How do you capture online youth culture?

What is online youth culture?

In this article, we refer to online youth culture as the behavior that young people display online. What do they watch and listen to, what do they do, and how do they do it? On social media, it is clearly visible which topics are popular among young people. Use characteristics of online youth culture to create culture for young people.

Young people are often online to:

• Communicate with each other
• Stay informed
• Be entertained
• Create their own content or respond to others' content

New generation: Generation Z

In this article, we refer to young people aged 12 to 21. These young people belong to the so-called Generation Z or Generation Alpha. Want to know more about this new generation? Get to know Gen Z. Curious about information on different generations? Check out the generation timeline by Youngworks.

Today's youth are the first group of people to grow up with social media; they are digital natives. In the experience of young people, there is no strict distinction between online and offline. For example, this constantly overlaps in their interactions with others. But beware: this generation is not easy to define as there is a lot of variation, says Yvonne van Sark of Youngworks. This variation is evident in development—a 12-year-old views life differently than a 16-year-old—but also in taste, preference, and style. Culture for young people must therefore also be diverse and varied.

Identity development

The brains of young people are in full development and are extra sensitive to rewards. They seek new challenges and experiences, often focusing on 'the other': how does the other approach something? Why is that? Who am I, and how do I want to do things? Young people are actively developing their identities. Often, art and heritage education can beautifully align with this because art and heritage provoke thoughts about your own reality and how you stand in life. Culture for young people can contribute to their identity development.

What types of platforms exist?

The fact that young people are strongly focused on others is, of course, also clearly visible on social media. These are the social media platforms where young people are currently very active:

• TikTok, an app where you can share and edit all kinds of videos, often with music
• Snapchat, an app where you can edit and share photos and videos. You can also chat in the app
• BeReal, an app where you receive a notification and must take and share a photo of yourself within 2 minutes
• YouTube Shorts, a part of YouTube where you can upload or watch ultra-short videos of up to 60 seconds

Instagram is still widely used, but the trend is that many young people are leaving this platform. Overall, Instagram usage in the Netherlands is still increasing. (Source: Marketingfacts.nl). YouTube Shorts is accessible without login; for the other platforms, you need an account. However, many TikTok videos are also shared on Instagram and YouTube Shorts, so you can easily watch them.

Research what is happening on the various platforms to gain insight into the behavior and usage of your target audience. This also helps you determine on which channels your organization wants to be visible.

How do you stay informed about youth culture?

As a cultural professional, it’s wise to keep delving into youth culture. Keep asking yourself: how can I bridge the gap with this collection or performance? What is a good entry point for this target group at the moment? You can do this with the following tips:

• Follow some influencers on social media who are popular among young people. This way, you discover what young people find interesting, as influencers cater to these interests.
• Regularly watch videos on YouTube Shorts to see which trends are currently relevant. What connection can you make with your subject?
• Regularly talk to young people, for example, by setting up a youth panel for your organization.
• Collaborate with schools. Teachers see their students daily and know well what is happening, providing you with valuable information about what engages young people. Schools can also help you promote your offerings.

Connect with youth culture!

Once you know what interests and engages young people, it’s time to think about offerings that align with this. How do you translate this knowledge into (digital) educational offerings? Read more about this at DEN.