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lthough one can feel young and be up-to-date at any age, if they have a spirit of continuous learning and innovation, there is a new generation of people, already adults, born in the midst of the digital era, who perfectly coexist with that philosophy. For them it is natural, because they have grown at the pace of the accelerated rise of new technologies. They are Generation Z, born after the digital explosion of the 90s, who are strongly incorporating themselves into all areas of society, the economy, and the working world.
They are talented professionals, great entrepreneurs, smart and demanding consumers, who know how to inform themselves by handling huge amounts of data and are empowered to change the world if necessary. In this sense, Núria Vilanova and Iñaki Ortega, in their book Generación Z (Plataforma Actual) point out that more than 2 billion people in the world belong to this generation (in Spain they already represent 15% of the total population), who have "very powerful tools at their disposal to change their environment or the destiny to which they are called." For these authors, "it is the first generation that has assumed since they have been old enough to reason that the world has become small, that diversity is inherent to any modern society, and that democratic development, linked to technological development, is unstoppable."
GENERATION Z SETS CONSUMPTION TRENDS
Major technology brands, such as Honor, a leading e-brand of mobile devices operating under Huawei, have been specifically created to respond to the needs of digital native users, with products that inspire action, foster creativity, and user experience. The goal of these brands, however, is not to focus on a young market niche, but to focus on it as a way to reach many more user profiles. Ultimately, young people are their brand ambassadors. As explained by the General Director of Honor in Spain, Javier Palacios, "today, the youngest public sets the trends, and they are also very digital in their shopping habits. With them, a dialogue can be established through online channels that allows consumer proposals to have better acceptance."
Along the same lines, UOC communication professor Mireia Montaña analyzes in COMeIN that although "the figure of the influencer is basic when it comes to impacting these young people, they state that they prefer to receive advice from young influencers similar to them, instead of celebrities" and that, ultimately, "they need to feel that they are being spoken to as equals."