Gen Z and the Metaverse
Ipsos partnered with Nokia to reach out to Gen Z in the UK, US, Korea, Brazil, and UAE – via the metaverse – in a first of a kind study. We discovered that engagement is high, social experience is critical and virtual identity has a key part to play.
Gen Z and the Metaverse
The metaverse is an emerging digital territory that has recently attracted waves of attention and investment. For the first generation of digital natives, fully connected by technology, Gen Z are defined not just by their values or societal context. Growing up in this reality, their behaviours and attitudes influence metaverse experiences and developments. As a generation, they are coming of age, joining the workforce, and living through their most formative years, leaving them ready to start shaping institutions and countries as the leaders of tomorrow. This, as well as their status as digital natives, primes them for a new technological leap forward: the metaverse, which has the potential to be as disruptive to the ways we interact with people (and the world) as the internet was before it.
Our research
Ipsos partnered with Nokia to undertake a robust three-stage research project (with an additional fourth stage in the UK and US) to understand the metaverse from the inside, completing all interviewer-administered fieldwork in a virtual environment. Engaging with Gen Z in the metaverse for depth of understanding while putting into action a comprehensive methodology.
Key findings
Our key findings demonstrate that the Gen Z we spoke to are drawn to the metaverse for various reasons - virtual experiences, social connection, status and glory, or the chance to invest in future technologies, but are ultimately united by a desire for stability and escape. The metaverse presents a new frontier for Gen Z. When it comes to the metaverse, they are not just digital natives but technological pioneers.
- Awareness of the metaverse is low but engagement is high
- Social experience is a key draw to the metaverse
- Identity in the metaverse is a new opportunity for experimentation
- Virtual assets are a draw for some
- Technology is central to their conception of the metaverse
- Gen Z want to build the metaverse, so it reflects their values
Methodology
An online Community was recruited, 30 participants for a minimum of 26 to complete in the UK and US. We recruited 28 for 24 to complete in Brazil, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates Second Stage: 45 minutes - 1 hour ‘Play-a-long’ depth interviews. Interviews were conducted via a gaming or metaverse platform that is used by the participant. Participants were selected based on their responses in the online community. Third Stage (UK and US only): x2 2-hour virtual workshops. The workshops were run via a metaverse platform (Spatial.io) and lasted for 2 hours. Participants could join from a mobile device, VR headset or web browser.
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