With the advent of Generation Z, commonly defined as people born in the years 1997 to 2012 (Pew Research Center, 2020), the world's first "digital native" generation has emerged as a significant new consumer group, and it is changing world market dynamics. Estimated to possess $9.8 trillion in spending power in 2024 and grow by $12.6 trillion by 2030 (Whop, 2026; McKinsey, 2025), Gen Z currently represents about 17% of global consumer spending. Unlike those before them, for whom identity and consumption were linked to physical material goods - cars, houses, labels, and brands - Gen Z displays a consistent preference for physical and digital experiences, virtual ownership, and consumption patterns organized around social values. This paper explores the structural, psychological, and economic underpinnings of this phenomenon through a mixed methods approach combining ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression, intergenerational comparative analysis and values-behavior hypothesis testing on published data sources from McKinsey, PwC, Bank of America, Deloitte, Ipsos and the Eventbrite experience economy research series. We conclude that: 72% of Gen Z prefer spending on experiences over physical goods (McKinsey, 2025); Gen Z's average annual travel expenditure is $11,766 - the highest across all generations (Atlys, 2025); OLS regression (R² = 0.892) shows that financial anxiety is negatively related to the share of experiential spending; and drivers of values-based consumption - sustainability (73%), brand ethics (64%) and digital authenticity (64%) - have stronger influence on Gen Z than on all previous cohorts. The paper addresses a gap through the first quantitative regression model to integrate financial anxiety, values-behaviour, and experience preference across four generations. Six recommendations for brand management, retail environments, marketing and public policy are derived.