TNM - Get to Know: Gen Z

Gen AI - blank screens - pay rises

Hello everyone and welcome to our newsletter on all things Gen Z.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

We’ve been thinking a lot about artificial intelligence and the role it is already playing and will play in our lives and our work (AI girlfriend anyone?). It doesn’t really matter what business you are in, many Gen Zers expect to be deep in all technological conversations. These are social and digital natives who are “connected” for large parts of the day - AI is the natural next step.

For us at TNM, a half-day hackathon was a way to bring all our teams together and try different generative AI applications to help with workflow, idea creation and audience listening. We haven’t had so much fun as a team for a long time, and there were prizes.

Of course, experimentation is just one part of the wider debates we all need to have around ethics, accuracy and “remaining human”. But we know that involving all voices in these essential issues will lead to better decisions, for the talent we hire and the people we serve. Age diversity is as important as any other kind of diversity.

Beyond AI, we, as always, are scouring the world looking for the latest intelligence to help us all on our journey to the future - with or without robots.

And if you haven’t heard of Corteiz, where have you been? . . .

Seriously.

Money mishaps

Gen Z’s biggest money mistakes may sound pretty negative, but this is a neat summation of lots of the financial issues we tap into each week. From not saving enough to hopping on social media money trends, this piece picks out five core tendencies. To provide a counter, in our Snap show WTF America? we recently explored why many young people are getting better at saving than previous generations. And if you are not following our host, Grace, start now.

Snack time

Onto an extremely high stakes topic: snacking. Gen Z and millennials have an increased, ahem, appetite, for “experiential snacking”, enjoying new, unusual flavours, or packaging that says more than “I’m here to hold your food”. But there’s more than just a playful aspect to Gen Z’s penchant for snacks. Busy, on-the-go lifestyles make convenience a top priority, and where older generations viewed snacking as a treat or indulgence, Gen Z and millennials grew up at a time when mealtime was becoming “fragmented”. Snacks are now the norm.

Loneliness

This article from Screenshot Media - we love them - explores the reasons why young people feel lonely despite being part of online communities. With 73% of Gen Z reporting feeling lonely sometimes or always, it’s clear that social media isn’t exactly bridging the gap to true connection. We liked this piece particularly for its exploration of “performative vulnerability” - i.e. what happens when young people share how they really feel online. Does it make things better or worse?

The healthy generation

With more nutritional information available than ever before, and workout videos accessible at our fingertips, you’d expect most demographics to be getting increasingly healthy. 72% of American Gen Zers report that they follow an eating plan, but does this make them healthier than their millennial, Gen X and baby boomer peers? This video has the answer.

Talking Point

I went to London Comic Con two weeks’ ago, dressed as the magic-wielding superhero John Constantine (Keanu Reeves played him in a film). In a loose red tie and trench coat, to many in London I probably looked like a haggard journalist. I felt a bit awkward on the train. In the convention hall it was a different story, with people coming up to me complimenting the outfit or quoting the character’s lines.

It was my first experience of ‘cosplay’ and my first Comic Con. My colleague Omar was rocking a green number as the main character from The Legend of Zelda games. The latest game in the series sold over 10 million copies in three days, setting the record for the fastest-selling Nintendo game ever. I recently got back into gaming and found it a peaceful form of escapism that gives my brain some much needed relief.

What struck me most about Comic Con was the shared community and acceptance. People told us how it let them be themselves and celebrate their interests. But wider culture has changed a lot. Sci-fi, fantasy and superheroes now dominate the mainstream and not just with the biggest films and TV series. We spoke to people who remembered being laughed at for liking things at school like Japanese anime, but now half their offices enjoy it.

- Ollie Smith, TNM Journalist, London 

And finally…

5%

The average increase in US hourly pay for workers in restaurants, shops and amusement parks compared with a year ago. “Nobody I know would work for the minimum wage” says Jack from Maine. Sectors that employ large numbers of young people know the score - shortage of staff and the ever-higher cost of living mean pay increases are now the norm.

Have a lovely weekend everyone - for once it’s not a three-day one.

How can we help?

In my many travels and conversations, I’m increasingly talking to CEOs, executives and civil society leaders wanting to better understand the next generation of consumers and the next generation of employees. Gen Z is putting pressure on us all to transform in fascinating ways, and many of us are asking questions about how to cater for younger workers and future proof our organisations.

If this sounds like you, we’d be keen to have a chat and see if TNM can help. From our own content production to work we have done, for example, with The Oliver Wyman Forum, we have a raft of insights and data which can support you. We work closely with a number of global organisations – helping with high-impact story-telling, digital media, internal communications, through to employee benefits, HR and working structures.

Email me direct and all of us at TNM look forward to speaking further.

Kamal Ahmed
Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder
The News Movement

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