"Authenticity is absolutely central to the process of identity formation for postmillennials..."

To discover, express, and live out “who you are” is a moral imperative for postmillennials, not just a pragmatic one: this requires both flexibility and authenticity, though the two can sometimes be in tension with each other. Gen Zers want and expect freedom to make their own decisions and choices, especially in discovering and expressing their identities. (p.76)

The freedom to discover who you really are

is essential if you are to live life authentically and make the most of your own potential. For Gen Zers, this is bound up with “being real”

and communicating honestly who you are. (p.78)

The postmillennials’ emphasis on authenticity can be understood within the context of their having grown up with the internet, which

provides so many opportunities to curate and tailor your identity, to take on different personae, and even to deceive. Authenticity therefore connotes believability. (p. 78)