It seems protests are the new norm and Generation Z has been at the heart of much of the activity.

Most consumers continue to look to their peers for face-to-face advice and recommendations about their favorite brands, impacting their purchase decisions, says a new Engagement Labs report on the "Leaders in Social Influence."

When you hear "Generation Z," what comes to mind? Lazy? Mindless tech drones? Millennial clones? Born between 1995 and 2012, Gen Z is often referred to as the "post internet generation," and is commonly lumped together with Millennials. Many people tend to see little difference between the two groups, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

For today's teens, August is the new September. Schools are increasingly going back into session in mid-summer, sometimes even in late July. Mid-to-late August has become the new standard in many communities, including mine in Fort Worth. Now, the outliers are the areas where students don't go back to school until early September, sometimes due to the political clout of the tourism industry in those regions.

Millennials have been the focus of public obsession for years now, as brands plot the best ways to get them to buy their products and pundits blame them for causing the demise of everything from retail to brunch (no, really). But it's time to start shifting focus from millennials to their younger counterparts: Generation Z.