This concise report by Schieber Research interns, Anja Husemann and Dylan Chung, reviews 5 Trends: Affirmations, Upcycling, Digital identity, Subcultures, (un)certain times. - COVID-19 created new awareness (environmental, societal) amongst Gen-Z consumers. - This, along with the search for identity (typical of the age group in any generation), and the shift in social norms, connects to #subcultures, #nonbinary consumers, #upcycling and prevention of #foodwaste. - We noticed the need to stand out in a virtual (onto the metaverse) world - meaning, #NFT or #skins are a sub-trend and not "the need". - We noted that the rise in anxiety and the search for mental wellness in an isolated world brought with it the cultural trend of #affirmations, #bodypositivity and even #tarot cards.

1. POST-COVID
POST-COVID
GEN-ZTRENDSTOKNOW
GEN-ZTRENDSTOKNOW
IN2022
IN2022
Dylan Chung, Anja Husemann // January, 2022

2. Affirmations
Upcycling
Digital Identity
Subcultures
(Un)Certain Times
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
TRENDS
TRENDS
Starting the new year of 2022, we decided to put together a report of the
biggest trends from 2021. These are topics we believe will continue affecting
our everyday lives and are important to consider going into the new year.

3. Affirmations
Affirmations
Positive thinking /
Self-empowerment
In a time when mental health is
at the forefront of everyone's
minds, affirmations have
become an important part of
people's daily rituals, with
searches for affirmations
reaching an all-time worldwide
high this year.
TRENDS
TRENDS
TRENDS
Google Year-In-Search 2021
Searches for body
positivity
reached an all-time
worldwide high this
year
Searches for how to
maintain mental
health reached an all-
time worldwide high
this year
246.6k likes

4. Upcycling
Upcycling
"to reuse an object or material
to create a product of higher
value than the original"
In an attempt to shift more focus
onto sustainability, people have
begun upcycling products of all
kinds. Many look towards
upcycling as a way to help the
environment, save money, tap into
their creativity, and more.
food
food
→95% of consumers felt it was important to do their part
to reduce food waste in their own lives. (Mattson Co.)
fashion
fashion
Depop is one of the most popular shopping
platforms for Gen Z, with 90% of their active
users being under the age of 26. (Depop
Newsroom) The app allows people to sell
upcycled/reworked pieces, vintage items,
streetwear, etc. to other fellow consumers.
Upcycled jeans by Depop user
@mbm_by_iesus
TikTok user Emily Mariko took
the digital world by storm when
she first posted her salmon rice
recipe, repurposing her leftover
salmon from the night before.
Her videos amassed millions of
views and everybody was trying
her recipe.

5. As the Metaverse explodes in
development and popularity,
digital goods like NFTs, skins, and
avatars have become ways for
people to express themselves and
reclaim their identity in a virtual
space.
Gamers represent one of the
biggest consumer
demographics, and
companies have offered in-
game skins to help gamers
express themselves
fortnite
hypebeast.com
Avatar NFTs allow people to
attach certain characteristics
and personality traits to
their digital identity.

6. Subcultures
Subcultures
"a group with values and
interests distinct from a larger
society"
Subcultures play a large role in media
and society, because they give people
the feeling of fitting in and being
understood by others. This connects
with the idea of being the "main
character" of your own life. There are
a variety of subcultures to which
people belong to: hippies, skaters,
goth, etc.
technology
technology
Although originally thought of as a media for
gamers, Discord is one of the most popular
platforms for people with similar interests to
connect and interact. →As of May 2021, nearly
80% of people now use Discord for non-gaming
purposes, up from 30% in late 2019. (CB Insights)
examples of Discord servers: Movies &
Filmmaking, Fantasy Football Chat, Bachelor
Nation, etc
fashion
fashion
While subcultures give
people the opportunity to "fit
in," we also see a rise in non-
binary consumers–those who
are breaking the boundaries
of specific labels and boxes.
→56% of Gen Z consumers
shopped outside of their
assigned gender area (Phluid
Project)
Harry Styles, very popular
for his androgynous style

7. (UN)Certain Times
(UN)Certain Times
"a moment in which you do not
know what you should do or
what is going to happen"
In the midst of a pandemic, many
are distraught with their plans
being disrupted and are unsure of
what is still to come. With this
uncertainty, people are relying on
things that can bring a sense of
stability or assurance.
soulmates
soulmates
tarot cards
tarot cards
→Sales of tarot decks have
doubled in the past five years
and are estimated to have
tripled during the first year of
the pandemic (Lynn Araujo,
editorial and communications
director for U.S. Games Systems)
The soulmate test, which gained
popularity on TikTok, allowed people
to do a math equation in order to see if
their partner is their soulmate. (The
equation involves their birth year, their
partner's age, and the current year)
→"Soulmate" was searched more than
ever before across the globe in 2021
(Google)

8. TRENDS
AFFIRMATIONS
AFFIRMATIONS
UPCYCLING
UPCYCLING
DIGITAL
DIGITAL
IDENTITY
IDENTITY
SUBCULTURES
SUBCULTURES
(UN)CERTAIN
(UN)CERTAIN
TIMES
TIMES
SUBTRENDS ASK...
SKINS, AVATARS, NFTS
SKINS, AVATARS, NFTS
BODY POSITIVITY,
BODY POSITIVITY,
MENTAL WELLNESS
MENTAL WELLNESS
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT CONSUMERS' NEEDS TO
EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN A NEW DIGITAL WORLD?
HOW CAN WE FACILITATE THE AFFIRMATION AND
SELF-EMPOWERMENT OF CONSUMERS?
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
AWARENESS, WASTE
AWARENESS, WASTE
NON-BINARY, SELF
NON-BINARY, SELF
EXPRESSION
EXPRESSION
STRESS-FREE,
STRESS-FREE,
SEARCHING ANSWERS
SEARCHING ANSWERS
HOW CAN WE HELP CONSUMERS REPURPOSE AND GIVE
NEW MEANING TO PRODUCTS THEY ALREADY OWN?
HOW CAN WE CREATE COMMUNITIES FOR CONSUMERS
TO FEEL ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD IN?
HOW CAN WE PROVIDE STABILITY FOR CONSUMERS IN
A TIME OF CHAOS AND CONFUSION?

9. Our research was conducted by exploring social
media platforms (such as Instagram, TikTok,
Pinterest, etc.), analyzing Google Trends,
reviewing company reports and statistics and
speaking to people we know about their
experiences, as well as our own knowledge and
experiences as members of Gen-Z.
METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY

10. Dylan Chung and Anja Husemann are interns at Schieber Research,
LLC and are both in their senior year at Bergen County Academies.
Dylan is in the Academy for Business and Finance; Anja is in the
Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration.
In college, Dylan is looking to pursue a degree in economics, political
science, or business management. His career plans aren't set in stone
yet, but he would like to be involved in some aspect of business. In his
free time, Dylan loves to listen to copious amounts of music, play video
games and basketball with his friends, and watch anime.
Anja hopes to major in fashion business for college. She plans on
becoming a costume designer for films or a fashion stylist. In her free
time, Anja often goes thrifting, watches movies (her favorite genre is
psychological thriller), and plays with her siamese cat, Bali.
ABOUTUS
ABOUTUS