Last year Dolly shared a four-panel image to her Instagram, and the Dolly Parton Challenge was born. People went crazy with their own pictures, showing their different identities across the different social platforms.
This challenge signals how older generations, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, were taught to behave differently on different platforms. The online identity of the real digital natives, Gen Z, is consistent across platforms. Authenticity and self expression are paramount, and not platform-dependent. The lines between their online and offline identity seem to vanish as they spend lot’s of time online in increasingly more immersive environments that allow them to customise and personalize their digital identity.
73% of Gen Zs believe they need more self-expression to live a happy, healthy life. Brands that offer tools and rich online environments that allow them to fully self-express themselves will be relevant among gen Z. We listed some new social platforms that tap into Gen Z’s quest for less cringe-worthy and more authentic ways of self-expression.
LinkedIn for Gen Z
Polywork is a blended social network and professional network that’s less cringe-worthy and more authentic. It’s a single destination to showcase your identity personal and professional.
Customized avatars
The Fabrikant created with 3D modelling software bespoke items to drape and move as if they were real. Customers’ avatars can “wear” the items on social media platforms, gaming environments and virtual worlds.
– Fabricant
Rich online environments
Generation Z was born into a globalized and connected world, where different cultural influences come together – both on the internet and in real life. As a result, Generation Z is pluralistic and has an inclusive mindset that embraces differences in culture, appearance, gender and sexual orientation. Instead of being only able to create your own profile on a social platform, we now see many new platforms allow users to create an entire virtual world in which people can play, create, and communicate together. To no surprise we see that these social media are especially populair among Gen Z.
– Scapin
– Dreamworld
– Manticore Games
– Scout
