Back in My Day… And Other Tales from Gen X
We’ve all heard the story about how “back in my day we walked uphill, through the snow, both ways”, and we all laugh because while it may not be 100% accurate, the sentiment of “back in my day” being different from today, rings true. With the referenced article as inspiration, we decided to explore this topic a bit more.
VICE Insights recently released its 2024 Guide to Culture with Ten Culture Codes to understand the evolving needs of Gen Z consumers and the forces of change shaping their lives. Recently, two Red Cat Marketing colleagues got together, one Gen X and one Gen Z, with the task of representing their entire respective generations, and talked candidly about some of the report’s findings as compared to their personal experiences and viewpoint.
Culture Code 1: Life in Narrative
In Gen Z’s world, stories aren’t only about consumption, they’re about inhabitation. Youth are donning avatars, becoming characters, and storying their lives, resulting in a narrative experience that has morphed from a spectator sport to a participatory odyssey.
The question has evolved from the existential “Who am I?” to the dynamic “What story am I narrating, and which character am I playing”
X: What social media platforms are you on and how active are you?
Z: Instagram is the main one that I use. I have more than 600 followers. I’ll post my favourite / best pictures there. It’s a way to track memories and share things that you’re proud of. I also have accounts on Facebook (primarily for Facebook Marketplace), Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, VSCO.
I use social media primarily for chatting, making plans, keeping in touch and seeing what others are doing. I saw that a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in years was going to be in Montreal the same time as I was so I connected to see if we could meet up. We didn’t make it happen, but we’re now back in touch and get together fairly regularly.
X: Is it all about the “likes”? A place to store memories? An opportunity to share your opinions? A chance to become a “character” that you’ve created?
Z: Most people I know have private accounts (unless they are Influencers, or trying to be influencers), so not so much about sharing opinions to a large audience. Definitely a place to store and share memories. And I’ll admit, the serotonin boost from seeing likes doesn’t hurt!
X: Do you think this is typical for most Gen Z? There is so much being written about Gen Z feeling “lonely in a crowd”, especially after COVID.
Z: Most of the people I know are pretty social, but spend a big part of their day online for work. So they like to go out to play sports, or for dinner. Since we graduated from university, we can’t always meet up, because we don’t live as close to each other as we used to, so social media is a place where we can see what each other is up to.
X: I don’t know that this is typical of most Gen Z’s…
Z: There are people that I’ve kept in touch with only on social media, for example from high school. But we don’t really get together much.
X: Not much in common anymore?
Z: Not really. There is also a divide that I see between some super social and less social peers. Both will have social media, they just use it differently. The less social tend to watch rather than post.
X: It sounds like many of the differences in social media use between Gen X and your Gen Z peers are driven primarily by the tools available at this stage in your life, not necessarily by any generational differences. If Gen X was in their late teens or early twenties in 2024 we would probably behave very similarly.
So what do marketers need to know about reaching you online?
Z: Use multiple platforms, don’t overlook TikTok, make use of reels, posts and stories. Utilize influencer marketing where it makes sense. It is a powerful tool that works and is amplified by new social media trends and platforms such as TikTok. As this generation expects a more authentic trustworthy brand, ironically, who better for viewers to trust than someone who feels like an internet best friend and the ultimate testimonial (who also happens to be getting paid)?
Culture Code 2: Pink Rethink
Women... have reclaimed “femininity, girlhood, and bimboism” in an act of protest… against outdated archetypes, the status quo, and expectations that women must behave and present in a certain way (like men) in order to get ahead.
New codes of femininity and feminism are afoot and they aren’t dictated by anyone else.
Being a woman is no longer a reductive stereotype.
X: Do you think that is true? Do you see this with your peers?
Z: In business it really depends on the company. Some companies claim to be inclusive, but their actions don’t live up to this. In my experience, having worked in typically male-dominated industries, you can’t overtly challenge their norms without being seen as a threat. It is definitely more prevalent with older colleagues than younger ones.
X: Do you have discussions about “gender norms” with your friends?
Z: I was raised in a home with strong, professional women so that was the “norm” for me. With my friends, we talk more and more about life decisions such as getting married, moving in together, having children, financial management and how gender norms will affect these decisions (or may not). I think expectations have shifted a little from what we saw our parents do and now there is more of a mix. For example, who would stay home for parental leave or cook and clean? Traditionally it was the women, but I am hearing friends say it only makes sense for whoever makes the most money to continue working whether that be the mother or father. Traditional male or female tasks such as having a meal prepared for the husband when he gets home are now relegated to whoever gets home from work first doing the cooking, and the male is not necessarily the “breadwinner”.
X: Do brands need to be ultra careful of gender stereotypes?
Z: In my opinion they definitely need to ensure that they are not being derogatory, but when it comes to things like clothing or makeup, people will wear whatever they want to wear regardless of who is wearing it in an ad or on a runway.
Culture Code 6: Healthful Pleasures
They’ve expanded the lexicon of wellness pursuits, moved from the individualistic pursuit of self in favor of communal health, sought out mental and emotional wellness, and placed value on the “feel” as the ultimate indicator of well-being.
For youth this isn’t elitist wellness - this is joyful everyday wellness that’s all about the feels.
X: Isn’t elitist wellness, by its very nature, not intended for youth since it's about providing premium healthcare products and services, which obviously come with a premium price tag? With all the financial pressures, paying off education debt and trying to save for a home, who can afford the health club memberships, 7-step skin care regimes and expensive life coaches?
Z: It’s mostly the influencers or the really wealthy who are into that.
X: I don’t think the movement against wellness culture is specific to Gen Z, I think (hope) we are all moving away from the rigid ideals of what it means to be “healthy”, from fat-shaming to body positivity, or at least I hope so. Is there a piece of this that is unique to Gen Z?
Z: In high school, there was still body shaming and pressure in general, especially around beauty and physical appearance but then that’s not the greatest indication of people’s moral compasses. Once I was in university there was a real focus on support and resources available to help people facing health issues, whether mental or physical. A lot of “We Got You” messaging. Now most of the negativity is coming from Gen X and Boomers. Comments like “are you sure you want to eat that”, or compliments on losing weight. It shouldn’t be acceptable to comment on someone’s weight loss or weight gain, because you don’t know the background reasons. It really talks to the focus on weight being the measurement of wellness rather than looking at the whole picture.
X: In the Guide to Culture, it states that 71% of youth say aspects of community are essential to being healthy”, but the happiness report indicated an emerging pandemic of loneliness, that there is a feeling that they are lacking social support - even being alone in a crowd. Why do you think that’s the case?
Z: COVID really messed things up for a lot of people in terms of feeling alone. Combine that with social media and cancel culture…
X: Cancel culture and bullying have gone to a whole new level with social media. We were really lucky, for the most part. As a teenager you could get a fresh start by changing schools if needed. That doesn’t work anymore, the internet doesn’t have any boundaries.
Z: I think the anxiety around doing or saying the wrong thing, and then having that shared with the world causes many people to retreat and not say or do anything out of the fear of misstepping. Additionally, there is pressure around being open when something causes stress - especially to older generations who rather than providing support often dismiss your concerns with an example of when they experienced something worse.
X: Walking to and from school, in a blizzard, uphill both ways…
Any last thoughts?
Z: I think it is easy now to jump on the bandwagon and follow trends. Some trends or behaviours may have repeated themselves, become more apparent or remain the same but with a different name. For example, cancel culture. I think how you grew up and what you're accustomed to will change your perspective. That is where Gen X and Gen Z start to meld because if certain behaviours, mindsets, influences or individualism were in your environment growing up, you can see similarities between the two regardless of age or generation and they would behave quite similarly.
X: I agree. I tend to think that we are very much a product of our times, and that people deep down are very similar. If Gen Xers were teens in the 2010’s we’d probably behave very similarly to Gen Z’s. I really enjoyed our chat!
Key Takeaway
So, what’s the takeaway from this and how can you utilize these insights to inform your marketing initiatives?
Individualism. Treat everyone with respect. We are each on our own life journey and should never judge someone else’s.
Authenticity. Be true to your brand. Phoniness if not immediately apparent will become apparent. And the fallout from misrepresenting your brand will be much greater than any short-term benefits.
Thoughtfulness. No need to start making your shoes and purses out of vegan leather if that’s not on brand. But be thoughtful in how you treat your customers, employees and our planet.
Source:
https://www.scribd.com/document/711873747/Vice-Guide-to-Culture-2024-Flipbook