Gen Z and social media - An unexpected coronavirus chronicle | DW Documentary

Seven young members of Generation Z have big plans and dreams - until the coronavirus hits. Suddenly, they find themselves in a world that has transformed completely. They’ll need creativity and resilience to cope.

Each of them harbors a long-held dream. Cassandra from South Africa, for example, is looking forward to her time working on a cruise ship -- and ends up in pandemic quarantine, instead. Or Jessica, a 23-year-old single mother from the US, who is politicized by the murder of George Floyd and joins the "Black Lives Matter” movement. The Indian YouTuber Shakir embarks on his dream, setting out on motorbike for an overland journey from India to Europe. When he’s stranded along the way, his trip takes a turbulent turn -- and he becomes a social media and TV star back home.

They’re all members of Generation Z - the first generation to grow up with social media. Each of these young people have active social media channels with as many as a million subscribers. These online channels provide a means for them to communicate and express themselves. There, they share everything from news about long-distance relationships to job losses and financial hardship; they post emotional statements on political events alongside thoughtful reflections on the role of social media in their lives. But have they themselves become a product?

Video footage shot by the subjects themselves is used to sensitively illuminate how these young people deal with the strange new world they are living in.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #socialmedia #coronavirus
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