Month: June 2024

A new Google study illustrates that Gen Z gets its information in totally different ways than previous generations

Is Gen Z really different from the rest of us? The alchemy of being born between 1997 and 2012 has delivered a generation of not exactly non-conformists but some seemingly disengaged youths. I mean, they must be disengaged because they see everything differently. Or is it more clearly?

Jigsaw, which is part of Google and tasked with researching “threats to open societies,” studied the increasingly influential Gen Z generation to understand how they consume information, what they trust and don’t trust, and how they divine facts and truth, according to a detailed report in Business Insider.

The results were startling to Google and Jigsaw, but I could’ve saved them time and trouble by detailing my ongoing research involving my Gen Z relation. My non-binary child is 26 and has been schooling me for years on what people their age do and don’t do. I understand how they connect or do not connect with peers, gather information, reach consensus, and mostly not take action that they’d perceive as pointless anyway.

My schooling began some years ago when I discovered they (and many other Gen Zers) do not consume entertainment like I do. I noticed they were watching TV with captions on. My child has no hearing issues and the show they were watching was not in a foreign language or even featuring heavily accented people. 

The reason was simple: the show owned only a piece of their attention. While they “watched,” they were also on their phone engaging in social media and watching other content on YouTube or Tumblr. The closed captioning helped them keep track of the action on TV.

Now, it’s far more common for people (including me and my wife) to watch shows with close captioning, but I’m convinced Gen Z started the trend.

My facts vs. your facts

The schooling continued as we argued key socio-political topics, and I noticed that even though they never watched CNN or opened a news website, they were well-versed in most issues of the day. If I challenged them on a point, they noted the details about said topic they were gathering from the ground-level of social media, including X (then Twitter), Tumblr (the once bible of all Gen Z tweens and teens), and which included stories from people near the action and other Gen Z cohorts commentating on it.

Researchers seemed surprised that Gen Zers do not read posts (especially long ones like this) and instead scroll to the comments where the real action is (sorry, no comments on this site). From study:

“Participants crowdsourced their credibility judgments by observing how others reacted to the same information….”

“…Note that her practice is to go to the comments first and then Google to confirm what she finds there, using a search engine as a supplement to multiple social checks.”

The researchers observed the deep distrust of the establishment I’ve witnessed for years. Gen Z doesn’t just believe governments and institutions have let them down; they have an equal distrust of the established media that covered them.

The study notes that Gen Z relies heavily on influencers for information and fact-finding:

“Participants used go-to public personalities and influencers as surrogate thinkers to help them filter and interpret information.”

Again, this is not a surprising development, considering this is the first generation raised on YouTube.

The age of influence

I remember when I learned my then-teenaged Gen Z child was following Jenna Marbles on the platform. Marbles, for a time one of the most popular influencers on YouTube, was brash, raw, and unvarnished but mostly funny. What she told the Gen Z set about the world mattered. Marbles ran into controversy and abruptly left the platform almost four years ago. Interestingly, the potential of getting canceled may have played into that decision. Years earlier, she had posted some questionable videos, and as they resurfaced, she pulled the plug.

The study notes that Gen Z not only depends on influencers to help shape their worldview but uses comments on the content to game out which kinds of reactions might make them get canceled. It’s a sort of real-time awareness that previous generations often lacked and struggled to develop. From the study:

“To cope with their fear of social error, they checked comments for social orientation and searched for answers validated by peers. They often remained anonymous online to avoid being “canceled.”

In a way, the growth of social media and mobile content consumption and the rise of Gen Z as an active force in cultural, political, and social conversations is a sort of symbiotic relationship. Modern media and social media are increasingly designed to reach Gen Z where it’s most comfortable:

Short contentContent propelled by paid influencersReddit-style comment forums returning to more main-stream content sourceContent that does not make them feel uncomfortable

The researchers, who did not do a wide study but one that more anecdotally focussed on just 35 Gen Z adults from various backgrounds, were also surprised to find that Gen Zers avoid content that might upset them and are not concerned over the proliferation of AI-generated fake content.

A lot of this is a reminder for people like me that my worldview is shaped not just by my generation but by my vocation. I assume that everyone else is interested in the facts and that when these facts are shown, we’ll all agree on what is true.

Conversations with my child have disabused me from these notions. They have concrete belief in their point of view based on information gleaned from their networks. Historical perspectives and wider context mean little to them. They have the information they need and are comfortable in their assumptions or facts.

This one study anecdote was particularly telling:

“[One participant]  told us when investigating the rumor that Katy Perry killed a nun (screensharing with us a query they chose), they were disappointed to find no stories from major news sources that definitively answered this question. They went to TikTok and concluded that if Katy Perry fans hadn’t weighed in, the story must not be true. They trusted Katy Perry fans, who engaged with and reported on her activities daily, to know the truth. A lack of information on trending topics on search engines led several participants to turn to social sources of information.”

Change. It’s a thing

One thing I don’t think researchers covered or fully comprehended, though, is that Gen Z is an easy label to use to define people of a certain age, but it is not a fixed description of every Gen Z person.

If we think of Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, or Gen X who were born between 1964 and 1980, these are people now either well into middle age or beyond it. As groups, they are varied. Some might have been hippies in the 70s, Reganites in the 80s, and corporate greedmongers in the 90s. Who knows what they are now?

The Gen Z population is already aging into adulthood and facing new realities. They may soon start to look at those news sources their parent favored or question the reliability of the hive mind comment section.

I’m not denying that Gen Z is adulting in an extraordinary time. No other generation was raised with ubiquitous screens or instant access to the opinions of millions of like-minded people. Their brains may be wired differently. I’m sure my person’s is, but I can also see glimmers of change. They, too, may soon question their sources and seek a new way to gather information and form opinions. And they will be all the better for their journey through uncharted information space.

As I said, I wrote this reaction about the Jigsaw study and about my own Gen Z adult because I know they don’t visit sites like mine and are more apt to learn of the study through X (formerly Twitter) or perhaps TikTok or YouTube and will form their opinions of it based on the reactions to the study. Their reactions to this piece will likely forever remain a mystery to me.

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From a returning culinary drama to new Netflix rom-coms, there’s plenty to watch this weekend.

June has already played host to new seasons of Bridgerton, The Boys and House of the Dragon, but the summer of potentially award-winning entertainment is just getting started.

Leading the charge this weekend is FX’s high-octane culinary drama The Bear, which returns for its third season on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. Elsewhere, new Netflix movie A Family Affair comes to the world’s best streaming service, while Land of Women begins streaming on Apple TV Plus.

Below, we’ve rounded up the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend.

The Bear season three (Hulu, Disney Plus)

Few TV shows have enjoyed as much success in such a short space of time (and for such a low production budget) as FX’s The Bear, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the series’ third season – which is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK – arrives under a heavy weight of expectation.

New episodes of the Emmy award-winning culinary drama find Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and company grappling with the challenges of opening a high-end Chicago restaurant at a time when costs are high and custom is far from guaranteed. 

Critics have described The Bear season three as still “great” and “stressful” but at times also “aimless” and “messy”, so it sounds like the magic of the show’s first two seasons could be wearing off. Still, existing The Bear fans won’t want to miss it.

Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.

A Family Affair (Netflix)

The latest star-studded Netflix rom-com, A Family Affair, comes courtesy of Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and director Richard LaGravenese.

This cheesy comedy centers on Zara (Joey King), a young woman who, while working as the personal assistant to a self-absorbed Hollywood star (Efron), discovers that her boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother (Kidman). What could go wrong?

If that synopsis reads to you like a slightly twisted version of Prime Video’s The Idea of You, then you’re not alone. Critics have indeed described A Family Affair as “a heavily medicated The Idea of You” that “wastes its A-list talent”, so don’t expect to see this one breaking onto our list of the best Netflix movies any time soon.

Now available to stream on Netflix.

Land of Women (Apple TV Plus)

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria returns to small screen action this weekend in Land of Women on Apple TV Plus.

This six-episode adaptation of Sandra Barneda’s novel of the same name follows a New York socialite (Longoria) who as she swaps The Big Apple for a small town in northern Spain after becoming embroiled in her husband’s financial scandal. Victoria Bazua, Carmen Maura and Santiago Cabrera are among the show’s supporting cast.

The first two episodes of this “pretty and pleasant” drama – as critics are calling it – are available to stream now on Apple TV Plus. The remaining four installments are due to arrive weekly every Wednesday through July 24.

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

WondLa (Apple TV Plus)

If you’re after something a little different this weekend, Apple TV Plus subscribers can also dive into new animated series WondLa.

This seven-episode Skydance adaptation of Tony DiTerlizzi’s best-selling book series, The Search for WondLa, centers on Eva, a curious teenager who, having been raised by a robot mother, emerges from her state-of-art bunker to discover a strange planet inhabited by aliens and covered with other-worldly fauna (think Fallout meets Avatar meets Moana).

Jeanine Mason, Teri Hatcher, Brad Garrett and Alan Tudyk all lend their voice talents to WondLa, which could be among the best Apple TV Plus shows given its originality.

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

My Lady Jane (Prime Video)

Prime Video’s library of medieval-set TV shows expands this weekend with My Lady Jane.

Set in 16th century Tudor England, this eight-episode, multi-genre adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name imagines an alternate history in which a teenaged Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) wasn’t beheaded after a nine-day reign. 

British comedy giants Jim Broadbent and Rob Brydon star alongside a host of relative newcomers in My Lady Jane, which critics have described as “joyously bananas” and “infinitely watchable”. Could this be among the best Prime Video shows of the year? 

Now available to stream on Prime Video.

Problemista (Max)

A24’s much-delayed surrealist comedy Problemista finally debuts on Max this weekend after enjoying a brief theatrical run in March.

Written and directed by star Julio Torres, this off-beat drama centers on an aspiring toy designer (Torres) who lands a job assisting an eccentric-but-struggling art world outcast (Tilda Swinton) in New York. Together, the pair attempt to host a successful exhibition.

Being an A24 production, it’s perhaps no surprise that Problemista has earned rave reviews for being an “imaginative” and “thoughtful” film. Expect this one to make our best Max movies list soon.

Now available to stream on Max.

I Am: Celine Dion (Prime Video)

This week’s one and only documentary pick is I Am: Celine Dion on Prime Video.

Directed by Oscar nominee Irene Taylor, this feature-length film shines a light on the Canadian superstar’s little-known battle with a life-altering neurological illness, while also showcasing the music and performances that shaped her world-beating career.

Now available to stream on Prime Video.

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Dexter: Original Sin has an all-star cast with Sarah Michelle Gellar joining Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey.

New Paramount Plus spinoff series Dexter: Original Sin has signed Sarah Michelle Gellar, where she’ll be playing Dexter Morgan’s boss at the Miami Metro Police Department.

The prequel also stars Patrick Gibson in the leading role of Dexter Morgan, taking over  from Michael C. Hall who originally played the character. And with Gellar joining the lineup, she rounds out a huge cast including names like Christian Slater, Patrick Gibson and Patrick Dempsey.

Speaking about bringing Gellar on board for the project, Nina L. Diaz, president of content and CCO at Showtime said in a press release: “Sarah Michelle Gellar is a pop culture icon who perfectly rounds out our best-in-class cast featuring Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey among others.”

“We’re thrilled to have her return to the Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios family and join the origin story of the Dexter franchise,” she added. 

What do we know about Dexter: Original Sin?

The Dexter prequel comes after the TV mini-series Dexter: New Blood – which ran for 10 episodes and followed the serial killer after he faked his death in Miami – following on from the polarising season finale for the original series. The mini-series  received generally positive reviews, breathing some new life into the franchise.

So hopefully, Original Sin will also be able to draw viewers in. Being a prequel, the show will chronologically be the first in the growing Dexter universe. The series is set in 1991 Miami where we follow Dexter as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. 

With the guidance of his father, Harry, he adopts a code designed to help him find and kill people who ‘deserve’ to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcement’s radar. This becomes a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the local police station, so he has to balance his new job with his overwhelming urge to kill.

We don’t yet have a Paramount Plus release date for Original Sin, so stay tuned for more information on when you can watch the potential new best Paramount Plus show.

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