 |
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.
Work-life balance is the job perk that matters most to employees at independent agencies, pushing compensation to second place, according to a new study from IPREX.
Law firms express concerns about AI’s authenticity and reputational risk, even though they are rapidly increasing its role in their communications strategies, according to a white paper released by Infinite, which handles professional services PR.
The deadline for O'Dwyer's 2026 rankings of PR firms, a benchmark study of the growth of the industry since 1970, is Mon., Mar. 16, 2026. Show your expertise in 23 PR specialties. Rankings are also tabulated by 14 cities and regions.
The rapid emergence of challenger brands and third-party sellers in the digital marketplace has created a big hurdle for major CPG brands, according to a new report from IPG’s Agentic Systems for Commerce unit.
Amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, PRSA's ICON conference in Wash., D.C., Oct. 28-30 featured a collection of panels exploring the intersection of political communication and PR from a variety of angles, navigating how practitioners can rebuild trust and uphold transparency in an increasingly polarized climate.
