Snapchat’s ‘Friendship Report’ shows that as younger generations enjoy online communication, they are finding ways to make those interactions seem more genuine. This includes creating micro social media spaces where people feel more relaxed. We explore the insights behind this and how Gen Zers are changing the way they relate with friends.
Snapchat has published the ‘Friendship Report’, looking at how interactions and friendships develop in the internet era. In it, 61% of Gen Yers and Zers say they feel video and photos allow them to best express what they want to say, while only 6% and 7% of them respectively don’t enjoy chatting with friends online (as opposed to 13% of gen Xers and 26% of baby Boomers). The report also shows that although Gen Yers value having a broad network, Gen Zers are choosing intimacy and close and honest relationships more than any other generation. Funnily enough, despite being more drawn to intimate relationships, Gen Zers are less likely than Gen Yers to share sensitive personal issues like mental health or relationship issues with their best friend.
Research in the UK reveals that 73% of Gen Yers and Gen Zers prefer using messaging apps than having the ability to call, suggesting digital interaction is becoming more prevalent than other forms of connection. This is shifting social media habits in favour of more private means of communication, with younger consumers increasingly choosing platforms that enable more meaningful and ‘real’ connections. This search for connectedness resonates particularly well with Gen Zers, which are reportedly the loneliest demographic, and it’s driving the rise of less ‘filtered’ platforms such as TikTok, Squad, or Snapchat itself, which, according to the statement in the Friendship Report, “was founded in 2011 on the belief that talking with photos and videos, with our real friends, was more personal and more fun than texting or keeping up on social media." The fleeting nature of this content makes users more happy to share their true selves without the need to be ‘well behaved’ that exists with permanent posts. In the same manner, voice notes are most popular among Gen Zers, who see them as a form of communication that combines convenience with intimacy.
Lucía Landa is the intern at Canvas8. She holds a BSc in Psychology and is currently working towards an MA degree in Advertising, Branding and Communication. Passionate about human behaviour, she can often be found sitting in a cafe with friends or walking by the river chasing the sunlight, most likely people-watching and thinking about the lives of strangers walking by.
