ABSTRACT
Compared to earlier generations, Generation Z are no longer mere pioneers in the use of digital technology. They have become the virtuosos. Mobile communication and social media have lost their ultimate fascination, as the digital world has become self-evident and ubiquitous. An estimated 30 percent of Generation Z, mostly young men, sometimes gets caught up in a cycle of addiction, although it is possible to break free from it after a while. In Germany, the younger generation also uses different social networks for different purposes: TikTok for funny music videos, Instagram to follow famous people and Snapchat to communicate with friends. Generation Z is growing up in a time in which the leadership of the traditional media has increasingly been called into question. Instead, Instagram and Snapchat – in addition to WhatsApp and YouTube – are on almost every smartphone belonging to the younger generation.
