Youth

Implications - Millennials are delaying adulthood, achieving adulthood milestones at a later rate than any other generation. The money they are saving by avoiding things like homeownership is spent growing their key values of individuality and memorable experience; as they grow older and attain more disposable income, however, their tastes become more sophisticated. This has caused growth within the high-end nostalgia market. [More]

Implications - Using virtual, emotional and tactile cues, children’s narratives are leaping out of the 2D page and engaging young readers in completely new ways. New parents keen to develop the emotional intelligence of their offspring through sensorial experience, are finding innovative formats to engage short attention spans, spark curiosity and promote intellectual development. [More]

Implications - Giving children a chance to have some flexibility and control of the narrative presented to them in character-driven stories sends a powerful message to young Gen Zs that their decisions have implications and make an impact on the story's final outcome. This not only fosters critical thinking and confident decision making early on, it also encourages young minds to become more invested in the narratives that they’ve contributed to. [More]

Implications - The accessibility of resources like Kickstarter have made the toy market a crowded one. In response to this, both larger companies as well as more entrepreneurial teams are releasing board games focused around highly unusual concepts more likely to go viral than their more traditional counterparts. This appeals to consumers in search of more unique products to reflect their individualism, while tapping into a sense of nostalgia via analog play. [More]

Implications - Where the Millennial generation had teen entrepreneurs, Generation Z has child prodigies. This is due to the increased accessibility and range of information, which in turn breeds a highly competent generation of children and tweens who are redefining the idea of what kids are capable of. Products and services that aid in this natural sense of entrepreneurship among children ensure Generation Z reaches their full potential. [More]

Implications - The concept of "adulting" describes a tongue-in-cheek, reluctant approach to traditional pieces of adult life like car ownership. Though based in humor, youth's distaste for these large, seemingly complicated purchases is genuine, and mostly based in a lack of education. Companies within these industries are appealing to first-time purchasers to boost education, simplify the process and encourage Millennials to partake in these more traditional milestones. [More]

Implications - Drawing directly from action adventure movies, toy brands are enticing children to go outside and get some exercise through adventure-inspired toys. This increased preference towards outdoor play indicates a parental desire to encourage children to step away from the screen and increase social interaction through physically engaging imaginative play. [More]

Implications - As parents seek to cultivate a sense of both mental and physical wellness in their kids, toy brands are responding to this demand with high-tech toys that incentivize children to exercise. This shift illustrates that despite some parents' resistance to technology when it comes to their children, there's opportunity to change that approach when technology is paired with another benefit. [More]

Implications - To help increase interest in learning-focused products, toy brands are releasing products that integrate highly engaging augmented and virtual reality features. Increasingly accessible, this kind of technology is becoming more mainstream, more affordable and permeating more industries than ever before. [More]

Implications - As a growing emphasize is placed upon education, digital tools for aiding things like speech development are emerging for a more streamlined approach to learning. No longer requiring a one-on-one session with a teacher, learning different languages and dialects has become something that can be done independently through the use of technology. From educational robots to language helping apps, these examples not only speak to the growing use of technology within education, but it also showcases the need for tools that help foster more advanced academic learning, especially at a younger age. [More]