Who is Gen Z? How teens are consuming content
Defined loosely as the generation born approximately between 1996-2011, Generation Z is 25% of the world's population and is poised to surpass other generations in terms of buying power in the near future. Awesomeness, a multi-platform media company, has analyzed the habits of millennials' younger siblings, Generation Z, in a partnership with research firm Trendera.
Gen Z Breakdown / Courtesy of Awesomeness
According to Awesomeness, who is creating content slates and branded content for these young people, the generation can be explained using words such as stressed, global, guarded, fluid identity, rule breakers, niche and tech-natives, among others.
All of that makes sense, as Gen Z is the world's first generation of truly digital natives. They were born and have grown up with high-speed internet, smartphones, social media and access to news.
According to the study, teens think that social media, technology and cyberbullying will have the biggest impact on their generation.
As far as engaging in the digital realm, 62% of Gen Z are more comfortable expressing themselves digitally than in person.
The top five social platforms that Gen Z is using are: YouTube (79%), Facebook (78%), Instagram (69%), Snapchat (68%) and Twitter (49%).
Strikingly, 71% of teens’ typical entertainment consumption is streaming, and one-third is viewed from a mobile device.
"Creating mobile-optimized content that’s platform specific, direct, and entertaining is essential for brands to reach Gen Z," said Harley Block, senior vice president of brand partnerships, Awesomeness. "They watch 68 videos in a day — meaning this audience has the ability to sort through content faster than ever before."
52% of Gen Z are more likely to watch a video all the way through if it makes them laugh.
"Awesomeness is constantly researching and engaging Gen Z to ensure that the content we create is both captivating and inspiring to our audience, and sharing those insights with marketers who are looking to engage with this hard to reach demographic," Block said.
As far as their beliefs, according to the study, nearly one-third of of Gen Zs say people their age are more likely to think that everyone is equal. Additionally, teens today are largely in favor of Black Lives Matter (80%), transgender rights (74%), and feminism (63%), with the majority saying these movements should be acceptable in society today.
But with that acceptance and a broader sense of identity, one in five teens admit to having a Finstagram — an alternate private Instagram account where they can post without worrying about likes, comments, ratios, etc.