Hello everyone

The shocking events of last week have made us all pause and realise life is fragile. It has sparked many emotional and understandable conversations, which for many people, young and old, have been difficult.

But in the end, we can all realise the death of anybody that is - rather emotionlessly - called a “civilian” is to be mourned and respected. And their family and loved ones should be supported in any way we can.

It matters little whether that person was at a peaceful music festival in southern Israel or lived in Gaza.

We have found that pointing to resources such as this from Oxford University and documents such as How to Talk About the Israel-Hamas War has been very helpful.

Some of the documents are said to be “for children”. But actually they are for everyone.

We’re still talking about…

Quiet quitting, the trend much-documented on TikTok where employees keep it lax in the workplace and don’t go above and beyond to please managers. In a recent survey, 65% of employees were said to be #quietquitting, but these quiet quitters were found across all age groups. Many Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Z’s opt for a “step-back” approach to work - it’s not just those aged 26 and below.

…and Gen Z are still a force to be reckoned with

Whilst some Gen Zers choose to be more low-key in the office, this doesn’t mean they’re afraid of speaking up when need be. A new survey from Adobe found that Gen Z were happy giving feedback to both senior colleagues and peers. Once tricky topics like salary, direct criticism of managers or mental welfare are now subjects that can be - and are - discussed. Ever think about asking your new intern ‘how am I doing’ rather than ‘how are you doing. . .?’

More on an important theme...

Mental health awareness, acceptance and support is a top priority on the Gen Z agenda. Affected by the stress of daily life alongside the cost of living crisis, climate change and global instability, 61% of Gen Z have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. But unlike previous generations, Gen Z are not afraid to seek help to aid their mental health - which brings us to the underbelly of this topic: how Gen Z is boosting the mental health industry.

…and tarot does keep popping up

Astrology, witchery and card readings - Gen Z can't get enough. So much so that Exeter University will start offering a postgraduate course in magic starting in 2024. The course is an academic take on the occult including content on dragons, witchery and psychedelic usage. There is a spirituality and magic movement among young people which needs to be on everybody’s radar.

And finally…

55%

… of teenagers cite Amazon as their No.1 favourite e-commerce site, with Shein, Nike, GOAT and Temu rounding out the top five. Nike is the top brand for all teens in both apparel (35%) and footwear (61%), and e.l.f. remains the #1 cosmetics brand.

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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This week we have been amplifying the voices of eyewitnesses to and those affected by the war between Israel and Hamas.