While Gen Z appreciates tech in many ways, concerns about over-dependency, heightened loneliness and its adverse impact on wellbeing reflect their double-edged relationship with tech, leading 63% to desire less time online. Brands can capitalise on this ambiguity by showcasing benefits to social health from tech devices or services.
40% of Gen Z rank being exposed to misinformation online as one of their biggest concerns with technology. Many consider AI advances to be eroding trust in online content, and express concerns that AI could be used to manipulate images or videos of themselves. This underscores the importance of trust and authenticity in marketing to successfully connect with Gen Z.
Gen Z is leading the charge in adopting generative AI tools, with 55% learning about AI to improve their career prospects and 41% thinking AI features make devices more appealing. Brands face a range of opportunities to position AI as a supportive tool by showcasing how it can help Gen Z with their every-day priorities and concerns, ranging from career to emotional support.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Frequency of digital activities among Gen Z, including online gaming and use of gen AI tools
- Social media platforms used by Gen Z
- Motivations for Gen Z to use social media, including purchasing products and staying up-to-date with the news
- Gen Z’s biggest worries with technology, including exposure to misinformation and being scammed online
- Attitudes and behaviours regarding technology, including the appeal of AI features, the urge to disconnect and the role of tech for self-expression
Gen Z is navigating an environment filled with uncertainty and faces the paradox of loneliness in an era of hyper-connectivity. Connect deeply by centring devices and marketing strategies around these experiences.
Jan Urbanek, Principal Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Outlook
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Opportunities
- Capitalise on Gen Z seeking to cope with uncertainty
- Advertise AI innovations as wellbeing allies
- Offer digital escapism for Gen Z
- Make trust and transparency key values
- Tap into Gen Z’s desire for meaningful connections
- Make social connections a pillar of advertising
- Foster shared digital experiences
- Ensure value alignment when tapping into Gen Z communities
- Leverage every step of Gen Z’s customer journey on social media
- Shape a closed engagement loop on social media
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CONSUMER
- Digital activities
- Digital social activities define Gen Z’s daily lives
- Graph 1: weekly engagement with digital social activities, by generation, 2024
- Male Gen Zs are most engaged with gaming
- Livestream formats appeal to Gen Z
- Get inspired by Domino’s Twitch placement
- Gen Z leads the charge with generative AI
- Graph 2: frequency of using gen AI tools, by generation, 2024
- Social media platforms used
- Instagram is Gen Z’s most popular social media platform
- Graph 3: social media platforms used at least once a week by Gen Z, 2024
- Social media usage varies across Gen Z subgroups
- Tap into Reddit and X to target Gen Z gamers
- Graph 4: social media platforms used by social media platform users, 2024
- Gen Z uses a variety of social media platforms
- Graph 5: repertoire analysis of social media platforms used, by generation, 2024
- Reasons for using social media
- Social media is Gen Z’s digital Swiss Army Knife
- Graph 6: reasons for using social media, 2024
- Social media is the most popular entertainment source for Gen Z
- Informality isn’t necessarily the key to Gen Z appeal
- Graph 7: ‘It is inappropriate for brands to be informal on social media (eg use memes, make fun of other brands)’, agreement, 2024
- Trust in social media as a source of information for Gen Z could be shaken
- Gen Z’s sharing habits on social media are poised to de-personalise
- Gen Z are increasingly using social media for shopping
- Worries with technology
- Gen Z have a double-edged relationship with technology
- Graph 8: ‘When it comes to technology, I am most worried that…’, 2024
- Address Gen Z’s worries regarding misinformation
- Gen Z worry about being scammed online
- Counterbalance wellbeing concerns when targeting female Gen Zs
- Attitudes & behaviours
- Pick up Gen Z’s motivational challenges in your advertising
- Apple caters to Gen Z’s motivational struggles
- Promote the wellbeing benefits of ‘less is more’
- Align AI assistance with Gen Z priorities
- Gen AI powered search appeals to Gen Z
- Google promotes an even deeper gen AI search
- Monitor Gen Z’s emotional connection to AI
- AI can enhance the gaming experiences for Gen Z
- Tech serves Gen Z’s self-expression
- Samsung uses accessories to allow Gen Z to ‘celebrate their style’
- Many Gen Zs look to their friends when buying tech
- Address Gen Z’s struggles with tech affordability
- Male Gen Zs most likely to feel strongly about ‘tech shame’
- Graph 9: seeing struggling with handling devices as embarrassing, by generation and gender, 2024
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MARKET DRIVERS
- Life stage and employment
- Gen Z is a comparatively small generation
- Graph 10: population, by generation, 2020-30
- Changing lifestages of Gen Z require brands to adapt
- Graph 11: employment status, 2024
- Uncertainty and its impact on wellbeing
- Gen Z navigate uncertain and turbulent times…
- …taking a toll on their wellbeing
- Priorities and worries
- Wellbeing, financial security and career are top of mind for Gen Z
- Samsung positions its tablets as ‘Uni-Hacks’
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Report scope
- Generations
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
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