During the first two decades of social internetthe marauders They dominated. Between Generation Zare a minority, according to data from a YouTube poll.
The experts in the technology sector They used to cite a rule of thumb that only one in ten users of a online community It usually publishes new content, while the rest connect only to consume images, videos or other updates. According to a study by the video platformyounger generations are changing that trend.
YouTube discovered that the 65% of Generation Zdefined as people between the ages of 14 and 24, describe themselves as video content creatorswhich makes “lurkers” a minority.
The result was obtained from the responses of 350 members of Generation Z in the United States from a larger survey that asked thousands of people about how they spend their time online, including whether they consider themselves video creators. YouTube conducted the survey in collaboration with research firm SmithGeigeras part of its annual report on platform trends.
The YouTube report says that after watching online videos, many members of the Generation Z They respond with their own videos, uploading their own comments, reaction videos, delving into content posted by others, and more.
This type of interaction usually arises in response to videos on topics of the pop cultureas “RuPaul’s Drag Race” or the video game series falloutAccording to the report, fan-created content can gain more viewing time than original material.
“It’s exciting to see how the Generation Z “The fandom is evolving,” he said. Kevin AlloccaYouTube’s global head of culture and trends, said in a statement. “They are actively moving audience behavior from passive viewing to finding and adding their voices to a unique content ‘dialogue’.”
The popularization of short videos by TikTok has promoted the rise of this new, more participatory era of Internet. The application gave a generation of young people access to mobile tools of video edition easy to use, allowing hobbyists to create engaging video content. The features duet and stitch from TikTokwhich allow users to easily react and respond to other videos, can encourage curious viewers to become content creators.
YouTube and instagram have responded by launching their own short video competitors and new editing tools, for example to quickly find and add tracks of audio to a clip. YouTube Shorts was launched in 2021 and the company claims that the service’s content has collectively achieved billion views. It has given rise to cultural phenomena such as Skibidi Toiletan amazing animated series that has billions of views on Shorts.
He Pew Research Center reported late last year that YouTube and TikTok are the top social networking services among American teenagers, according to a survey of 1,453 young people ages 13 to 17. YouTube was the most used overall, but both had dedicated followers. According to Pew, 16% of teens say they use YouTube “almost constantly,” and 17% say the same about TikTok.
“Video is now the language of Internet“, it states Brendan Gahanco-founder and CEO of Creator Authoritya marketing agency influencers. This format has dominated social media consumption in recent years. Now, shorter formats and more sophisticated editing tools allow more consumers to adopt that lingua franca. “You have a production studio in the palm of your hand,” says Gahan.
However, Gahan adds that as more social media users become creators and not just curious people, the competition for eyeballs could become fiercer. “It is the job that most people aspire to Generation Z today, and the barrier to entry is very low,” he says. “It will become increasingly competitive to create an audience.”
Jasmine Enbergprincipal analyst at social media in Emarketera research and analytics firm, said the YouTube data fits with trends it is seeing online. Marketers have taken notice, too, and are increasingly trying to insert commercial messages into user-generated video comments and conversations.
According to Enberg, this is causing some young people to trust online content less and turn more to information, recommendations and comments from their peers. Generation Z. “There is a lack of trust in some of the more traditional media sources,” she says. “They are turning to people like them to help them understand and analyze things they see in the news or in society, pop culture or entertainment.”
(c) 2024, The Washington Post
