Gen Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, makes up around 12.7 million people in the UK, accounting for 18.8% of the population. As they enter adulthood, their influence on consumer trends, workplace culture, and digital engagement is undeniable.
At Angelfish, we’ve conducted numerous Gen Z market research projects, and we’ve learnt a lot about what makes this generation tick. Here are four key insights from real participants that can help you design more effective, youth-friendly research.
Generation Z have never known a life without social media, making them far more accessible than previous generations.
While Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn still have their place, Gen Z gravitates toward highly visual and interactive platforms. Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat dominate their digital lives, driven by short-form video, authentic storytelling, and creative expression. For market research, this means leveraging these platforms for recruitment and engagement strategies that feel native to their experience.
From targeted recruitment to feasibility testing, social media is a powerful addition to the modern researcher’s toolkit.
It allows you to target specific people more easily than ever before, so you can make sure you’re reaching the right people for your research – and because of Gen Z’s tendency to share on social, by embracing social media you can also potentially reach greater numbers than ever before too.
Gen Z’s attention span is famously short—around eight seconds—thanks to the sheer volume of content competing for their focus online. Research shows global attention spans are narrowing, with trends and topics cycling faster than ever. For researchers, this means ditching lengthy introductions and embracing formats that hook participants instantly. Short-form video, interactive polls, and authentic storytelling are essential tools for capturing and holding their attention. The first few seconds matter most—make them count.
Along the same lines, Generation Z are always on the go. They’ve grown up with technology and high speed internet, which means they expect things to work straight away – and if they don’t, they will assume it’s broken or that there’s something wrong and swiftly move on.
So what’s the lesson for market researchers? That if you want success with the future generations, your research needs to go off without a hitch.
But this isn’t something that just applies to Gen Z market research – as online research becomes increasingly popular as a whole, it’s more important than ever before to make the right software choices.
Start from today and make sure that you always thoroughly test your software before your research begins to iron out any problems and prevent any delays.
By ensuring your research goes smoothly you can boost engagement and deliver more insightful results than ever before – and we don't know about you, but we think that’s quite a worthwhile lesson.
Generation Z have grown up with technology. In fact, they are the first digital natives who were born into a completely digital world, with over 91% already having a digital footprint and 98% owning a smartphone – and because of this they’ve got an on-the-move nature.
But what can we learn from this? That mobile based methodologies aren't just trends; they're the future.
From MROCs and mobile ethnography to apps and video diaries, the future of research is going to embrace all things digital, which means that anything on the go will appeal.
As Gen Z matures and their influence grows, traditional location-based methodologies are giving way to digital-first approaches. Online communities, mobile ethnography, and social listening are no longer optional—they’re essential. The takeaway? To stay relevant in Gen Z market research, you must meet them where they are: in digital spaces that feel natural and engaging.
To find out more about how to recruit Gen Z for market research, download our free, comprehensive checklist and guide to conducting market research with children and young people below...