Teenage kicks
Find out what your kids think is cool
TODAY’S teenagers have never known a world without the internet, making them – apparently – the most informed and connected generation yet. Most parents, though, are far removed from the bubble created by young people born between the late 1990s and mid-2000s – often described as Generation Z. However, a new study commissioned by search engine Google has now given us a rare glimpse into the minds of our children.
The poll asked teens aged 13 to 17 to reveal what they think is cool – and the results provide an insight into the struggle between technology and RL (that means “real life”, grandpa).
The research also suggests young women and young men decide what’s cool in different ways.
Young women are more likely to base their perception of cool on how something makes them feel, while young men are persuaded by fads and friends. Whatever way teens decide what is cool, it matters to parents who increasingly rely on Generation Z to make key life decisions for them. A separate study commissioned by digital lifestyle brand iCoolKid has revealed that opinions held by under-18s are proving to be the biggest driver for adults when buying home tech, booking a holiday, or choosing which restaurant to dine in. When parents were asked which things they most often turn to teens for guidance on, 79 per cent put booking a family holiday at the top of the list, saying they wouldn’t finalise a family trip without input from their children. In second place was buying home tech products such as TVs, laptops or smartphones, with more than twothirds of respondents (68 per cent) indicating they would seek advice from their teenagers on factors such as design, spec and brand. Completing the top three line-up was the more everyday issue of choosing where to go for a meal, with 57 per cent of adults surveyed admitting that their