Gen Z May Surprise You
Millennials have been described as the most analyzed generation, but on Wednesday, August 16, sparks & honey shifted the spotlight to Gen Z during a special culture briefing that was live-streamed on Facebook. Special guests of all ages, from Gen Z to industry leaders, convened to discuss topics including politics, diversity, how the constantly connected keep some semblance of privacy in the age of social media, and what makes a brand relevant to Gen Z.
Nim De Swardt, Chief Next Generation Officer at Bacardi, argued that brands have to have an opinion about social issues if Gen Z is to respect them. “Diversity and sustainability,” she said, “are non-negotiable for Gen Z. Brands stay relevant by giving their opinion.” The collectivist mindset and awareness of their world is a staple of a generation who has grown up as quickly as their world has changed.
But George Nguyen, Partner at Untapped Network, sees that unlike older generations, Gen Z can separate out the benefits of the brand from their politics: “Gen Z has the ability to separate what a brand does from what it represents.”
Finsta, rinsta and divided selves online
No mention of Gen Z is complete without noting that, as a cohort born between 1998–2014, they were born connected and don’t know a time before the Internet or smartphones. But as our panel revealed, that doesn’t mean they’re addicted to all aspects of connectivity.
When asked what app they would choose for their smartphones if they could only have one, Gen Z panelist Celeste Bond, age 19, and a member of The Brotherhood Sister Sol, answered Candy Crush — interestingly, as an escape from social media. Noting that she doesn’t have Twitter, she said, “I’m trying to strip away from social media. I’m tired of seeing the same people every day. And Snapchat is just everyone’s own reality TV show.”
One way of escaping the pervasiveness of social media is to find ways of hiding oneself in it. 17-year-old Jasper Nelson and sparks & honey intern, explained the intricate social landmines inherent in the two types of Instagram accounts many Gen Zers have — their “finstas” (“fake” Instagram accounts that, ironically, show their real selves, unvarnished) and their “rinstas” (“real” Instagram accounts with the more curated, polished, public-facing selves).
“Most people’s finstas are more active,” said Jasper. “You post every day. Rinsta: once every two months. Both are private. If you see a finsta has more than 100 followers, that’s weird. People are always blocking people on finsta. There’s lots of drama there.”
For ten-year-old Petra Viola, she has lots of friends on Instagram, but she prefers to use it for posting her artwork and looking at other art accounts. “I like looking at it, making it, and showing it,” she said.
Brand favorites for visual learners
YouTube emerged repeatedly as a favorite brand. Celeste Bond said that Gen Z are “visual learners” and will often consult multiple videos to learn about a topic. Gen Z speaker and s&h Advisory Board member Sydney Polinchock agreed, saying that she even learned how to put boots on a horse courtesy of YouTube — after watching over 16 videos.
Although both Lisbet Henriquez, a Junior at Buffalo State College and Trevor Walsh, high school student at Thurgood Marshall Academy, cited Twitter and Facebook, respectively, as their favorite apps — both for the same reason, because they could get a bundle of features in one — the choice of Sydney Polinchock, returned to Celeste’s “escape from” narrative. She chose Kindle, “Because I like to get lost in book world.”
Politics on the young mind
One thing that’s hard to escape is politics these days, which Jasper described as “the new religion in terms of sources of conflict.”
It’s Gen Z who have highlighted social injustices to their older cohorts, and politicians. A group of teens are suing the federal government, demanding increased efforts on climate change. And some Gen Z are using more subtle forms of bridging political and social divides, like a pair of best friends who created a new superhero based on their religious backgrounds, the Juslim.
Gen Z sees the world through a diverse lens, and also is quick to point out those who are not. “We don’t know a lot about political stuff because we’re 10, but we do have an idea of what a good president would be,” Petra, 10, said. In a hushed tone, she added, “not Trump.”
Homes and hopes for the future
When asked where they saw themselves living in the future, Lisbet Henriquez responded, “A condo in the city, a house upstate, and a house in the Islands. We like to switch settings and environments.” But although they’re described as a communal “me is we” generation, the idea of co-living didn’t interest Celeste Bond, who said she liked her privacy.
Although we may worry that Gen Z is going to get lost in the virtual matrix, unable to engage with the world or other people IRL, a summer bucket list (written on paper!) that was left behind in a dressing room by a Gen Zer shows that their hopes, dreams, and plans aren’t so radically different from other generations. On the list: star-gaze, have sex, and go to a party.
As Samantha Klein, Director of Marketing and Future of Storytelling and sparks & honey Advisory Board member, observed, “It’s interesting that many of the things on the list were analog, not digital. Like petting a giraffe.”
Bullish words on bullying
Our panel wrapped up with questions from our online and in-studio audience. One member asked how this thoughtful generation is coping with bullying, when times have clearly changed from an era when schoolyard fights were used to settle differences.
Sparks and honey strategist, and Petra’s mom, Emily Viola Leonard, said, “We’ve tried to instill in our children that engaging with someone who wants to engage with you in a negative way is not a requirement.” To which Petra, 10, reminded her mom that she has taken karate.
“I have had several occasions where people have said not very nice things to me, at school and at camp,” Petra said. “The first time was when I cut my hair very short. There was this one girl who would always call me a boy. Even when I wore a skirt to school, and I don’t like skirts. It’s important that people know how to react correctly when people are bullied. I don’t think a physical fight is necessary. But if someone is going to bully you, I’m not going to sit here and let that happen.”
Confronted with a bully, there’s one key thing to remember, Petra said, “It’s important that you don’t become the bully yourself. When you speak back to them, you’re going to use facts and be measured.”
We couldn’t have said it better.
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Contact us for details on our Gen Z Diagnostics, a three-week research sprint to benchmark your Gen Z relevance and readiness. Explore the future of Gen Z with a customized Gen Z Discussion with cultural signals, or a Now Next workshop, a one-day session tailored to help your organization understand Gen Z.
