An interview with my daughter about Gen Z tech trends

Staying connected with #GenZ technology trends is an aspect of my job that I always enjoy. You’d think it would be easy considering I have a high school-aged daughter at home, but you parents out there will appreciate the fact that keeping up on what’s cool doesn’t transfer by osmosis. Plus, kids are busy! It took a while for me to get on my daughter’s schedule. But here it is – a Q&A about how she interacts with technology. I hope you find it fun and informative.?

GS: What social media platforms do you use the most? Is Facebook even on the list?

AS: Not Facebook. Most people my age spend their social media time on Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram – in that order.?

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GS: How much time do you spend on social media each day?

AS: I’d say about three hours, which is actually less than most people I know. I’d guess that a lot of people my age spend 5-6 hours a day on these various platforms.?

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GS: From your perspective, what are the pros and cons of using social media?

AS: I use it to stay connected with friends and meet new people. I like knowing what my friends are doing, and sharing what I’m doing with them. This has downsides and upsides. Sometimes I feel like I am using social media only because everybody else does – I don’t want to be left out. I do believe it can be addictive and promote unhealthy expectations about oneself. I try to remind myself of that. For teenage girls especially, social media can give a distorted reality of body image and appearance in general, which is something I definitely don’t like. But I also can’t imagine not being able to keep up with my friends.??

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GS: Besides social media, are there other apps where you spend your time?

AS: Text messaging, of course. I like Spotify for music and I also download games. The coolest new app that I’ve been using is BeReal, which simultaneously notifies everyone in your friend group to take a picture and share it within two minutes. It encourages more authenticity, instead of the really fake or curated pictures that a lot of people share.?

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GS: Where do you get your news? How do you protect yourself from misinformation??

AS: I follow the news through the Apple News app and The New York Times. A lot of people my age use TikTok for news. I don’t. I’m a little suspicious of information I get from Tiktok because people don’t seem to care if what they’re sharing is correct and many viewers don’t seem to be aware when it is wrong.

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GS: Where are you most likely to learn about a new product that you want to buy?

AS: Tiktok would be the top among my peers. And while I do pay attention to ads on social media because they’re usually selling something that’s relevant to me, I don’t consider Tiktok to be a main source for finding new products I should buy.? On occasion, I find relevant ads on Instagram, however, my peers’ recommendations are more relevant for me.

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GS: When you’re doing research for a paper, where do you go to find or verify information?

AS: I do a lot of work in my school’s library. I use Google a lot, too.?

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GS: What are your tech devices of choice?

AS: I have an iPhone and a Mac laptop. My friends also use iPads, Apple Watches and Kindles.?

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GS: What do you think of influencers? Do you want to be one?

AS: Most influencers seem superficial and aren’t very relatable, especially when they become really famous. The money and perks are tempting, but I’m not pursuing that and neither are most of my friends.?

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GS: What are your expectations for an ideal shopping experience? Do you expect the digital and physical world to be seamlessly integrated? Do you go to physical stores?

AS: I like online shopping because there are a lot of sales, the stock is better and you have more time to think about what you want to buy, especially if you’re an indecisive shopper like me. It’s nice to be able to try things on in a store and carry it out that day, but often it’s not worth the hassle. I don’t really expect physical stores to offer an awesome technology experience. Sure, I want their website to work, but the point of going to a physical store is to do things I can’t do online, like try things on and walk out with the item.