April Newsletter
Three Minute Read
Overview:
Trending TikTok Sounds
TikTok Brand Spotlight- Duolingo
Y2K Style Continues to Dominate Gen Z Fashion
Teen Mental Health Through the Pandemic
White House Briefing With TikTok Influencers
Social Media Trends:
It is apparent that TikTok has taken over as the primary social media platform for Gen Z- however not every video can go viral.
When it comes to going viral on TikTok, the most important aspect is to stay up to date with the latest sounds- a 'sound' refers to the audio behind a TikTok video, such as music, a clip from a TV show, or a funny noise.
Using trending sounds will have much more of an impact than any captions or hashtags!
Sounds of the month:
‘This is a Work of Art’
‘I Am a Hater’
‘Calculator Noise’
‘Ah Ah Ah’
‘Butterfly in the Sky’
One brand to highlight for its exceptional use of social media to engage teens is- Duolingo.
With 3.3 million followers and 63.3 million “Likes”, it’s clear that Duolingo is doing something right to attract the attention of Gen Z.
What puts Duolingo on the map is their use of the comments section. Making ‘unhinged’ comments on random viral videos has created more traffic to their page while also humanizing their brand (Source: Digiday).
Another staple of Duolingo’s presence on TikTok is its green owl logo. They have created a mascot out of it, putting it in all their videos- which in turn has led to a stronger brand association.
The viral nature of their videos has also caught the attention of NBCNews, Insider, and the Rolling Stone Magazine!
Fashion:
Through the pandemic, comfy-chic sweatsuits were the dominant trend. However, our post-vaccinated world is now facing a potential recession- and Gen Z is feeling nostalgic towards an easier time. This has created a “throwback economy in which nostalgia fashion is driving much of today’s consumer culture” (Source: Business Insider). The leading trend that has emerged out of our trip down memory lane– Y2K.
In stark contrast to the monochrome matching sweatshirts and sweatpants looks of the pandemic, the main Gen Z trend in our post-pandemic world has been the throwback to 2000’s era fashion.
Marked by spaghetti straps, neon colors, low-rise jeans, and claw clips, Y2K fashion allowed Gen Z to be transported back to a pre-social media era.
Teen Sentiment:
Teens' mental health is extremely important now more than ever. During the pandemic, the percentage of emergency room visits for teens with mental health emergencies rose by 31% (Source: AAP). However, of TeenView's Gen Z community, 75% believe their mental health improved over the past few months.
News Radar:
As the crisis in Ukraine continues, not only Gen Z (but millions of Americans) are turning to TikTok for the most up to date information. As a result of this, earlier this month the White House started working with the non-profit, advocacy group Gen Z For Change to identify top content creators on the platform. The goal being to set up a briefing to answer questions and discuss the United States’ role in the conflict (Source: Washington Post). This also ensured that the information shared by some of the largest names on TikTok is not only informative but factual, limiting the spread of false information on social media.
Within the same week, the late-night television show Saturday Night Live created a parody of the briefing, providing a humorous take on the unexpected situation: White House TikTok Meeting Cold Open - SNL.
March Highlights:
You can get regular updates and insights on what is happening with Gen Z by following TeenView on Social Media: on Instagram we're @TeenViewOfficial and on Twitter we're @RealTeenView.
From our surveyed teens, we have found that teens are listening- 78% of teens tell their friends about a product or company they learned about on social media.
Moving forward, we are pushing to release our next Quarterly Market Report with a targeted section on financial literacy to offer insights on what teens know about money!
TeenView is a global community of teens committed to helping companies make better brand, marketing, and product decisions. Connect with us on social media to stay up to date on our current projects and join our mailing list for monthly updates on all Gen Z trends. If you would like more information or want to inquire about more detailed insights do not hesitate to reach out!
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