Over several decades and generations, Americans have been passionate about sports, whether it’s playing sports s or following them as fans. But apparently, that trend is slowing down in a big way with Gen Z.
As Dace Potas of USA Today pointed out in a recent column, those who make up Gen Z – which is typically defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 – are far less interested in sports than previous generations. In fact, far more of Gen Z would describe themselves as “anti-sports” than any generation previously.
“According to a 2021 study, only 23% of Generation Z describe themselves as passionate sports fans, as opposed to 42% of millennials, 33% of Generation X and 31% of baby boomers,” Potos wrote for USA Today.
“Further, a sizable 27% of Gen Z describe themselves as ‘anti-sports,’ compared with single-digit percentages from other generations saying the same.”
Obviously, there are still some passionate sports fans in Gen Z, but the generation can easily be considered the “anti-sports” generation due to the massive percentage of people within the age demographic that are staunchly opposed to organized athletics
It’s certainly an interesting trend among the younger age bracket. We’ll have to see if this is something that stays consistent in younger generations.
