Less No 8 wire, more Gen-Kiwi

Singer Lorde is an international star without a flicker of cringe showing.

Our cultural cringe has given way to a new confidence on the world stage.

New Zealand is undergoing a cultural revolution as a new-look "Generation Kiwi" rejects the values of its forefathers.

The generations-old adage of "She'll be right", the "No 8 wire" attitude and the quarter-acre dream are increasingly becoming things of the past, with the future leaders of Aotearoa doing their bit to redefine what it is to be a Kiwi.

In the biggest shift in 20 years, new research shows that culture is being replaced with a pragmatic, determined approach to life, capped with a new-found confidence on the international stage.

Jacqueline Smart, head of strategy for marketing company JWT, says the findings in her latest report, Identity Insight Report on Young New Zealanders, paint a picture of a generation maturing as global citizens.

"We're finding there are new ways of doing New Zealand," Smart said.

The national culture report - carried out every five years and canvassing the thoughts of those aged between 25-35 - says young Kiwis are growing in self-confidence and enjoy a more inclusive view of national identity than ever before.

They were also no longer able to meet economic expectations of preceding generations, thanks to large student loans and rising house prices. As a result, traditional Kiwi activities were now a small part of their national identity.

"Some of our big core values, such as love of the land, our mates and valuing the importance of being independent, have shifted," said Smart.

"We used to live off the land. Now we live off spreadsheets."

She said a more pragmatic generation was emerging, making their way in the world and pursuing very different choices from their parents.

Previous generations had more predictable lives - down to the brands in their cupboards - from the cradle to the grave.

Smart said young Kiwis had shaken off "cultural cringe" and were confident they could achieve on the international stage, buoyed by the success of acts such as Lorde and Flight of the Conchords and author Eleanor Catton.

There was also a growing inter-dependence between people in society and business, replacing the archetypal stoic New Zealander.

Said Smart: "I think this is heart-warming. It's so refreshing we have got over that national sense of insecurity.

"It shows we have matured as a culture."

Meanwhile, Smart believed when it came to this year's general election, the Green Party was most in tune with "Generation Kiwi".