When it comes to trusting media and information, Gen Z gives priority to the immediacy of influencers versus the authority of actual experts.
It’s not that Gen Z doesn’t believe in experts. Rather, it’s that social media has rewired the way they think about credibility. TikTok influencers are now our “friends.” The algorithm repeats and reinforces what we already believe. And a well-edited, engaging video is much more convincing than a long, complicated explanation from a professional. Credibility today isn’t about expertise but about who tells the most compelling story. This change is slowly reshaping how an entire generation decides what is true and what is not—sometimes with demonstrably negative results.
In today’s age, media literacy is a critical skill. Being able to read and write means nothing if you can’t discern good information from bad. Those skills also transfer to employment, the ability to grow a career and income.
Because everything is expensive now, especially housing. While the next article focuses mostly on Canada and their Gen Z population, it cuts to a basic reality of why young adults struggle to live independently–shit’s expensive, yo.
Renting is also largely off the table: as of 2023, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Canada was about $1,700, a 35 per cent increase from five years ago. “Even my friends with high-paying corporate jobs are living at home because 90 per cent of their money would be going to survival,” says Liam Tully.