Social scientists, marketers, and educators identify the generation born between 1998 and 2016 as Generation Z. The Gen Zs are the first generation that is completely native to internet technology. They are the Jedi masters, and the internet is their Force.

The Zs might be the most important generation in the history of humankind. That’s not an overstatement. The Grand Challenges we face today are potentially cataclysmic. Climate change. Terrorism. Nuclear weapons. Economic disparity. Cyber security. Clean water. The rise of machines. Drug-resistance diseases. All of these challenges are reaching a tipping point in the coming decades . . . decades in which the Zs will be running the show. They didn’t create these challenges, but they will be expected to solve them. Fortunately, for all of us, the Zs are uniquely prepared to save the planet.

As parents, educators, and social media marketers, we need to understand this generation and not take them lightly.

The Generation Z Profile

What puts the Z in Gen Z? Here’s the basic makeup of the Gen Z profile:

• The internet, technology, war, terrorism, the recession, social media, and the emergence of “fake news” shape their lives.
• They are tech savvy.
• Social media has connected them globally to like-minded peers.
• They stream entertainment, information, and data continuously in a cloud-based world.
• The internet has connection them to global knowledge.
• They are bright, and their IQ scores are higher than previous generations.
• They are the most racially diverse generation in American history.
• Their worldview is distinctly different from the generations before them.

The Hard Road That Shaped Gen Z Values

Every generation thinks the generation that comes after them is spoiled, and no doubt the Millennials think Gen Zs have it easy compared to them. That assumption doesn’t hold up under the most basic scrutiny. Gen Zs only know an America that has been at war. The media is filled with stories of terrorism, gun violence, school violence, and polarized political parties.

Gen Zs see the dark side of the modern world firsthand, too. They know someone who’s been to war. They’ve always had to take their shoes off to board an airplane. Their schools practice active shooter lockdowns. They saw foreclosed homes in their neighborhoods and had a relative who lost a job in the economic downturn.  

All of this has further shaped the Gen Z profile. Here’s a short list of their core values:

• They are digital natives, but not necessarily digital citizens.
• They value diversity, inclusion, and equality more than any other generation.
• They are not as patriotic as previous generations and are more distrusting of their government.
• They are flexible in nature and expect flexibility from institutions.
• Surveys show Gen Zs are less optimistic about the nation’s current status than older generations.  
• The same surveys show Gen Zs are far more optimistic about the future than older generations.  

Gen Zs on Social Media

The internet is sometimes described as the “Wild Wild West,” and if that analogy is true, then Gen Zs would include Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Jesse James. They might not be the pioneers, but they are the settlers who left an indelible mark on the West.

Where is Gen Z on social media? Let’s be honest, they own it. Sure, millennials created Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, but then the Gen Zs took all of it and made it theirs. When Johnny Cash remade the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt, Trent Reznor (NIN frontman) said, “I felt like I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn’t mine anymore.” Gen Zs did the same. They made social media their own, and they probably took Trent Reznor’s girlfriend, too. We have a lot to learn about the Zs and from the Zs if we want to connect with their generation on social media.  

Here’s where they are on social media:

• Gen Zs are continuously and seamlessly connected to their friends, relatives, acquaintances, celebrities, brands, and complete strangers through social media.
• Gen Zs use social media and social media profiles to create their own personal brands.
• Instant contact is very important to them.
• Waiting for emails has never been part of the Gen Z world.
• Social media has led to a sense of social justice, especially when they are bombarded with images and news of war, recession, and climate change.
• Social media has made it easy for them to take up social causes. They search for careers and opportunities that will help the world.
• Rating things on the internet is in their DNA. Giving plus 1s, clicking on thumbs up or down, awarding stars, and leaving comments is a natural part of their day.
• Making celebrity and big brand misbehavior go viral is a major achievement for the Zs.
• Gen Zs use social media to find like-minded people, giving greater strength than ever to counterculture and alternative groups.
• They “crowd source” for solutions on social media.
• They’ve learned to be careful on social media. They are concerned it is too public. This is why Snapchat is so popular with them. They want to better control who sees their messages.

Marketing to the Gen Zs

Is it important for social media managers to understand Generalization Z? Yes, because they are running roughshod over traditional marketing campaigns. They are brand resistant and social media savvy.  If you connect with them, they will be your best ally.  If you dismiss or ignore them, they will make you go viral in the worst way. And they will do it quicker than you can log in and delete your entire internet footprint.  

Here are some key points for commerce and marketing with Gen Zs:

• Gen Zs are not brand loyal. They will mix and match everything from clothes brands to philosophies.
• Gen Z teens and preteens have the biggest impact on the economy for that age group ever. Their social media “likes,” product ratings, forum feedback have companies and marketers scrambling.
• They see way too much negative product information online to immediately believe ad campaigns.  
• Gen Zs have grown up in the world of online reviews. They not only write reviews, but they rely on them and trust them for making their own purchases.  
• Events like the recession and Occupy Wall Street have left Gen Zs distrusting of big brands.
• They spend more on the economy than any generation before them at their age. Most of their spending happens online. This is driven by gift cards like Amazon, Etsy, PayPal, Xbox, PlayStation, and iTunes.
• Gen Zs also understand commerce online. They sell and swap their own goods (and possessions) on sites like Etsy, Depop, OfferUp, Poshmark, and letgo.
• They are more concerned about purchasing environmentally safe products than the generations before them.
• They don’t have a regard for the traditional “Pro America” brands.
• Gen Zs want to be the first to like something, follow something, buy something.
• They like anti-establishment brands
• Label wariness has led to the rise of the thrift shops. See Thrift Shops by Macklemore.
• Big brands that use social media openly and honestly have connected with Gen Z.  
• Big brands have reached Generation Zs through other Gen Zs. Big brands have reached out to popular Gen Z YouTubers and Instagram user to advertise their products. Gen Zs are much more trusting of individuals within their own generation than of big brand institutions.
• Gen Zs spend their money wisely. The know too many Gen Xers who graduated college, live with their parents, and are saddled with college debt. Gen Zs find this horrifying.  
• Gen Zs value “cheap” more than older generations.
• Gen Zs are not easily impressed with technological improvements because it is an expectation. Unless your technology improvements revolutionize the product, don’t make it the center of your ad campaign if you’re targeting Gen Zs.
• Gen Zs like brands that “stand for something.” Brands score well that stand for diversity, inclusion, and equality.
• Gender specific ad campaigns don’t fare as well with Gen Zs, who tend to think more in gender neutral terms than older generations.  

Marketing to Generation Zs on social media will be no easy task. We have to catch up in areas where we are used to leading. The better we understand this group, the better we can connect with them, and that’s really what social media marketing is all about.

Note that the last people born into Generation Z ended sometime around 2016. This year gave birth to a new generation. Wait until you meet Generation Alpha. (Que intense Darth Vader entrance music.)

Look forward to hearing your comments.
– Adam Renfro