Infographic summary
51% of Gen Z in Europe feel uncertain about the future. The global issues that Gen Z would like to tackle are poverty (41%), racism (37%), global warming & climate change (33%), terrorism (27%), health problems and virus outbreaks (23%), the economic crisis (22%), genre inequality (21%), suppression and abuse of women (21%), and LGBTQI+ rights (13%). Breaking gender stereotypes is another theme that is significantly more present in the daily lives of Gen Z. 53% believe there are still too many gender stereotypes, 50% recognize that gender identity can change over time, and 36% 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, 26% follow accounts about social justice on social media, 23% voice their opinion about social issues on social media, and 15% 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.