Reaching Gen Z in the age of AI: Three takeaways for PR professionals from the Digital 2026 report

Gen Z may not be the AI-native generation, but it’s certainly the AI-pioneering one. From studying to shopping, LLMs and other AI-powered tools have transformed how young people navigate the digital (and real) world, and the changes keep emerging. As the Digital 2026: Global Overview Report shows, Gen Z navigates the digital world like no other generation that came before it. Here are three big takeaways from this industry-leading report that every PR professional needs to have a competitive advantage in the AI age.

1.   Reputable sources matter more than ever.

Internet users have vast sources of information to turn to, but reputability is still a precious commodity for digital-native generations. For one example, let’s look at Gen Z’s relationship to news.

The data shows that interest in news clearly increases with age. However, Gen Z and younger Millennials are much more likely to pay for digital news than older generations.

Additionally, though the majority of adult internet users across age groups have concerns about online misinformation, no group does more than women aged 16 to 24. This data speaks to a very real interest among young people in finding (and being loyal to) news sources that they can trust.

Most importantly, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that legacy media still has the monopoly on trust. More than one in four social media users between the ages of 16 and 24 follow influencers or other experts, while journalists don’t even make the top 10 list. Uncovering and vetting them with AI tools is key for refining targeting and finding new opportunities on the channels Gen Z frequents most.

Takeaway: Whether pitching blogs or partnering with content creators, PR professionals need to prioritize media sources that are reputable on Gen Z’s terms to ensure effective communication.

2.   Voice- and image-based search can’t be ignored.

The rise of instant summaries and standalone AI search engines also adds value to reputable sources. As these AI models become increasingly accurate and context-aware, they will also continue to prioritize content with verified information from authoritative sources. This shift is transforming traditional web search activities, as well as the voice- and image-based ones that are intuitive to Gen Z.

For example, nearly one in four internet users aged 16 to 24 use voice assistants like Siri and Alexa each week. This age group has an even higher representation among netizens who use mobile image recognition tools like Google Lens at least once a month. With either mode, users are searching for quick information, recommendations, instructions, and more. This calls for new approaches to packaging and presenting information.

Optimizing for Gen Z search and discovery behaviors is no small task, but tools tailored to these new challenges are emerging and advancing every day. Using LLM monitoring solutions, like Meltwater’s GenAI Lens, you can gain a fuller picture of how AI tools portray your organization or brand.

Takeaway: To adapt to Gen-Z’s evolving digital habits, PR professionals need to ensure outputs are findable by internet users and AI engines alike using features like high-quality visuals, metadata, and more.

3.   Social short-form video is paramount.

It’s no secret that video is king. According to the latest data, internet users aged 16 and older spend 11h 30m watching online videos each week. Notably, they spend more time (6h 39m) watching short videos, like TikToks and Reels, than they do watching shows on streaming services or longer videos, like vlogs (4h 51m). When we break the numbers down by age group, clear generational divides emerge.

Internet users aged 55 and older spend more time watching long videos in the form of TV content (both traditional and streaming) than they do watching short ones. That trend reverses as age groups get younger. Female and male internet users aged 16 to 24 spend the most time watching short-form social videos, at about 10 hours and 9 hours, respectively.

With short-form social video occupying so much of Gen Z’s media diet, creating and analyzing this content is non-negotiable for remaining relevant and competitive. AI-powered video editing tools are essential for consistently creating high-quality, bite-sized, shareable content. On the market and audience intelligence end, social listening solutions with visual analytics capabilities reveal what resonates most with different audiences across platforms.

Takeaway: Shareable short-form video is a Gen Z attention grabber that can level-up everything from announcements and press releases to pitches and thought leadership content.

TLDR: Advanced challenges need advanced solutions

The latest data from the Digital 2026: Global Overview Report reveals how Gen Z’s approach to consuming media and information online sets it apart from older generations, with a notable emphasis on immediacy. PR professionals who want to not only keep up but remain competitive need to leverage AI-powered solutions that give them greater visibility into the specifics of who and what their Gen-Z target audience trusts online.

Of course, the trends discussed above are just the tip of the iceberg. No matter your target audience, reliable data drives strategies in ways that guesses, assumptions, or hunches never could. Find out how internet users across demographics around the world shop, search, connect, and more online in the new Digital 2026: Global Overview Report.