How Gen Z is fuelling a new era of transparency online
There is no question that social media has had a profound impact on the ease with which we can communicate and interact with one another. But as we’ve seen time and time again, it has also had its fair share of negative consequences. From cyberbullying to the spread of false information, there’s no shortage of problems that have arisen from our increasingly digitised world.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, one group is using social media in a positive way – Gen Z.
This generation is more connected than any other before it, and they’re using that connection to create a more authentic world. Whether it’s through their use of unedited photos and videos or their willingness to talk about taboo subjects, Gen Z is showing us that authenticity is vital.
And they are not the only ones. More and more people are beginning to see the value of being honest and transparent online. As a result, we’re seeing a new era of authenticity emerge. One that is totally driven by Gen Z.
Social media changed the way we communicate and how we interact with the world around us and has made us more connected than ever before, for better or for worse.
From our findings:
- Youtube is the most used social media platform in our community, gaining 22% of the votes, whereas Snap Inc. was the lowest with 2% of the votes
- 20% of the respondents identified Instagram as the platform they most post content on
- YouTube is seen as the platform with the most authentic content (33% of the votes)
One of the most exciting things about social media is that it is changing how we think about authenticity. In the past, authenticity was generally associated with older generations. It was something that was attained through experience and wisdom.
Nowadays, however, authenticity is something that is much more associated with youth culture. Gen Z is often credited with being the most authentic generation yet. They are unafraid to be their true selves, even if it means being different from everyone else.
This shift in thinking is mainly due to social media. On platforms like Instagram and Twitter, people constantly share their thoughts and opinions. This has given rise to a new level of transparency that just was not possible before. However, these same platform giants often come under heavy scrutiny for the pressure of their users to portray a ‘perfect’ version of themselves and their lives. Luckily, there is an increasingly popular social media platform aiming to break the likes of Instagram or Tik Tok and encourage their users to be more true to reality. It goes by the name of ‘BeReal’.
BeReal’s selling point is real-time authenticity, and Gen Z is all in for that. In contrast to Instagram, BeReal encourages all users to send a daily post to their friends to show exactly what they are doing at that precise moment. This is an excellent push towards a more honest and raw snapshot into users’ lives. Those on the app have to send posts within a two-minute frame, so there is no time to make any fancy changes or photo editing. And Gen Z loves it.
In this case, and with all the choices we have online, less is demonstrated to be more. Gen Z is leading the charge when it comes to this. They are setting the standard for what it means to be honest in the digital age.
This new era of honesty is refreshing, and it’s something that we can all learn from. Gen Z is leading the way when it comes to being your true self, and they’re showing us that it’s okay to be imperfect. So let’s embrace our imperfections and be proud of who we are.
Authored by Sandro Rosario, Client Success Manager at Imagen Insights