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What exactly does Meta get wrong about Gen Z?
Meta has recently announced a new direction that might be surprising to some, revealing that they aim to market Facebook specifically towards a Gen Z user base.
If you are old enough to remember Facebook’s heyday, you’ll also remember the excitement that surrounded the platform’s launch and rise in popularity. Whether your real life “social network” was school or work, the digital dopamine hit of friend requests, posts on your wall, profile picture comments, or even the recently revived “pokes” seemed to be a never-ending well of two-dimensional validation contained neatly within your computer screen (or your mobile phone, if you were fancy enough to have a plan that included internet.)
It all seems very quaint in the midst of today’s near-dystopian social media landscape, where pretending to be a non-playable video game character can earn you millions of dollars and anti-aging advice is being taken as gospel by children who are still in primary school.
But back when it launched, Facebook was considered cutting-edge, revolutionary, and without question a website for young people. Given that the website (then called “TheFacebook.com”) started in Mark Zuckerberg’s 2004 college dorm room and was initially rolled out exclusively to Harvard students, that’s hardly surprising. But in its tumultuous twilight years, Facebook is giving the impression of an ageing frat boy desperately trying to relive the “glory days” of his youth – not realising that the world has since moved on.
Twenty years since its initial launch, Facebook’s reputation is worlds away from the sparkly, exciting days of 2004. Now, if you asked someone on the street “Who uses Facebook?” they’d probably tell you that their older relatives are the only people they know with an active account. Having been plagued by bots, misinformation, and AI-generated images of Jesus for too long, it seems Meta is trying to turn the tide.
Speaking at an event on 31st May, Head of Facebook Tom Alison announced their plan to “build for the next generation of social media consumers ... Gen Z.” For our purposes, it doesn’t really matter why Meta has made this decision; we’re more interested in how they’re going about it.
According to reporting by Axios, who interviewed Tom Alison about the new direction, Meta plans to market the platform to younger audiences in the following ways:
So onto our main question: With this new, unpopular move, what exactly does Meta get wrong about Gen Z? Let’s discuss their misconceptions, and how we in L&D can do better.
In a valiant attempt to hook younger users in, Meta may have overlooked one key detail: Gen Z, to whom they’re trying the hardest to appeal, values authenticity above anything else.
Despite some justified concerns about the growing tech literacy crisis – at odds with Gen Z’s frequent use of technology – by and large, the generation are able to sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away. With this in mind, it's our guess that Facebook’s cynical plan to appeal to them will fall on sceptical ears.
When it comes to marketing your learning to Gen Z, keeping this authenticity in mind is key.
One way to create a truly authentic, uncynical learning strategy is to make use of the genuine Subject Matter Experts within your organisation, allowing them to post user generated content on your learning platform and start a real conversation amongst employees. Once the conversation snowballs, people are sharing knowledge in an organic and genuine way that benefits everyone.
There’s a common misconception that members of Generation Z have notably shorter attention spans, with the figure of “8 seconds” often being floated around. This is a complete misinterpretation that has unfortunately sunk its teeth into the public consciousness, perhaps because it very neatly supports the picture of Gen Z as TikTok-obsessed smartphone addicts who are unable to focus on anything other than a short video of someone doing a choreographed dance routine within a 1080 x 1920 aspect ratio.
It seems as though Facebook’s suggestion of adding yet another social media platform to the existing library already crowding our homescreens is rooted in this very misconception – and it’s our belief that they are barking up the wrong tree.
When it comes to the Gen Z Short Attention Span Myth, we couldn’t put it better than this McKinsey article: “For a generation adrift in an overwhelming sea of content, it’s less about paying attention and more about what breaks through the noise.”
As pointed out in the same McKinsey article, Gen Z is a large percentage of the viewership for long-form content such as documentaries or feature-length YouTube videos, and their interest in reading helped Young Adult fiction sales increase by 30.7% percent last year.
Short attention span who?
This is something Meta – and L&D – should keep in mind when it comes to their marketing. Instead of pandering to so-called “short” attention spans and bombarding the younger generation with endless content, we should all be focussing on quality over quantity.
With Facebook’s reputation as a chaotic, overwhelming breeding ground for misinformation, fake news and nightmarish AI images, it’s not looking too good for them. But what can L&D do differently?
As the title of this section says: Content curation, not content overload. Create a structured, curated learning strategy where every piece counts. This could take the form of learning pathways, targeted campaigns, or carefully considered events. However you choose to market your learning, make sure you put thought and consideration into it so as not to overwhelm your learners.
Like it or not, people are creatures of habit – and that is not just exclusive to Gen Z.
For the most part, users don’t enjoy going outside of their usual comfort zones for content. If Gen Z didn’t use Facebook before, they’re not going to start now. It’s unlikely that Gen Z will break out of their usual digital routines to add Facebook Shop and Facebook Dating to their rotation.
Now when it comes to marketing workplace learning to Gen Z, it’s obviously not that simple. Because speaking to our last point about authenticity, your Gen Z users will be able to sniff out cynical attempts at copying the experience of TikTok.
Instead, curate your own social media experience that feels as effortless as the platforms your learners use every day – and don’t be afraid to share content from those platforms. Thrive customer DECIEM is a perfect example of this. Instead of pushing back against the “TikTokification” of skincare advice, they fully embraced the content that was being made by their customers and used it to educate their own employees.
In sharing content from the platforms your employees (most likely) use every day, you’re creating an effortless, familiar experience that empowers people to learn.
What do you think? Is there any hope for Facebook’s plan, or is it too little, too late? What are your top tips when it comes to marketing your learning to Gen Z? Join in the conversation on LinkedIn. (And if you’re interested in a platform that employs all the best parts of social media, book a Thrive demo today.)
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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What exactly does Meta get wrong about Gen Z?
Meta has recently announced a new direction that might be surprising to some, revealing that they aim to market Facebook specifically towards a Gen Z user base.
If you are old enough to remember Facebook’s heyday, you’ll also remember the excitement that surrounded the platform’s launch and rise in popularity. Whether your real life “social network” was school or work, the digital dopamine hit of friend requests, posts on your wall, profile picture comments, or even the recently revived “pokes” seemed to be a never-ending well of two-dimensional validation contained neatly within your computer screen (or your mobile phone, if you were fancy enough to have a plan that included internet.)
It all seems very quaint in the midst of today’s near-dystopian social media landscape, where pretending to be a non-playable video game character can earn you millions of dollars and anti-aging advice is being taken as gospel by children who are still in primary school.
But back when it launched, Facebook was considered cutting-edge, revolutionary, and without question a website for young people. Given that the website (then called “TheFacebook.com”) started in Mark Zuckerberg’s 2004 college dorm room and was initially rolled out exclusively to Harvard students, that’s hardly surprising. But in its tumultuous twilight years, Facebook is giving the impression of an ageing frat boy desperately trying to relive the “glory days” of his youth – not realising that the world has since moved on.
Twenty years since its initial launch, Facebook’s reputation is worlds away from the sparkly, exciting days of 2004. Now, if you asked someone on the street “Who uses Facebook?” they’d probably tell you that their older relatives are the only people they know with an active account. Having been plagued by bots, misinformation, and AI-generated images of Jesus for too long, it seems Meta is trying to turn the tide.
Speaking at an event on 31st May, Head of Facebook Tom Alison announced their plan to “build for the next generation of social media consumers ... Gen Z.” For our purposes, it doesn’t really matter why Meta has made this decision; we’re more interested in how they’re going about it.
According to reporting by Axios, who interviewed Tom Alison about the new direction, Meta plans to market the platform to younger audiences in the following ways:
So onto our main question: With this new, unpopular move, what exactly does Meta get wrong about Gen Z? Let’s discuss their misconceptions, and how we in L&D can do better.
In a valiant attempt to hook younger users in, Meta may have overlooked one key detail: Gen Z, to whom they’re trying the hardest to appeal, values authenticity above anything else.
Despite some justified concerns about the growing tech literacy crisis – at odds with Gen Z’s frequent use of technology – by and large, the generation are able to sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away. With this in mind, it's our guess that Facebook’s cynical plan to appeal to them will fall on sceptical ears.
When it comes to marketing your learning to Gen Z, keeping this authenticity in mind is key.
One way to create a truly authentic, uncynical learning strategy is to make use of the genuine Subject Matter Experts within your organisation, allowing them to post user generated content on your learning platform and start a real conversation amongst employees. Once the conversation snowballs, people are sharing knowledge in an organic and genuine way that benefits everyone.
There’s a common misconception that members of Generation Z have notably shorter attention spans, with the figure of “8 seconds” often being floated around. This is a complete misinterpretation that has unfortunately sunk its teeth into the public consciousness, perhaps because it very neatly supports the picture of Gen Z as TikTok-obsessed smartphone addicts who are unable to focus on anything other than a short video of someone doing a choreographed dance routine within a 1080 x 1920 aspect ratio.
It seems as though Facebook’s suggestion of adding yet another social media platform to the existing library already crowding our homescreens is rooted in this very misconception – and it’s our belief that they are barking up the wrong tree.
When it comes to the Gen Z Short Attention Span Myth, we couldn’t put it better than this McKinsey article: “For a generation adrift in an overwhelming sea of content, it’s less about paying attention and more about what breaks through the noise.”
As pointed out in the same McKinsey article, Gen Z is a large percentage of the viewership for long-form content such as documentaries or feature-length YouTube videos, and their interest in reading helped Young Adult fiction sales increase by 30.7% percent last year.
Short attention span who?
This is something Meta – and L&D – should keep in mind when it comes to their marketing. Instead of pandering to so-called “short” attention spans and bombarding the younger generation with endless content, we should all be focussing on quality over quantity.
With Facebook’s reputation as a chaotic, overwhelming breeding ground for misinformation, fake news and nightmarish AI images, it’s not looking too good for them. But what can L&D do differently?
As the title of this section says: Content curation, not content overload. Create a structured, curated learning strategy where every piece counts. This could take the form of learning pathways, targeted campaigns, or carefully considered events. However you choose to market your learning, make sure you put thought and consideration into it so as not to overwhelm your learners.
Like it or not, people are creatures of habit – and that is not just exclusive to Gen Z.
For the most part, users don’t enjoy going outside of their usual comfort zones for content. If Gen Z didn’t use Facebook before, they’re not going to start now. It’s unlikely that Gen Z will break out of their usual digital routines to add Facebook Shop and Facebook Dating to their rotation.
Now when it comes to marketing workplace learning to Gen Z, it’s obviously not that simple. Because speaking to our last point about authenticity, your Gen Z users will be able to sniff out cynical attempts at copying the experience of TikTok.
Instead, curate your own social media experience that feels as effortless as the platforms your learners use every day – and don’t be afraid to share content from those platforms. Thrive customer DECIEM is a perfect example of this. Instead of pushing back against the “TikTokification” of skincare advice, they fully embraced the content that was being made by their customers and used it to educate their own employees.
In sharing content from the platforms your employees (most likely) use every day, you’re creating an effortless, familiar experience that empowers people to learn.
What do you think? Is there any hope for Facebook’s plan, or is it too little, too late? What are your top tips when it comes to marketing your learning to Gen Z? Join in the conversation on LinkedIn. (And if you’re interested in a platform that employs all the best parts of social media, book a Thrive demo today.)
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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