How Gen Z uses long content for functional purposes
In 2023, Apple joined the ‘study with me’ trend that has been gaining popularity over the last years. The video, which has amassed over 18 million views so far, allows viewers to study along with famous Actress Storm Reid. The session follows the pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes break) and provides some chill study music in the background.
Judging from the views, Apple has found a way to convince many people to willingly look at a 90-minute commercial – but it is also pretty easy to see why. Instead of sending out a commercial message for people to absorb, they have transformed their ‘ad’ into something that is actually useful and supportive in people’s lives; guided study sessions that help people learn.
Generation Z is constantly exploring new dimensions of media platforms, something also discussed in the YouTube Culture & Trends Report 2023. Instead of actively listening or viewing videos, it is common for young people to put on a stream or long content video for functional purposes or background vibes (for example the famous Lofi Girl stream that combines cosy vibes with mellow study beats).
Originally published on trendsactive.com
Keep reading
The most differentiating asset many brands overlook
Go to a language model, Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, or any other, start a new conversation and ask this question: Give me a number between 1 and 10. What did you get? A seven? The first time I heard about this experiment was during the keynote of Zoe Scaman…
The age of magical thinking
For decades, organisations assumed that more information would lead to better decisions and stronger consumer trust. But people don’t just seek facts or a good product, they seek meaning. The brands, communities and institutions that resonate today help…
Baby Boomers booming industry
Why do so many companies overlook one of the largest and wealthiest consumer groups? Perhaps because the people making the decisions still hold the wrong assumptions. Last Week at Telecom Insights 2026, hosted by Telecompaper, we challenged some of those…