The rise of Gen Z influencers: how they are changing the face of social media
Unlike previous generations who had to wait their turn, Gen Z is poised to take over the world, even though its oldest members are barely out of college.
Gen Z’s world-changing power is not ultimately based on money; it is a result of the rapid pace of technological progress and the relative slowness of previous generations to keep up with it.
The media had barely learned its name before being forced to write articles about how Gen Z is changing everything.
How did this happen, and how did it happen so fast?
The Rise of iGen
After the pandemic forced the world to move the bulk of their interactions online, the digital world has become in many ways more real than real life.
This gives the tech-savvy an advantage not just in the narrow sphere of IT, but in life. A Gen Z family member will not only use their powers for their own decisions, but also exert influence over other family members, sometimes in the case of major purchases such as cars and home improvements.
Through their online influence, Gen Z not only has the ability to understand the world better, but also to project their own identity and views within it.
Unlike the centralized days of the 1950s (“1 phone company, 2 superpowers, 3 TV stations”), Gen Z Media Inc. is fragmented across literally hundreds of thousands of independent broadcasters, known more commonly as creators or influencers.
The primary arenas and marketplaces in which they operate are the social media platforms, particularly the visually-driven ones: YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Impact on Social Media
Social media was originally conceived as just that – a social forum where friends could exchange trivia or cat photos, and indulge in the occasional political or religious spat.
Gen Z is not just a digital native, but a social media native as well. Their adolescences coincided with the proliferation of the main platforms and were to a great extent lived out on them. While this had many downsides, it has also meant that they have been the first to explore social media’s full potential.
More than just a means of communication or entertainment, Gen Z has turned social media into a more holistic entity. They do not seek only to be entertained, but to be informed as well. Content creators are the first port of call for self-development in any number of areas, from fashion to finance.
What this all means
The Gen Z generation has grown up so differently that they could be classified as a separate species. Naturally, this leads them to trust each other.
Gen Z influencers tend to have more engagement per post (often >10%) than celebrities with larger audiences. This means that influencers are the new gatekeepers. Modern-day marketers, politicians, and media organizations must adapt and cater to them – not the other way around – in order to remain relevant themselves!
The social consequences alone of this inversion of the generational pyramid are incredible.
The physics of the new, all-enveloping social media move at a faster pace than traditional corporations, are driven by beliefs rather than pure profit motives, and celebrate the everyday above the glitzy.
Put all this together, and Gen Z truly is the first young generation to short-circuit its way to the top.
Generation Alpha – your move 🙂
