What Represents Value and Happiness for the Hungarian Generation Z in 2022-2023?

Abstract

Our qualitative research was inspired by the 75-year long Harvard University Happiness Survey.In October-November 2022, 65 young marketing undergraduates from Generation Z were asked what value and happiness meant to them. Today’s 20-year-olds were forced to live one tenth of their lives, i.e., 2 years, locked in their homes, isolated from friends and university peers, during the COVID -19 pandemic. Hardly had they recovered from the threat of the pandemic, from their grief, when they were hit by another trauma, as were other members of society. War in neighbouring Ukraine, serious energy crisis, climate crisis, skyrocketing inflation, uncertain future…The focus of the research was therefore on the question of what kind of life they would be satisfied with, and what they would do to achieve the quality of life they want. What goals do they have, what do they want to achieve in their lives? Are human relationships important to them? As our interviewees were marketing students, we asked them if they were happy buying a product or using a service, how important is the experience of buying a product or service to them? How do they think about this topic, what strategy do they want to follow as marketing employees based on their life experiences? Their way of thinking is also decisive at a societal level.