Post-Covid GenZ Trends to Watch in 2022

Post-Covid GenZ Trends to Watch in 2022

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  POST-COVID POST-COVID GEN-ZTRENDSTOKNOW GEN-ZTRENDSTOKNOW IN2022 IN2022 Dylan Chung, AnjaHusemann // January, 2022
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  Affirmations Upcycling Digital Identity Subcultures (Un)Certain Times 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. TRENDS TRENDS Startingthe new year of 2022, we decided to put together a report of the biggest trends from 2021. These are topics we believe will continue affecting our everyday lives and are important to consider going into the new year.
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  Affirmations Affirmations Positive thinking / Self-empowerment Ina time when mental health is at the forefront of everyone's minds, affirmations have become an important part of people's daily rituals, with searches for affirmations reaching an all-time worldwide high this year. TRENDS TRENDS TRENDS Google Year-In-Search 2021 Searches for body positivity reached an all-time worldwide high this year Searches for how to maintain mental health reached an all- time worldwide high this year 246.6k likes
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  Upcycling Upcycling "to reuse anobject or material to create a product of higher value than the original" In an attempt to shift more focus onto sustainability, people have begun upcycling products of all kinds. Many look towards upcycling as a way to help the environment, save money, tap into their creativity, and more. food food →95% of consumers felt it was important to do their part to reduce food waste in their own lives. (Mattson Co.) fashion fashion Depop is one of the most popular shopping platforms for Gen Z, with 90% of their active users being under the age of 26. (Depop Newsroom) The app allows people to sell upcycled/reworked pieces, vintage items, streetwear, etc. to other fellow consumers. Upcycled jeans by Depop user @mbm_by_iesus TikTok user Emily Mariko took the digital world by storm when she first posted her salmon rice recipe, repurposing her leftover salmon from the night before. Her videos amassed millions of views and everybody was trying her recipe.
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  As the Metaverseexplodes in development and popularity, digital goods like NFTs, skins, and avatars have become ways for people to express themselves and reclaim their identity in a virtual space. Gamers represent one of the biggest consumer demographics, and companies have offered in- game skins to help gamers express themselves fortnite hypebeast.com Avatar NFTs allow people to attach certain characteristics and personality traits to their digital identity.
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  Subcultures Subcultures "a group withvalues and interests distinct from a larger society" Subcultures play a large role in media and society, because they give people the feeling of fitting in and being understood by others. This connects with the idea of being the "main character" of your own life. There are a variety of subcultures to which people belong to: hippies, skaters, goth, etc. technology technology Although originally thought of as a media for gamers, Discord is one of the most popular platforms for people with similar interests to connect and interact. →As of May 2021, nearly 80% of people now use Discord for non-gaming purposes, up from 30% in late 2019. (CB Insights) examples of Discord servers: Movies & Filmmaking, Fantasy Football Chat, Bachelor Nation, etc fashion fashion While subcultures give people the opportunity to "fit in," we also see a rise in non- binary consumers–those who are breaking the boundaries of specific labels and boxes. →56% of Gen Z consumers shopped outside of their assigned gender area (Phluid Project) Harry Styles, very popular for his androgynous style
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  (UN)Certain Times (UN)Certain Times "amoment in which you do not know what you should do or what is going to happen" In the midst of a pandemic, many are distraught with their plans being disrupted and are unsure of what is still to come. With this uncertainty, people are relying on things that can bring a sense of stability or assurance. soulmates soulmates tarot cards tarot cards →Sales of tarot decks have doubled in the past five years and are estimated to have tripled during the first year of the pandemic (Lynn Araujo, editorial and communications director for U.S. Games Systems) The soulmate test, which gained popularity on TikTok, allowed people to do a math equation in order to see if their partner is their soulmate. (The equation involves their birth year, their partner's age, and the current year) →"Soulmate" was searched more than ever before across the globe in 2021 (Google)
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  TRENDS AFFIRMATIONS AFFIRMATIONS UPCYCLING UPCYCLING DIGITAL DIGITAL IDENTITY IDENTITY SUBCULTURES SUBCULTURES (UN)CERTAIN (UN)CERTAIN TIMES TIMES SUBTRENDS ASK... SKINS, AVATARS,NFTS SKINS, AVATARS, NFTS BODY POSITIVITY, BODY POSITIVITY, MENTAL WELLNESS MENTAL WELLNESS HOW CAN WE SUPPORT CONSUMERS' NEEDS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN A NEW DIGITAL WORLD? HOW CAN WE FACILITATE THE AFFIRMATION AND SELF-EMPOWERMENT OF CONSUMERS? ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, WASTE AWARENESS, WASTE NON-BINARY, SELF NON-BINARY, SELF EXPRESSION EXPRESSION STRESS-FREE, STRESS-FREE, SEARCHING ANSWERS SEARCHING ANSWERS HOW CAN WE HELP CONSUMERS REPURPOSE AND GIVE NEW MEANING TO PRODUCTS THEY ALREADY OWN? HOW CAN WE CREATE COMMUNITIES FOR CONSUMERS TO FEEL ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD IN? HOW CAN WE PROVIDE STABILITY FOR CONSUMERS IN A TIME OF CHAOS AND CONFUSION?
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  Our research wasconducted by exploring social media platforms (such as Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, etc.), analyzing Google Trends, reviewing company reports and statistics and speaking to people we know about their experiences, as well as our own knowledge and experiences as members of Gen-Z. METHODOLOGY METHODOLOGY
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  Dylan Chung andAnja Husemann are interns at Schieber Research, LLC and are both in their senior year at Bergen County Academies. Dylan is in the Academy for Business and Finance; Anja is in the Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration. In college, Dylan is looking to pursue a degree in economics, political science, or business management. His career plans aren't set in stone yet, but he would like to be involved in some aspect of business. In his free time, Dylan loves to listen to copious amounts of music, play video games and basketball with his friends, and watch anime. Anja hopes to major in fashion business for college. She plans on becoming a costume designer for films or a fashion stylist. In her free time, Anja often goes thrifting, watches movies (her favorite genre is psychological thriller), and plays with her siamese cat, Bali. ABOUTUS ABOUTUS