Gen Z: Connection over consumption
Instead of resolutions, the January reset is shared and community-supported.
Instead of resolutions, the January reset is shared and community-supported.
Gen Z Is Ditching Resolutions—and Redefining Wellness in 2026
Every January brings a familiar ritual: resolutions shaped by consumption. Buy this. Try that. Subscribe to something new. For Gen Z, this consumer-first vision of self-improvement feels increasingly hollow.
Instead, many young people are embracing a different approach—a community-driven “soft start” to the year. Popularized on TikTok, January resets are replacing rigid resolutions with collective intention-setting, reflection, and support. Nowhere is this shift more visible than in how Gen Z is approaching health and wellness as we enter 2026.
From Private Struggle to Collective Action
This evolution didn’t come out of nowhere. Earlier in 2025, millions of young people publicly documented their journeys to quit nicotine using the hashtag #QuitNic. What made the movement resonate wasn’t polish or aspiration—it was honesty.
The content was raw and unfiltered: withdrawal symptoms, setbacks, cravings, and the emotional toll of quitting. Comment sections quickly transformed into support networks. Viewers became participants. Quitting nicotine became a shared wellness act rather than a solitary struggle.
That transparency mattered. It reflected a broader Gen Z rejection of traditional wellness culture in favor of authenticity, vulnerability, and peer support.
Gen Z Is Ready to Quit
As the new year begins, the momentum continues. According to Truth Initiative data, 67% of nicotine users ages 18–24 plan to quit in 2026, with 60% intending to quit within the next year. Their top motivation is clear: improving mental and physical health.
At the same time, quitting has never been more urgent—or more difficult.
An Industry Engineered for Dependence
Today’s nicotine market is designed to maximize addiction. Products are cheaper, more potent, and more technologically sophisticated than ever. Even as unit sales declined, the total amount of nicotine sold in e-cigarettes surged 249% between February 2020 and June 2024.
Disposable vapes, high-potency nicotine pouches, and “smart” devices with screens, games, and Bluetooth connectivity are flooding the market—often illegally and faster than regulators can respond. For many young people, quitting feels like trying to outmaneuver an industry built to undermine autonomy.
The impact is stark. New research shows that the share of daily middle and high school e-cigarette users who attempted to quit but were unable to rose from 28.2% to 53% between 2020 and 2024. Among teens who vape, 76.2% report using nicotine within 30 minutes of waking—an indicator of deepening dependence.
For young adults ages 18–24—the so-called “JUUL generation”—nicotine use remains stubbornly high, often compounded by dual use of cigarettes and newer pouch products like ZYN, VELO, or on!.
The Gap Between Intent and Support
Young adults make more quit attempts than any other age group, yet they are the least likely to use evidence-based quit support. The reason is simple: many don’t know these resources exist.
Recognizing the power of Gen Z’s social momentum, Truth Initiative’s Quit Collective partners with influencers already driving the #QuitNic conversation. By equipping them with credible, evidence-backed tools—like the EX Program from Truth Initiative—the organization is helping normalize conversations about nicotine that have long been stigmatized or overlooked.
While Gen Z values peer voices, research shows they also want expert guidance. Truth Initiative’s free, confidential program combines both professional insight and real-world experience. It supports users through every stage of quitting, from identifying triggers to managing cravings, meeting them where they already are—on their phones, online, and in real time.
Redefining What Wellness Looks Like
Gen Z isn’t abandoning goals in 2026—they’re redefining them. By prioritizing connection over consumption and authenticity over aspiration, they are reshaping what it means to pursue wellness.
In doing so, they offer a clear lesson for organizations and brands: wellness cannot be built on systems that profit from dependence. Authenticity matters. Community matters. And real change happens when support is accessible, evidence-based, and human.