Technology, Internet and Social Media with Gen Z
About the study:
Gone are the days when millennials were the most targeted young group by brands. The oldest of the millennials are today in their mid 30s! It’s time to understand the new youth segment: the Gen Zs. In our new series, Intro to the Gen Zs, we’re doing just that. We’re taking you on a 101 tour of the Indian Gen Z, spilling the beans about everything from their values to relationships to aspirations.
This is Part Two of the series.
Methodology:
Qualitative groups across Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata
Quantitative: 2700+ number of respondents, across 50 cities
SEC A, 18-21y/olds M | F
An Easy and Organic Relationship With Technology And Social Media:
Unlike any generation before them, Gen Z shares a very simple relationship with technology, the Internet, and social media. While technology/ the Internet affords them choice and convenience, with social media they have a mutually beneficial relationship: it thrives because of them, and they thrive because of it.
There is a general misunderstanding among people older than them that youngsters only use social media to waste time via mindless entertainment. However, for this generation, being on social media is not just limited to fun: they make and maintain important connections, learn about new things, keep updated with news and trends, etc. Social media is an irreplaceable and useful tool for them, rather than just mindless scrolling.
TOP THREE APPS USED FOR
ENTERTAINMENT/ LEARNING NEW THINGS/ STAYING UPDATED ON TRENDS:
#1 INSTAGRAM
#2 YOUTUBE
#3 FACEBOOK
What does this mean for brands?
Add value in their lives through social media:
While entertainment is one of the top benefits of social media, brands should be cognizant about the fact that Gen Z uses social media for entertainment ++.
Driven by Instant Gratification, Impulsiveness, and Impatience
IMPULSIVE is one of the top 5 words Gen Z uses to describe their generation
Social media drives the habit of instant gratification, and that in turn breeds an inherent impatience and impulsiveness. For this generation specifically, having rarely seen any other way of life, instant validation, instant feedback and speed is the norm.
It has shaped how they see the world, how they function in it, what their expectations are. Their mantra is action is better than inaction. There is an almost unsaid, implicit “do now, and let’s see how to build on whatever happens” code that a majority of Gen Zers believe in. However, being a practical generation- this applies to smaller risks, rather than big decisions. For example, posting something impulsively or taking up a new hobby, VS. major decisions like, selecting which college courses to take or which phone to buy.
What does this mean for brands?
This generation expects everything at lightning speeds, and they view inaction or slow action as a sign of laziness and lack of competency. Therefore, it is prudent to be an agile brand, and also to be seen as an agile brand. Brands that are not perceived to be dynamic and quick to adjust to change will likely get judged harshly, and are looked upon as archaic; therefore not for them ( not a youth brand).
Social Media Is A Self-learn Skill:
Gen Z grew up straight into social media, where there aren’t explicit rules or methods of navigation. Even their parents, teachers or elders have had almost the same amount of time on social media as them, and are themselves still learning how to navigate it. Which leaves this generation with little to no guidance on the rules of engagement on a virtual space they spend hours on everyday.
Who to follow, who to avoid, how much to post, when to stop, when to detox, how much you want to share and how much you want to consume… These in and outs are being learnt by trial and error. So ultimately, they come up with their own codes of Do’s and Dont’s. These codes are usually specific to their generation, shaped by their early initiation into social media, and tend to differ from the older generations.
While largely, they’re able to expertly navigate this virtual space, sometimes online trolls and bullies enter the picture. These bullies could be someone they know or a stranger- either way, it’s a real struggle for their young minds. Their online social spaces are often without parents, teachers or adults, making it a vulnerable place for attack. They report often feeling alone, isolated and wounded, and unable to navigate the complexity of shaming and bullying (whether it happens to themselves or their friends).
What does this mean for brands? Brands can take a stand on bullying and create a system that helps support and educate this generation on how to cope with online bullying and shaming. The topics they get bullied about are wide in range: fat shaming, cruelty about sexual orientation, insulting the type of clothes one wears, beauty shaming, etc. Some examples of international brand campaigns on cyberbullying: Kering Foundation’s #IDontSpeakHater campaign and Simple (Unilever’s) Choose Kindness campaign
Two Lives: Public and Private
For this generation, social media is an expression of one’s carefully curated identity, and it also doubles up as the platform for free self expression. However, Gen Z is quite clear about the need to differentiate between their online lives and their offline lives. Their ‘public face’ is their social media page.
Social media is not ‘Dear Diary’, but rather a book that is well-curated, edited and published. There is no Jekyl-Hyde complex, and no guilt about this. In fact, for this pragmatic, fact-check generation, it’s a rather well-known fact that not everything they see on social media should be believed.
What does this mean for brands? This fact-check generation looks for authenticity in everything they interact with. By trying to be as ‘real’ and ‘genuine’ as possible on their online pages, brands can stand to win brownie points with this generation.
Gen Z is a super dynamic and differentiated segment of our population, so Grapevine Insights routinely conducts dipsticks and studies to understand different aspects of their lives. We pride ourselves on delivering insights that are both powerful and actionable. If your business wants to learn more about how it could best interact with Gen Z, we can help. You can get in touch with us at kanika@thegrapevine.co.in