There’s a lot of stuff on the internet. About five million terabytes of data. Over 155 million websites running on 75 million servers. And of course — around 5.2 billion users.
That’s a lot of people. And a lot of information. But how much of it would you trust?
The digital age has surged us into a new era of connectivity. We have unparalleled access to the sum of humanity’s knowledge. It’s changing how we socialize, shop and work. But it’s also changing what we believe.
The rise of the internet and our omnipresent connectivity correlates directly with a sharp decline in trust. Around the globe, trust in the media has hit record lows. Engagement is declining across traditional channels. Online channels and digital behaviors have become synaptically tied to our habits — but we equally know you can’t take everything you see online at face value.
This is a big challenge. Not only for users, but for brands, organizations and governments.
Knowing me, knowing true
As technology develops, both information and misinformation are more easily disseminated. And as we enter an election year — both in the UK and the US — the media landscape is evolving at a rapid pace.
Generative AI technology has moved from the realms of sci-fi to the ‘favorites’ tab on millions of browsers. Social media is overflowing with GPT-powered fake accounts. Users have seen timelines flooded with fake images of Pope Francis wearing a stylish white puffer coat and Elon Musk walking hand-in-hand with General Motors CEO Mary Barra.
Nobody is more acutely aware of this than Gen Z.
These young audiences have a strong desire for the truth. According to the A-Gen-Z Report, they are almost twice as likely as other generations to check the sources of the things they see, with nearly 60% saying they’ve developed techniques to spot unreliable information.
But they are not invulnerable.
Gen Zers are digital natives. They have been innately entwined with the internet for as long as they can remember. And though they are aware of misinformation (and believe they can spot it), they are more susceptible than they realize.
Recent research shows that younger users are in fact more likely to get scammed than the elderly. The latest data from the FBI and FTC reveals that just because teens are more tech-savvy, does not mean they have the awareness to keep themselves safe online. Whether it’s downloading a malware app or following a fake influencer on Instagram, Gen Z falls victim to scammers because they just don’t know any better.
Lots of people. Lots of bots. Lots of noise.
There is an abundance of everything. Except trust.
However, there is value in scarcity. Trust and transparency in the media is a vital part of a healthy democracy. So as trust reaches record lows, there is an opportunity for forward-thinking brands to get closer to Gen Z by shining a light on the truth.
Gaining Trust, Bit by Bit
Gen Z prioritizes social media’s familiar faces, entertaining content and a gratifying engagement model over all else. In the US, only 38% of Gen Z adults watch TV news for their daily update on current events. Established news outlets are not trusted by Gen Z, who see their mode of delivery as outdated, long, and often lacking context that would make news easier to understand.
Younger audiences follow the people they identify with. But in doing so, they can fall into echo chambers rife with misinformation and disinformation, despite being well-attuned to those concerns. Most platforms don’t have an editorial agenda or vet content with journalistic rigor. The algorithms which shape the user experiences don’t know what’s true or not — they only know what you’re most likely to click on.
It’s challenging for brands to effectively — or safely — break through these closed loops. Reaching Gen Z through social is one thing. But there is much greater value in helping these audiences find the truth online, countering false information and providing reliable insights.
Gen Z doesn’t want brands to tell them what to do. They want brands to help them find what is true.
Personalization matters most. Having social media content created specifically for the Gen Z demographic isnearly twice as important as overall tone and style. Brands should focus on creating content for Gen Z, by Gen Z, on the audience’s preferred platforms.
So how can brands connect Gen Z with the content, context and insight they need — creating meaningful relationships with consumers in the process?
In our latest report, Make it Count: What does Gen Z want from Brands ahead of the 2024 Election?, we shine a spotlight on the habits, preferences, and characteristics of Gen Z, helping brands define long-term engagement strategies which support this vulnerable, but influential, audience.
In an era of misinformation, trusted brands have never been so valuable. To learn the five rules for winning the trust of Gen Z in 2024, download the full report here.