Has Gen Z OD'd on social media?

"Recently I was completing a global project for a major fashion brand, which focused on the use of social media by young influencers between 16 and 24. I was short a few interviews, so in a crunch, put my own three Gen Z children in front of the camera. What I heard disturbed me, both as an agency CSO, and even more, as a parent."

"we agency Gen X'ers - while being immersed and fluent in social media, as a mandate of our industry - assumed that our digital and social native children, while definitely over-fixated by apps like Snapchat and Instagram, were the creators of the game and therefore understood how to play and manage it. We, as social adopters, could learn from them."

A global project for a major fashion brand examined social media use by influencers aged 16–24. When interviews were short, three Gen Z children were put on camera to fill gaps, and their responses revealed troubling effects. One daughter said social media creates an almost impossible standard to maintain, causing exhaustion and overwhelm. Industry assumptions that Gen Z inherently understands and manages social platforms are breaking down. High-profile incidents and platform failures illustrate growing concerns. Social media both enables connection and amplifies insecurity among vulnerable young people. A national survey of 1,022 respondents aged 18–24 further validated that social media presents significant challenges.

Read at The Drum