“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true self be seen.”

– Brené Brown

I came across this quote a few days ago and thought to myself: “What a great topic to jump back into blogging!”

Hello readers – I’m baaaaaaack!

The word authentic always makes me think of Gen Z (born ~1996-2012). This term seemed to become popular amongst this generation over the last 1-3 years. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on Gen Z but I have worked extensively with this age group. They are as unique as any other generation but have access to more information than any other generation before them. My question is: do they have the lived experience to filter through all the information safely and accurately?

To Google I went and searched “authenticity” and “Tik Tok” – a popular app used by Gen Z that provides access to copious amounts of unfiltered information; the information many of them use to garner facts and figures and to support in their decision-making processes. 40% of Gen Z searchers turn to TikTok or Instagram before performing a traditional Google Search (Epsilon, November 2022). The reason? Gen Z prioritize engaging with what they consider authentic content.

And there it is…

In Joe Stratton’s article “The TikTok age of authenticity: for gen Z, reach doesn’t equal influence”, I found the following interesting points:

• With the rise of TikTok, authenticity is the word of the day in influencer marketing.
• Marketers became more and more reliant on influencers. 
• People are placing more trust than ever into the recommendations of influencers.  
• A recent survey showed that 49% of consumers depend on the recommendations given to them by influencers. 

A little more Googling and I came across a 2022 study by Affise. It shared that the average age of the world’s top influencers is 27.

Wait a minute… 27?!?! When I was 27, I was not equipped to influence millions. Should we be concerned about this?

I don’t know how Gen Z defines authenticity, but I know, based on my 47 years on this earth, how I define it – just like Brené. Being authentic is being honest and real. How many people do you know who are truly authentic? Day to day, people who are their true selves. People who do not bend to socials norms, nor friend groups, nor pressures at work. People who show up every day as themselves. Steady ships. I am lucky to know a few, and they all play key roles in my life. There is a predictability to them. I always know what to expect from them. They are comforting. Consistency is an underrated quality in someone.

Do you have authentic people in your life?

Why?

Why not?

I referred to “dropping the dead weight” in a previous blog. This is the act of removing someone in your life who is no longer meeting your needs. It does not have to be ceremonial – no goodbye card, no farewell phone call, no going-away party – just an internal decision to put yourself first. We need to accept that things end. There is no shame in ending a relationship. The end of one thing means the beginning of something new. It’s all about how we frame things, isn’t it?

According to a 2021 Statistics Canada census, the Gen Z demographic accounts for 17.6% of the working-age population. Also, interesting to note that Gen Z’s stress is leading to withdrawal in their professional lives. According to 2022 data from Gallup, they are the most disengaged group at work. They also report more overall stress and work-related burnout than other cohorts. Wowza – now what?

I have met some truly authentic Gen Z’ers. There are commonalities to them, including but not limited to: awesome parent(s), willingness to be uncomfortable, self-reflective, and highly self-aware. How can we better support the growth and development of this generation? Their contributions to the workplace are pivotal. Do we need to provide better avenues to build their authenticity? Can we compete with Tik Tok? Do we need to? Will they reach important milestones later in their life than other generations did? How can we be sure they will get there?

Can we afford to wait and see?

You can read Joe’s full article here: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2022/05/04/the-tiktok-age-authenticity-gen-z-reach-doesnt-equal-influence

And the Affise details here: https://affise.com/blog/influencers-mapped/#:~:text=Age%20of%20success%3A%20The%20Average,successful%20global%20influencers%20is%2027