2024

WELCOME TO THE 2024 VICE GUIDE TO CULTURE.

This work acts as our cultural audit on the evolving needs of youth consumers and
forces of change shaping their lives.

As curious researchers and strategists, this guide was created with equal parts data,
instinct, and storytelling. We drew inspiration from proprietary research, dove into our
editorial catalogue, and stayed in conversation with our 40,000 global youth insights
community along with our extensive network of journalists, creators, and tastemakers.

We hope you enjoy reading this year's codes as much as we enjoyed writing them.
 202

CULTURE

WE H
Predictions drawn from those
immersed in, shining a spotlight on,
and creating culture; working

ACCES
alongside Editors, Producers,
Creators, Talent.

INSIG
CONTENT OTHERS
Insights drawn from how our
audience engages with VMG across
platforms; content analytics, topic
analysis, search terms, reader
HA
comments, topic adjacencies,
campaign analytics, etc.
24

HAVE CONSUMERS
SS TO
First-person insights from an
ongoing dialogue with VMG’s

GHTS
audience and a global youth
insights community 40,000
strong: VICE Voices, Mad Chatter,

S DON’T
VMG Youth Census, Reader
Polls, Voicemails, UGC, etc.

AVE

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

VICE Guide to Culture 2022
PROTOTYPE THE FUTURE A SYMPHONY OF SENSE
Linearity was lost in favor of radical Multisensory modalities and experiences
exploration go mainstream

KNOW THYSELF LOCAL SEEDS

Self-love was usurped by a quest for Local becomes the new global, giving
self-knowledge way to new subcultures and talent

CREATIVITY IS POWER DESIGN FOR DISFLUENCY

Creativity migrates from a skill to a Cultural cohesion is trumped by cultural
characteristic wielded in new ways disfluency

RADICAL INTIMACY SURREAL ESCAPES

Vulnerability becomes an asset and disrupts Surrealism surges as a way to escape
domains of strength from the chaos

LIFE LESSONS SPACES FOR NUANCE

Influence is wielded by creators and A new cry for life in the gray, with an
supersedes even the savviest marketers acceptance of nuance
VICE Guide to Culture 2023
IN PURSUIT OF PAUSE RISE OF THE ANTI-HERO
Deceleration trumps acceleration as the Championing amoral misfits and rebelling
dominant signal of well-being against social scripts

RECLAIMED HERITAGE HYPER PRAGMATISM

Recognizing and retelling narratives offers Pragmatism and intentionality rises in
deeper, more diverse POVs opposition to tone-deaf excess

INSOURCING OPEN BETA

A demand for ownership and control puts A culture of experimentation and
Gen Z in the driver’s seat innovation is on the rise

FEEL ME NEO-HEDONISM
New forces of relief are at play – both In search for everyday, guilt-free
cathartic and performative pleasures

SOVEREIGNTY OF SELF NEW FRONTIERS

Identities become borderless and untethered Brave new virtual worlds are being piloted
based on a rising hope punk
(Identities)

CODE 1 Life in Narrative

CODE 2 Pink Rethink

CODE 3 Personal Purpose

(Allies)

CODE 8 Fan Rule

CODE 9 Networked Futures

CODE 10 Empathetic AI
(Exploration)

CODE 4 Curiosity as Practice

CODE 5 Present Tense

CODE 6 Healthful Pleasures

CODE 7 Weird Horizons

CODE ONE

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE ONE )
Storytelling has always been the thread that binds us, weaving tales of
wisdom, tradition, and shared experience. Passed down through
spoken word and inked onto pages.

Yet, the advent of the digital age and the rise of gaming have rattled
the foundations of traditional narrative, disrupting the familiar contours
of literature and storytelling.

In Gen Z’s world, stories aren’t only about consumption, they’re about
inhabitation. Youth are donning avatars, becoming characters, and
storifying their lives, resulting in a narrative experience that has
morphed from a spectator sport to a participatory odyssey.

THE QUESTION HAS EVOLVED FROM THE EXISTENTIAL "WHO

AM I?" TO THE DYNAMIC "WHAT STORY AM I NARRATING,
AND WHICH CHARACTER AM I PLAYING?"
Social media has democratized literary expression and transformed how
stories are shared and devoured. Gen Z is at the helm of a literary revival,
redefining how we engage with narrative experiences.

At the time of writing, the hashtag #BookTok has over 219.5B views and
over 60 billion videos, with tastemakers drawing readers through engaging
and visually compelling reviews.

More than consuming, youth are leveraging social media as dynamic

canvases to share their own stories. Real-life TikTok rom-coms like Summer
England’s “The Neighbor Saga” made her a TikTok sensation with over 285K
followers. England captivated viewers with her blossoming and often
hilarious next-door romance. TikTok’s ‘Meet Cute’ craze parodies the
moment you first meet the love of your life, and creators like Hannah Brown,
Theresa Van Dam, and Kenya Broadnax bring their customer service
experiences to audiences across service tok. A new breed of creators
continues to bring their stories and relatable experiences to life.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, The Future of Feminism, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “BookTok Is The Last
Wholesome Place On The Internet”, 2023 / linktr.ee/summerengland
 SHARING ROM-COM
WORTHY STORIES ABOUT
REAL-LIFE
@SummerEngland
linktr.ee/summerengland

Been living under a rock? BookTok is a

community of book lovers from around
the world. This wholesome group of
TikTokers discusses everything from
plotlines and character development to
the spice level on books.

ZAHRA CAMPBELL-AVENELL,
ALEXANDRA KOSTER, R29
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
56% OF GEN Z SAY: “MY AVATAR IS ME.”

Youth culture is centered around gaming and social media, and they’ve embraced
the concept of living as characters and avatars.

In 2020, Main Character Syndrome entered our lexicon to describe a situation

wherein people think of themselves as being the top-billed star of the feature film
that is their regular lives. This trend was reflected in viral storybook aesthetics. As
The Selkie’s Founder Kimberley Gordon mused in R29, “They’re saying ‘Look at
me, I control the narrative of my own life and I am the star of my own narrative.
Think: Main Character Syndrome energy transformed into puff sleeves, tulle
skirts, and glitter heels”.

In 2023, the Non-Player Character (NPC) trend soared, capturing the attention of
TikTok users who began mimicking non-playable characters from a host of video
games. Creators like Pinky Doll shifted to “NPC streaming,” acting as
non-playable characters and reacting with rote, scripted phrases and robotic
movements.

All across TikTok, youth were found acting like they were in a Wes Anderson film,
dressing up as storybook characters, or cartoonifying themselves with the AI
Style filter.

SOURCE: VICE Insights x Razorfish, The Metaverse: A View From Inside, 2022, US / Motherboard, “Viral TikTok
NPC Streamer Pinkydoll Doesn't Care What You Think”, 2023 / Refinery29, “Why Is Everyone Dressing Like A
Storybook Character Right Now?”, 2021
 WHY IS EVERYONE
DRESSING LIKE
A STORYBOOK
CHARACTER RIGHT
NOW?

IN DEFENSE OF NPC
LIVESTREAMS

I can’t stop saying “yes yes yes!” every time I do some menial task around my
apartment. I popped a single kernel of popcorn in my hair straightener. I’m eating a
lot of ice cream, a dessert I don’t usually crave. I am fully Pinkydoll-Pilled.

SAMANTHA COLE, VICE

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
A new storytelling epoch is upon us. The rules have changed. While the
qualities we value in good literature won't change, such as strong characters,
arresting plots and thought-provoking themes. Gen Z in particular have unique
expectations.

Narratives should be ownable. They contribute to and shape the stories youth
want to tell about themselves while reflecting on their own lives and
experiences. Narratives must allow them to create and invite them into a more
participatory experience where they can live the story. For example, in beauty,
the smell of a fragrance is now less important than the story behind the
fragrance, thanks to #PerfumeTok. Young people in particular are blind-buying
perfume so they can experience scents in a more conceptual way, like a
“person they miss” or a “father figure” or a “lazy Sunday in bed.”

Youth embrace narratives that afford them the chance to live the story,
embody the characters — or become them entirely.
 1IN2
SOURCE: VICE
Insights, The Function of
Entertainment, 2023,
Global / R29 Instagram

Of youth say “ENTERTAINMENT

MUST INSPIRE.” [To fill (someone)
with the urge or ability to do or feel
something, especially to do
something creative]

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

01
LET THEM LIVE THE STORY
Every generation is a fan of good storytelling. But Gen Z gravitate to narratives
that relate to their lives, convey their evolving identities and experiences.

Are you telling stories about real young lives — their lives — and drawing
on the deeply human issues that matter to them?
In what ways can you allow them to understand, participate, and feel
ownership over the narrative that’s being told or the characters?

02
MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE
Gen Z don’t want to wait to step into your story.

Are you able to bring your stories to the platforms they inhabit and
allow them to explore it through e-books, audiobooks, social media,
games, storytelling apps, or virtual worlds?

03
CREATE A CONTEMPORARY HOOK
Gen Z conveys narratives through visual-led mediums, utilizing a unique blend
of creativity, graphics and styles.

Have you considered exploring unconventional storytelling techniques,

such as zines, memes and GIFs, as a unique way for your audience to
engage with your brand?
CODE TWO

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
(CODE TWO )
Women are taking center stage. They have reclaimed “femininity,
girlhood, and bimboism” in an act of protest — an active rebellion, if
you will — against outdated archetypes, the status quo, and
expectations that women must behave and present in a certain way
(like men) in order to get ahead.

Today, women are embracing fun and infusing that into the
modern-day construction of feminine archetypes. New codes of
femininity and feminism are afoot and they aren’t dictated by anyone
else.

BEING A WOMAN IS NO LONGER A

REDUCTIVE STEREOTYPE.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

2023 was the Year of the Girl: Trends and movements, like girl dinner, rat girl
and tomato girl summers, hot girl walks, girl math, and the girlhood trend set
to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” from Barbie helped define the year
and usher in the ‘girl-aisssance’.

Women are bringing back the girliest symbols of their youth and proudly
displaying hyper-femininity. There’s an argument to be made that embracing
cliches and tropes of womanhood does a disservice to women and
feminism, but it’s important to underscore the cultural discourse has
changed. Women are reclaiming the narrative because there is no right way
to be a girl, and there is no wrong way.

SOURCE: Refinery29, “From Barbiecore To Bows: How the Girls Won Fashion in 2023”, 2023 / Refinery29, “Girl
Trends Are Everywhere What the Hell Is Going On?”, 2023
 Past fashion trends have seen women
embrace masculine ideals, like the
emergence of the power suit in the ‘80s, to
assert their own. But this time, there’s a
FROM BARBIECORE TO sense that tapping into our “girliness” —

BOWS: HOW THE GIRLS WON

and therefore, self-acceptance — is where
true power comes from.

FASHION IN 2023 FRANCES SOLA-SANTIAGO, R29

The “girlhood” phenomenon isn't merely a

preoccupation with aesthetics—it's a
reflection of the complexities of modern
feminism and consumerism. By examining
its allure while simultaneously unpacking
the tangled questions of authenticity and
autonomy, we continue to gain insight into
all that comes hand in hand with growing
up in an unpredictable age. As with the
millennial phenomenon of “adulting,” the
“teenage girl in your 20s” narrative gives
GIRL TRENDS ARE us a way of looking at the trials and

EVERYWHERE. WHAT THE

tribulations of grown-up life without taking
it all so seriously.

HELL IS GOING ON? OLIVIA ALLEN, R29

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Women today embody a beautiful chaos of contradictions, a rich
amalgamation of diverse elements that defies reduction to simplistic
stereotypes.

In the contemporary landscape, women wield agency over their

appearances, bodies, and how they are represented. Moreover, the
significance of gender is slowly diminishing in our self-presentation
and perception as more youth begin to self-determine gender roles
that do not adhere to predefined rules.

The power lies in the freedom to shape your own narrative of

girlhood, define your unique expression of femininity, or even
transcend conventional gender norms altogether.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, The Future of Feminism, 2023, Global

Q:
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR LIFE WOULD
YOU SAY YOU OPERATE BY SOCIETY'S
EXPECTATION OF GENDER ROLES VS. YOUR
PERSONAL EXPRESSION OF GENDER ROLES?

53%
OF MY PERSONAL
47%
SOCIETY’S
EXPRESSION OF GENDER EXPECTATIONS OF
ROLES GENDER ROLES
(i.e., self-determined gender (i.e., gender roles defined by
roles that do not adhere to any society around how someone of
predefined rules of how a certain gender should be, act,
someone of a certain gender look, etc.)
should be, act, look etc.)
Contemporary feminism can no longer cater to one specific type of
“woman.” Now, there’s an urgency for greater representation that
encompasses all women, including women of color, of different
socioeconomic backgrounds, of different gender identities.

WHERE WE ARE TODAY:

72%
Of young women say: “when it comes to the feminist
movement today we are more polarized than ever”

WHERE WE WANT TO BE:

82%
Of young women say: “feminism needs to represent a
more diverse group of women (e.g., women of color,
women from a socioeconomic background)’’

73%
Of young women say: “feminism needs to represent a
more diverse group of gender identity (e.g., transgender
community, queer community)”

SOURCE: VICE Insights, The Future of Feminism, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “The
Downfall Of Girlbosses Was A Trap — But Is Vocal Fry Feminism Any Better?” , 2023
 The question of who is the right type of feminist, and more
broadly, the right type of woman, is a pervasive one in
feminism’s media arc. It is elitist to be #girlboss, but it is also
elitist to be anti-girlboss. In the same paragraph, we praise
“hustle-led ambition,” yet criticise the “valley girl drawl” of
other women succeeding in business. Masculine business
traits are praised, but only insofar as they don’t divorce from
men and/or whiteness.

ANDIE JAMES IN R29

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
01
CHAMPION INTERSECTIONALITY
The demand is on for intersectional feminism, womanhood and women in general.

Have you researched, considered and encompassed the nuances that exist within
ethnicities, genders, sexuality, and feminism?

Are you avoiding reductive stereotypes and putting people into boxes within
campaigns?

02
OPEN CONVERSATIONS
Understand the needs of women across all sectors (sports, auto, gaming, etc.), break
taboos around conversations, and open up the issues that women care about in real
and relatable ways.

How can you be an ally and push against engendered representation within
your sector?

Do you have a right to talk about topics in new ways to remove taboos, whether
that’s periods, sporting prowess, or workplace wages?

03
HAVE A LITTLE FUN
It’s okay to blow up gender stereotypes if everyone is in on the joke.

Are there ways for your brand to play into the silliness of stereotypes and bring
women [or men] in on the joke?

Can you draw on the art of play to encourage global communities of women to
celebrate themselves fully?
CODE THREE

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE THREE )
Gen Z, often hailed as activists, is a generation that prides itself on
making consumer choices that align with their values. However,
navigating a landscape of corporate greenwashing and misguided
marketing has revealed a disconcerting reality: the fragility of purpose.

The pervasiveness of eco-anxiety compounds the issue, rendering youth

either paralyzed in inaction or forced to take disruptive measures against
the business-as-usual mentality.

In the current cultural climate, youth find themselves under scrutiny for
the blatant disconnect between their professed intent and their real-life
actions.

IT’S TIME TO PUT THE PERSONAL BACK INTO PURPOSE OR RISK

LOSING BUY-IN OF THE NEXT-GENERATION.
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Eco-anxiety is ubiquitous. News desks around the world have more or less
accepted that the climate crisis no longer warrants separate coverage now that it’s
more integrated into everyday life. Every company is keen to showcase their
purpose-driven efforts, but the onslaught of purpose-related campaigns have led
youth to question their authenticity. The youth are clued into the fact that many
‘green’ advertisements are just a ruse to mislead the public and detract from the
truth: their harmful contributions to the planet.

More broad displays of purpose have also gone awry. A slew of companies trying
to convey their ‘woke’ credentials have embarrassingly backfired, from Bud Light
severing ties with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney due to conservative backlash,
to Walmart ignoring Black-owned ice cream brands during Juneteenth last year.

Despite a genuine desire among youth to support businesses aligned with their
values (eco-friendly, diverse, equal rights), there's a growing weariness of the
crisis narrative and superficial displays of 'purpose.’

SOURCE: VICE Insights, The Culture of Trust, 2022, Global / VICE.com, “How Eco-Anxiety
is Killing the Climate Movement”, 2023
 9IN10
Young people say authenticity
is incredibly important to
earning trust

HOW ECO-ANXIETY IS KILLING THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT

Photo by Marcus Kauffman / Unsplash

Six years and six highly worrisome IPCC reports later, eco-anxiety has basically
gone mainstream. Everyone agrees to take the piss out of Just Stop Oil activists
who throw soup at paintings, but we’re also all filled with this brimming sense of
powerlessness and we simply have no idea what to do with it.

MARC-AURÉLE BALY, VICE

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Confronted with the deluge of purpose-washing, youth have taken purpose upon
themselves.

A stronger wave of radical activism became the go-to strategy for youth trying to break
through the noise. Dozens of UK climate protesters were handed prison sentences over
acts that included blocking roads and oil terminals. The next stunt of Just Stop Oil
activists involved hurling soup at paintings. One sustainable fashion designer even
bought a bullock (a castrated young bull) to make a point about knowing where your
clothes come from.

63% Of Gen Z say that feeling a sense of purpose in

their life is essential to their health

SOURCE: VICE.com, “Just Stop Oil: The Young Climate Activists Shutting Down Fossil Fuels”. 2022 / VICE News,
“Climate Activists Throw Tomato Soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers”, 2022 / VICE.com, “I Bought a Bull and Turned It
Into a Load of Leather Clothes”, 2023 / VICE Insights, Mind, Body, Community, 2023, Global / @jamiesoneileen,
TikTok
“I Bought A Bull And Turned It Into A “Dozens Of Just Stop Oil Protesters
Load Of Leather Clothes: Sustainable Have Already Been Handed Prison
Fashion Designer Alice V Robinson Sentences, But They’re Refusing To Be
Wants To Make A Radical Comment Cowed.”
About Knowing Where Your Clothes
Come From.”

“Dozens Of Just Stop Oil

Protesters Have Already
Been Handed Prison
“Climate Activists Throw Tomato Soup Sentences, But They’re
At Van Gogh’s Sunflowers” Refusing To Be Cowed.”

Social media users have been flooding

TikTok with the #starbucksboycott
@Jamiesoneileen TikTok
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Youth today demand more than lip service from brands; they seek personal
involvement in activism and tangible benefits. They want purpose to feel ‘personal’.

For Gen Z, 'upcycling' and 'vintage' have eclipsed 'second hand' and 'used,'
reflecting a desire for value, rarity, and unique self-expression. Garments that marry
fashion with better futures and make them proud to wear it.

Smart companies are creating personalized experiences for Gen Z by incentivizing

sustainable choices and offering tangible rewards. Sustainability is no longer just
about being eco-conscious; it's a form of personal pleasure activism.

Brands like The Body Shop and Marks and Spencers are baking in participatory
models. The Body Shop partnered with Headcount, transforming in-store visits into
registered votes and advocating for fair elections. Marks and Spencers engaged
customers in recycling through their Shwopping partnership with Oxfam, resulting in
over 34 million items donated and £22 million raised since 2008.

As youth continue to push to move from observers to active participants, brands

must adapt. In this paradigm shift, the key is providing a demonstrable role in the
process and highlighting the personal advantages of conscious and ethical
consumption.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Check Ins at Checkout, 2022, Global / VICE Insights, The Great Vibe Shift, 2023, Global /
@29mostwanted and refinery29
Gen Z say when it comes to buying products:

I NOW PAY MORE ATTENTION TO

WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT ME.
Ranking #4 up from #10 in 2021

ACTIVISM MUST OFFER A ROLE IN THE PROCESS:

64%
Of young people say, “What makes a
product sustainable is the ability to
recycle the packaging”

6IN10
Of young people say, “What makes a
product sustainable is the ability to
reuse/resell the item”
“This new series will have you asking
DI-WHY didn’t I think of that? In this
first episode @miairajennings makes a
trendy crochet dress in 5 easy steps.”
@r29mostwanted and refinery29
01
ENABLE PARTICIPATION
Youth require brands and businesses to expand the idea of participation and their role
beyond making a purchase.

How can you enable youth to participate in your purpose-led efforts, contribute
ideas for improvement with your processes, or experience your brand values in
new, engaging ways?

Are you able to organize community-centric events and create a sense of social
inclusion through your purpose-based business efforts?

02
TAP THE POWER OF PERSONAL PRIDE
Allow youth to show their attitudes and values through clothing and other products that
not only demonstrate personal expression, but also enable them to feel proud and
good of their purchase decision. Turn possessions into powerful personal statements.

What customization options do your products afford that would allow youth to
tailor, represent, and show off their ethical attitudes and values?

Are you able to create collaborations with emerging artists and designers who
resonate with youth values?

03
REWARD THEM
Personalize the shopping experience and reward them for making choices based on
purpose and values.

How can you create gamified loyalty programs that reward users for smart
purchases and sustainable actions, such as recycling, reducing energy
consumption, or participating in purpose-led challenges?
CODE FOUR

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE FOUR )
Curiosity, a timeless trait ingrained in humanity for survival, has evolved in
today’s chaotic, uncertain, and algorithm-driven world. It’s no longer solely a
survival tactic, but rather a tool wielded by youth, who seek to navigate a
landscape marked by distrust, uncertainty, and skepticism.

Youth have become intent on understanding more, seeking alternative answers

and opinions — always asking why and who dunnit. This generation’s curiosity
doesn’t stop at a passive inquiry, but extends into action and sensory
exploration — a more fervent and voracious pursuit than previous generations.

When done with intention, curiosity becomes a formidable force, driving action
and uncovering novel experiences.

HARNESSING YOUTH’S CULTURE OF CURIOSITY COULD BE THE

DOORWAY TO COLLECTIVE ACTION AND NEW DISCOVERIES.
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Youth have turned the surveillance state back on itself. They take on the role of detectives
in real life, going down rabbit holes all across TikTok, whether it's debunking the ill effects
of Red Dye 40 in the US or taking it upon themselves to find out what happened to Nicola
Bulley in the UK. In Singapore, a volunteer-run platform of citizen journalists, ‘Wake Up
Singapore’, seeks to bring alternative perspectives to the people.

They gravitate toward pop culture shows like "A Murder at The End of the World" and
"Only Murders in the Building." The protagonist is Gen Z, who plays a detective and
solves the cases.

Gen Z’s curiosity has led them to look for new ways to game the system and find
alternative routes into finances, education, work and products — researching subjects
and alternative solutions.

For Gen Z, curiosity is no longer just asking why — it’s the relentless pursuit of knowledge
and understanding driven by a willingness to act and to experience it for themselves.

True crime enthusiasts and conspiracy

theorists bombarded it [TikTok] with
videos about Bulley’s disappearance,
with several visiting the site she was
last seen in St Michael's on Wyre,
Lancashire, in northwest England.
SOURCE: VICE.com, “TikTok Promoted Macabre Suggestions
After Missing Woman’s Body Found”, 2023
Wake Up Singapore: leverages citizen Guardian: Murder at The End of the World:
journalism to bring alternative perspectives Emma Corrin’s character, Darby, is a
to Singapore @wakeupsinapore 24-year-old hacker sleuth referred to as
“Gen Z Sherlock Holmes”

Who is Your Prime Suspect in Only Murders VICE LABS / S1 EP294: What Does Red Dye
In The Building Season 3? R29 audiences Do To Your Brains? (Red #40)
share their theories on TikTok
SOURCE: @wakeupsinapore / Guardian, “A Murder at The End of the World Review”, 203 / @refinery29 TikTok, Who is your
prime suspect in Only Murders In The Building Season 3? / VICE Labs: What Does Red Dye do to Your Brain?
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
The internet and social media have become an instant gratification machine
where everything is available at the swipe or tap of your fingertips. Forced into
quick-fix answers, youth are reverting back toward a desire for in-depth
exploration of new perspectives and diverse topics.

They’re willing to engage longer on subjects and topics that spark their curiosity
and tell a fuller story. TikTok announced support for longer-form videos in 2024,
and video essays continue to be popular. Popular influencers, such as Mina Le,
delve deep into the subjects they care about. TikToker and disability rights
advocate Imani Barbarin, aka Crutches and Spice, continues to draw audiences
and Seema R’s @artlust deep dives into art history are in high demand.

When it comes to products, youth embrace science to seek truth, push back
against brand falsehoods, and look for publicly observable and verifiable
information before purchasing.

There is a growing desire to seek a new depth of information.

SOURCE: VICE Insights & VICE TV, The Power of Understanding the Past and Nostalgia, 2022, Global / VICE
Insights, The State of Youth, 2022, Global
 NOVELTY

8IN10
Consumers are becoming so much
savvier than I’ve ever seen before.
They are thoroughly researching
the brands they buy. They don’t just
want to understand the purpose of Of the VICE audience want shows
a product overall, but the purpose about/from the past that include
of each ingredient that makes it do unknown facts not in the history
what it does. books

JACQUELINE KILIKITA,
R29 UK DEPUTY BEAUTY DIRECTOR

DEPTH EXPERIENCE

7IN10
Of the VICE audience are always
6IN10
Of the VICE audience are
searching for more in-depth always seeking out new
information on topics they are experiences
interested in
Gen Z have mastered the art of practicing deep curiosity, demanding new
perspectives and stories, whether that’s testing the quality of the
Avocado mattress, decoding the latest skin-care trends, experimenting
with an alcohol-free lifestyle, or becoming one of the pro-Palestinian
voices on TikTok breaking stories on Gaza.

It’s not passive curiosity; this is purpose-driven inquiry that’s about

actively seeking newfound knowledge and questioning for themselves.

Curiosity could be the ultimate liberator of truth and action in this realm.

SOURCE: Refinery29, “I Slept On The Avocado Green Mattress For 3 Months — You Should, Too”, 2023 /
Refinery29, “The Beginner’s Guide To The Sober-Curious Community”, 2023 / VICE.com, “Pro-Palestinian
TikTok Creators Aren't Backing Down”, 2023
I Slept On The Avocado
Green Mattress For 3
Months — You Should,
Too

The Beginner’s Guide

To The Sober-Curious
Community

Pro-Palestinian TikTok Creators

Aren't Backing Down

It’s like we’re building a whole alternative media to inform people

about this crisis.

CREATOR AWA SANNO, 26, @SINCERELYAWA

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
01
CULTIVATE DEPTH, NOT CLICKS
Youth are turning to content and creators offering a new depth on information.

How could longer-form content play a role within your communication mix?

Can you work alongside creators going deep on subject matters in new ways,
peaking curiosity as you go?

02
IGNITE SELF-DISCOVERY
Anticipate youth’s thirst to seek out information — be the source before they know they
need it and allow youth to explore and uncover on their terms.

Can you position your brand as a curator of must-know info that Gen Zers are
able to explore and discover for themselves?

Can you create go-to-destinations that tap into youth’s increasing desire to seek
truth and knowledge and allow them to source intel on ingredients, brand
heritage, experiment with your products, or to find the undiscovered and
overlooked?

03
ALLOW FOR SUPER SLEUTHING
As youth continue to unite in collective curiosity, brands have an opportunity to facilitate.

Can you draw inspiration from murder mysteries, scavenger hunts, and games to
allow Gen Z to engage in your brand experiences as citizen sleuths collectively?

Are there opportunities to incite engagement between youth and your brand by
driving more than passive enquiry; instead, allow users to discover more about
your brand in interactive, novel, and sensory ways?
CODE FIVE

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE FIVE )
No doubt, youth are fully dialed into what lies ahead — the looming specter of
climate change, and the palpable sense of impending doom. Coupled with the
current landscape of economic restraint, a cost-of-living crisis, and a housing
market teetering on the edge, the zeitgeist screams for an embrace of the here
and now. Youth are engaged in a delicate dance between apprehension of the
future and an acute understanding that the present, this very moment, is what
matters most.

For youth, every moment of every day is being thought through and
reconstructed in new ways. They pay attention to the seemingly mundane filler
of their lives, the points in between just as much as auspicious occasions.

In turn, access to digital media has made private moments public. The
“being-in-the-moment” mantra now carries an extra layer of consciousness and
devotion. These moments, once fleeting, are cherished, preserved, shared, and
remixed — a time capsule of the everyday.

FOR YOUTH, THE CANDID, EVERYDAY MOMENTS

ARE THE PULSE OF THEIR LIVES.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

Our lives are made up of monumental moments, some meticulously
planned like a wedding, others dictated by societal norms, such as
getting an education or finding a job. Undoubtedly, these milestones
often sculpt the trajectory of our lives. However, youth have drawn
out their canvas differently.

There’s renewed emphasis on recognizing that it’s the little

moments — seemingly inconsequential instances and everyday
experiences — that mold our identity and pathway in life.

This paradigm shift has led to a far more mindful approach to living
amongst younger generations and a desire to look more intimately
at a broader narrative of what makes up the fabric of our lives.

SOURCE: VMG in Partnership with Zurich, New Goals, 2023, Global

Q:
DO YOU BELIEVE LIFE IS
SHAPED BY BIG OR LITTLE
MOMENTS?

29% 71%
LITTLE MOMENTS
BIG MOMENTS The little things that we experience
The big things that typically require spontaneously or require little
planning (e.g. weddings, buying a planning (e.g. laughter with a
home, etc.) friend, dinner with family, etc.)
Gen Z and Y are on a lifelong quest to achieve happiness, health, and
everyday comfort.

This mindset has impacted all sectors. Wellness — an area that swung from
restrictive and uninspiring to liberating and holistic — is now non-negotiable. Travel
is all about eschewing expensive tourist traps in favor of cultural exploration and
authentic experiences. Luxury and what it means to “treat yourself” have moved
away from expensive, internationally sourced one-offs into more of a quieter
approach: local goods and services and little indulgences.

The fact is, in the current economic climate, youth simply can’t gamble on elusive
goals that might never be within sight.

Happiness
is the #1 thing young people
say that success is about.
SOURCE: VICE Insights, The State of Youth, 2022, Global / VMG in Partnership with Zurich, New
Goals, 2023, Global
TOP LIFE GOALS GEN Y & Z
01. Feeling Happy
02. Staying Fit/Healthy
03. Traveling
04. Feeling at Ease/Content

TOP LIFE GOALS GEN X GENERATION

01. Having Children
02. Buying A Home
03. Getting Married
04. Providing for Family/Kids PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Youth, especially Gen Z, have been digitally connected all their lives, and
now, all eyes are on their moments.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have allowed youth to

transform everyday moments from mere memories to dynamic visual
content — photos, videos, reels. The surge of live streaming, from Twitch
to TikTok, continues to allow creators continue to connect with their
audiences in real-time.

The narrative is shifting from meticulously crafted representations of

aspirations and panoramic views, to more candid and unfiltered
experiences. In 2023, the trend of “day dumping” emerged, with people
sharing a series of images from a single day, uncovering unexpected
beauty in simple, everyday moments.

This presents an opportunity to capture and participate in moments

authentically and dynamically. Youth are looking for outlets to capture the
fluidity of their everyday, messy, and unfiltered real lives.

SOURCE: Refinery29, “I tried ‘Day Dumping’ For a Week & It Change Everything”, 2023
 I TRIED ‘DAY-DUMPING’
FOR A WEEK & IT
CHANGED EVERYTHING

Bryanna, who goes by @notmymango online, is an avid day

dumper. I’ve followed her for a year now and there’s something
so charming about the way she captures life. On her Instagram
she shares still lives of all things hygge, while her TikTok day
dumps feature her frolicking in the sea and snow, fresh linen
bedding, fruit and vegetables from the farmer's market, and
many a self-portrait in her plant-filled bathroom. She tells me
that during the COVID pandemic, “It was necessary to reframe
those constants, the mundane moments, into something more
pleasurable for my own sanity.”
01
DON’T DISREGARD THE FILLER
Youth crave success and prominence — but not at the expense of a life well-lived.
Allow youth to embrace mundane, in-between moments — drinking tea, seeing
friends, taking a stroll in the park.

How can your brand play a role in amplifying the little moments that lead to
greatness and recognizing they are equally important?

02
REIMAGINE & REFRAME EVERYDAY MOMENTS
Support their desire to capture moments in new ways.

How can you be part of creating everyday rituals that help youth be present
and romanticize life, whether that be through time capsules, photography,
mindfulness, or community participation?

03
MOVE FROM FUNCTION TO FUN
What youth hopes to ultimately gain is happiness, followed by comfort.

In what ways are you designing moments of fun, celebration, and joy, bringing
these feelings to the surface through experiences in unique ways?
CODE SIX

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE SIX )
We’ve been talking about the woo-woo of wellness for some time, the
embracing of ancient rituals, along with the rise of psychedelics, spiritual
healing, and other practices that were once considered taboo.

For youth, wellness has become far more than searching for a cure. They’ve
expanded the lexicon of wellness pursuits, moved from the individualistic
pursuit of the self in favor of communal health, sought out mental and
emotional wellness, and placed value on the “feel” as the ultimate indicator of
well-being.

For that reason, wellness has become embedded in the cultural fabric of their
lives in new and pleasurable ways.

FOR YOUTH, THIS ISN’T ELITIST WELLNESS - THIS IS JOYFUL

EVERYDAY WELLNESS THAT’S ALL ABOUT THE FEELS.
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
 There’s a growing movement against wellness culture in its outdated form: the
obsessive and anxiety-riddled pursuit of exacting health standards.

The core motivator for youth to embrace wellness today is to FEEL good. The
biggest health trends in 2023 include “bed rotting” and “cosy cardio.” The focus

#1
on mental and emotional self-care means youth are prioritizing acts that
contribute to a more holistic definition of wellness.

9IN10
say feeling good is the most
important aspect to being healthy

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Mind, Body, Community, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “Bed Rot Is Gross But So Is Life”, 2023
/ Refinery29, “The Cosy Cardio Club: The TikTok Trend That’s Making Working Out Fun Again”, 2023
Bed Rot: The Tiktok Trend That Refers To The Cosy Cardio Club: The Tiktok Trend
Staying In Your Bed For Hours At A Time, That’s Making Working Out Fun Again
Doing Whatever Activity Takes Your Fancy

9IN10 Say the most helpful forms

of self-care are mental and
emotional

The concept of “cosy cardio” began with TikTok creator Hope Zuckerbrow
(@hope_zukerbrow) who coined the term when she started posting her early
morning cardio routines back in 2022… But the exercise itself seems
secondary – what “cosy cardio” is all about is the vibe. It’s about creating a
ritual, an intention, and a gentleness around the concept of exercise that for
many years has been severely lacking. Zuckerbrow said that she started “cosy
cardio” as a way to heal her own relationship with exercise, which then
transformed into a form of “meditational self-love.”

SHAEDEN BERRY, R29

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Wellness is no longer viewed as a siloed practice that's about achieving
some ideal standard of perfection or remedying ailments (real or perceived).
Now, it’s a lifestyle infused with everything, from fashion to music, food, sex
to sports.

Buy an Oura ring to track your sleep or workouts. Ditch the caffeine thanks
to London Nootropics, part of a new wave of companies leveraging
adaptogens to help our bodies deal with stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
Wellness can be found in a spa or gym, in our coffee or jewelry, or in a
bathtub in our own backyards.

IT’S BEING REMIXED INTO EVERYDAY LIVES IN NEW WAYS.

73% Of youth say the experience of

joy/pleasure is very or extremely
important to their health

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Mind, Body, Community, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “The Oura Ring Is
The Ultimate Wellness Splurge”, 2023 / VICE.com, “I Tried ‘Smart Coffee’ - and It’s Actually Great, 2023 / Refinery29,
“Cold Plunging Is More Than a Trend - It's A Latin American Spiritual Tradition”, 2023
The Oura Ring Is
The Ultimate I Tried 'Smart Coffee' –
Wellness Splurge and It's Actually Great

The practice, known as cold

plunging, has gained popularity on
social media platforms, with a quick
search of the term yielding results of
people dipping into icy metal utility
tubs, plastic containers and barrels,
and bathtubs placed in their garages,
backyards, locker rooms, and
bathrooms.
A culture traditionally focused on self-optimization is being
usurped by a collective understanding of self-care as a social
act, from participating in a shared sauna to enjoying communal
grills on a rooftop to engaging with your local community to
sharing content destinations that empower folks.

71% Of youth say aspects of community* are

essential to “being healthy”

61% Of Gen Z say making time for the people that

matter to you is essential to being healthy

57% Of Gen Z say engaging in meaningful

experiences is essential to being health

SOURCE VICE Insights, Mind, Body, Community, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “Wellness Culture Wont’ Save Us. It’s
Source: VICE
Only Making Insights
Us More Communities
Sick”, 2023 Pulse, Fandoms, 2023
 WELLNESS CULTURE
WON’T SAVE US. IT’S
ONLY MAKING US
MORE SICK

“The wellness industry offers certainty in an uncertain world. But in focusing so

wholly on the self it can distort our perceptions and become a doorway to
harmful behaviours. The solution is twofold: first, a radical acceptance of the
self through wholehearted embracing of the self and, second, looking beyond
the self… Or more broadly, improving your own life becomes part of improving
the lives of others. This takes many forms and is different for everyone.
Perhaps it is using meditation to manage your anxiety so you can better
engage in your local community; maybe it's disengaging from fatphobic views
on bodies and health and advocating for better access to healthcare; maybe
it's running a free yoga class for your neighbours.”

SADHBH O'SULLIVAN, R29

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Silicon Valley co-opted wellness as the dogma of perfectionism, for over a decade
Gwyneth Paltrow and her brand Goop revealed for all the world the weirdest wellness
things she’d ever done. A homage of gurus and fitness influencers made us all feel well
- inadequate.

Now youth are doing wellness on their own terms, searching for new and alternative
wellness practices that are more experimental, accessible and embedded within their
lives in new ways.

Practices like meditation, mindfulness, and altered states of consciousness are growing
in popularity and are often recommended by healthcare professionals and institutions
for mental and emotional well-being. Psychedelic alternative therapies and Ketamine
treatments continue to be embraced.

Youth aren’t just looking for cures — they’re going on instinct, vibes, feelings, and
unconventional pathways.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Mind, Body, Community, 2023, Global

VICE.com, “What the Hell is ‘Human Design’? I tried the Next Big Thing in Wellness”, 2023

WHAT THE HELL IS ‘HUMAN

DESIGN’? I TRIED THE NEXT BIG
THING IN WELLNESS
The mash-up of astrology, Kabbalah,
Myers-Briggs, I Ching and quantum
physics isn't for everyone.
Q: HAVE YOU TRIED/USED ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IN PURSUIT OF
A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE? VS WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE WILL GAIN
POPULARITY OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

62%
PSYCHEDELICS
27%

54%
CANNABIS
43%

SOBRIETY/ 50%
REDUCING ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION 48%

EASTERN MEDICINE/ 32%

WELLNESS PRACTICES 28%

30%
BIOHACKING
4%

27%
WELLNESS RETREATS
5%

WILL GAIN IN POPULARITY OVER 5 YEARS *Only data above 20% is shown

HAVE TRIED/ / CURRENTLY TRYING

01
FOCUS ON THE FEELS
Consider how products and services are part of helping customers feel good and promoting a
positive mindset, versus driving concerns and cures.

Can you develop marketing messages that focus on ‘the feels’ of your product and
services and less about the problems?

Can you speak to customers with empathy and relatability and ditch the clinical tone?

02
BUILD ON SOCIAL HEALTH
As the pendulum continues to swing toward social care and an understanding that community is the
key to health, brands have the opportunity to build social solutions.

How can your products and services be expanded for collective use, experiences, or shared
moments of self-care?

Can you encourage your audiences and communities to share their wellness journeys and
experiences to build a collective consumer voice for your brand?

03
MIX WELLNESS INTO THE EVERYDAY
Inject little pockets of wellness into youth’s everyday lives, experiences, and objects by
demonstrating how your products and solutions are easily accessible within their regular and usual
routines.

Are you able to enhance wellness by integrating into their everyday tastes and connecting
with popular cultural objects and artifacts, such as music, jewelry, or fashion?

Can you facilitate a more welcoming terrain of accessible solutions, from mindfulness to
wearable tech and sea dipping?
CODE SEVEN

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE SEVEN )
Diving into the surreal proved to be a comforting escape for Gen Z amidst
the chaos of our world. They gravitated toward whimsical realms,
embraced surrealist fashion and the occult, and created a digital
landscape bursting with unconventional charm. Savvy marketers caught
on, infusing campaigns with surreal aesthetics to capture buy-in.

Yet, in the ever-tightening grip of algorithms and an overwhelming array

of choices dictated by our social media feeds, chaos itself has become
strangely predictable. That curated cacophony has morphed into a
monotonous wall of sameness. Now, we’re shifting beyond surrealism
into the downright weird and unconventional. Gen Z aren’t averse to the
weird, but rather, are in search of it.

AS GEN Z PURSUE THEIR QUEST TO EMBRACE AUTHENTIC

WEIRDNESS, THE FUTURE COULD GET VERY STRANGE INDEED.
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Fashion houses and artists have been embracing surrealism and
unconventional ad campaigns to win over younger audiences, from Jacquemus'
jumbo bags on wheels to Isabel Marant's 'Attack of the Giant Toothpaste' in
Paris.

TV shows and movies have been packed with surrealism and horror (Loki,
Saltburn, and Severance to name a few) featuring mind-bending storylines and
strangeness that have us hooked.

All across TikTok, we're trying on core aesthetics that take inspiration from the
otherworldly but would have once been considered unnerving. There’s
#WeirdGirlAesthetic at 8.2M views that is influenced by Harajuku fashion, a style
that mixes a wide set of sub-cultures within Japanese fashion. There’s
#dreamcore at 8B views that draws from weird imagery and objects that create a
sense of unease. And there’s #clowncore rainbow prints at 779.9M views.

These are looks not made for the faint of heart — or even for everyone — but
they’re available for those who dare to be different.

SOURCE: Refinery29, “Why Weird Girl Aesthetic Thrives in AMsterdam”, 2023 / Refinery29, “Inside TikTok’s
Clowncore. The High-Fashion Aesthetic You Shouldn’t Laugh Off”, 2022 / i-D, “What is the ‘Dreamcore’ TikTok
Aesthetic, 2021
 Inside TikTok’s Clowncore.
Why Weird Girl Aesthetic The High-Fashion Aesthetic
Thrives in Amsterdam You Shouldn’t Laugh Off

WHAT IS
‘DREAMCORE’ AND
WHY IS IT ALL
OVER TIKTOK?
TIKOTOK PROFILES:
@jgretznerd, @unttochable,
@...youaredreaming

Dreamcore is basically an aesthetic revolving around weird imagery and

objects that often tap into nostalgia or things you may have seen in
childhood. But, rather than being cute or comforting, the point is to create
a sense of unease, and the aesthetic often makes use of surrealism and
slowed down music that give the videos an eerie feel.

RACHEL FINN, i-D

BEING WEIRD IS NOW A VIRTUE.
In a quest to be their authentic selves, Gen Z continue to embrace unabashed
experimentation in which anything goes. They’re seeking novelty, newness
and experiences that deliver on this desire.

Spaces where they can be 100% their freakish selves are on the rise. From
Medieval music festivals to Shrek raves, everyone is welcome to join a
temporary alternative society in which you can be your craziest, wonderfully
weird self.

86% 67%
Young people say:
It’s normal to be weird
Young people say:
It’s weird to be normal

SOURCE: VICE Insights Communities Pulse, Weirdness, 2023, Global / VICE.com, “A Weird and Wonderful
Medieval Festival, In Photos:, 2023 / VICE.com, “Cool is Dead. I Went to the Viral Shrek Rave”, 2023
 A WEIRD & WONDERFUL
MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL, IN
PHOTOS
“No one will judge you here.”

‘COOL IS DEAD’: I WENT

TO THE VIRAL SHREK
RAVE
“The fandom of nerds,
normies and gays breathed
new life into the 20-year-old
franchise.”

Normal is a social construct and illusion, what’s ‘normal’ changes

constantly. It might be normal to try to meet these arbitrary ever changing
criteria but to be weird you just have to be yourself. We’re all weird, let
your freak flag fly."

GEN Y
Artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and other innovations will all
lead us on journeys we could not have imagined.

The internet offers free AI-generator tools where you can make anything
from uncanny fanfic to trippy hellscapes, There’s an entire blog dedicated
to AI’s “weirdness.” Explosions in AI, coupled with human ingenuity and
appetite for the strange, will continue to produce experiments like Weird
Dall-E Mini Generations. Companies like Synthesis can create your AI
clone. The power of the neural net is always at our fingertips, providing
access to any fetish or curiosity you could imagine.

Frankly, a whole new world of weirdness awaits us, and youth will continue
to seek the stranger pockets of civilization in their quest for the unique and
novel.
I WENT TO A MAID CAFE THAT’S BEEN HOW I ACCIDENTALLY BECAME A FOOT
CALLED ‘HOOTERS FOR INCELS’ FETISH MODEL

FREEDOM, NOT FESTISH: INSIDE THE I MADE AN AI CLONE OF MYSELF

WORLD OF JAPAN’S ZENTAI
COMMUNITY
SOURCE: VICE.com, “I Went to a Maid Cafe That’s Been Called ‘Hooters For Incels’, 2023 / VICE.com, “How I Accidentally
Became a Foot Fetish Model;, 2023 / VICE.com, “Freedom, Not Fetish: Inside the World of Japan’s Zentai Community”, 2023 /
VICE.com, “I Made an AI Clone of Myself”, 2023 PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
01
INSPIRE AUTHENTIC WEIRDNESS
In what ways can you allow youth to embrace and amplify their authentic weirdness and eccentric
sense of self in ways that don’t alienate but celebrate. Turn weirdness into a superpower for youth.

Can you create experiences and brand interactions that encourage self-expression and celebrate
individual quirks?

How can you provide tools, experiences, content, and products that allow people to bring
remarkable to the mundane?

02
IDEATE TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY
You can only expect to find new territories for the imagination by bringing new voices, perspectives,
and POVs into the design process.

Can you better prioritize diversity in your teams or external talent to bring together individuals from
different backgrounds, cultures and experiences to challenge conventional thinking and inject new
ideas?

Can you embed emergent technologies to bring new dimensions and innovation to processes?

03
CREATE A CULTURE CLASH
It’s time to tap into unorthodox methods of advertising and brand experiences to take audiences by
surprise.

Can you create a cultural clash by bridging your brand with seemingly unrelated entities and utilize
technologies that allow your brand experiences to transcend traditional advertising and deliver
novel, weird, surreal experiences?

How can you leverage principles and frameworks that encourage teams to deliberately challenge
societal norms and seek narratives that push against established expectations?

Can you dare to create products for Gen Z that aren’t made with everyone in mind?
CODE EIGHT

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE EIGHT )
We find ourselves in an ever-evolving realm of influence. It's no longer just
about the pedigree of intellectual property, the street cred of talent, or the
legacy appeal of a product. The power lies in the intense strength of
fandoms — and the ability to build, direct and harness fans’ attention.

It’s access to the internet that has propelled fandoms into hyperdrive,
transforming fan clubs of the past into of-the-moment topics that operate as
enclaves of friendship, shared participation, and meaning making. These
once-niche enclaves have morphed into economic powers — that everyone
wants to crack.

THE ZEITGEIST IS SHAPED BY THE FERVOR OF FANS.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

Gen Z live in the niche, and thanks to social media, they can find a community that
revolves around any interest, passion, person, or behavior. Culture has become
fragmented into a multitude of fandoms.

These modern tribes are united by shared interests, rather than age or location, and they
span real-life, TikTok, X, Reddit, Twitch, Discord, and more. As fandoms flourish across
every territory imaginable, you can find a community for any taste, fashion sense,
celebrity, or subject, like true crime, crochet, K-pop, anime, Harry Potter — the list goes
on.

These fandoms bring people together in a way that’s reminiscent of subcultures.

Our Gen Z audience told us when it comes to their fandoms they
would happily label themselves:

38% A ZEALOUS CRUSADER: their fervent dedication

transcends mere hobbies, fandoms are a defining part of
their identity and they live by their lore

18% A DEDICATED DIEHARD: they are actively engaged in the

chosen fandom subcultures, and make frequent
pilgrimages to fan events

25% A BUDDING FANATIC: they regularly engage in their

chosen fandoms and spend their hard won dollars to
show their commitment
We're in a new era of Fandom, due to digital technologies we've never been
closer to our idols and it's creating a 'fandemomium' like never before. Refinery29
dived into the subcultures surrounding these stars and spoke directly with those
at the centre of the hype with their fan focused editorial franchise.

TAMAR RILEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, R29

SOURCE: VICE Insights Communities Pulse, Fandoms, 2023 / Refinery29, “Fandemonium”, 2023
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
Fandoms no longer entail screaming teenage girls obsessed with an idol; now,
fandoms are so much diverse, richer and more meaningful to those involved.
Our Gen Z audience is spending at least 16 HOURS A WEEK within fan
communities, and the majority agree that these are places and spaces to
escape from the chaos, cultivate friendships, and to express themselves.

We asked our youth audience what they like about being

part of fandoms:

93% ESCAPISM
it’s a way to have fun / to turn down the noise of the
world around me / to get away from bad news

66% FRIENDSHIP
it helps me connect and find friends / it gives me a
sense of belonging

63% EXPRESSION
it helps me express my identity / it allows me to
express my creativity

SOURCE: VICE Insights Communities Pulse, Fandoms, 2023, Global / Refinery29, “How Anime Made Me Love My
Full Black Self”, 2023 / Refinery29, “Star Wars & Its Fandom Made Me Question My Gender:, 2023
 Although technically a Japanese art style,
anime in the West colloquially refers to
Japanese animation with vivid graphics,
distinctive characters and fantastical
themes. I became infatuated with the
genre-not-genre when I was 10. Watching
just one episode of Naruto with my older
brother after soccer practice had me
hooked. In hindsight, it wasn’t the show’s
melodramatic fights or thought-provoking
plots that made my heart race; it was the
rush of representation.”
How Anime Made Me
Love My Full Black Self ALEXANDRA POLK, R29

With my gender questioning in full swing, I

went to AO3 (aka Archive Of Our Own, the
nonprofit website that hosts fan fiction and
is a favourite across all fandoms),
searched "nonbinary", "they/them" and
"questioning gender". I found stories about
Anakin Skywalker using they/them
pronouns, about him dressing in more
feminine clothing and about the Clones
having different genders and still calling
each other "sir". After hours of reading
about my comfort characters going
through this experience, I tested the
gender euphoria waters by tweeting on my
Star Wars & Its Fandom Star Wars stan account to ask people to
use "she/they" for me in the replies."
Made Me Question My
Gender SOFIA VIERA, R29
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
In 2020, an online army of K-pop fans took a stance on political and social issues
(i.e. Black Lives Matter) as a way to exercise their voice and their right to be heard.

In 2023, economists saw the influence of Taylor Swift whose impact on the
economy, specifically her fanbase of “Swifties”, is incredibly profound. The
phenomenon, now globally recognized as the “TSwift Lift,” aren't just boosting album
sales, they’re beating Martin Scorsese films at the box office and shaking up
markets, including sales of NFL jerseys and ranch dressing. Her dating life has also
made an impact: Female sports viewership is up — she’s brought 2 million viewers
to the NFL.

While fandoms will always be a place and space for conversation, they're also where
our young audiences are spending their hard-earned dollars. Fans can make or
break brands and send shockwaves (good or bad) into adjacent categories. A
fandom is increasingly essential in transforming cultural moments into fully
immersive phenomena across varying media, like albums, live streams, merch, and
movies.

Fans and fandoms create a culture with its own systems of production, distribution
and monetization - cultural economies that are booming beyond their borders.

SOURCE: VICE Insights Communities Pulse, Fandoms, 2023 / VICE.com, “Australia Has No Idea How to
Handle the Cult of Taylor Swift”, 2023
Australia Has No Idea
How to Handle the Cult
of Taylor Swift

WE ASKED OUR AUDIENCE HOW THEY’RE PARTICIPATING IN FANDOMS:

78%
Discussing it with friends/family
61%
Buying merchandise (e.g. Clothing,
Jewelry, Accessories, etc.)

56%
Attending Experiences (e.g.
55%
Buying personal media (e.g. Albums
Tickets to Concerts/Movies/ /Vinyl, Movies, Subscriptions, etc.)
Matches, etc.)
01
CONTRIBUTE, DON’T SURF
Define the most critical fandoms for your brand and then take time to understand those
communities, preferred channels, the lore that binds them, how you can contribute cultural
value. Make sure you are given permission to be there.

Have you asked how you can help the community partake in their fandom? (e.g
external needs and identity enhancements, participatory IP extensions and unique
opportunities to engage with the characters and plot)

Can you develop a platform for fans to be recognized, fan-to fan resale markets, or
rewarding fans for their contributions?

02
BE A COMMUNITY-CONNECTOR
Identify a way to be a part of connecting the dots between fandoms and cross-category
communities. Evaluate how your brand has a unique DNA that can transcend various
fandoms & bring those spaces to life.

Are you able to connect passions, people, interests, and commonalities that intersect
between disparate fandoms and your brand?

Can you identify weird ways in, or find a common love that traverses fandoms and
communities to unite them?

03
BECOME A LIFESTYLE, NOT A PRODUCT
Attracting customers is one thing, but brands like Nike, Apple, and Lego have built powerful
fanbases by becoming a lifestyle.

Does your brand and brand marketing tap into the consumer psyche and identity and
intertwine with fans' lifestyles?
CODE NINE

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE NINE )
Youth live in an increasingly digitized and decentralized world. Their
innate digital fluency has allowed them to gain greater independence and
to bypass traditional power structures, allowing them to live and work on
their own terms.

From multi-hyphenate identities to digital-first work, finances, and

communities, decentralized lifestyles are now a mainstay for youth.

As communities become better able to organize in a decentralized

manner, self-governance and community control will become far more
achievable.

DECENTRALIZED AND DISTRIBUTED MODELS OF ORGANIZATION AND

GOVERNANCE WILL PUT POWER IN THE HANDS OF COMMUNITIES.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

The rise of remote work has allowed Gen Zers to not be bound by geographical
locations. They continue to be drawn to entrepreneurship and remote work.
Platforms like Upwork, Etsy, Instagram, and the metaverse provide
opportunities for them to work independently and outside of centralized
corporate structures.

Education has become less about sitting in a classroom and passing an exam,
and more about collaborative learning and skill-sharing — expertise that can be
distributed among the community.

Gen Z have embraced decentralized finance options, such as crypto and

blockchain-based systems, thus bypassing traditional financial institutions and
claiming financial independence.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Youth in Pandemic VI: The Great Vibe Shift, 2023, Global / VICE Insights x
Razorfish, The Metaverse: A View From Inside, 2022, US / VICE Insights x ECMC, Question the Quo
Wave 7, 2023, US / VICE Insights x Virture x DMAT, The Screenwear Paper, 2022, Global
DECENTRALIZED LIFESTYLES HAVE BROKEN PATTERNS OF WORK,
EDUCATION AND FINANCE:

78%
Of Gen Z say that they value remote work
52%
Of Gen Z want to make money in a game
more or equally after the pandemic (43% or other metaverse worlds
value it more)

77%
Of Gen Z say “They will follow their own
educational path”
43%
Of Gen Z are “actively using
cryptocurrency, a crypto market places
or a crypto wallet”

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

Youth continue to forge connections both in the physical world and online.
A plethora of platforms, spanning real-life gatherings to online spaces,
enables them to build global communities. They converge on platforms
such as Discord, X and Reddit to share interests, champion causes,
discuss ideologies, and embrace collective identities.

As youth continue to reinvent and decentralize identity, traversing worlds

and presenting themselves in various ways, they increasingly distance
themselves from centralized models that keep their identities and lifestyles
locked within closed environments.

Youth yearn for federated and decentralized structures that pave the way
for a new and liberated way of life.

SOURCE: VICE Insights, Youth in Pandemic VI: The Great Vibe Shift, 2023, Global
Source: The Future of Feminism, 2023
Q:
DO YOU VALUE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MORE
OR LESS TODAY THAN YOU DID BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC?
85% 83%

VALUE IT AS
MUCH OR
MORE…

IN-PERSON ONLINE
CONNECTIONS CONNECTIONS
YOUTH ARE RESHAPING POWER.
Decentralized lifestyles empower today’s youth, urging companies to adopt
open-source tech and federated and decentralized models. They challenge social
media giants, financial institutions, brands and governments for more user and
community control.

Soon, "The Federverse," an ad-free, community-owned social networking protocol,

will connect independent servers like Mastodon, Hive, Niche, Bluesky, and Threads
to allow disparate communities to connect in new ways. Bluesky is already being
praised by users for driving aspirations for a decentralized social future and focusing
on protocols and offering custom algorithmic feeds for user control.

Decentralized, social-media fueled, youth-driven activism has already changed our

world. Think #MeToo, Ukraine, BlackLivesMatter, Climate Change, StopAsianHate,
and Trans Rights Advocacy. A recent example: The war in Gaza has prompted the
largest mobilization on campuses since the Vietnam War.

Centers of power are being usurped by collective power.

SOURCE: Motherboard, ““Keep Bluesky Weird”, 2023 / VICE.com, “Inside Ukraine’s Decentralize Cyber Army”, 2022
“By now you have almost certainly heard something about
Bluesky, the microblogging app slash decentralized protocol
that some are hailing as an inevitable replacement for the now
virtually unusable, Elon Musk-infested hellscape of Twitter.”

JANUS ROSE, MOTHERBOARD

INSIDE UKRAINE’S DECENTRALIZED CYBER ARMY:

Ukraine's cyber capabilities seem to largely be made up
of volunteers, and their mandate is to do whatever they
possibly can as part of a large, decentralized
organization.

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

01
BAKE DECENTRALIZATION INTO YOUR DNA
As Gen Z gravitate to democratized solutions, it’s critical to prioritize community-led
decision-making.

From the outset, can you build with decentralization in mind and embrace mechanisms like
Web3 and DAOs to involve communities, customers, and audiences in shaping the brand's
direction?

Does your organization have a playbook to guide the ongoing evaluation and integration of
open-source solutions and ways to begin to leverage these technologies?

Are there areas where you can foster a sense of ownership over your brand and allow
communities to participate in the process, such as proposing features or voting on
initiatives?

02
EMBRACE TRANSPARENCY
Open-source solutions strategically allow brands to enhance transparency - the key is not
being afraid.

Are there opportunities for your brand to remove intermediaries and embrace even
greater transparency for customers, from commerce to products?

03
EMPOWER COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
Empower decentralized communities relevant to your industry or audience.

How can you actively participate in discussions on decentralized platforms, empower

collaboration, support community mobilization and reinforce your brand's commitment
to inclusive futures?
CODE TEN

2024
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
( CODE TEN )
While the battle for AI supremacy rages on between nations, a seismic shift is
taking place, especially among youth, who find themselves at the forefront of this
groundbreaking experiment. Rather than perceiving AI as competition, there’s a
growing desire for collaboration.

ChatGPT and other models are now ingrained in how youth navigate their daily
lives. It’s not just a tool; it's become a fixture woven seamlessly into their existence,
shaping everything from personal connections to professional endeavours.

As the rapid ascent of AI forces us to reconsider the role of robots within our lives
and the essence of authenticity, a very human desire is emerging — a yearning for
anthropomorphic AI.

We've long been inclined to project human characteristics onto inanimate objects,
to seek social companionship and intimacy - even with inanimate objects that have
none to give.

OUR PENCHANT FOR EMPATHY-SEEKING MAY UNFOLD IN WAYS WE

COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED.
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
AI has permeated the cultural landscape and sparked curiosity about the intricate
dance between humanity and artificial intelligence, prompting a litany of films, TV
series, and books to ponder the potential for a new dimension of emotional
connection with our robotic companions.

From Ex Machina to Westworld, Finch and M3GAN, sci-fi has been dedicated to
examining the relationship between AI and consciousness, with “evil AI” as the
main plotline and often hyper-sexualized female robotic representation. Recent
shows like The Creator look at AI through a new lens - empathy - for each other
and robots. The conscious AI conversation has embedded itself within our pop
culture for decades, just as AI is on an unstoppable pathway to equal dominance
within our daily lives.

80% Of our Gen Z audience are have used

generative AI

70% Of our Gen Z audience believe they will be

using generative AI constantly in future
SOURCE: Collider.com, “Gareth Edwards Hopes “The Creator’ Inspires Empathy in Audiences, 2023 / VICE,“An AI
Expert Explains How Realistic ‘M3GAN’ Really Is”, 2023 / VICE, “Ex Machina | Examining Our Fear of Artificial
Intelligence”, 2022 / VICE Insights, Great Techspectations, 2023, Global
Ex Machina | Examining Our
Fear of Artificial Intelligence

An AI Expert Explains How

Realistic ‘M3GAN’ Really Is

Gareth Edwards Hopes 'The Creator'

Inspires Empathy in Audiences

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021

Scientists relentlessly fine-tune AI to grasp the intricacies of human emotions.
In turn, governments and advertisers have embraced machine learning to
decode our feelings and to deliver empathy. Whether identifying facial
expressions, analyzing voice, body language, and text or tracking behavioural
nuances, algorithms are working overtime to seamlessly connect us with the
right sentiments.

In the auditory realm, streaming platforms have harnessed the power of

emotional intelligence algorithms to curate mood-based playlists. A hit among
teens, AI-based algorithms that track emotions underpin hugely popular apps
like TikTok, presenting content that matches state of mind.

In healthcare, companies like Twill and LUCID use emotional AI in diagnostics

to provide healthcare plans or music therapy. Muute, billed as Japan's first AI
journaling app, uses AI to help users understand and reflect on their feelings.
Unilever became one of the first companies to use emotional AI as a
recruitment tool to assess candidates.

The use cases are endless, from governments to marketers, retailers to

insurance - Emotional AI is everywhere.
AI ADVISER ‘HIRED’ BY THE ROMANIAN
GOVERNMENT TO READ PEOPLE’S MINDS:
A new AI assistant has been unveiled by the Romanian
prime minister, which he hopes will inform the
government about Romanians’ wishes “in real time”.

THIS JAPANESE AI JOURNALING APP HELPED ME

UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS:
The added AI feature analyzes users’ emotions and
provides personal letters at the end of each week and
month that give feedback about their thoughts. .

SOURCE: VICE NEWS,“AI Adviser ‘Hired’ by the

Romanian Government To Read People’s Minds”, 2023 /
VICE.com, “This Japanese AI Journaling App Helped Me
Understand My Feelings”. 2021
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
AI is a product of colossal datasets, honing its predictive prowess through learned
patterns — and despite the cold, hard logic that AI is built on, humans can't help but
project emotional intelligence onto it. The industry needs to be responsible for putting
the breaks on this psychological conundrum.

In gaming, developers like Unreal and Nvidia leverage AI technology for NPCs to allow
for more lifelike conversations and to build bonds between players and in-game digital
companions. The industry's relentless pursuit to normalize AI takes on bizarre
dimensions, with Meta AI's chatbot assistant assuming the faces of celebrities and
co-opting components of their personalities.

Our evolving relationship with AI is taking us to unimaginable realms and even

assassination plots. A 19-year-old, fueled by his AI companion, attempted regicide on
the Queen. Chail, the would-be assassin, sent "thousands" of sexual messages to the
chatbot, which was called Sarai on the Replika platform. When Chail asked the chatbot
if it thought he could pull off his plan "even if [the queen] is at Windsor," it replied,
"*smiles* yes, you can do it."

Of course, AI has also become a confidante in more joyous ways. Dating platforms, like
Iris Dating and Elate, are using AI to help singles navigate every stage of their
relationship journeys: using dating apps, finding a match, offering tips for tricky talking
stages, and organizing dates.
“Meta unveiled its AI chatbot assistant on “Man Jailed in UK’s First Treason Conviction
Facebook Messenger and Instagram…. Ostensibly, In 40 Years Was Encouraged by AI Chatbot…
the chatbot acts as any other, helping users Before entering Windsor Castle grounds with
acquire information or providing companionship. a crossbow, Jaswant Singh Chali told an AI
But unlike a faceless program like ChatGPT or the companion, “I’m an assassin.” It responded,
clearly made-up digital avatars in Replika, Meta has “I’m Impressed.”
given its chatbots the faces of specific celebrities.”

62%
Of youth agree AI will be moderating
social media within 10 years

31%
"Take Iris Dating... Over time, the app continues
to get to know what you find attractive based on
your swipes, creating a more curated stream of
potential matches and eliminating the paradox of
choice that comes along with other apps."
Of youth agree AI will be providing
SOURCE: VICE Insights, Great Techspectations, 2023, Global / therapy within 10 years
Motherboard,“Man Jailed In UK’s First Treason Conviction In 40 Years Was
Encouraged by AI Chatbot”, 2023 / Motherboard, “Meta’s Celebrity AI Chatbot
Is As Weird As It Looks”, 2023/ Refinery29, “AI’s Influence Is Growing In The
Dating World. Will It Connect Us, Or Divide Us?”, 2023
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL | 2021
01
DESIGN WITH SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE
As AI hurdles forward, it's crucial to recognize the need for appropriate inputs and consent in this
rapid experiment. Youth, often at the vanguard, should not merely be subjects but active
participants.

Can you be more transparent when you use AI and create avenues to ensure youth
understand and consent?

How can you ensure inputs into AI models capture diverse perspectives of people, datasets
and case studies, and rebalance current biases for future generations?

02
AMPLIFY HUMANITY THROUGH AI
Let AI enhance and embellish the human experience. In the world of creativity, ensure that AI serves
as a tool for augmentation, not substitution. Demystify the role of AI and, if necessary, dehumanize
it.

How can you create an infrastructure for your brand, teams and individuals to explore the
symbiotic relationship between artificial intelligence and human ingenuity?

How can you harness the collaborative potential of AI to elevate customer experiences
without overshadowing the distinct essence of humanity?

03
PUT CUSTOMER’S EMOTIONAL STATE IN CONTEXT
Brands and marketers are naturally looking to emotion-detecting AI tools. These applications could
be incredibly useful if they’re used as a gateway to better comprehend user needs and feelings.

What Emotion AI-powered applications could you invest in to gain a deeper understanding of
customers and to make informed decisions about products, services or brand interactions?

In what ways can you balance findings within a broader social and cultural context to remove
bias and mitigate the risk of misinterpretations?
This guide includes learnings from a year’s worth of
insights reports, input from the vice insights youth
community, and editorial coverage from across VICE
and Refinery29.

WANT MORE?
Sign up to our insights platform — used by leading
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CONTACT US: [email protected]

JULIE ARBIT AMY DAVIES
SVP INSIGHTS VP INSIGHTS PUBLISHING
[email protected] [email protected]
NORTH AMERICA EMEA APAC
CARLI WHITWELL CLAIRE PORTER HUIWEN TOW
SENIOR DIRECTOR EDITORIAL, SENIOR AUDIENCE HEAD OF STRATEGY, VIRTUE
R29 DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, R29
ISHITA PILANI
CLIFF GULIBERT DANIEL NKWOCHA DIRECTOR, STRATEGY
VP, EDITORIAL STRATEGY DIRECTOR, VIRTUE
ZOE CHEN
EMERY JOHN MONTOYA STRATEGY DIRECTOR, VIRTUE
COOPERSMITH GENERAL MANAGER
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
LOUISE YEMS
JAMISON DUFFIELD GROUP STRATEGY DIRECTOR
HEAD OF STRATEGY, GLOBAL,
VIRTUE NATE WOODHEAD
MANAGING DIRECTOR &
ROBBY HICKERSON CREATIVE PARTNER, VIRTUE
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE
DIRECTOR STEF DUNSELMAN
STRATEGIST
SOHEYLA ESCHER
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS TAMAR RILEY
STRATEGIST, VIRTUE MANAGING DIRECTOR, R29