Driving online change: from Gen Z with love
Just when the world wide web seemed settled into a predictable, reliable global machine, humans once again proved that the only constant is change. Members of Gen Z (like their predecessors, the Millennials) are driving online change with evolving interests and shifting needs
Many online consumers now turn first to e-commerce stores and social media to begin their shopping journey rather than search engines. Takeovers, outcries and public opinion change the social media industry almost daily. The global Internet superpowers that reigned supreme a few years ago are now being overthrown by new favorites, primarily driven by the new hopes and desires of Gen Z consumers.
Gen Z’s few favorites
Visual Capitalist recently published rankings that show relative newcomers like TikTok, Discord, and Cash App are among Gen Z’s most loved brands. Absent from the list are familiar brands like Google and Facebook, which are slowly falling out of fashion. The only old-school brand in the top ten is a 74-year-old German candy manufacturer, Trolli.
The #1 contender on this list, TikTok, has been one of the most talked about brands of the last three years. Gen Zers aren’t just turning to TikTok for gross challenges and dance videos. A recent poll suggests people are looking to the app for education, career planning, and professional networking.
Chat app Discord comes in at number two, proving that the old favorite messenger, WhatsApp, is not as favorable with Gen Z as millennials. The finance app CashApp takes fifth place, edging out long-time payment products like PayPal and Venmo. When looking at the top ten brands one by one, it’s not hard to think back to a previous company that did something similar but whose red-hot popularity has since cooled.
From shopping to chatting to sharing photos, it seems no iconic brand is safe from the changing interests of Gen Z.
Case in point: dating apps
A great example of an online sector that continues to evolve is dating apps. Since Kiss.com first launched in 1994, digital dating services have become ubiquitous in modern romantic life. Now dominated by brands like Match, OkCupid, and Tinder, 30% of adults in the U.S. have used a dating app at some time, and about 12% told Pew Research that they’d found at least one long-term relationship through online dating.
Online dating apps are lucrative for tech companies, and revenue prospects remain positive. Match Group, owners of those previously mentioned brands along with Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and others, went public in 2015 and has since acquired nearly every prominent name in digital dating other than Bumble. When LGBTQ dating app Grindr went public this year in November, Wall Street investors welcomed the IPO with open arms, sending shares up 25% on the first day of trading.
But even the classic situation of love at first sight is positioned for an online shakeup.
Gen Z embraces blind dating apps
Blind dating apps are attempting to revolutionize how people meet their potential partners, and Gen Z is steadily warming up to the concept. On these apps, users can chat with prospective dates without seeing their profile pictures, theoretically allowing them to get to know each other on a deeper level. By removing physical attraction from the equation, these apps hope to create a level playing field where users can focus on personality and shared interests.
While Millenials might think blind dating apps are just a funny storyline from Ted Lasso, Gen Zers see potential. The claim is that users don’t have to worry about being judged on their looks, allowing them to feel more comfortable and open up more easily. Creators of blind dating apps hope users can meet people they wouldn’t have otherwise, leading Gen Z to more meaningful connections and relationships.
Within the niche of blind dating apps, users have a few different options to choose from.
- Blindlee. People connect with potential matches over 3-minute blurred video calls. Once you complete your profile, Blindlee will initiate a call with someone matching your criteria.
- S’More. Photos are obscured until you have your potential match have exchanged 15 messages. Profiles are highly customizable, and you find new matches by answering the day’s question.
- Tinder. Earlier this year, major player Tinder launched a blind dating feature. Users answer quiz-show-style questions, and profile details and photos are revealed when two people like each other’s answers.
While sign-up rates for blind dating apps are still relatively small, it’s something more and more people are trying. 27-year-old program coordinator, Klaryssen Oscaga, has tried blind dating and told The Guardian, “It’s a good way to connect with people who are on your wavelength – you don’t get that with swiping left and right on photos.”
It’s too soon to know if people are creating profiles out of curiosity, boredom, or legitimate hope of finding a match. Still, no matter what, it’s clear that Gen Z is interested in doing things just a little differently than previous generations.
A few old favorites remain strong
As Gen Z Internet habits continue to change and new brand leaders emerge, there are still many older players that continue to stay strong. For example, PlayStation, #20 on the list of Gen Z’s favorite brands, was launched in 1994 by Sony, a company originally founded in 1946. WordPress, first released in 2003, continues to grow more and more popular, increasing in usage by an average of 12% each year. And Walmart, which struggled for years to entice online shoppers, is now the second-largest e-commerce company in the U.S., trailing only Amazon.
Trends disappear and re-appear, and what goes viral today will be replaced tomorrow. By this article’s publication, thousands of new websites will have launched, and the next most downloaded app will have hit the app store. In ten years, it’s unlikely that TikTok will still be #1, and no one can predict what dating app features will be most popular. Still, it’s fascinating to follow the things that capture the world’s attention and try to predict the next big thing.
