New research from Snapchat has found that Gen Z are firmly a glass-half-full bunch in 2025.
The demographic is becoming increasingly important for marketers as they truly enter the workforce en masse and have growing consumer clout.
Snapchat’s research, produced with Crowd DNA and surveying more than 3,000 young Australians, found that friends, real-life experiences and a desire for genuine interactions are key drivers for this generation. It also challenged assumptions about Gen Z’s online behaviour, highlighting their craving for authenticity in a world they perceive as increasingly “fake”.
The research revealed Gen Z are overwhelmingly more positive in 2025, with gratitude (46 per cent), optimism (42 per cent), and motivation (39 per cent) the top emotions reported by respondents. The findings are in stark contrast to 2024, which found eight in 10 felt negative about the world.
Achieving personal milestones (44 per cent) gives Gen Z the most joy in their lives, as they seek success on their own terms. When asked about their biggest life priorities, Gen Z put saving money (44 per cent), career growth (41 per cent) and buying a house (28 per cent) in their top three, while Millennials are more likely to prioritise their physical and mental health.
To achieve those goals, savvy saving is a key driver in getting them there as 74 per cent spend more on small everyday experiences (food, drinks, outings) over larger events and holidays.
Gen Z Australians are also on the hunt for “affordable luxury,” with 55 per cent actively seeking high-quality at accessible price points, and 61 per cent preferring a ‘good dupe’ over the ‘real thing’.
“I get to meet a ton of advertisers and professionals in our industry and there’s a huge amount of energy around Gen Z at the moment,” Ryan Ferguson, MD of Snapchat Australia and New Zealand, told B&T.
“Some of the feedback that I’m getting from advertisers, agencies and marketers alike is that Gen Z is their growth story today. It’s also their profit story for the future.
“Gen Z is going to be the largest generation to date in our population. They’re also going to be the wealthiest as they will make up 30 per cent of the global workforce in the next five years.”
Craving Authenticity and Connection with Friends
That said, it isn’t all good news. Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of those surveyed reported feeling that their generation was lonelier than any other generation, meaning Gen Z are looking for real and genuine connections now more than ever.
A desire for authentic connection emerged from the findings, with eight in 10 reporting that the world seems ‘fake’ and they are searching for something real. Four-fifths report feeling most like themselves when connected to their friends, while nearly 70 per cent like expressing themselves online but don’t want the whole world to see—only their closest friends.
When asked for their thoughts around digital spaces to connect with friends, Snapchat rose to the top, as the platform ranked #1 amongst respondents for connecting authentically with friends, while other platforms are more associated with being places for ‘posting perfect, polished content’ and ‘killing time or boredom’
“Snapchat reaches more than 90 per cent of Gen Z in Australia and we know that the number one reason people use the platform is to message with friends and family,” added Ferguson.
“In fact, more than 8 million Aussies come to Snapchat each month to do just that. Gen Z is one of the most important audiences for marketers, because they are the customer growth story of today, and the profit story of the future. This new research uncovers fresh insights about the state of play for Australia’s young people in 2025, and why their drive for genuine connection means that authenticity is key for advertisers who want to win Gen Z”.
Friends as Influencers: The Power of Peer Recommendations
Gen Z places immense value on the opinions and experiences of their friends, with seven in 10 stating that their friends are critical in shaping their personal decisions and shopping choices.
Authentic connections are a huge driver of Gen Z purchasing behaviour. Nearly two thirds of Gen Z said seeing products on friends and creators makes them want to buy it, while just over half of said shopping with friends is their favourite way to connect.
“When I talk to clients and even the community, what’s really prevalent at the moment is that our platform is one of the most important apps on their phone,” added Ferguson.
“Users are opening our app more than 40 times a day, which is a huge and phenomenal level of engagement. That is very exciting for advertisers and brands alike. Our users are not coming to the app 40 times a day to doom scroll. They’re not looking for an endless feed of algorithmic content. They’re actually there to connect and create fun and engaging messaging with their closest friends and family.
Gen Z are also drawn to brands that offer interactive and engaging shopping experiences, with half more likely to shop from brands utilising interactive ads and store features, and nearly half preferring virtual stores over physical ones.
The survey found that Snapchat plays a key role in creating connections through retail and driving retail spend, with nearly half of respondents reporting they plan shopping trips or experiences with friends, share product recommendations or reviews through Stories or Snaps, and a third use the app to create a fun and collaborative shopping experience with their friends.
Augmented Reality (AR) also plays a key role, with over a third more likely to purchase items they can virtually try on.
Stephanie Winkler, head of agency at Crowd DNA said: “To really connect with Gen Z in an authentic way, brands and advertisers are having to adapt. With this generation ‘rejecting perfection’, Gen Z wants to genuinely connect with brands that are keeping things real, raw and unpolished. It’s also incredibly important today that brands are creating an always-on-connection with young Aussies – meeting them in their daily moments and joining their slipstream of conversation, not just around big milestones. The brands that are able to do this, while using technology to foster real-world interactions like we see through Snapchat, will drive both immediate engagement and lasting loyalty with this influential generation.”
