Here are a few of my thoughts on what’s essential to know about Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

What defines Gen Z? And Gen Alpha?

Generation Z spends 9 hours a day in front of a screen. A teenager in Basel, Switzerland, has more in common with a teenager in New York than with a 60-year-old in their neighborhood. These teenagers follow content creators and influencers who use proven methods to win their attention again and again, build a parasocial relationship with them and inspire them to imitate their behavior.

Their shared identity stacks are made up of fragments like:

  • Growing up during a pandemic, lockdowns, war in Europe, on-demand streaming subscriptions, food delivery, YouTube how-to videos, short-form video entertainment, online gaming, smart homes with Alexa, TikTok music to remember special moments in life, memes, trends and influencers …

Generations Alpha and Z spend more time with influencers than with their friends.

Four young people posing around a large illuminated letter Z in front of a brick wall with a neon sign that reads “Rock Star”
Illustrative photo by Yan Krukov.

Influencers, and in a broader sense “content creators,” are simply more competent and more entertaining (thanks to “emotional deposits” like comedy, drama, polarizing opinions (in German) and surprises) than the “specialist sales staff” in the store downtown.

They invite people into their lives and document how they solve problems and make their dreams come true.

Market research firms track young people’s views on religion (or the lack of it) and are finding today that young people no longer call themselves religious but still turn to the spiritual.

Did you know that today Gen Z most often turns to musicians for advice on the big questions in life? They still ask their family and friends first, of course. But after that, musicians come out on top.

Millennials usually go to therapists instead.

But for both generations one thing is clear: religious organizations and their figures are no longer the most important points of reference. To be precise, for Gen Z they don’t even make the top 10 sources of guidance and support …

Then: Millennials watch a Netflix movie to relax and read a book to learn something.

Now: Generation Alpha consumes short-form video content (TikToks, Reels, Shorts) to relax and has to push itself to watch a Netflix documentary to learn something.

Gen Z shares common worries like pessimism about the future, inflation, war in Europe, global warming, environmental protection and sustainability.

What are their biggest questions?

  1. Who am I?
  2. Where do I belong?
  3. What difference can I make?

They find their answers to these questions in the filter bubbles and echo chambers of people with similar interests and shared identity fragments on social media: gaming streamers, lifestyle influencers or hip-hop artists and rappers (Gen Z’s favorite music).

How you can reach Gen Z

Young woman in a pink shirt crouching under a purple neon sign that reads “why not”
Photo by Thirdman.
People follow people with identities worth imitating who can offer answers to the three most important questions.