The evolution of video content has given more people than ever the ability to share their stories. YouTube is gearing up to celebrate its 19th year as a video-sharing platform, and content creators around the globe are coming together to prepare for the 15th anniversary of VidCon. These platforms continue to shift and evolve with the digital content landscape, as they are molded now by a whole new generation of creators looking to tell their personal stories to the world.
Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is known for being the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age. Despite being backed by the potential of digital fluency and a generation-wide emphasis on the importance of education, Gen Z struggles to overcome stereotypes that they are lazy or otherwise uninvested in developing skills and careers.
A new documentary from Wondershare Filmora, Gen Z in Action is showcasing how this new generation of storytellers is overcoming stereotypes and forging their own paths to creative success. Gen Z in Action aims to break down the negative stereotypes that plague the younger generation by providing an inside look at three content creators, highlighting their dedication to hard work, creativity, and personal growth. The new talent of the next generation is forging their own tools, embracing AI for creation, and shifting what the digital content we interact with every day looks like and leaving a lasting impact on creative spaces.
Meet the creators of Gen Z
“A lot of people say that Gen Z doesn't work hard, which I disagree with. I have a full-time job. I went to university. I do cosplay stuff pretty much for the rest of my time.” says Fearfiction, a streamer who dedicates 20–30 hours a week to creating content centered around Anime cosplay. Fearfiction’s Instagram, @fearfiction, has racked up over 240,000 followers. Fearfiction began streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues live broadcasting today. Her dedication to streaming echoes her generations drive for self-expression and authenticity through content creation.
Fearfiction’s passion for streaming is echoed by Mathew, a musician who promotes his work on Instagram as @mathewvmusic. He often spends hours filming and editing videos to ensure he has a constant output of content. Gen Z’s creators prioritize entrepreneurship over climbing corporate ladders, with 60% of Gen Z youth who participated in a survey for Wondershare Filmora stating that they were aiming to start their own business or work at a startup. “Choosing your passion, as a potential career, was not as widely accepted as it is now. But I think that's also because a lot of Gen Z has fought to not spend their lives doing things that we don't want to do,” said Mathew.
Gen Z creators are putting in the effort to tell stories in unique and unusual formats, like Maxwell, who has discovered a passion for photography using a Nokia phone. While he initially offered his services for free, Maxwell eventually realized he could monetize his creative efforts—a feat that would have been much harder before the content revolution being led by his peers. Posting on Instagram as @maxwell_grover, Maxwell saw one of his videos go viral unexpectedly, tallying up 13 million views. He attributes his success to the time commitment to his work,“The amount of time that you commit to something is what sets you apart from other people who are also trying.”
Making content their own way
Gen Z in Action allows the content creators of the so-called “social media generation” to explore and communicate the ways that their creative endeavors are shaping video content for the future. Gen Z’s willingness to embrace new storytelling tools, such as adopting AI for content creation and data analysis, changes the landscape of how those tools are used for creation in the future.
Many creatives fear that AI will displace them in the content creation space, but it’s Gen Z who have managed to power through and harness AI to their own benefit. 70% of Gen Z members surveyed held the opinion that AI technology improves productivity, with up to 52% claiming they use AI for content creation and 40% claiming to use AI for data analysis. For this generation, AI is not seen as a detriment, but rather a boon for productivity and creativity that is best used in conjunction with human creativity.
Gen Z in Action by Wondershare Filmora breaks beyond the negative stereotypes that overshadow the hard work being done by these creators to forge a new future for themselves and the generations that follow in their footsteps. This new generation is no longer content seeking just any old job. Instead, they prioritize education, authenticity, and the relationships forged via connectivity to reach their creative and entrepreneurial goals. Gen Z in Action highlights the courage of the younger generation to forge new paths of personal expression, storytelling, and success while embracing the power of AI and other creative tools.
