more financially stable before they get married, that means they take longer to get married,” says psychologist Tracy Nyaguthii.

That is why a large percentage do not recognise Valentine’s as a romantic holiday and will not celebrate it with their significant others.

They will most likely ignore or celebrate it in a subtle manner with their friends, and not necessarily their girlfriends or boyfriends.

For this generation, Tracy says Valentine’s Day is not relegated to romantic love, they celebrate all types of love such as friendship.

“They would rather spend time with their single friends and family than go on a date. They prefer going to the movies, engage in self-care activities such as the spa with friends than get flowers, teddy bears and chocolates,” she says.

Adventurous lot

“For Generation Z, experiential gifts are more fulfilling such as hikes, vacation destinations, walks in the park as opposed to material gifts or stuff.

They have grown up in the Internet era, therefore, on social media it’s common to show off and getting validation for material gifts, making getting an experiential gift much better and meaningful for them.

With the effects of Covid-19 still looming, Tracy says it is not a wonder for Generation Z to find creative and modest ways to celebrate Valentine’s such as romantic fun dinners at home, online group cooking activity with friends, among others.

“Generation Zs are more cautious with their spending compared to millennials. They have grown up with great economic uncertainty and this informs their spending habits.

Valentine’s is not highly valued as a day to consume much as is considered by millennials and Generation X,” says Tracy.

Relationship coach, Cynthia Wambui Otieno adds that the one thing influencing relationships within this generation is the digital spaces, which has made their dating lives different from Generation X. 

“Their sense of relationship is within a digital click of a button away and they have access to everything. They have all the digital platforms, which put everything to their disposal.

This makes them the generation that is able to just wake up and go rather than, let’s say their parents who were and still are so much of planners.

This also makes them more adventurers. When it comes to commitment, the same way they can open different windows at the same time is the same way they can multitask with relationships while finding what suits them best,” says the expert.