To Understand the Particularities of Youth Now, We Need to Understand What’s Timeless

To truly comprehend the youth of today, we need to first grasp the ageless essence of being young.

It's a disheartening sight for those studying human behavior to witness the persistence of baseless stereotypes about youth in commonplace conversations, over-sensationalized reports, and clickbait content. Phrases like “hyperconnected youth”, “more aware generation”, “more tolerant generation” and other generalities that aren’t helpful at all in understanding the unique experiences of today’s young
people are often parroted. Regrettably, these clichés are too often consumed as fresh insights by those who lack a deeper understanding of the subject.

To objectively comprehend this topic, particularly for those of us who are no longer young, we must acknowledge certain assumptions. As we age, we:

• tend to forget significant aspects of our youth
• often unfairly compare our adult selves to the youth of today
• have a tendency to romanticize the past – an inclination that has both scientific and evolutionary roots

There is growing acceptance in scientific circles that adolescence, due to social, biological, cognitive, and brain development factors, should be considered as spanning from ages 10 to 24 or 25. However, certain behavioral patterns remain structural, with some newer ones being established enough to be considered predictable.

Some of the common threads are:

• Identity formation – achieved through both affinity and opposition, as individuals and as groups – primarily occurs in two significant ways:
  • A focus on peer interactions: During this stage of life, the dynamics of identity formation, both individually and as group members, are in full swing, primarily occurring through interactions with peers. Youths and teen subcultures from the 20th century onward have been centered around the establishment of visual codes and communication methods that signal belonging, and are intentionally less comprehensible to outsiders. This focus on peer interaction is the reason behind the popularity of late-night phone calls before the advent of cellphones, ICQ and mIRC in the 1990s, MSN Messenger in the 2000s, and the countless hours spent on mobile phones today. In essence, being “hyperconnected” is not a recent phenomenon, but it adapts to whatever means are available.
  • The generational conflict, so prevalent and old that records on the subject can be found in the work of ancient Greek philosophers and in Babylon. The probable evolutionary explanation is that as we reach sexual maturity, the process of forming new families and social units often requires a break from our family of origin. This process is more driven by opposition (identifying who and what we don't want to be). This gives rise to slogans like "Don't trust anyone over 30" from the 60s and explains, in part, why young people's solidarity often does not extend to ageism...
• There's a tendency towards binary thinking and a reluctance to embrace ambiguity on complex issues. This explains an inclination towards idealism, extreme ideologies, and seeing things in black and white. Scientific studies reveal that the cognitive performance of youths and adolescents matches or even surpasses that of adults, as long as they are not under emotional influence. Their capacity to regulate emotions, however, is inferior. Furthermore, the lack of practical experience results in a more theory-based outlook. Consistency and the ability to perceive nuances are hallmarks of maturity. A contemporary example of this cognitive dissonance is young people being most concerned about global warming, according to multiple studies, but also being the primary target audience of Chinese fast fashion, an industry notorious for its dubious environmental and labor practices. In essence, a more idealistic worldview that focuses on the collective, justice, and the common good is not specific to any generation, but is a characteristic of young minds trying to find their place in the world.
• From the 1950s to today, a period that marks the emergence of adolescents and youth as consumer markets, two areas have seen significant exploration and contestation of familial and generational norms:
  • Sexual discovery and experimentation, and redefining acceptable conduct in this area of life.
  • Experimentation with various psychoactive substances. The types of substance that are popular vary greatly based on time and geography.

Therefore, to understand the “now”, we need to examine the present manifestations of these ever-present youth phenomena.

The "now":

• An ambivalent relationship with social media: Social media serves both as the primary “social space” for young people today, sometimes even replacing traditional gathering places like malls, and is the major media consumption platform. With such a central role, both the positive and negative aspects of their relationship with it tend to be magnified.

• • On the one hand, it has expanded a range of personal and professional opportunities related to visibility and impact. From activism to content creation as a career, leading to potentially earlier financial independence, and perhaps even fame. Today's aspiration of becoming an influencer or YouTuber is analogous to aspiring to become a DJ 20 years ago, but with far broader possibilities of becoming full time professions. In comparison to previous  generations, this kind of financial independence and professional ascension in youth was limited to artists and professional sports (careers with far narrower funnels), at least in Latin America. Most of the most prominent content creators have yet to reach 30.
  • On the flip side, our comparison sphere has significantly expanded beyond our immediate social environments to include the online universe, in a very quantifiable way (followers, likes, engagement). The potentially destructive comparisons in terms of appearance, fame, and financial success affect everyone, but it's significantly amplified among young people, whose identities and self-esteem are still under construction, and multiple studies confirm this.
• With regards to substance experimentation, the taboo around cannabis use in all its forms is lessening due to increased legalization globally. The use of psychedelics and MDMA (currently undergoing clinical trials for treating issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and more) is also destigmatizing. The use of prescription drugs recreationally, while not news in the US, is becoming more prevalent among young people in Brazil, especially nootropics and sleep inducers like Ambien. Meanwhile, alcohol use is being reassessed.
• Regarding sex life, data suggests more fluid sexual orientations and less rigid labels, increased openness to non-monogamous relationships (open relationships, polyamory, "friends with benefits", etc.), and increased identification among young people in historically marginalized groups like LGBTQIA+, and as a consequence, more openness in accepting the orientation of others.

To illustrate these points, consider three TV shows that have recently made waves and highlight some interesting manifestations of both what is “now” and what has always been, albeit through very American or Anglo lenses:

• White Lotus (HBO) - particularly the characters played by Sydney Sweeney (Olivia) in Season 1 and by Adam diMarco (Albie) in Season 2
• Euphoria (HBO)
• Sex Education (Netflix)

Understanding the differences between life stages and cultural particularities, as well as recognizing our inherent biases, are critical skills for marketers in an era when a wealth of low-quality information shapes our perspectives.