Gen Z is widely seen as the generation most concerned about climate change, yet new research suggests many young adults are less mindful of their water use in the shower.
More than half of people aged 18 to 29 spend at least 10 minutes showering each day, according to the research.
Depending on the shower, a wash of that length can use as much as 150 litres of water—enough to fill approximately 750 standard drinking glasses.
The results highlight an uncomfortable contradiction for a generation raised amid warnings about drought, water shortages and the climate crisis.
Although a 10-minute shower may seem like an insignificant daily indulgence, scientists say it is considerably longer than needed to wash.
Dr Pablo Pereira-Doel, an environmental scientist at the University of Surrey, recently told the Daily Mail that three minutes is a reasonable target for a shower focused solely on washing the body.
People who wash their hair can add another two minutes, taking the total shower time to about five minutes.
That estimate includes time spent enjoying the warm spray, leaving little scientific justification for remaining under the water for 10 minutes or longer.
More than half of 18 to 29-year-olds spend at least ten minutes in the shower every day, according to new research (stock image)
The poll, conducted by scientists at Let’s Save Water, found that younger adults were among those most likely to take long showers, despite also expressing strong concern about environmental issues.
While 52 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds said their showers lasted at least 10 minutes, the figure fell to 39 per cent among Millennials aged 30 to 45.
Only 28 per cent of Gen X respondents, aged 46 to 61, reported showering for the same length of time.
The organisation surveyed 2,000 people across Britain and found that women were more likely than men to take extended showers. Some 27 per cent of women said they showered for more than 10 minutes each day, compared with 19 per cent of men.
A spokesman for Let’s Save Water said: ‘With drought conditions this summer renewing attention on the issue, Let’s Save Water is reinforcing a simple message—water is precious.
READ MORE: Horror as four children and two adults are found dead in Canada – NewsFinale
‘Protecting it means that we all need to use less.
‘On average, adults believe they use about 30 litres of water a day, when the true figure is closer to 140 litres.
‘Our research shows a difference between the generations, with Gen Z’ers the most likely to take showers lasting more than 10 minutes.’
Researchers have found that water consumption increases when someone else pays the bill, people live in soft-water areas or shampoo twice
Showers in UK households last about 7.5 minutes on average, according to Dr Pereira-Doel.
However, studies indicate that showers often run for much longer, with some people spending nearly 40 minutes under the flow of water.
‘As for why people linger… the answer is that for a large share of showers, getting clean isn’t the point,’ he explained.
‘Over four in 10 showers in our sample were taken for reasons unrelated to hygiene: relaxation, self–care, warming up on a cold morning. When a shower is doing that job, its length isn’t a decision anyone is consciously making.’
People in soft water areas tend to shower around a fifth longer than those in hard water areas, he said.
‘The likely explanation is that shampoo lathers more richly and rinses more easily in soft water, so the shower feels better and people linger,’ he added.
Morning showers also tend to be shorter, because most people have somewhere they need to be. Meanwhile, with evening or weekend showers, there is less of a time constraint.
Low water pressure can also extend showers, ‘because people may compensate for a weak spray by staying in longer to feel properly rinsed’.