If there was a subgroup in society that would seemingly have little difficulty adjusting to the social distancing and quarantine realities of the Coronavirus, it would be Generation Z. Known stereotypically for a reliance on social media and a preference for virtual experiences, a life of technological interaction over real-time, face-to-face socializing wouldn’t seem to throw the Zs off very much.
Recent research from the learning service Brainly took a look at what young people are doing to get ... [+]
A nebulous term, Generation Z generally refers to young people born after the Millennials according to Pew Research. They’re usually the children of Generation X and were born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s. A new study from an online learning service takes a good look at what they’ve been up to since COVID-19 locked them down in their homes.
Describing itself as “the world’s largest online learning community for students and parents,” Brainly surveyed 1,736 Generation Z users to learn more about their routines, habits, and lives during the viral outbreak. Not surprisingly, the young people are turning to social media in bunches to pass the time and to stay connected with the people that made up their lives before the days of COVID-19.
The study shows Gen Z’rs are spending the most social media time on Instagram (59%), followed by hours spent with Snapchat (50.3%), YouTube (42%) and Facebook (13.2%). Since this study focuses solely on the Gen Z members, there’s no word on whether older folks in quarantine turn to the more traditional Facebook options in higher numbers.
Beyond the variety of social media options, Gen Z participants say gaming is hugely important for energetic young minds stuck at home during a pandemic. According to the survey, 64% of teenagers queried turn to online gaming while social distancing.
Members of Generation Z turn to online gaming and social media in big numbers during the COVID-19 ... [+]
Some 42% of teens engage in online gaming for more than 2 hours per day. However, rather than pick up controllers just as a way to escape the doldrums of distance learning and ongoing quarantine conditions, Gen Z members rely on the team aspects or real-time competitive elements found in online gaming as a way to reach out socially.
Whether taking on sports games or first person shooters, players can don their headsets and converse with friends and acquaintances around the world while they escape into gaming — making such activities an essential social media element. In fact, the Brainly research confirms 40% of young people poled turn to gaming mainly to stay connected with their friends.
