Many people still believe that the difference between generations lies only in age. And that millennials (born 1981-1996) and zoomers (born 1997-2012) are actually not very different. They also think the same rules of marketing and content creation work for both. But in fact, they are quite different!

Today we’ll examine why in reality the generations of millennials and zoomers are completely different. How do they interact with the Internet and the outside world? Why are Tinder and its analogues no longer interesting to generation Z? And how do modern youth get acquainted on the web? We promise you’ll learn a lot of new and interesting things!

8-second attention span, and other special aspects of zoomers

One of the main characteristics of a zoomer is a short concentration span. They cannot concentrate on one thing for too long, but quickly switch between media. This is why we are seeing a tendency to shorten any content. Instead of large long-form articles — short notes. Instead of half-hour videos on YouTube — short videos on TikTok. Instead of bulky social networks — instant messengers, quick texts or voice messages.

Some people believe that the inability of zoomers to concentrate on one thing for a long time is a negative tendency. In fact, it’s not so clear-cut. Yes, this tendency forces us to seriously reconsider the educational and work process so that it is effective and at the same time suitable for a whole generation. But on the other hand, it is the zoomers that are the most adaptive generation today. They easily endure the constant changes in our world and in their own lives, quickly adapt, and can almost instantly switch between completely different tasks without losing productivity.

Zoomers’ priorities in the digital and dating industry

Zoomers really have different priorities when we talk about business, digital products and dating. If for millennials, as a rule, convenience and functionality are primarily important, then the range of requirements for zoomers is much more extensive:

• A business that saves the planet. More than 60% of zoomers want to contribute to saving the planet and prefer to use the services of companies that pay special attention to this area.
• Non-standard collaborations. A striking example is the collaboration between craft accessories brand Ugmonk and fast food chain Rice Bowls. Ugmonk donates a portion of funds to Rice Bowls from every sale, which pays for them to distribute free meals to low-income families. Such collaborations attract the attention of zoomers and serve as excellent advertising among the younger generation.
• Sincerity and humanity. The phrase “brand with a human face” is not just a popular expression. Zoomers are more likely to use the services and products of those companies with which they can interact on a more human level. In other words, not only through advertising, but also via social networks, blogs, forums, and so on.
• Gamification and challenges. In fact, this is far from a new trend, but it has not slowed down. About 74% of zoomers spend almost all their free time on the Internet. And they are not always busy with something specific. So, using the methods of gamification and challenges, it is quite possible to quickly capture their attention.
• Their choices favor quality over quantity. Zoomers are not engaged in accumulating stuff, and they cannot be lured by ubiquitous advertising. The average zoomer is more likely to buy a product mentioned once by their favorite blogger than one they see advertised every day on the Internet, on the street or on public transport. Mass advertising no longer works!

All of the above applies to the sphere of online dating as well. And if we look closely, we can see that even the so-called “youth” sites and dating apps no longer meet the requirements of zoomers. This means you need to look for something new instead of Tinder, Badoo or Bumble.

The Lolly dating app — a successful implementation of the ideas and principles of TikTok

Lolly takes the core idea of TikTok short videos and reinterprets it for online dating. Here, users spend less on filling out a profile and searching for a potential couple, and more on live communication online. This fits perfectly into the concept of dating for zoomers — fast, convenient and without unnecessary actions.

But if you think that Lolly is something completely new and unusual, you’re mistaken. In fact, the format of speed dating, which is so popular with younger people, has existed for quite a long time. We are talking about online video chat — applications and sites that connect you with random users via video, allowing you to chat on any topic.

One of the first such sites was the Omegle website back in the spring of 2009. Just six months later, the first alternative to Omegle appeared — the Chatroulette website. And then dozens and even hundreds of similar sites. Among the most interesting speed dating platforms are the following:

• Chatki — a good gender filter and search for users by interest.
• Chathub — language and gender filters, but no official mobile app.
• Camsurf — flexible search settings, but only in the paid version.
• CooMeet — CooMeet is similar to Omegle service with a unique gender filter and verified member profiles.
• Chatous — disappearing photos, videos and audio messages.
• Emeraldchat — a very functional built-in messenger and karma rating.

These are only a small fraction of the Omegle alternatives that can be recommended to modern zoomers as a replacement for classic dating services. They have everything the younger generation loves so much: quick registration or even none at all, a convenient video chat format, the ability to communicate using a smartphone or tablet, and so on.

Zoomers are changing the modern internet

There’s another important point we’ve not mentioned. Zoomers are the prime category of Internet users for whom everything new is interesting. If millennials are mostly conservative and prefer to use time-tested sites and applications, zoomers are always in search of something new: new communication formats, new applications and sites, new topics for conversation…

We’re convinced that zoomers will be the pioneers in the metaverse environment. That seems obvious. By the time millennials and even older generations begin to take an interest in the metaverse, Generation Z will feel at home like a fish in water here.

What does this mean?

The fact is that in the coming years the entire Internet will be made specifically for zoomers! So far, many companies are betting on millennials as a more mature and solvent audience. But soon the zoomers will become older and accordingly more solvent. It’s to their wishes and needs that the Internet will adapt. If you think that this process will not begin any time soon, we’d like to convince you of the opposite. It has already begun. TikTok, Lolly and the popularization of random video chat services are a vivid confirmation of this. This means that the older generations will have to adapt to the new Internet realities. There are definitely many more interesting changes ahead!