Gen Zers are a tricky yet intriguing generation to grasp – they’re offline-shopping, eco-conscious, genre-defying, values-defending mavericks. As they grow into adolescence and adulthood, what do Gen Zers actually think is cool and how can brands appeal to this cohort’s unique mindset?

CursedIN, a Santiago-based Instagram account for high-school students, is being hailed for its role in initiating a national movement for equality in Chile. All it took was video footage of a seemingly trivial act of civil disobedience set to ska music to create a path to a new constitution.

With their graduations being conducted over Zoom, job hunts on hold, and socializing restricted, Gen Zers are in something of a life limbo. In this context, humorous and absurdist meme culture is connecting them with one another, giving them an outlet for processing anxieties around the pandemic.

A study has found that presenting news with a humorous angle makes it more memorable for Gen Yers and Zers, upping their likelihood to share on social media. Amid widespread news fatigue, humor can be an important tool to help people understand and relate to political news.