In 1966, Stephen Stills wrote "For What It's Worth" after
encountering demonstrations on Sunset Strip, bringing attention to the shift and change in youth culture that would come to define the '60s.
Today, change is afoot
again in youth culture, albeit for very different reasons.
We may be seeing the signs that Gen Z, the first digital native generation, is finding digital media
lacking in terms of expected experience and return. If so, the ramifications for digital advertising and engagement could be significant.
While time spent by Gen Z
on digital media has not decreased, S&P Global found last year that Gen Z social-media use increased to a little over 5 hours a day in 2025, compared to 4.5 hours in 2023 and that their usage of
digital media -- and the reasons for engaging -- is evolving.
As has been documented, Gen Z is spending less time on legacy social networks and traditional search,
instead seeking more authenticity through creator content and better connection with others through online communities.
Recent research by Harris showed that 60%
of Gen Z say social media has had a negative impact, with the majority looking to reduce screen time.
Cultural signals abound that engagement with digital media is
not providing the expected emotional benefit, and that this generation is increasingly looking to fill that void by a return to real-life experiences.
For example,
Gen Z is driving a resurgence of malls. This generation made 62% of their general merchandise purchases in physical stores last year, compared to just 52% of purchases by shoppers 25 and older,
according to Circana. Foot traffic among Gen Z to local shopping centers increased 57% YoY last year.
Media you can touch -- from a resurgence of vinyl to actual
books -- is growing in demand. Even libraries have surged among this generation, with 67% saying they visited one over the past year -- up from 54% the previous year, according to the Library
Journal.
And they are even returning to organized religion. A Gallup poll found that 42% of Gen Z men said religion is "very important" to them, up
significantly from the 28% who said so in 2023.
While there may be a variety of reasons for these shifts, what they have in common is a search for experiences that
provide connection and better emotional return. And dissatisfaction in the ability of digital media to provide that may be a contributing reason.
A
University of Missouri School of Journalism survey among adults ages 18 to 24 found that 63% said posting on social media feels more like performing than sharing.advertisement
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Anxiety and
backlash to artificial intelligence (AI) is also contributing to this -- as seen in graduate reaction to recent commencement speeches by AI leaders.
A Gallup poll found that the percentage of
those ages 14 to 29 who felt hopeful about AI dropped significantly from 27% last year to just 18% currently. Nearly a third of respondents said AI made them "feel angry."
Marshall
McLuhan's views on the Narcissus effect, as outlined in Understanding Media, may be instructive here.
McLuhan said Narcissus did not fall in love with his
own reflection. Instead, he became numb to himself because he mistook his reflection for something outside of himself.Digital media, as an extension in effect of one's own nervous
system, seems to be producing a numbness in those who grew up with it. And they may now be waking up to the "narcotic" effects it produced as the ability of digital media to replicate or substitute
real life reaches a saturation point and its eventual limits.
If Gen Z is becoming numb to digital media, they may also be becoming numb to the commercial messages it carries. And beyond
this causing a decline in engagement or attention for digital advertising, it may be resulting in a decline of trust in the information such advertising carries.
This erosion of trust can be seen in Gen Z placing greater confidence in customer reviews and community recommendations than brand advertising, with one recent survey showing that 72% of this
generation place more trust in reviews than even influencer recommendations.
For those generations preceding Gen Z, digital media was a wonder in its ability
to replicate real life with ease and convenience. Social media provided social contact.Shopping platforms brought the store to us and video platforms facilitated access to any
content without the theatre experience.
But for Gen Z, digital media was never a "wonder." It was just a reality of their existence, and one that they are increasingly finding provides
little return in terms of emotional experiences.
As research has shown, satisfaction with a media platform has a significant halo effect on perceptions of the
advertising it carries. As trust and satisfaction with digital media declines, so too will satisfaction with digital advertising.
What is needed is a
re-conceptualization of what digital media is and the role it can play in the lives of Gen Z. Rather than it being a replicator or substitute for real life, it needs to evolve to become a conduit and
facilitator of real-life experiences.Rather than being a deliverer of information, it needs to become the "home screen" of "in the world" possibilities -- the place Gen Z turns to
for the start of a journey for real-life experiences, with digital advertising looking to provide value by further enabling and aiding this exploration.
Stills wrote that what was
happening in 1966 was not "exactly clear." But in 2026, what is happening with Gen Z and digital media seems fairly certain. They are finding the experience and value
lacking.If digital advertisers want to better leverage the attention that is still being provided to them by this generation, they need to not amplify the Narcissus effect through
greater advertising personalization -- and instead, to evolve to become the portal to the broader world and a gateway to the meaningful experiences Gen Z is seeking.