Is GenZ’s attention span cooked?
Generally speaking, most people have a low to average attention span that sits anywhere from 8 seconds to a minute. With the times changing, the rise of short form content has changed the way we view content as a whole.
Generation Z or GenZ is currently building themselves up in a society wherein short form videos are the new thing. The overconsumption of quick, flashy, and rapidly edited content in social media has definitely taken a toll on our attention span and how we pick what we watch.
Youtube VS. TikTok
A great example to look at the shortened attention span of GenZ is from the media they consume. The switch up from growing up watching Youtube content to now preferring TikTok over it. Youtube content is usually longer, with videos containing hooks and different storylines to keep the viewers watching from start to finish. Youtube creators spend days creating videos that last 10-20 minutes long to get as many topics and subjects in their videos for their audiences.
But with TikTok continuously on the rise, the need for storylines and long timelines is gone. It needs to have a great hook, a quick point, and the video ends. GenZ much prefers the later format these days, as they can consume content at a much faster rate, without being too invested in a video, effectively shortening their attention span.
In a matter of seconds
According to Keystone, the exponential growth of AI tools shapes the newer generation into getting their queries answered in seconds. It makes it so that we are getting used to fast paced transactions online. Short form content is considered as efficient, time-saving, and convenient to consume in order to be more productive in a day. Effectively lowering the younger generation’s attention span.
Marketing to a newer audience
Even company marketing strategies recognize this change. In order to sell a product, there’s no need to create a big story on what the product is all about. You need to be witty on how you use a few seconds. As you adapt, get your point across without saying anything unnecessary. Lastly, hook them to get to know your product without spilling the whole manual. Once over complicated now simplified, brands now learn how to adapt to a younger audience attention span.
