It’s no surprise with the anxiety and loneliness epidemic that young people are seeking more genuine, rich connections to create a sense of community.

Couple that with a loss of faith in institutions and a greater concern about privacy and data and it makes sense that younger people are spending more time huddled around smaller digital “campfires”.

Gen Z are also highly expressive - engaged with creative pursuits offline like drawing or journaling.  They value creativity and individuality and niche micro communities cater to this more effectively–helping them carve out a safe space and providing a sense of belonging as well as contributing to a sense of distinctiveness.

Gen Zers grew up post-consequence – they’re mindful of oversharing “broadcast” fashion, they’ve seen the damage that social posts can have and curate themselves in a highly conscious way. 

Internally, we have found Gen Z will share posts on Instagram publicly that reflect their political ideals – for example climate rallies or how to manage anxiety, content that signals their values whereas more personal posts such as beauty tips or fashion looks –they will “save”. This metric is a more valuable way of gauging interest.

An anomaly to this trend of more private online communications is TikTok which has really tapped into Gen Z’s creativity and individuality.  Perhaps because it is more of a creative outlet than a curated identity.

Brands trying to get in on these campfires will need to approach carefully – this audience despise fakery and pretence.

Finally, it’s telling that Billie Eilish, described as the quintessential Gen Z popstar is moody and quiet in contrast with the traditional pop star - upbeat, over the top and focused on performance.