youth trends is key to any marketing strategy. These trends can provide insights into how different demographics buy and use products. Buying behaviour is an essential analysis point for understanding how and why people decide to purchase a product.

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Understanding youth trends is key to any marketing strategy. These
trends can provide insights into how different demographics buy and
use products. Buying behaviour is an essential analysis point for
understanding how and why people decide to purchase a product.
Different demographics display varying buyer characteristics, buyer
behaviours and buying habits. Understanding these features of youth
buyers provides critical insight into how to spot upcoming trends.
Buying Characteristics of Today’s Youth
Generation Z describes consumers born between 1995 and 2010. Those
born during this time frame are referred to as digital natives because
they grew up under the influence of modern technology, most notably
the internet. Scientists have demonstrated that sustained exposure to
technology has had several effects on the youth generation. Their
studies indicate that these generations have different behaviours
related to:

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1. Attention spans
2. Memory capacity
3. Social cognition.
Attention Span
The study observed that this age growth struggled to sustain their
attention over more extended periods. However, they also concluded
that Gen Z can multitask better. They could spread their awareness
over a stream of different online information multimedia sources. As a
result, a European behavioural study concluded that individuals could
acquire the information they needed from an online source faster than
through traditional mediums. However, they were less able to recall the
information they had learned accurately.
We might see this same strategy reflected in the popularity of TikTok
with Gen Zs. Gen Zs comprise 60% of all TikTok users. One of the main
attractions of TikTok is its short, video-rich content. The content
presented requires only a short duration of attention. It is entirely
visual, and one can easily switch between different content.

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Memory Capacity
The internet provides us with a vast library of information. Where
previous generations had to remember facts, Gen Z simply uses google
to source what information they need in real-time. This has resulted in
changes to how they find, retain and value knowledge. The study
proposes the idea of the ‘transactive memory’ to support this idea.
Transactive memory redefines our individual capacity for remembering
and sharing information.
In this model, memory systems are shared across groups, communities
and other individuals. It is thought that this strategy is a way for the
brain to relieve the cognitive load of individuals living in our current
information-saturated world. In addition, it means businesses trying to
appeal to Gen Z will have their content audited, not just by individuals
but whole groups assuming a shared knowledge base.
We see this in Gen Z buyer behaviour. It is common for individuals to
read and research a product extensively before buying. One survey
observed that:

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“68% of Gen Z (a huge %) read at least three reviews before making a
first time purchase online. That means 3 strangers influence their
first-time buying decisions!”
Social Cognition
Social cognition refers to the mental abilities necessary to engage in
the social world. It includes interpretation, response and adaption to
different social scenarios. The shift from the real world to online
social experience has been a catalyst for the social cognition of
generation Z.
The study thoroughly documents this fact by pointing out several
experiments that found people do not distinguish between online and
offline sociality; the brain perceives them as the same. This has
important implications for how the youth generation establishes trust
and relationships online.

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For example, a survey by a business consultancy group found that 52%
of Gen Zs trust influencers’ advice on the products and brands with
whom they affiliate themselves. Moreover, a whopping one in five Gen Z
and millennial respondents from the US and UK confirmed being
recently inspired by an influencer's or celebrity's post on social media
to make a purchase. This is a crucial insight for businesses looking to
appeal to this demographic.
Key Takeaways
By understanding these factors, we can better make predictions about
youth trends. For in-depth analysis, expert advice and insights on
Generation Z, get in touch with selfhood today for a consultation.

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