Gen Z forms a large part of the user base of Soul App, a Chinese social app, and other such new-age social platforms. Born with smartphones cradled, Zoomers are the first to navigate a world seamlessly interwoven with pixels and pings. Socializing online isn’t just an extension of real life for them; it’s a distinct landscape with its own codes and customs. This comfort stems from their digital fluency, and their ability to speak the language of memes and threads.
To them, offline connections are valuable, but online communities offer another kind of belonging, free from the constraints of geography or social circles. Soul caters to these niche interests, allowing deep connections to thrive on this new paradigm.
Legacy platforms, owing to their rigid and reputation-driven approach, feel foreign to Zoomers. Plus, they are unable to keep up with the fast-paced, fragmented online life of Gen Z. A survey conducted by Soul in collaboration with OMG China as well as the Wired World in 2023 report shed light on whether youngsters in China and across the world are really turning their backs on legacy platforms and if so, why.
According to the story published by Wired, the tide began to change as far back as 2021 when Gen Z started slowly but steadily turning away from popular social platforms. Save for TikTok, all other legacy platforms, including behemoths like Facebook saw a significant drop in Gen Z users. The change was so significant that only a quarter of all US teens were found using Facebook as their primary social platform.
In China, the shift started earlier. The fact that a new age platform like Soul App gained significant traction within a year of its 2016 inception was a testament to the changing social digitization tastes of Zoomers.
As of 2022, nearly 80% of Soul users were Zoomers and the platform reached a massive user base of 30 million monthly active users. Other new-age platforms that offer something different from the tried and tested socialization formula of legacy platforms are doing just as well.
For instance, in January 2023, it was estimated that Discord, a messaging and voice app, had approximately 154 million monthly active users while BeReal, a photo-sharing app, had amassed nearly 25 million monthly active users as of November 2023. What makes the rise of these new age platforms striking is that their popularity isn’t attributed to the digital naivety of Gen Z.
Au contraire, it is propelled by a desire for more meaningful and authentic connections. In a nutshell, across the world for Zoomers cyberspace is a whole new continent, and they’re not afraid to explore its uncharted corners. Meanwhile, they’re not escaping reality, what they are doing is redefining it, pixel by pixel.
These figures also highlight another crucial fact- Gen Z isn’t interested in consuming a deluge of irrelevant content nor does the influencer-driven culture attract them. They are certainly turning their backs on divisive and combative interactions.
Instead, they are enamored by the ideas of simplicity and ease of expression. Also, this cohort treats digital socialization as an independent aspect of their lives and not as a mere extension of their offline social lives.
The Soul App × OMG China survey released in January had similar findings. Three key insights were derived from the survey and a common thread through them all was that Gen Z feels “everything is sociable.” Yet, Zoomers lay profound emphasis on genuine friendships grounded in shared interests rather than professional connections.
The desire is rooted in the fact that Gen Z is, according to many social studies, the loneliest generation in China. Most of these youngsters face intense academic and career pressures, so they often find themselves stretched thin. This, coupled with the one-child policy generation dynamic has led to feelings of isolation and a lack of close relationships.
Moreover, traditional social circles in China often emphasize formality and social hierarchy. This is stifling for Gen Z, who value authenticity and open communication. Online platforms like Soul offer a space for them to break free from these constraints, connect with like-minded individuals, and express themselves with ease.
In fact, Soul’s exceptional penetration in this cohort is owed to its approach of offering a unique platform for deeper and meaningful connections based on mutual interests. The AI algorithms used by the platform match users based on shared interests and personalities rather than just physical appearance or even offline connections.
This creates a sense of genuine connection and fosters deeper conversations but at the same time, it lends a fleeting quality to the connections that has an unmistakable air of freedom to it. So, users have the liberty to express their true selves without the fear of judgment.
Added to this is the fact that Soul offers a plethora of innovative features that enhance the platform’s ability to connect Zoomers on points that matter to them. For example, different from the traditional social networks that emphasize appearances, Soul requests its users to create their virtual identities (“avatars”) instead of showcasing their photos in real life, which bring users more immersive social experiences.
Moreover, Soul provides chat groups based on hobbies, passions, and life goals. This attracts users with similar interests, creating an environment where conversations flow naturally and shared experiences form the foundation for connection.
Moving beyond text messages, the App encourages users to connect through voice calls, allowing them to hear each other’s voices, understand nuances in tone, and build a more personal connection.
Then, the virtual audio rooms on the platform take things further by offering spaces for group voice chats on various topics. This breaks down initial inhibitions and fosters a sense of community around shared interests, leading to organic conversations and potential genuine friendships.
In a nutshell, Soul App’s features are carefully designed to break down barriers, encourage open communication, and create a sense of shared experience. This fosters a more genuine and authentic connection-building process compared to legacy platforms.
So, it certainly comes as no surprise that in China, Zoomers have wholeheartedly embraced the SOUL-ization experience that the platform offers. After all, it is just the thing that China’s Gen Z craves. Elsewhere in the world too, the flow of users away from legacy platforms appears to be a trend that won’t go away in a hurry. New age platforms like Soul App are now the in-thing for youngsters, and why not?
