Generation Z (Gen Z) is the first to grow with the internet, meaning that almost all the operations of this era are digital and can happen online. Gen Z was born between 1997 and 2012, and their way of life differs from previous generations. The generation is tech-savvy and uses social media everywhere for any purpose. Therefore, any brand that aims to reach Gen Z must learn its ways, especially with constant social media use.
An Overview of Gen Z’s Mindset
Gen Z is a group of youngsters taking over the world. They are quickly becoming the driving force behind culture and economy. Gen Z’s social media usage has led to them being known as digital natives, and they took over after the millennial generation.
These youngsters are known to live for technology in all their life aspects, and it’s more pronounced in social media. However, there’s much more to Gen Z than their love for social media, like characteristics, values, and how they shape the general world.
One way to describe Gen Z is that they are highly diverse, socially aware, and open-minded. At Growth Hackers, we treat Gen Z like a generation shaped by constant digital acceleration, where attention moves fast and trust must be earned quickly, and for one of the fashion brands we worked with, this improved engagement relevance substantially.
They came to the world when the internet was revolutionizing and social media was becoming a thing, hence their dependency on and ruling some platforms. As a result, generation Z is highly cynical of traditional institutions and methods of approach to life and prefers forging their paths in life.
The Relation Between Gen Z and Technology
The unique way to define Gen Z is their close relationship or dependency on technology. They were born into a world of internet, smartphones, and social media. In the mid-90s, digital streaming services were a part of daily life. Hence they’re highly tech-savvy and comfortable around digital tools. But this doesn’t mean they blindly go for any technology because they’re prominent critics of the negative influence of social media and technology, such as mental health, social connections, and privacy.
Values and Beliefs
Since they were born in the era of discovering through the internet, Gen Z values include diversity, social justice, and inclusivity. They are more open-minded, unlike the previous generations, which is why they embrace issues like LGBTQ+ rights, a highly controversial topic to earlier generations, environmental protection, and racial and gender equality.
They prioritize mental health and general well-being over material success. They are also known for their high interest in entrepreneurship and careers that allow them to pursue creative approaches to impact the world positively. At Growth Hackers, when aligning brand messaging with Gen Z values and beliefs for one of our e-commerce clients, we improved audience engagement by integrating themes of authenticity, inclusivity, and purpose-driven storytelling.
Creative
Technology allows Gen Z to be creative since they lack face-to-face communication. They mainly express themselves on social media and other online platforms.
Multicultural
Gen Z is open to relating with anyone from different races, backgrounds, and ethnicity, something that previous generations struggle to embrace. To them, making friends online is easy, and what matters is the fact that they connect on the same platform and celebrate diversity.
Social Impact and the Future
Gen Z is the newest generation to join the workforce and the marketplace, yet they profoundly impact our culture and economy. They drive trends in all industries, fashion, technology preference, entertainment, and social and political ideologies. The demand for significant responsibilities in the corporate world is based on a solid belief in themselves.
Additionally, the sustainability of popular products reflects their desire to impact society positively. At Growth Hackers, we worked with a consumer brand adapting to shifting workforce and consumer expectations, and after aligning their positioning with Gen Z’s focus on purpose, sustainability, and influence, they significantly improved market relevance.
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Social Media Platforms Popular Among Gen Z
If you wish to be part of Gen Z, learn to use the specific social media platforms they love. Here are the most popular social media platforms you’ll likely get their attention on.
TikTok
Everyone has heard about the revolutionary TikTok; if not, you miss the action. The platform has taken the world by storm, and Gen Z is dominating it, making it a huge success. When Gen Z engages in something, they go in wholly. TikTok doesn’t engage them with so much detail but with short-form videos that are easy to understand and share without further demands.
Gen Zers love Tiktok, therefore if you want to reach them, you could find people on Tiktok that fit your personas. Always tailor your content to the platform and demographic of your audience. At Growth Hackers, we helped a food and beverage business move from traditional long-form content marketing to a TikTok-first short-form video strategy, resulting in a tangible improvement in Gen Z engagement and reach.
Instagram (IG)
As they refer to it, IG is a popular platform for Gen Z. Its visual nature and easy-to-view stories and reels make it perfect for Gen Z, who don’t like to read much or watch long videos. Therefore, if you decide to build a brand for Gen Z to consume, IG is another platform you must familiarize yourself with.
At Growth Hackers, when optimizing Instagram strategies for Gen Z audiences in Dubai, we improved engagement by leveraging visual-first storytelling through reels, stories, and short-form content formats.
Threads
Threads is the “Instagram Twitter”. In 2023, to compete with Twitter/X, Mark Zuckerberg launched Threads where Instagram users can easily create an account and share short-form messages. The growth of the platform was explosive as they reached 100 million users within just a few weeks but the fade went away quite fast. Threads marketing and customer behavior are quite similar to IG.
At Growth Hackers, we worked with a brand from Taiwan experimenting with new social platforms like Threads, and after aligning their messaging with short-form conversational content, they massively improved early engagement and visibility.
Snapchat
Thanks to its temporary nature, Gen Z widely uses Snapchat to take flashy photos. The platform appeals to Gen Z due to its privacy policy and the authenticity of its content.
How Gen Z Uses Social Media
It’s right to say that Gen Z lives on social media. If you watch the platforms above, you’ll come across all kinds of content; trips, exquisite meals in a fancy restaurant, a night in a hotel, new gadgets, and much more. Here’s why they highly depend on these social media platforms.
- Stay connected: Social media platforms connect Gen Z to friends and family worldwide.
- Entertainment: Gen Z loves entertainment. Some platforms, like TikTok and IG, have endless reels of dance content and short entertainment videos.
- Discovering new things: The 3 common social media platforms (IG, Snapchat, TikTok) always have updates on new products or gadgets. These platforms greatly influence their shopping decisions because others leave recommendations and reviews, making it easy for others to jump on the emotional spending bandwag
What Gen Z’s Social Media Use Means for Businesses
A robust social media presence is necessary if your brand is about Gen Z. Social media channels like Instagram, TikTok and SnapChat prove to be effective when you run lifestyle marketing campaigns whether you want to promote beauty products, clothing, fashion, skincare, etc. Here’s what brands can do to get their attention on social media platforms.
- Be authentic: Gen Z is a sucker for authenticity and transparency. Therefore, running a genuine and honest campaign will get the audience hooked.
- Use short content: This generation is mainly visual. The content you offer them should contain more visuals and be brief.
- Embrace new platforms: Since the internet quickly changes, stay up-to-date and flow with Gen Z to remain relevant.
At Growth Hackers, we treat Gen Z social media strategy like speaking a fast, visual language where trust is built instantly, and for a clothing brand we partnered with, this improved audience resonance.
The Downside of Gen Z
Since Generation Z (Gen Z) is tech-savvy and highly dependent on technology, they are also self-aware and diverse. However, with all the good things that come with the digital generation, there are also some downsides that we will explore below.
Lack of 101 Communication Skills
Due to the high dependency on technology and the internet, Gen Z tends to pull away from society. Gen Z has grown up with the internet, smartphones, and social media platforms where they send and receive instant messages. Therefore, making time to meet face-to-face with them takes work. As a result, these youngsters struggle with verbal communication, hence the reliance on text messages and emojis for expression.
Over-Dependency on Technology
Because of media multitasking, over-dependence on technology is another downside Gen Z possesses. Having been born and grown up when technology is omnipresent, they naturally depend on it to run their lives. They rely on technology for education, entertainment, discovery, and socialization. As a result of the high dependency on technology and smartphones, it sometimes leads to addiction to social media and a sedentary lifestyle.
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High, Unrealistic Expectations
Thanks to technology’s efficacy, Gen Z is raised with a mentality of instant gratification. The negative impact is that whatever they need is only a few clicks away, including shopping, healthcare, and meetings, all delivered to their doorstep. Further, instant gratification leds to Gen Z expecting everything to happen quickly. Hence, Gen Z has no patience and struggles to persevere through life’s typical challenges.
Lack of Financial Literacy
Due to the life they lead, Gen Z needs more financial literacy. They spend money on what seems to matter without considering future problems or the effects of their decision. Lack of knowledge leads to financial problems like perpetual debts, overspending, and in the end, poor credit scores.
Mental Health Issues
Overdependence on technology makes Gen Z passive and vulnerable to mental health issues. They struggle with issues like anxiety, loneliness, and depression. In addition, the pressure to perform and match their peers as they see on social media only adds to the pressure making them overwhelmed and stressed out.
Generally, Gen Z has many positive traits and some downsides. However, proper guidance from seniors or guardians can lead them to a different path of growth and investment. For Gen Z to prosper and society to benefit, they need to accept themselves as they are and learn their ways.
Closing Thoughts About the Social Media Usage of the Gen Z
A love for technology, social consciousness, and undying entrepreneurial spirit defines Gen Z. As they come of age and make up a significant share of the entire population. They will undoubtedly have a more substantial impact on society and the economy.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has different social media habits on most recent platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. To engage an audience in Gen Z, business owners must become part of their world, understand them, adapt to their social ways, and devise appropriate strategies.
Any business institution that needs to grow and take over can’t afford to ignore Gen Z. They must find ways to include Gen Z’s values and preferences to provide a suitable playground for them to fit and bloom. Embracing inclusivity, diversity, and social responsibility will tap into the immense potential of Gen Z for a brighter future for everyone.
Growth Hackers is an award-winning TikTok marketing agency helping businesses from all over the world grow. There is no fluff with Growth Hackers. We help entrepreneurs and business owners engage with the Gen Z, increase their productivity, generate qualified leads, optimize their conversion rate, gather and analyze data analytics, acquire and retain users and increase sales.
We go further than brand awareness and exposure. We make sure that the strategies we implement move the needle so your business grow, strive and succeed. If you too want your business to reach new heights, contact Growth Hackers today so we can discuss about your brand and create a custom growth plan for you. You’re just one click away to skyrocket your business.
