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How much do a generation who have grown up with digital video platforms and easy access to cameras really contribute? It’s surprising.

Generation Z were the first generation for whom kids will have had access to a video site like YouTube. Does growing up as video viewers translate to more creators?

YouTube have dropped the details on the generation who have grown up with their video site. In their latest Culture & Trends Report, they reveal how Gen Z both consume and create differently to everyone else.

80% of the people they surveyed said that they use YouTube to watch content about a person or a thing that they’re a fan of. What’s more, an astonishing 65% of Gen Z describe themselves as video creators.

So, what are people actually watching these days? We’ve come a long way from sneezing pandas and grainy bedroom skits. Now, content that covers something else seems to reign massively. 66% of Gen Z admitted that they prefer to watch something discussing or unpacking something else rather than the actual thing.

This represents a trend of fans of content becoming content themselves. YouTube reveal: “57% of people watched videos made by fans of specific content, artists, or public figures in the past 12 months.” This cultural shift is exampled by content analysing TV shows and films or providing commentary on cultural moments.

YouTube’s report is tipped towards advertisers and is presented to inspire brands to connect with the platform for creation. With so much content revolving around discussion of intellectual properties beyond the creators’, there is huge engagement potential.

YouTube offer three steps to putting their latest insights into strategy:

  1. Empower Fan Creation: Enable fans’ creativity by offering templates and challenges that inspire fans to express their passion through content.
  2. Lean Into Fan Communities: Pay attention to what your fans are up to – or into – and embrace their interests for new ways to engage them.
  3. Show Up Where Creators Are: Leverage their communities and tap into longstanding YouTube trends.