58% of Gen Z in Asia feel uncertain about the future. The global issues that Gen Z would like to tackle are global warming & climate change (42%), the economic crisis (39%), health problems and virus outbreaks (38%), poverty (34%), racism (22%), suppression and abuse of women (19%), gender inequality (17%), terrorism (16%), and the aging population (15%). Breaking gender stereotypes is another theme that is significantly more present in the daily lives of Gen Z. 67% believe there are still too many gender stereotypes, 62% recognize that gender identity can change over time, and 50% know someone who prefers to be addressed with gender neutral pronouns.
Social media makes it easy for Gen Z to use the collective power of their clicks to fight injustice. In fact, 29% follow accounts about social justice on social media, 30% voice their opinion about social issues on social media, and 12% participate in (online) protests.
So, what does this mean for brands? Gen Z challenges brands to demonstrate their ongoing social impact. Brands that try to jump on the bandwagon with one-off actions, risk being called out for green-washing or rainbow washing.