The single most influential event in the lives of Generation Z, those born 1995-2005, was 9/11/2001. Although it is a distant memory from their childhood, it has impacted their attitudes, perceptions and life priorities. It has also affected their passion for connectivity through social media. Virtually connected to a fault, they're more inclined to form their impressions of the world based on what they see on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat than from the news media (the topic of my next Gen Z report). After all, as experts at Forbes point out, social media is not just a broadcasting platform -- it's how they engage with their community. Furthermore, social media gives them a filtered view of what it means to be a man in today's world. It's ever-present -- they rarely go a day – even an hour -- without checking in on at least one account.
Gen Z: Strong in Videos, Cool on Instagram, Goofy on Snapchat
