 |
Gen Zers are not simply disillusioned about the current state of society—they are taking that disillusionment personally, with many of them forming a sense of grievance against social institutions that impacts how likely they are to trust government, business, the media and brands.
That’s the conclusion reached by “Gen Z & Grievance—A Generation’s Response to a World Under Threat,” Edelman’s first deep dive into why Gen Z is pushing back against what they see as inadequate responses to a wide range of problems.
The results of the report are based on findings from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, which surveyed more than 33,000 respondents across 28 countries.
More than half (58 percent) of Gen Z respondents said that they feel either a moderate or high sense of grievance.
Much of that sense of grievance comes out of fear and insecurity. Almost three quarters of respondents (72 percent) said that safety and security were top personal concerns. Over a third (37 percent) said they fear job loss—more than any other generation. Even more (39 percent) say that they feel constant uncertainty about the future.
 |
Resentment toward institutions that Gen Zers say aren’t meeting their expectations is another source of grievance. For example, half (50 percent) of American Gen Zers report having “very little” trust in Congress, with just 3 percent saying they have a “great deal” of trust.
Not surprisingly, the media also comes in for its share of distrust. In the UK, 58 percent of Gen Zers say that they trust social media posts from their friends as much—if not more—than they trust information from traditional media.
Brands don’t get off the hook, either. While 58 percent of brand leaders think their brands meet social responsibility expectations, that number slides to 15 percent for Gen Z consumers. However, almost three-quarters (72 percent) of them still want brands to take a stand on issues “but only when it’s done with action, not just words.”
The overall result is compounded by the opinion of two-thirds (66 percent) of Gen Z that leaders and the media are deliberately misleading them.
In a disturbing trend, a majority of Gen Zers (53 percent) think that “hostile activism” is an acceptable way to bring about change. That includes such tactics as attacking people online, threatening or committing violence, and damaging public or private property.
How can brands combat these trends? The study offers several strategies: consistently committing to provide Gen Z with a sense of safety, security and opportunity for the future; providing a relevant sense of hope and humor; and working to form community and connections.
Edelman’s online survey was conducted betwen Oct. 25 and Nov. 15, 2024.
Changing marketing forces continued to push back against both growth and profitability for PR agencies in 2025, according to a recently released report from Gould+Partners.
Japan has kept its position as the country with the strongest ties to the U.S. for the third consecutive year in the recently released 2026 BGR Impact Index.
The split between the growing number of sources that audiences can go to for information and the increasing consolidation at the biggest outlets in the media industry is resulting in an environment that poses significant challenges for communicators, according to a new study from Global Strategy Group.
Local journalism is becoming an increasingly rare commodity, which is having an effect on everything from civic engagement to personal loneliness to high borrowing rates for municipal loans, according to a study from Muck Rack.
CEOs are increasingly being expected to serve as the face of their organization, but the strategies used to implement that increased visibility vary, according to a new report from V2 Communications.
