The expert named the reason for the reluctance of young people to buy cars.

Crisis psychologist Varvara Likunova told on Tuesday, July 21, why young people do not want to own their own car.

About 30 years ago, a car was one of the main goals of life, owning a car meant freedom and stability. For the millennial generation (people born from about 1981 to 1996. A car is an indicator of independence, financial well—being, adulthood, and personal success.

At the same time, the zoomer generation (people born from about 1997 to 2012. — Ed.) increasingly does not seek to buy a car, and it's not about laziness, infantilism or lack of ambition, the specialist noted.

She added that for Generation Z, it's more important to use, not own. If you can call a taxi in a few minutes, rent a car for a while, or use carsharing, young people don't see the point in spending money on purchases, insurance, maintenance, parking, and repairs.

"If earlier success was demonstrated through a car, today it is through freedom of choice, impressions, travel, education, interesting work or your own project. In the digital world, recognition increasingly comes not through what is in the yard, but through what a person knows how to create and share with others," the expert said in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

According to the expert, there is also a psychological reason. If older generations grew up in conditions of scarcity, therefore they sought to possess things "for life", and millennials grew up in an era when it was important to prove their independence and achieve financial success, then zoomers have been living since childhood in a world where much is available by subscription, rental or through services.

"Convenience, mobility and the ability not to tie yourself to unnecessary obligations come to the fore. Young people are increasingly choosing freedom over property. A car for zoomers is just one of the ways to get from point A to point B," Likunova concluded.

Osil Retro: how zoomers bring back the fashion for MP3 players and "soap dishes"

Young people started buying gadgets in the 1990s and 2000s - sales increased significantly in six months

Earlier that day, Izvestia reported that young people had begun actively buying MP3 players, film cameras, and other retro gadgets. According to Avito, in the first half of 2026, compared with the second half of 2025, sales of iPods increased by 62%, and Polaroid instant cameras by 79%, according to 360.ru .

In turn, the founder of the genealogical bureau, the Chronicler of the Elizaveta Krasnaya family, said that Russian zoomers have become seven times more likely to be interested in their roots in order to find identity and connection with global history.

Alexey Kalitsev, Chairman of the Automobile Manufacturers Committee of the Association of European Businesses, said on July 3 that the Russian car market had shown moderate growth in the first half of 2026, but there were no prerequisites for a rapid large-scale market recovery. He noted that the situation in the Russian car market remains unpredictable and sensitive to changes in macroeconomics and regulatory policy. The Committee maintained its forecast for the market volume in 2026 at 1.4 million vehicles sold.