Originally published: Centennial, 08 August 2023
Gen Z, as a generation of digital natives, feels the most comfortable online. Whether it’s consuming their favourite content or engaging with friends, the digital space has become the go-to for almost everything. And with this demographic spending much of their formative years in lockdown, it really is no surprise.
New research from Bumble, exclusively shared with Centennial World, has revealed that 35% of Gen Z have felt less socially connected since the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, many young people have turned to influencers in the bid for friendship. Bumble’s recent Gen Z Friendship Research found that there has been a significant rise in parasocial relationships among this demographic, “with one in four (25%) expressing feelings of love and friendship towards content creators.”
Pureprofile conducted this research with a sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18-26 and one sample of 2,000 Australians aged 18-58.
