A Guide to Gen Z Through TikTok Trends, Emojis, & Language: Not Everyone's Leaving San Francisco

A Guide to Gen Z Through TikTok Trends, Emojis, & Language: Not Everyone's Leaving San Francisco

There are nearly 3 billion Gen Zs alive today. In 2019, Gen Zs surpassed Millennials to become the largest generation on the planet. And with the oldest Gen Zs still only 26, the generation’s $150 billion in spending power will swell 70% over the next five years.

Gen Zs capture something second nature to digital natives: baring their most cringe-worthy moments for millions to see. Their status comes from being singular. If Millennials tried desperately to fit in, Gen Zs try desperately to stand out. They value individual expression and avoid labels. This leads to new forms of consumption: consumption as access rather than possession, and consumption as an expression of individual identity. Gen Zs are genuine, forthright, and singular. They don't tolerate capping and look down on cheugy. They bare their souls for the world to see and rely on the uniqueness of that soul (no matter how unsightly) to forge their own unique identities.

Over half (51%) say that Gen Z is more creative than previous generations. TikTok nurtures a culture of creativity by removing the friction to come up with ideas for content. The culture of creation on TikTok solves the cold-start problem. TikTok blows the 90-9-1 rule out of the water: 55% of TikTok users create content for the platform. Over time, the internet becomes more participatory; more people shift from consumer to creator. Stan culture is a way to find belonging. Stanning a creator becomes a form of self-expression.

A 2020 study found that 54% of Gen Zs want to start their own company; 89% have considered an education path that looks different than college. Many young people aspire to be creators because they want autonomy and flexibility, as they've spent their lives looking at the "rigged" system. Entrepreneurship is a way to reclaim lost agency. Gen Zs have no choice: they bare their souls online, rely on the internet for creative self-expression, and turn to digital realms for work.

Despite the challenges faced by cities like San Francisco, it seems that startups, the lifeblood of the tech ecosystem, aren't eager to leave. Startups in greater San Francisco and San Jose have raised more than $56 billion so far this year. This shows that the experimentation mindset is still somewhat unique to the Bay Area. Venture capitalists are on track to invest more than $140 billion in startups this year, showing the resilience of the tech industry.

So, what can we learn from these two seemingly unrelated topics?

Firstly, both Gen Zs and startups value individual expression and creativity. They strive to stand out and create unique identities. This is evident in Gen Zs' use of TikTok as a platform for self-expression and startups' constant innovation and experimentation.