Gen Z

Born 1997–2012, Gen Z are digital natives, socially minded and a rebellious force to be reckoned with.

Youth Culture in 2025

From immersive experiences to creator-driven content and innovative storytelling, pop culture and media innovators are reshaping how audiences engage with entertainment

Big Ideas

Kidult Craze

Adults are gravitating towards playful, non-digital items such as plush toys, collectables and nostalgic characters to reconnect with and heal their inner child

Macro Trends

The Future of Sports Fandom

By embracing new technologies, geographies and audiences, sport is becoming bigger than ever and offering valuable lessons on nurturing a new era of fandom

Macro Trends

Gen Z Now and Next

Gen Z are entering adulthood burdened by global challenges, yet lack the tools or role models to drive the change they envision, leaving them paralysed by paradox

Behaviours

Gen Z in India

India’s Gen Z are reshaping tradition, blending heritage with global influences to promote sustainability, inclusivity, and individuality in the consumer landscape

Big Ideas

Sleepover credit

France – Travel platform NightSwapping is bringing exchange value to the travel industry.

NightSwapping : Tinder : Travel App

Big Ideas

Fit to date

US – A new dating app promises to connect users that share similar exercise habits.

Sweatt : Dating : Exercise

Big Ideas

Battle the bot

US – Code Fights is gamifying the job-hunting process, disrupting traditional HR channels that can miss out on digital talent.

Big Ideas

Travel Technology Europe and Business Travel Show 2016: Review

The travel industry is beginning to harness big data and social media in order to create seamless connectivity.

Travel Technology Europe : Business Travel Show : The Hatch

Communities

Kidpreneurs

Ambitious and fearless, this subset of Generation Z knows exactly what they want in life and are willing to work in order to get it.

Kidpreneurs : The Junior Atelier : The Chief Lemonade Officer

Big Ideas

Morning news

Global – Keen to mimic the mobile behaviour of their readers, media outlets Vogue and Quartz are changing the way they deliver the news.

WhatsApp : Vogue : Text Commerce

Micro Trends

The XXX Factor

Sex is back in fashion, but this time it’s about getting the metrics, irony and humour bang on.

Diesel : Vivienne Westwood : JW Anderson

Big Ideas

Off the Menu

US – A new food app that specialises in secret menu items is taking off in the US, bringing insider information to a mass-market audience.

High Low : High Street Restaurants : Secret Menu

Big Ideas

Get on Line

Global – Messaging app Line is now the fastest-growing global social media network.

Line : New Bricolage Living : Media

Micro Trends

Male Positivity

New cultural initiatives are re-examining masculinity by focusing on mental health, body image and depression.

Re-con Man : Masculinity : Mental Health

Big Ideas

Express yourself

London – Digital marketers are beginning to decipher what emojis reveal about consumer sentiment online.

Emojis : Emoji : Swyft

Big Ideas

Look twice

US – MTV is taking on rape culture in a series of online banner ads.

Brandstanding : MTV : Look Different

Big Ideas

Online viewers

UK – A Childwise 2016 television survey proves that children choose YouTube and Netflix over broadcast programming.

YouTube Generation : Netflix : Gen I

Big Ideas

Put to shame

US – One in seven Americans are happy with the way they look, according to a Yahoo Health survey on body positivity.

Yahoo Health : Body Shaming : Generation Z

Big Ideas

Muslim buzz

Global – Media company BuzzFeed dedicated a day to Muslim content on social media platform Snapchat Discover.

BuzzFeed : Snapchat Discover : Islamophobia

Big Ideas

Short and Sweet

Global – Hearst Corporation has created a straight-to-Snapchat magazine with brief articles and shoppable style advice for the scrolling gener...

Snapchat : Media Futures : Hearst Publishing

Big Ideas

A light fry

London – A new chicken shop in Tottenham is using fried chicken in a paradoxical twist to persuade the community to eat more healthily.

Fried Chicken : Fast Food : High-low Dining

Big Ideas

Getting real

Global – Weary of having to live up to idealised versions of themselves, Generation D and Millennials are creating private profiles on Instagram.

Instagram : Social Media : Finstagram

Big Ideas

Hangover cure

Global – HangoverApp uses geo-location technology to ensure certain photo and video content can only be viewed by a group of friends in the same lo...

Hangover App : Social Media : Instant Messaging

Viewpoints

Social media v self-validation

In the 21st century teenagers will have to deal with a new kind of growing pain: learning how to be a person online.

Essena O'Neill : Instagram : Insta-real

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