New Hedonism: Purposeful Pleasure-Seeking

The ways in which Gen Z – a demographic famous for being more cautious, pandemic-bruised and sober than its predecessors (see Key Stats) – is pursuing pleasure was a hot topic at YMS. Discussions on everything from advertising to brand activations included more conscious pleasure, safe sensations, layered vices (everyday-infused excitement; anti-bingeing) and the aspirational antiheroes redefining self-love.

Pressing Pause: Hopecore, Soft Living & Nostalgia for Self-Soothing

Dovetailing with ideas in the previous section was discourse surrounding softer, less high-stakes living and new definitions of success. Speakers discussed quiet quitting as an art, hopecore, why side hustle has morphed into “side struggle”, and nostalgia-centred self-soothing – fuelling twee fashion and cosy gaming.

Future Tech: In-Game Audio & Measurable Metaverses

YMS London’s technology showcase, hosted by British innovation agency Co:Cubed, offered creative technologists opportunities to pitch their marketing, e-commerce and creative tools. We unpack the two big winners – both pushing the envelope for enhancing and measuring engagement in virtual worlds.

The Rise of Long-Form Content & Spin-Off Conversations

Several speakers refuted the notion that Gen Zers exclusively want short-form content – positing their bombardment by ads (see Key Stats) and their desire for more in-depth explanations/discussions on sensitive topics as leading to a rising preference for long-form content offering more intimate and nuanced expert-supported conversations.

Hyper-Pragmatism & Levelling Up

Leveraging Gen Z’s leaning towards pragmatism and an associated sense of fairness was another popular topic. Several experts flagged their gravitation towards brands promising guarantees and utility – looking beyond assurances to overt demonstrations of action and practical support, including lifetime warranties for luxury fashion, vocational support  and/or levelling the playing field (more democratic access to goods and activities).

The Metaverse: Web3 & ‘Media for Me’

Other speakers discussed the need to redefine the virtual worlds of the metaverse (while perceived as having lost momentum, its revenues are still rising via 400 million active monthly users – see Key Stats) to unlock wider adoption. Gen Z’s meta-aspirations were foregrounded, including the pursuit of hyper-personalisation (using artificial intelligence (AI), avatars and co-creation.