Tweens & Social: Why Generation Z is Transforming Social Media

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Tweens & Social:
Why Generation Z
is Transforming
Social Media
Digital Kids Summit – Sept 10th, 2015
Jeﬀ Roach, Chief Strategy Oﬃcer &
Executive Creative Director
Fuel Youth Engagement

We help brands engage kids and families
around the world.
They learn diﬀerently,
and their education and
digital prowess is
preparing them for a
technology-fueled future
They are realists, with a
perspective about the
future that is equally
pragmatic and optimistic
Three Themes
They are global and
diverse, more blind to
race, gender and age
than any other
generation
Future Realists Laterally Wired We First

Future Realists Gen Z are realists. This
theme is common
throughout all of the
Gen Z research to-date
and it’s largely based on
the idea that the Gen Z
upbringing came during
a socio-economic
world that included a
global recession, drawn
out war, and political
uncertainty at home.

And 1 in 4 American children are living in poverty and 73% of
Americans were personally affected by the recession. As a
result, their media reflects a more dystopian world-view,
where Gen X had Reality Bites and Singles – a perfect
reflection of their anti-authority, disconnected
worldview – Gen Z has Hunger Games and Divergent,
with explicit themes of political distrust and
wealth disparity.
73%
of Americans
were
personally
affected by
the recession

“Their exposure to the impact of the recent
economic slowdown on their families is
expected to lead to ﬁnancial conservatism.”
(“Consumers of Tomorrow, Insights and
Observations About Generation Z”,
Grail Research, June 2010)
50%
of teens
12-18 years
old already
save for
technology

Future Realists
“If Gen X are anti-authority, highly
individualistic, and self-reliant and Millennials
are conﬁdent, digital thinkers who are needy
with a sense of entitlement, than Gen Z are
realistic, creative, and hyper-connected. Their
realism is a deﬁning aspect of this generation.”

Laterally Wired
This is the collaboration
generation. They’ve
grown up in a
classroom that
encourages diversity
and teamwork.
“They are collaborative
team players where
everyone is equal at
winning and losing.”

Visual Communicators
Gen Z speak in emoticons and emojis. Symbols
and glyphs provide context and create subtext
so they can have private conversations. Emoji
alphabets and icon “stickers” replace text with
pictures.

4D Thinking
“Gen Z have always known how to pinch and
swipe. They have grown up with hi-def,
surround sound, 3D and now 4D – 360 degree
photography and ﬁlm is their normal. Ultra slow
motion and hi-speed video is their standard”.
(Sparks & Honey, Pew Research, 2012)

We help brands engage kids and families
around the world.
As entrepreneurs they
start young: Tavi Gevinson
(fashion editor, founder
Rookie Magazine), Kristin
Prim (fashion inﬂuencer,
founder of Prim
Magazine), and Charlie
Lyne (The Guardian
journalist).
This is a generation that is
learning how to make 3D
models in school and print
their own products on 3D
printers, who received
robots they could
program themselves as
children, and who know
how to make their own
video games.
They see the world as one
they can program. They
don’t expect it to be
handed to them, because
they know they can make.
We are increasingly
teaching our children that
they can program
anything.
Makers Entrepreneurs Hackers

We First
One common theme that comes through in
all the Generation Z reports is how diverse this
generation is. They have been called the Plural
Generation as they are growing up in an
America where multiracial children are the
fastest growing group.

increase in multiracial marriages in the last
30 years. A 1,000% increase in Asian-White
marriages. A 50% increase in multi-racial
youth population since 2000. A 1.5%
decrease in Caucasian population
compared to a 7.6% increase in the
Hispanic population.
400%

And 50% of global tweens 8-12 years old are
online daily (Millward Brown, 70 cities, 15
countries) As a result, Generation Z tends to
even think more globally. This is a
generation deﬁned as being more blind to
race, gender and age than any other.
25%
of tweens
8-12 years
old connect
with a friend
from another
country daily

The Social Media Impact
They view social media diﬀerently.

Social media is mobile and visual.

Social media is about fandom.

Social media is about video.

Thanks.
Contact:
Jeﬀ Roach, Chief Strategy Oﬃcer &
Executive Creative Director
jroach@fuelyouth.com
@Silverstarme

Tweens & Social: Why Generation Z is Transforming Social Media

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