Building on the influencer point
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 6:22 am
Dretsch cautions that the prevailing thought that Gen Alpha is “all YouTube and TikTok” may be misguided: “I think that this age of micro-influencers that has consumed millennials and sort of made its way into Gen Z is not going to affect Gen Alpha in the same way.” She elaborated that they often see TikTok as more “wild and crazy,” and limit their own exposure accordingly.
Dretsch noted that Generation Alpha feels comfortable with entirely digital relationship dynamics.
“I think they view themselves as micro-influencers already,” Dretsch said. “That’s because they’re so fluid, media doesn’t have that same sense of awe for them, and it’s more about job seekers data authentic relationships for them, meaning like a personal interface.”
McCrindle differs slightly, speaking to their capacity for trust in spite of skepticism.
“One thing we have seen is that it’s a skeptical generation, or at least a sophisticated one that has been marketed to from a young age,” he said. “But at the same time, the human psyche is to give people the benefit of the doubt. So maybe there’s naivety because they really believe that this person genuinely backs a product and is an independent validator of it, not recognizing the commercial ties they have.
Dretsch noted that Generation Alpha feels comfortable with entirely digital relationship dynamics.
“I think they view themselves as micro-influencers already,” Dretsch said. “That’s because they’re so fluid, media doesn’t have that same sense of awe for them, and it’s more about job seekers data authentic relationships for them, meaning like a personal interface.”
McCrindle differs slightly, speaking to their capacity for trust in spite of skepticism.
“One thing we have seen is that it’s a skeptical generation, or at least a sophisticated one that has been marketed to from a young age,” he said. “But at the same time, the human psyche is to give people the benefit of the doubt. So maybe there’s naivety because they really believe that this person genuinely backs a product and is an independent validator of it, not recognizing the commercial ties they have.