Ditching the Socials

Ellen C. Wells

A recent Newsweek article that revealed something I had an inkling about: People in the Gen Z and Millennial generations are leaving social media—or at the very least decreasing their use of it in a big way.

This article suggests that, while once having more followers than your friends was a feather in your cap, it’s now even cooler to have the fewest active social media platforms. Not only are they deleting their social accounts, but they’re also using flip phones and going all in on digital minimalism and decreasing the use of addictive social features.

And I love this line from the piece: “Once seen as outdated, being offline is now perceived as a luxury in a world where everyone is perpetually plugged in.”

“It reflects the desire for intentional, high-quality content consumption,” Newsweek quotes Francesco Bogliacino, an associate professor of economics at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy. “Being disconnected from social media is becoming a status symbol, and selective newsletters and blogs represent costly signals. We are also more aware of the harmful effects of social media like mental health issues, polarization and misinformation.”

What have you found among your garden center’s customers? Have you seen a drop off in social engagement? What digital content do they seem to be consuming? And does this change your marketing strategy in any way? GP