How Adolescent Builds Relationships with Gen Z

Gen Z has already forged a new relationship with almost everything. With social media. With connections. With the world. And with brands. The reality is that Gen Z isn’t like former generations, even Millennials. And how we interact with the world requires a new level of understanding and relationship building.

At Adolescent Content, we know how to build relationships with Gen Z. We have a one-up on others when it comes to understanding Gen Z because we are Gen Z. And we know how important relationships are to our generation, whether those relationships are in person, on social media, or with the content we pay attention to and the products we buy.

Gen Z and What’s Relevant to Us

Gen Z is unlike any other generation before us. We’ve been exposed to the internet since day one. We’re the kids who had smartphones in elementary school. And we are drawn to different things because of it.

Facts:

We’re the most educated generation ever.

We’re the most diverse generation ever.

Social media is where we get most of our information.

We’re highly interactive.

We speak our minds.

We love video and visuals.

We love things that make us laugh.

We crave authenticity.

We like our individualism.

We’re inclusive of others.

We hate labels.

We have high expectations of ourselves and others.

Gen Z, Diversity, and Equality

As the most ethnically and racially diverse generation in the U.S., over 48 percent of us are non-white. And according to the most recent Gallup poll, 15.9 percent of Gen Z respondents identify as LGBTQ+. It should be no surprise, then, that we demand equal opportunities and social justice in our lives and our products.

Gen Z and Authenticity

Authenticity and honesty are the hallmarks of our generation. Gen Z is too connected to fall for much, and we have no problem calling out BS. We don’t want to be sold a fantasy because we know it doesn’t exist. If we find you’ve lied to us, we have no problem dropping you like last year’s best friend. If you’re willing to tell us the truth and stand for something, we may pay attention.

Gen Z, Social Media, and Brand Influencers

Social media is nothing new, but how we use it is. We get our news there, we find our products there, and we get our entertainment there. And the people we follow and trust on social media aren’t your typical glossy celebrity types. Brand influencers are more like us – real people with a passion and a connection with what they’re offering. Yeah, they may be getting compensation for their stuff, but why not? We’ve voted them worthy, and brands understand this.

Gen Z and Visual Content

We love visual content. Fact: research shows that our brains are wired to process visuals 60,000 times faster than words. (You’re welcome!) And we’re the first to admit that we have short attention spans. This is one of the reasons that TikTok with its short form video content has become one of our favorite places. Forget network television. Give us YouTube. Streaming content? Bring it! When we get bored, we move on. Getting our attention is not always intuitive. That’s why we’re still such a mystery to many brands.

Gen Z Doesn’t Exist in a Vacuum

We’re all part of the same big world, and part of what will bridge generational gaps is how well we understand each other. That’s why we believe in building common ground to allow other generations to understand and engage with us. Some studies show that Gen Z is a strange amalgam of youth and many of the common sense approaches of our grandparents. With our combination of inclusivity, creativity, concern for the planet, and willingness to do the hard work, we just may be the generation to do things that older generations only dreamed of!

An Extreme Notion

Back in 2013, we had an extreme notion – that a company run by young creators could reach our own demographic better than others. While some laughed at the outset of our mission when they realized many of our creators were still in high school, they’re not laughing anymore. We’re over here building relationships with Gen Z while others are still trying to figure out the terrain.

At Adolescent Content, we founded ourselves based on the principles of connection and diversity, with a mission to create opportunities for Gen Z BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creators. Nearly a decade later, we now offer our unique perspective to brands that want to tap into our powerful market share. Need to understand and reach Gen Z but don’t know how? Maybe we can help!