What makes these digital natives tick?
This newest generation is growing up and voting. Defining Gen Z voters is important for candidates looking to connect with them for the midterm elections. To start, they comprise 25% of the US population, 76 million strong. Voters are aged 18-23. 63% consider themselves influencers, 48% think of themselves as entrepreneurs and 31% think of themselves as brands. Over 25% post videos weekly and over 65% enjoy creating and sharing content on social media. They crave visual storytelling…. but keep it short. Their attention span is about 8 seconds. Their smart phone is their screen of choice, where they spend about 6 hours a day. But their interaction is more intuitive and less intentional as technology is woven into the fabric of their social world.
Z Kids Get Tech Fatigue
They unplug to recharge. A generation of readers, they prefer paper to eBooks. Global social justice causes are important – they are just a click away from their peers on the planet. Most do not remember 9/11, but random violence, school shootings and the economic upheaval from the great recession have defined their childhoods and their psyche.
Score One For Human Interaction
Connecting to this generation in a meaningful way may be counterintuitive. Events and experiences trump online deals and digital hype. They are thinkers, creators and readers who gravitate towards “acoustic connections” to validate their online perceptions. Score one for human interaction……….Handshakes still count.