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Vitta

Vitta

Arthur Vitta

Professor Kirsten Holt

ENC-1101

June 07, 2020

The Spirit of Generation Z

Have you ever thought about which product, service or app is the one that most embodies the spirit of our newest Generation Z in today’s world? As we analyze the past few years, many apps and services have been introduced to the world and made their massive impact – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Uber – the list is endless. However, there is only one service that appealed to the newest generation and became the number one most popular app in the world. Because of its mission to inspire creativity and bring joy to their users, and how the app works in such an effective and not tiresome way, Chinese giant ByteDance’s app TikTok is the app that most embodies the spirit of the Generation Z.

Firstly, it is necessary to establish the idea that the Generation Z is tied with technology in a way that has never been experienced before by any generation. Generation Z already represents $44 billion in annual purchasing power, with 85% learning about new products via social media (Reshwan). The possibility of sharing short-form videos about music, fitness, classes, jokes, exercises, celebrities, and really any other subject you can possibly imagine made available by TikTok, aligned with the chance to go viral is something that appeals to Gen Z like no other, as it is a generation that has been born in the midst of social media culture and has been hugely influenced by it. Not only that, but the fact that the first iPhone was created in 2007 – when the oldest Gen Z members were already 10 years old – shows how used to technology this generation is, and also symbolizes the influence that technological advancements have made on them.

A second major reason is the huge entrepreneurial and influencing motivation that surrounds members of Generation Z. Almost every member of this generation is a young person that desires to be a creator, an entrepreneur or influencer. With its format of only short-term video sharing, TikTok is the easiest platform in which anyone can go viral; it feeds directly from those needs and wishes of GenZers. It is a place where people can be and share whatever they wish to be and share. Along with that, the fact that most Generation Z members tend to make use of tools or applications that are not so difficult to meddle with more than previous generations do is also tied with how TikTok connects with them. It takes almost zero effort and time to edit your content and have it posted online for everyone on the platform to see, as opposed to other platforms such as YouTube, which require heavy editing and investing in the production area for people to achieve success, or to continue to be successful and maintain their fan base.

Additionally, the versality of the platform TikTok is not to be overlooked when we analyze the reason behind its huge representativeness of the youngest Generation Z. Celebrities sharing their everyday life, huge brands like the NFL sharing highlights of historical plays, and even media outlets such as the New York Times sharing short videos with important updates or news, the app is basically a fountain of never-ending entertainment. That is precisely what Generation Z also craves for: short and effective educational content, aspirational content, business content and entertainment content all in one place, easily accessible and consumable. When you combine these elements of a very wide availability of content to be absorbed to the Generation Z members’ natural skills to multitask, the result can only be a highly addictive one, as “switching between different tasks and paying simultaneous attention to a wide range of stimuli comes naturally to them” (Patel).  Not only that but, differently from past generations, Gen Z understands that social media is a place where people can choose what they want to share and what they want to see and consume – it is about feeling good and sharing that positivity with your followers.

Finally, change is welcomed by the Generation Z, and many of them have and will come with the connectivity made available by social media; moreover, it is important to mention that this commitment to change is connected to the fact that Gen Zers are radically inclusive. According to research, their ability to connect different truths and flow between different communities that promote distinct causes is what makes this a reality (Francis and Hoefel). For example, when it comes to views on race, the two youngest generations, which are the Millennials and Gen Z, are more likely than older generations to say that blacks are treated less fairly than whites in the United States today. And they are much more likely than their elders to approve of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem as a sign of protest. The efficiency in which TikTok allows users to convey messages to other people is a tool that is growingly being used by the Generation Z. A few weeks ago, it was all about entertainment, positive messages, a way to feel good amidst all the COVID-19 and quarantine context of our world; now, TikTok has become the go-to platform for youth activism over George Floyd’s death and Black Lives Matter movement. Most members of Gen Z are making use of the platform to lead the charge against systemic racism and police brutality. The number of messages and useful information being shared on the matter is mind-blowing for past generations, however, it is only one of many changes to come that are and will be encouraged by this young Generation Z.

Conclusively, to be able to understand how the new generations view and interact with the world has a meaningful importance to our future. These reasons behind the popularity of the app TikTok are to be seen as insights to how our society will behave in the distant future rather than the close future. What next? Be prepared for plenty of changes and connectivity between people.

Works Cited Francis, Tracy and Fernanda Hoefel. "‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies." 12 November 2018. McKinsey & Company Web site. Article. 24 June 2020. <https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies>. Patel, Deep. "8 Ways Generation Z Will Differ From Millennials In The Workplace." 21 September 2017. Forbes Web site. Article. 24 June 2020. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/09/21/8-ways-generation-z-will-differ-from-millennials-in-the-workplace/#63c2321e76e5>. Reshwan, Robin. "Generation Z Characteristics in the Workplace." 5 November 2019. US News Web site. Article. 21 June 2020. <https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/articles/generation-z-characteristics-in-the-workplace>.