12 digital youth trends you need to know about

12 digital youth trends you need to know about, is Disrupt’s analysis of what brands need to understand about the so-called ‘Connected Generation’. As they term it:

This new wave of individuals, born 1980 – 2000, are changing the shape of business faster than ever before. So if you have any interest in owning a stake in the digital realm, you should get to know its future leaders better.

In the UK alone there are over 16 million millennials consuming digital media on a daily basis. Unlike any generation before them, they are constantly connected, acting as sponges to innumerable information. This is the Connected Generation – the heir to the throne of the digital kingdom, bringing with them a whole new way of thinking, doing and consuming.

The analysis identifies the key trends and what brands need to consider in respect to that. To summarise they are:

Traditional advertising is dead – From 2010 – 2015, global ad blocker usage went up from 21 million to 198 million people
It’s always the quiet ones – Social media empowers young people who would otherwise be considered introverted in everyday life (Mark Zuckerberg changed the face of this forever). Research shows that the introverted millennials are the big content creators who churn out game-changing digital innovation.
Build it and they will come – 80% of web traffic will consist of video by 2019, according to Cisco. Delivering consistent valuable video content attracts attention, lots of it.
They really are constantly connected – The Connected Generation sees technology as its greatest ally and its most reliable companion. There was a time when parents and teachers were the first port of call to solve an unknown with a trip to the library being a close second.
A generation of DIY’ers – Think they’re lazy? Think again! Young people have learned that traditional choices don’t guarantee success, so they are willing to set out on a journey of discovery and, vitally, think outside the box
Entertain them or get lost – Over 30% of millennial consumers say they would share branded content if they like it.
That virtual reality life – Consumers crave novelty and innovation from companies, so marketers should already be thinking about ways they can integrate it into their customer experience.
There’s no time like real-time – Brands can leverage interest by offering exclusive content which has an impending expiration date, forcing urgency and attention.
The rise of chatbots – 67% of millennials surveyed by Myclever Agency prefer chatbots as a channel of communication with service providers.
FOMO to FOBO – FOMO is the Fear of Missing Out. FOBO is the Fear of Being Offline. The fear of missing out or not being in the know causes anxiety and a sense of diminishing social importance. These are strong motivators and ones which have been harvested by sales people for centuries.
Sharing is caring – 65% of our surveyed millennials agreed that they favoured sharing over ownership.
What are you sayin’? – A mixture of cultures and technology has bred new ways of connecting, effecting our language. Social media and influencers can spread sayings in moments.